"Out of the past phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale: Declared Insane."
This episode, first broadcast on September 26, 1943, again adapts a full novel, this time The Commission in Lunacy (L'interdiction) by Honoré de Balzac, first published in 1839. Skimming the summary suggests that this adaptation covers similar ground to the original, although obviously with much less detail.
I am starting to wonder whether my first impression, that this series is focused on the supernatural, was misguided. Instead, Declared Insane joins The Vendetta and Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym as another mundane tale, about power and its relation to justice, and how far decency and integrity could get you in Bourbon Restoration Paris - not as far as the connections and influence, which will provide you with very sincere liars to muster to your cause.
We see this as the conflict unfolds between the estranged wife of the Marquis d'Espard, who wants to seize control of her husband's affairs by committing him to an asylum, and Judge Popinot of the inferior courts, who would preside over the necessary hearing, but is not easily swayed by influence or wealth (a poignant quote: "Such a place for a judge to live... what kind of a judge are you anyway, living here? Huh! You must be an honest one!"), in parallel series of dialogues and described actions that believably lead to a not so satisfying conclusion.
The theme of the mental health system being used as punishment unfortunately lingers to this day. An investigating judge, however, probably reads as unusual to an American audience.
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