Holiday TV: Friday the 13th- The Series Creates 'Death Note'

 It is our only Friday the 13th left this year, so let's make the most of it.

It is time for that Series again!

In this Episode, we learn about an evil pen and the Monks that will use it...TO KILL!

A Monk's Abbott rejects a push to sell the Monastery.

Later, a man writes about said Abbott dreaming of flying and then falling to his death.

This was 1987 TV CGI- judge it fairly.

Our Heroes- this is only Episode 2- figure out that the pen used by a Monk in the same Monastery that predicts the deaths of many- including this Abbott- people.

Our young Leads have to go undercover in the Monk to find it.

They are watched carefully, but keep looking.

The Monk- who is in seclusion- says that the Abbott will die...but there is no Abbott.

Well, a new guy is appointed...and killed via...um, bed smothering.
It worked in 13 Ghosts.

It turns out that the would-be Abbott (played by famous That Guy Colin Fox- who just died in April) is using the pen's owner to get what he wants.

He wants to sell the Monastery, because money.

When the Owner of the Pen says that he wants to stop, the Abbott uses it to kill him.

He tries to kill our Heroes next, but there's a catch.

His message doesn't work because he doesn't use their real names.  Hear that, L?

He eventually abandons subtlety and just goes to kill them with a gun.  That's way quicker.

He is tricked into writing his Death Note...I mean...magic pen letter on the Paperwork he signed to sell the Monastery.

He's killed by a CGI guillotine blade.

The End.

A really good Episode that helps setup the Show in a fun way.

The Plot is simple- guy kills people to get rich.
The usual motivation is to live forever, so this is a changeup.

Seriously, how is this not the inspiration for Death Note.

This was 1987.
The Series first appeared in Manga in 2003.

You can argue that the PEN is magic here, but the BOOK is magic in Death Note.
Thank you, Captain Semantics.
Thanks for taking my old job, by the way, Captain.

For better or worse, these sure are 1980s Special Effects.  Just...wow.

The Plot is fun and it helpfully sets things up nicely.

Weird factoid- the Director would go on to make Christmas Films like The Case for Christmas.  It also features the same guy who played one of the (good) Monks...

A pretty good Episode that sets up the Show's premise pretty well.  The fact that it sort of inspired an Anime about 15 years later.