Ep 3. The Commuter

The Commuter is the third episode of the dystopian sci-fi anthology series Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams, based on the short story by the same name. The episode is set in a suburban railway station, where the everyday monotony of commuters is interrupted by a mysterious ticket clerk, Ed Jacobson (played by Timothy Spall), who offers them an incredible escape.

Ed is a quiet and unassuming man who works at the station for years, selling tickets to regular commuters who take the same train every day. One day, a young woman named Linda (played by Tuppence Middleton) arrives at the station looking for a train that she cannot find on any of the schedules. She is searching for a place called "Macon Heights," where her son and friends live. Despite her confusion, Ed takes pity on her and decides to help.

But things get even weirder when Ed starts to question his own reality. He cannot seem to remember Macon Heights ever being on the schedule, and the more he investigates, the more he realizes that something strange is going on. The more he helps Linda and her son, the more he becomes entangled in a bizarre supernatural world.

As Ed continues his search for Macon Heights, he discovers that the world around him is not as he had thought. The people and places he knows start to shift and change, and he begins to realize that his reality may not be what it seems.

The episode is beautifully shot, with a lot of attention to detail in creating a world that is both eerie and beautiful. The setting of a train station is intriguing and adds to the overall atmosphere of the episode, with the constant movement of commuters evoking a sense of unease and tension.

The performances are also excellent, especially Timothy Spall as Ed Jacobson, whose gradual descent into madness is portrayed with a subtle yet powerful intensity. Tuppence Middleton and her young co-stars also deliver impressive performances, bringing a sense of realism and emotional depth to the story.

Overall, The Commuter is a haunting and thought-provoking episode that explores themes of the nature of perception, reality, and the human mind. It is a fitting addition to the Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams series, which continues to impress with its imaginative storytelling and stunning visuals.