Ep 7. Breakdown

A man named William Callew is a successful businessman who is always on the move. He is extremely busy and high strung but well liked. Callew is seen heading to his office on a hot summer day. The drive is intense, and he has been stuck in a traffic jam for hours. He finally tries to circumvent the traffic by taking a shortcut.

During his detour, Callew's car breaks down, and the heat is unbearable. He quickly becomes panicked but is relieved when a truck driver pulls up behind his vehicle. The driver offers to help Callew and even suggests that he ride in the back of his truck to a nearby garage. The sanctuary of the air conditioning unit in the cargo area of the truck is attractive to Callew, who agrees to the offer.

The truck driver, Ben, has several stops to make before reaching the garage, including a graveyard and a diner, where they stop for food. William is convinced that, with each stop, his situation worsens. He slowly begins to worry he’s put himself in a bad position. After leaving the diner, Callew feels a p aralyzing pain in his chest and loses consciousness. When he awakens, he finds himself in a stretcher, experiencing a panic attack. He soon realizes that he's suffered a stroke and that he's completely unable to move or communicate.

Callew's vulnerability is immediately apparent, and the two men offer their sympathy and assistance. Ben tries to comfort William along the way, while the other truck driver prepares to take the stretcher to the hospital. Realizing that William must look and feel anxiously, as if he is trapped inside his own mind, the two drivers devise a plan. They decide to pretend that the coma-stricken patient is already dead and calculate a way to smuggle the body without being noticed.

This episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" follows an intricate and suspenseful plot with unique components that always keep the viewers engaged. The focus is entirely on the protagonist's inner thoughts and emotions as he tries to find a way out of his predicament. Seeing Callew's point of view through the events, watchers can find themselves wrapped in a web of fear and hopeless confusion, which becomes more intense as the show moves along.

The actors - Joseph Cotten as William, Alan Napier as Ben, and Barney Phillips as the other truck driver - work together flawlessly to create a tense and creepy atmosphere. The scene is brought to life with peculiar and compelling visuals that make it challenging to look away.

Overall, the episode's plot develops in perfect harmony with William’s psychology, creating a vivid and realistic depiction of the protagonist's struggles. It's a must-see episode that reminds fans why they love Alfred Hitchcock's work so much.