Directed and written by John Harrison (First Assistant Director on Creepshow and Day of the Dead — not to mention his stunning turn as the villain of Effects), this episode is all about composer Pete Bancroft (Michael Warren, Hill Street Blues), who is burned out on playing the piano, out of ideas and seemingly discourages his daughter Justine (Lisa Bonet) from following in his footsteps. But then Wilson Farber (Philip Roth) offers him an electric piano out of the blue. It’s powered by thought, not by playing, and seems to turn his ideas into hit songs. But you know what they say: if an offer is too good to be true, well…the keyboard acts as a psychic parasite, feeding on Justine’s youthful vibrance. And this is after Pete ignored her talent! Now, he wonders how he can escape this Faustian deal.

At its core, the story explores the commodification of art. Pete Bancroft isn’t just a tired musician; he’s a man experiencing the soul-crushing weight of professional expectation. When Wilson Farber presents the thought-powered keyboard, it represents the ultimate shortcut of output without the labor of practice or the pain of composition. Keep in mind, this was made decades before AI.

Speaking of music, Harrison also composed the score, with cues very similar to those in Day of the Dead.