December 20, 1974 Season 1 Episode 11
If you want to see where we are…HERE is a list of the episodes.
This episode is the most highly rated episode of the series. It is a good episode and will take you down the path where things are not what they seem. The setting is Roosevelt Heights, a Chicago neighborhood largely populated by elderly Jewish residents, and a series of gruesome killings quickly points to something beyond ordinary. Kolchak goes past the police explanations and discovers details about creatures from Indian folklore. It’s a darker, more atmospheric episode, leaning heavily into folklore.
The monster at the heart of the episode is a Raksasha, a shape-shifting demon from Hindu mythology. It doesn’t just kill; it appears to its victims as someone they trust, lowering their guard before striking. That twist gives the story tension, because every familiar face might not be what it seems. The creature’s appearance, when revealed, is not pretty. Kolchak learns the demon has been feeding on residents, and the community tensions spread in the neighborhood it making it easier for the monster. This reminds me of Pennywise from IT, who was also a shapeshifting creature.
As Kolchak digs deeper, he crosses paths with Mr. Furlin and a community group determined to protect their homes from crime, though they don’t realize the real threat isn’t human. When Kolchak finally confronts the Raksasha, the showdown relies on knowledge rather than brute force. I was relieved because I thought he might have made a mistake…But I won’t give that away.
What makes this episode stand out is that it isn’t just about a monster… It’s about a community losing trust in itself. The demon feeds not only on flesh, but on fear and isolation. With its blend of folklore and social tension, it remains one of the most memorable and unsettling episodes in the Kolchak series.
Get a head start on next week’s episode here.
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Thanks for this Max. Another Episode that I don’t recall from watching the series when it first aired. I am sure that of those my memory might kick in once I start to watch it. Waiting until the end so I can binge watch!
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I think you will like it again. Cool thing is…there are no “spock’s brain” in this series.
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Sounds like a Twilight Zone one in theme at least, like ‘monsters have landed on Maple St.’ or whatever that episode was called. Good premise for a story
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Yea….it is a lot like IT as well…Pennywise comes looking like someone you know of…but in this case it’s worse…it’s usually a friend.
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I read ‘It’ way back when but don’t remember a lot of details about Pennywise. Some day I may pick up a copy and re-read it
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I have read that book…probably 4 times… because of the town of Derry…it’s like it’s a real place.
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Max, I watched this late last night so as to be prepared to comment on it today. One of the more disturbing aspects of a very nerve-wracking watch was the swastikas all over the place. If a new neighbor moved in and within months had spray painted every surface with swastikas in the middle of a crumbling Jewish neighborhood, I’d be more than a little alarmed. I’m glad this episode, in the words of Bono, regarding “Helter Skelter,” stole the symbol back from the Nazis and explained the symbol’s origin.
I was also taken aback by the Jewish waiter in the Indian restaurant that the old man owned. That was before I realized he was too busy monster hunting to worry about operating the actual restaurant.
This monster is daunting in that it can show up anytime, anywhere, and hunt anybody. It looked like a monster I think I saw on a Star Trek episode but not sure.
I have to ask is that the same guy (sorry forgot his name) who played 2 other monsters in earlier episodes. “Jaws” is all I can think of from a James Bond episode.
I was intrigued by the patrol officer York and found out his name is Shelly Novack. Was sad to learn he passed away at the young age of 34 of a heart attack.
This is one of my favorite episodes so far.
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The swastikas really threw me off my game…but I remembered…I saw Clara Bow wear them in the 1920s. When I saw that I thought…what the hell Clara…but it was almost 20 years before the fact and I read and it said the same thing this show said…about them…it wasn’t a Nazi thing then at that point. So yes…this did steal it back.
I thought he really shot his friend…the older lady…I like her a lot…I believe her name is Emily.
No…I don’t think this was Richard Kiel…I had to look him up again. He is not in the credits.
Yes…Pennywise is the one that it reminds me of….I mean that is scary…it can come as your son, daughter, or anyone you truly trust. I was probably my favorite episode as well.
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