Astronauts Mac (Frank Aletter) and Hector (Jack Mullaney) are still trying to convince General Morley (Frank Wilcox) of their outlandish claims to have traveled back to the prehistoric era and brought back a cave family. The patriarch Gronk (Joe E. Ross) is hungry and spots a fully cooked turkey in the window of the building across the street. He fashions a spear and hauls it in to the delight of his wife Shad (Imogene Coca), son Breer (Pat Cardi), and daughter Mlor (Mary Grace). Not delighted is the neighbor, who phones the apartment manager Mr. Tyler (Alan DeWitt). The astronauts put him off and they all leave, but Shad throws a vase out the window to get him to return. Mlor wants to look like the glamorous girl in a framed photo in the apartment, and Gronk's club convinces Mr. Tyler to take them to a beauty parlor. Mlor and Shad both are given full beauty parlor treatment overseen by Mr. Pringle (an uncredited James Millhollin, an instantly recognizable television character actor in the mold of film's Franklin Pangborn). Shad talks the family into getting clothes to fit in with the people around them. Naturally, when General Morley finally comes, all he sees are four people dressed in modern-day attire. When the astronauts insist upon their story, they are sent to psychiatrist Dr. Hamilton (Jan Arvan). Gronk and Shad decide to take the clothes back to where they swiped them, and in doing so are arrested, and soon end up with Dr. Hamilton as well. Who will win the battle of wits?
I have no clue why the episode is entitled "Shad Rack and Other Tortures", as there isn't a tortuous aspect within. The comedy here is light, and I found it a disappointment from a promising fresh start the episode prior. "20th Century Here We Come" proved there is a wealth of comical misunderstandings to be mined for laughs. Here, some of the situations seemed merely done in passing.
