Ep 15. The Lottery

The Lottery is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the popular TV show The Incredible Hulk. This episode takes the audience on a thrilling ride with the Hulk as he lands in a small town where an annual lottery is held to choose the year's sacrificial lamb.

The episode begins with the Hulk, played by Lou Ferrigno, arriving in a quiet town where preparations are underway for the annual lottery. The lottery is a tradition in this town, where the residents vote on a sacrificed individual who must leave the town and never return again. The town believes that this sacrificial act will bring them good fortune and prosperity.

As the story progresses, the audience meets Mark Roberts, who has returned to the town after years of absence, and his return seems to cause a stir among the townspeople. The Hulk sees Mark wandering the streets and decides to follow him to see what is going on.

Mark faces hostility from the townspeople, who refuse to welcome him back. However, the Hulk decides to protect Mark, sensing that he might be in danger from the townspeople. With the help of Mark, the Hulk learns about the annual lottery and is horrified by it, aiming to stop it from ever happening again.

The Hulk intervenes and tries to convince the town that the lottery is a wrong and perverse tradition and that they shouldn't be sacrificing their own people for their beliefs. However, his words fall on deaf ears, and the townspeople threaten to sacrifice both Mark and the Hulk in the next lottery.

The tension builds as the clock ticks, and the lottery draws closer. The Hulk takes it upon himself to stop the lottery before it can happen. He destroys the ballots and tries to make the townspeople see reason, but again, they refuse to listen to him.

Ultimately the Hulk devises a plan that could stop the lottery from happening. With Mark's help, they try to show the townspeople the light and let them understand that their practice is perverse and immoral.

As the story reaches its climax, the town hall is filled with angry townsfolk, and the tension is palpable. It's a race against time to show the townspeople that they're going down the wrong path before the lottery declares its chosen sacrifice.

Through sheer willpower and determination, the Hulk and Mark stand up to the baying mob and reason with them, finally getting them to understand how abnormal their tradition is.

The Lottery is a classic episode of The Incredible Hulk that showcases the incredible strength, fighting prowess, and even compassion of the Hulk in the face of difficult circumstances. The audience is taken on an emotional rollercoaster ride as they watch the Hulk grappling with issues of morality and trying to save Mark's life.

In the end, the constant reminder of a better moral compass is sought throughout the show, with the showrunners careful not to make the tone too dark. Overall, The Lottery stands out as one of the most thought-provoking episodes of The Incredible Hulk, combining action with deeper themes and delivering a thoroughly engaging and memorable episode.