EDITOR’S NOTE: This episode of Kolchak: The Night Stalker aired on the CBS Late Movie on September 14, 1979; July 3, 1981 and February 5, 1988.

Carl Kolchak starts this episode with these sage words: “The old cliche that politics makes strange bedfellows is only too true. At one time or another, various and sundry politicians have found themselves, when it proved expedient, of course, sharing a blanket with the military, organized crime, disgruntled, gun-toting dairy farmers, the church, famous athletes, the comedians – the list is endless. But there was a senatorial race not so long ago right here in Illinois where the strangest bedfellow of all was found under the sheets. The strangest… and certainly the most terrifying.”

Our intrepid reporter, Kolchak, is on a mission to interview the enigmatic Senatorial candidate, Robert Palmer (Tom Skerritt). Palmer, a man seemingly always a step ahead of his opponents, who mysteriously meet their end, is shrouded in scandal. As Kolchak delves deeper, the suspense thickens, and the truth becomes more elusive.

At every one of these deaths, a large dog has been seen. Well, you don’t have to have the investigative skills of Kolchak to figure out that Palmer has sold his soul to Satan for power on Earth, a contract that his wife Lorraine (Ellen Weston) wants him to escape.

Palmer, in an attempt to divert Kolchak’s attention, offers him a contract. But Kolchak’s motivations are not driven by money or escape. He seeks a larger audience and a semblance of respectability. Yet, he is acutely aware that without his investigative work, these aspirations are meaningless. And now, the looming threat of the large dog adds to his moral dilemma.

“The Devil’s Platform,” one of four episodes directed by Allen Baron, is a testament to the mature storytelling of the series. Penned by TV-writing veterans Donn Mullally and Tim Maschler, this episode elevates the narrative to a level where even the Watergate scandal pales in comparison to the entry of Lucifer into the world of politics.

There’s an IMDB fact that Devil Dog: Hound of Hell was originally a sequel to this. That sounds like the kind of BS that lives in the IMDB trivia pages, but it would be nice if it were true.

Sources

Let’s Get Out Of Here!: 31 Days of Monsters!. https://craiglgooh.blogspot.com/2010/10/31-days-of-monsters.html