The Twilight Zone - General Discussion

[MagnusHex]

1x30: A Stop at Willoughby

This is easily one of the more depressing episodes of the series, depending on your interpretation. The interpretation that Gart Williams (James Daly) was having a delusion and ended his own life might be a boring interpretation, but it's also the one that makes the most sense, considering how cynical the series can be, and also how that final shot of Willoughby funeral home sign was lingered on just a tad too long, superimposed over Gart's delusion as if to mock us for thinking a happy or even a bittersweet ending could be interpreted. It's not exactly a subtle jabbing from Serling there.

Of course, a lot of people who felt burned out by life related to Gart's character, myself particularly. The idea that there's a paradise waiting somewhere where you could finally take a break from life's hustle and bustle is a lovely notion, almost as lovely as the misconceived notion that '50s America was an idyllic place (it's not). It's a nice illusion, but life just isn't that kind. And the more I think about this, the more disturbing that episode ending becomes. Gart believing, like all of us hope for at some point in our life, that there is rest to be found, relief from the hellish world that's his workplace, only to have that hope snuffed out. Does his dream of Willoughby end there? I like that it is still ambiguous what the actual truth of it is in spite of some heavy-handed symbolism in the final shot, but it doesn't change the fact that Gart did indeed jump off that train and killed himself, probably because he was under some sort of delusion or having a sleepwalk. This leads to yet another disturbing notion of sleepwalking to your death, possibly while dreaming of Willoughby or some similar form of paradise.

Patricia Donahue plays the thankless role of Gart's harpy wife (among the many others on the show thus far), Jane Williams. Credit should be given for her attempt to lend some humanity to an otherwise one-dimensional role, served only as a plot-device to push Gart into further desperation. Serling's inability to write women well continues.

That aside, this was a very solid episode that I greatly enjoyed, especially with how cynical the ending felt instead of going the easy way out of saying Gart ended up in heaven.

4.5/5

[Annber03]

Fully agreed with this analysis. Yeah, I like the idea of longing for some happy escape from the stress of the modern world, like you said, we've all been there at some point...but to see the lengths he's willing to go to get into that world, it's very heartbreaking and unsettling. And I think the thing that makes it even more disturbing is that you know a lot of people watching would wonder if they would do what Gart did in that moment. 

It is a good episode, though, yes. With these kinds of episodes, that have much darker and creepier/disturbing endings, I do wonder what TV audiences in the late 1950s/early 1960s must've thought of some of them. TV was still a relatively new medium in so many ways then, so imagine seeing some of these kinds of stories on TV for the first time. Audiences of that time period must've been having some very frightening dreams after watching some of these episodes. 

[MagnusHex]

1x31: The Chaser

This one obviously won't be airing today. Or re-airing in syndication even. Or as they say, no means no. It's pretty much season 6 Buffy "Trio" territory here, except that at least Buffy called out on the rape instead of playing it entirely for laughs like this episode here.

One interesting comment though mentioned that Rod Serling might have just been showing how juvenile boys' fantasies really were back then, which makes sense 'coz '60s. But it is a pretty generic plot nonetheless, one that's as old as time: the love potion backfiring. If it's not a potion, it's a wish that "she would love me."

The acting does carry the episode somewhat though, and it's quirky enough that it almost works. Almost, if not for the nonconsensual "love."

2.5/5

[Annber03]

11 hours ago, MagnusHex said:

1x31: The Chaser

This one obviously won't be airing today. Or re-airing in syndication even. 

I actually have still seen this one in syndication from time to time. But even then, yeah, it doesn't get shown very often, and it never shows up whenever some channel does their "best of Twilight Zone" episode lists. 

I do like the idea of Serling making a commentary on how immature men can be when it comes to trying to win over a woman, but yeah, knowing Serling's knack for strong, decisive commentary, it does seem to be lacking that sharper edge that would be worthy of a story like this. 

[Halting Hex]

Probably not enough lead time (apologies for the slacking) but tonight at 11.00 pm MeTV is showing the classic The Dick Van Dyke Show homage/parody of The Twilight Zone (which was still on-air when this aired in 1963), "It May Look Like a Walnut".  

I've never seen it, but from description I've read in The Twilight Zone Companion, I can't wait to see Rob and Laura Petrie cross over into another dimension…

(Of course, Richard Deacon [Mel Cooley] was gearing up for his own Zone guest spot [in "The Brain Center at Whipple's"] later that season.)

Enjoy!

[Annber03]

Such a classic episode, that one :D. A very fun homage to the show. You're in for a treat with that episode, I hope you enjoy it!

[Halting Hex]

Amazing!  So glad I saw it.  They a great job of seeding all the little details early on and paying them off later, which TZ also excelled at.

And if you had told me two hours ago that Mary Tyler Moore sliding down a cascade of walnuts would become a sexual fantasy of mine, I would have looked at you as if you had four eyes.

(Good weekend for catching some DVD; he and Tony Randall were the guests on PBS's rerun of The Carol Burnett Show.  They had a great sketch about two guys on vacation in Hawai'i, but I can't find it online.  Oh, well.)

[Annber03]

9 minutes ago, Halting Hex said:

Amazing!  So glad I saw it.  They a great job of seeding all the little details early on and paying them off later, which TZ also excelled at.

And if you had told me two hours ago that Mary Tyler Moore sliding down a cascade of walnuts would become a sexual fantasy of mine, I would have looked at you as if you had four eyes.

Iconic moment, her sliding in on the walnuts XD.

I like how they were able to make the story funny and yet the premise was one that was genuinely unsettling, too. The creepy laughter from the others, Rob feeling like he was losing his mind, that brought a good bit of tension to the story. It really could've, in a lot of ways, been a perfect premise for an episode of The Twilight Zone, one of their episodes that still had a weird premise but was a little lighter in tone. 

So glad you enjoyed it:). 

[MagnusHex]

1x32: Passage for Trumpet

Often hailed as one of the greatest TZ episodes ever, but all I had was a bitter memory of it. I remember I first watched it when I was in a dark place, existentially speaking. I felt a lack of worth, and the fact that Joey Crown was moping despite having a talent for music really didn't help me feel better, as I didn't have talent for nothing, and I didn't have those "good friends" Joey had in life, or just anything much to appreciate for either.

Fast forward a decade, and the episode still isn't an easy viewing because not much has changed for me. But I think I've gained a better appreciation for it, its beautiful message of appreciating the good things in your life and just keep on pushing through the hardships. The fact that Joey easily got into a relationship at the end still felt a little too easy, but I guess Joey earned it, especially due to Jack Klugman's fine performance (that everyone who praised this episode also praised) as a sympathetic trumpeter just down on his luck. If he didn't sell the character, and if we don't sympathize, the episode wouldn't work.

The pacing of the episode moves at a good clip too, with very little filler content in between. Almost every part of the script serves to move Joey from Point A (his despair and his explanation why he feels that way) to Point B (his journey into enlightenment with Gabriel).

Overall, a solid episode.

4.5/5

[Annber03]

I'm sorry about your personal experiences connected to this episode :(. I hope things are getting better, or will soon, in that regard for you. 

I am glad that you're able to find a little deeper appreciation for the episode, though. Yeah, Klugman's another one who was such a regular player on this series, and like Burgess Meredith or any other actors who popped up a few times on this show, is one whose episodes are always worth watching, because he's just that compelling an actor :). I like that there were some actors that this show frequently brought back - it adds an interesting element of continuity of sorts, and it also speaks to how much they must've really liked/respected the actor and their work, to where they wanted to use them as often as possible. And clearly this show was a great step in Klugman's larger career, too, so hey :). 

[MagnusHex]

On 10/22/2023 at 6:27 AM, Annber03 said:

Yeah, Klugman's another one who was such a regular player on this series, and like Burgess Meredith or any other actors who popped up a few times on this show, is one whose episodes are always worth watching, because he's just that compelling an actor :). I like that there were some actors that this show frequently brought back - it adds an interesting element of continuity of sorts, and it also speaks to how much they must've really liked/respected the actor and their work, to where they wanted to use them as often as possible. And clearly this show was a great step in Klugman's larger career, too, so hey :). 

Yeah, but if you use an actor one too many times, it becomes jarring sometimes when they step into another role. I felt that way with another less well-made anthology series, American Horror Story.

[MagnusHex]

1x33: Mr. Bevis

Gotta admit, I connected more with this episode than with "Trumpet", probably because I can be quite a clumsy screw-up like Mr. Bevis here, but also because I know that feeling of wanting to live your life your own way against social norms. I'm also renting a cheap apartment and at risk of not having a job in another month (currently working a two months contract part-time job), so Bevis' woes are frighteningly familiar to me like a close friend. Also, he's not talented with anything like in "Trumpet" (unless you count his overall amicable and upbeat personality, and maybe his model-crafting). He also doesn't get a girlfriend. Perfectly realistic and perfectly relatable. All in all, I feel like I see myself more in Bevis than Joey, which should be ironic as Joey's written to be an everyday average Joe, whereas Bevis is supposed to be an eccentric goof.

All very relatable... that is, of course, save for the racist clock... What is up with that clock? And it's used as the end credits screenshot too. Guess Serling didn't quite get what "blackface" was yet.

I also like that the Guardian Angel gave Bevis a taste of luxury. If it was me, I'd prefer to just abandon my old self and live in riches, but then again, I don't know if I'd be able to abandon all my friends I've chatted with on the Internet, for example. Or maybe I'd be so busy working I'd have no time for movies and TV shows anymore, like the Twilight Zone. So this episode rings true in that regard as well: leaving your old self behind and sacrifice the simple pleasures in your life for luxury and riches? Perhaps not as ideal as one might think.

4/5 (-1 for racist clock)

[Annber03]

I'm completely blanking on the racist clock from this episode at the moment, but oof, yeah, that's...awkward, to say the least. Especially for a show that was generally acknowledged as being more progressive in many ways. Guess some relics still linger even then. 

I agree with you about Bevis being relatable, though, I think we've all been Bevis at some point in our lives. I hope things continue to go okay with your job, or that you find something more stable soon. 

(It is kind of hard for me to take Bevis' name seriously, though, 'cause I just start thinking of Beavis from "Beavis and Butt-head", and...yeah :p.)

[rmontro]

On 12/26/2017 at 12:39 PM, tennisgurl said:

Watched Night of the Meek for Christmas yesterday, and I still love it so much. Probably happiest ending in Twilight Zone history. 

I love Night of the Meek, by far my favorite Twilight Zone episode.  I watch it every Christmas, and a few other times during the year as well usually.  They remade this episode with Richard Mulligan, but I can't picture anybody doing it but Art Carney.  

Not too long ago I noticed Burt Muslin on The Beverly Hillbillies, it took a minute to figure out where I had seen him before.  He was so perfect in his part:  "Nothing for you, not a thing".

I can't help but hope somewhere in some alternative reality, Mr. Dundee and Officer Flaherty are still enjoying some coffee with brandy poured into it.

[yanksno1]

Just watched S1E15 "I Shot an Arrow into the Air". Did they think back in the 60's that Asteroids had atmosphere's?

[MagnusHex]

2x5: The Howling Man

Here we are with two back-to-back classic episodes of The Twilight Zone, fondly remembered for their horror elements. First being The Howling Man.

Honestly, when I first watched the episode, I was expecting a Wolf Man instead of the Prince of Darkness himself due to obvious reasons relating to the title. It really didn't help that there was a wolf's howl as well, making me think that Robin Hughes was gonna transform under the moonlight as soon as he was let out.

There was another thing that disappointed me: the characters were idiots. Who would leave the door to the Devil unguarded like that? I could only imagine that if this was in a modern setting and there's a real Brotherhood like that, there'd be maximum security under heavy lock and walls to trap what's literally the most dangerous entity in all of existence. Maybe with a lot more machine gun turrets and space marines.

And finally, there was the problematic element of blaming all the major wars on a supernatural entity (instead of people being fallible or selfish dicks). I don't know the exact timeline when David Ellington (H.M. Wynant) finally captured the Devil, but I'd imagine it's around the time the episode aired, 1960, which means that this second release of the Devil would be the reason for the '60s Civil Rights tragedies and all of the assassinations and all of the bloodshed that followed. Let's blame all racism and fascism on the Devil. I remembered that, writing a review for Mad Men (it was an episode near the end of season 3, I think, when JFK was assassinated) when I said that "it was as if someone opened a doorway to Hell" when describing all the horrific events and assassinations that occurred in that decade. I didn't mean it literally, Serling.

All that being said, you would only feel that way if you take the episode literally instead of as a metaphor for the evil in man's heart, and on this show, many episodes should be taken metaphorically because they just don't work if you take them on face value. After my above tirade, it's understandable if you felt that I hated this episode. But in truth, I think it was quite brilliantly executed for a '60s show of such budget. You do have to work a little to appreciate its brilliance, however.

For example, the Dutch angles. While such camera work is awfully silly now no thanks to the MCU (specifically Kenneth Branagh's Thor), it worked in this episode's favor as it made it feel like a classic Universal Pictures horror film. Even the Brotherhood's castle feels like Dracula's castle (another figure whom I had assumed Robin to be playing due to the cape and Dracula's associations with Satan). Unlike your traditional Twilight Zone episodes, director Douglas Heyes decided to do something a little more special by expressing Ellington's fever as these tilt angles where both him and the audience would be unsure whether we're walking through some nightmare.

And that's another thing: the whole story feels like a fever dream. It feels like an artistic expression of man falling into the temptation of the Devil in their weakest moments, doing horrible things despite having what were in their minds their best intentions. In accordance to Serling's WWII background, I'd say Ellington might have represented Oppenheimer and his similar remorse of "What have I done?" when he released the Devil that's the Atomic Bomb, or similar men who inadvertently doomed the lives of countless others due to their skewed values.

As for accidentally letting the Devil out, I feel like that's expressing that you can keep the Devil locked away for a little while, but eventually, your inner demons will get the better of you. Always. It's an awfully cynical point of view, but then again, Serling had a low opinion of humanity as a whole, so that makes sense.

By the way, that Devil costume did seem goofy, but I like how they played it straight without irony or a wink to the camera (unlike postmodern horror, which would have someone commenting, "This goofy-ass Halloween reject is supposed to be the Devil?"). Like I mentioned, my first thought was that this was Dracula, and not just any Dracula but THE Dracula played by Lugosi. It's only been a few decades since that movie after all. And that staff stopping the Devil from coming out would make more sense if you pretend that it's made of oak or ash, the Vampire's hated type of wood.

I think the fact that they played the haunted castle trope so straight really helped built the horror movie elements as well, what with man wandering into a creepy building late at night with the storm thundering at his back. It's as pulpy as you can get, but it also gave that otherworldly atmosphere that would have you really believe that tonight, Satan has been unleashed on Earth.

4.5/5

Edited April 27 by MagnusHex

[Annber03]

Yeah, I feel like this episode is kind of similar to the lyrics of "Sympathy for the Devil" (which came out after this episode aired, but still), in that the devil is more a metaphor than anything else, like you said. But I do also find the idea of trying to blame all the world's ills on a supernatural entity interesting, too - it fits in terms of exploring religion's role in these sorts of things, too, and this show also loves to play with the idea of things being fated to happen or people not being in full control of their own destinies or actions, so in that context it makes sense, too. 

9 hours ago, MagnusHex said:

For example, the Dutch angles. While such camera work is awfully silly now no thanks to the MCU (specifically Kenneth Branagh's Thor), it worked in this episode's favor as it made it feel like a classic Universal Pictures horror film. Even the Brotherhood's castle feels like Dracula's castle (another figure whom I had assumed Robin to be playing due to the cape and Dracula's associations with Satan). Unlike your traditional Twilight Zone episodes, director Douglas Heyes decided to do something a little more special by expressing Ellington's fever as these tilt angles where both him and the audience would be unsure whether we're walking through some nightmare.

And that's another thing: the whole story feels like a fever dream. It feels like an artistic expression of man falling into the temptation of the Devil in their weakest moments, doing horrible things despite having what were in their minds their best intentions. In accordance to Serling's WWII background, I'd say Ellington might have represented Oppenheimer and his similar remorse of "What have I done?" when he released the Devil that's the Atomic Bomb, or similar men who inadvertently doomed the lives of countless others due to their skewed values.

Oh, yeah, it's been said before how much Serling's experiences in WW2 heavily influenced his writing, and I can absolutely see him being affected by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, too, to the point where they had some influence, directly or otherwise, on this show and the kinds of stories they tell, and how they tell them. 

I agree about the camera angles, too. .I really like the way this show does fun things with their filming like that, to help make the audience feel as disoriented or claustrophiobic or whatnot as the characters do. And it really adds to the whole otherworldly nature of this strange place known as the Twilight Zone, too. Everything just automatically feels...off...when you step into this world, and it really helps set the tone and atmosphere.

Quote

By the way, that Devil costume did seem goofy, but I like how they played it straight without irony or a wink to the camera (unlike postmodern horror, which would have someone commenting, "This goofy-ass Halloween reject is supposed to be the Devil?"). 

Haha, yeah, as hokey as some of these 1960s special effects and costumes may look, I kinda like stuff like this, too. It adds a bit of a charm to everything, and like you, I like that they just go with it and don't get all self-conscious about it. They worked with the effects and costumes and such that they had and that was that and so what if it looks cheesy to modern eyes? I sometimes tend to prefer these kinds of special effects to the super fancy, high-tech stuff that's out now, precisely for that reason. 

[MagnusHex]

2x6: Eye of the Beholder

Unfortunately, this episode is one of those that has such an iconic twist that I still remember it long after I've first seen it. I could still admire the brilliant execution, but that adrenaline and shock were no longer there. I think that's the reason why I don't bother rewatching most mysteries or shows that are over-reliant on a twist ending to be quality; once the truth is revealed, it's just not the same anymore.

But Eye of the Beholder is more than that, to its credit. As I said, the execution holds up adequately, the way everyone is shrouded in darkness and the sympathetic gestures the doctor offered in an extreme communist world. The only problem that detracts from the nice camera work is the title. It should have kept the original title, "The Private World of Darkness". Not only would the title have made more sense seeing how everyone is shrouded in darkness (perhaps expressing the world Janet Tyler [Donna Douglas when unmasked; Maxine Stuart's voice when not] was seeing beneath her bandages), but it wouldn't have given away the ending easily, thus making the twist that much more shocking.

One other thing that irks me about the title is when Walter Smith (Edson Stroll), the representative of the "deformed people" here to take Janet away to be segregated, repeated the title of the episode in such a blatant way that it made the episode kinda campy and goofy. As if Serling didn't hammer home enough the sledgehammer that's the title itself, he felt the need to shove it down our throats again at the end of the episode. It just felt so cheesy, like one of those parodies of a TV show on Futurama.

As it is now, rewatching this, my entertainment mainly came from speculating just how someone who look like Janet could live in a world like this. Many have said that this episode rings even more true to life today than the 1960s, but I don't see it: communism is no longer as big of an issue in most countries except for North Korea, China and Russia. In America, freedom has become taken a far more extreme form than the '60s, with everyone having so much freedom that the individualism has become a problem. The only "relatability" would be people judging others by their appearance, but even then, with our progressive culture in America where ugliness and obesity are celebrated while beauty is still recognized as beauty (rather than the distorted opposite world extreme displayed in this episode), that doesn't fit quite well either. It's a shallow and skin-deep comparison at best. The problem permeating America today isn't the chase of beauty; it's the pursuit of those few minutes of fame on a TikTok video and various forms of social media. Vanity and pride are the sin of the day, not the persecution of appearances.

That being said, this episode might have been more relatable a decade earlier or so when plastic surgery among celebrities was a bigger topic, when people were still trying to fit in as "normal" due to their insecurity about their appearances, when fat-shaming and shallowness still reigned over the western culture. The fact that this society in the episode is a communist culture doesn't really detract from the fact that people were made to feel like we have to fit in or be persecuted. Maxine Stuart perfectly conveyed that desperation when Janet was still under those bandages, that fear of not being treated like an equal just because of some physical defect. It's in her brilliant performance without the use of her face that made this episode excel, much like many, many episodes of The Twilight Zone where the actors' performances carried the entire show. It also gave this episode that unique aesthetic where the performers' body language told most of the story.

3.5/5

[Annber03]

4 hours ago, MagnusHex said:

Unfortunately, this episode is one of those that has such an iconic twist that I still remember it long after I've first seen it. I could still admire the brilliant execution, but that adrenaline and shock were no longer there. I think that's the reason why I don't bother rewatching most mysteries or shows that are over-reliant on a twist ending to be quality; once the truth is revealed, it's just not the same anymore.

There's a book I have that goes more in depth about each episode of this show and shares fun little BTS tidbits or other interesting stories connected to these episodes. For this one, there was a bit about a guy who worked in editing, and they kept going on about how he wasn't the kind of guy who got easily rattled/surprised by things. 

He was working on helping to edit this episode, and when it got to the twist ending apparently he actually blurted out, "Jesus Christ, really?!" :D. They said that's when they knew this episode was going to work, 'cause so much work had gone into the making of the episode and all the attempts to cover everything up to make the twist hit that harder and they were wondering if it was going to work the way they wanted. Clearly it did, since people still talk about this episode all these years later. 

Quote

 

The only "relatability" would be people judging others by their appearance, but even then, with our progressive culture in America where ugliness and obesity are celebrated while beauty is still recognized as beauty (rather than the distorted opposite world extreme displayed in this episode), that doesn't fit quite well either. It's a shallow and skin-deep comparison at best. The problem permeating America today isn't the chase of beauty; it's the pursuit of those few minutes of fame on a TikTok video and various forms of social media. Vanity and pride are the sin of the day, not the persecution of appearances.

That being said, this episode might have been more relatable a decade earlier or so when plastic surgery among celebrities was a bigger topic, when people were still trying to fit in as "normal" due to their insecurity about their appearances, when fat-shaming and shallowness still reigned over the western culture. 

 

This part surprised me, 'cause I mean...that stuff is still going on? Fat-shaming is still very much a thing and people are still as shallow as ever. People may not be persecuted, per se, for their appearance, but people are still very much judged on it all the same, and there are entire industries still devoted to making us all look young and attractive and perfect. And that's not even getting into the issues people of other races and ethnicities have talked about in terms of how their looks are handled in media portrayals, or the way Hollywood still acts like women over a certain age aren't desirable or attractive enough, or things of that sort. 

I do agree there's a lot more to the ugliness that's out there nowadays that goes beyond the typical judgment of one's looks, and ugliness is celebrated in terms of people's awful personality traits, like the vanity and pride you note, being rewarded instead of shunned. But appearance and people still trying to fit in and appear "normal"...that hasn't changed or become less of a thing. Not at all. So on that level, I think the episode still very much hits hard and is still very, very relevant. 

One random little moment in that ending (which I also agree is very dramatic and really hammering home the point) that always amuses me a bit - is when Janet's frantically running through the hospital trying to escape and she keeps coming across all these other people. It's a "blink and you miss it" moment, but at one point they show a couple members of the medical staff, a man and a woman, and she's leaning against a wall and he's got his hand resting on the wall and is leaning in and it looks like they're having kind of a flirty moment. I'm just always amused by that - here's this super intense moment where Janet's running around absolutely terrified, and meanwhile a couple members of the staff are trying to hook up with each other XD. 

[MagnusHex]

4 hours ago, Annber03 said:

This part surprised me, 'cause I mean...that stuff is still going on? Fat-shaming is still very much a thing and people are still as shallow as ever. People may not be persecuted, per se, for their appearance, but people are still very much judged on it all the same, and there are entire industries still devoted to making us all look young and attractive and perfect. And that's not even getting into the issues people of other races and ethnicities have talked about in terms of how their looks are handled in media portrayals, or the way Hollywood still acts like women over a certain age aren't desirable or attractive enough, or things of that sort. 

I do agree there's a lot more to the ugliness that's out there nowadays that goes beyond the typical judgment of one's looks, and ugliness is celebrated in terms of people's awful personality traits, like the vanity and pride you note, being rewarded instead of shunned. But appearance and people still trying to fit in and appear "normal"...that hasn't changed or become less of a thing. Not at all. So on that level, I think the episode still very much hits hard and is still very, very relevant. 

From what I can see in mainstream media and what I heard from second-hand accounts, it's a lot better nowadays than the decade before. I will submit that this episode might still be relatable to Americans today as I'm not an American so my opinion is skewed, based on the third-party accounts I see across social media where fat-shaming is largely frowned upon. If you are either a fat-shamer or a racist or a sexist or a transphobe or a homophobe or just plain alt-right, you're done. Witch hunts will be performed, you will be shamed by TikTokers, many YouTubers will profit off of your scandal, and you might even appear on the CNN (because Christ, they eat that up).

And of course, just about every TV show and movies nowadays are celebrating diversity and inner beauty and everything the society of communist pig-fish people here have frowned upon. I didn't really see that kind of progressiveness in the 2010s or the 2000s, at least to such a radical level.

No, I believe that while shallowness and persecution still exist, they are not the loudest voice in the room anymore. The meek has risen.

You know what relates to me more in our modern cultural landscape? White Bear. From Black Mirror.

Edited April 28 by MagnusHex

[alvajon]

I’ve watched all of the episodes over the years and have a handful of favorites, “Queen of the Nile’ being one of them. I watched it again tonight and  have always wondered why an actress with a foreign accent (Celia Losky was born in Vienna) was chosen to play the mother/daughter, especially since the daughter/actress (Ann Blyth) mentions early on in the episode that they were from Iowa or Ohio.  A child born to an immigrant would likely have no accent if raised in the U.S. even if a parent did, but this relationship is turned around.  

[MagnusHex]

2x12: Dust

I hate episodes like these. It's written to be so manipulative. I mean, I get it, Serling's Twilight Zone has always been filled with preachy messages, and I was fine with them - when they made a good point. An episode like this, however, where we are supposed to side with the convict because he's remorseful of his mistakes, where we are supposed to hate the people who cheered for his execution because they are all apparently racists, not because they wanted to see a drunk who killed a kid punished, it just doesn't work for me. It feels hypocritical in its message and disingenuous.

All the racism and voyeurism the townspeople have displayed, and all the nasty scams Sykes have pulled, sure, I will condemn them. They are all assholes. This episode would have aged perfectly in our day and age to be honest with all our modern values towards racism. But one wrong doesn't excuse another. DUI is a crime, and Luis Gallegos shouldn't have been free - not because he's a POC or whatever, but because he killed a kid under the influence. There should at least have been jail time for him. AFAIK, DUI isn't usually punished with the death penalty, but the jail time is definitely high.

The fact that Rod wants us to sympathize with this guy because RACISM is just such an appalling way of discrediting the issue of racism. It's poor writing like this that real racists could use as ammunition to cry "woke!" everywhere.

2/5

Edited May 9 by MagnusHex

[MagnusHex]

2x13: Back There

This was a weak episode that had such potential. Time travelling back to prevent a president's assassination (or to prevent any national tragedy for that matter) is such a concept we dream about that this episode would have been more interesting if it had shown the unfortunate consequences of preventing said assassination rather than the failure of such prevention in the first place. Imagine if Peter Corrigan had made things worse after he travelled back to the present. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. 

Furthermore, Peter was acting like a raving idiot. Granted, he was panicking about the event of the assassination, but from what I could tell, he had at least a few hours before Lincoln was shot at 10:15pm, so he had ample time to calm down and form some kind of plan. It didn't even have to be a complicated plan; just take the place of the guard who was supposed to keep a look out (the guard went off to get drunk instead according to historical records) and then yell "ASSASSIN" when JWB (or whichever suspicious individual that wasn't supposed to be there) appeared.

Lastly, Lincoln's assassination took place around the Civil War. A lot of people had reasons to kill him. Why didn't the police chief (or anyone else for that matter) took Peter's threat more seriously? It didn't make sense.

This episode had a lot going for it with its premise, but unfortunately, it failed to deliver on all counts, including making Peter's motivation to stop the assassination more fleshed out.

That being said, I would have liked to see a remake in the '80s Twilight Zone that's about the JFK assassination instead. That one might prove more challenging to prevent due to not only the probable existence of multiple shooters, but also all the conspiracy around it. Same with trying to prevent 9/11 from happening. 

2/5

[Cobb Salad]

19 hours ago, MagnusHex said:

That being said, I would have liked to see a remake in the '80s Twilight Zone that's about the JFK assassination instead. That one might prove more challenging to prevent due to not only the probable existence of multiple shooters, but also all the conspiracy around it. Same with trying to prevent 9/11 from happening. 

2/5

The Twilight Zone revival in the 80s had an episode about the JFK assassination.  A historian went back to Dallas and prevented it.  Of course after that a lot started to go wrong regarding world events.  It’s one of few episodes from that bunch that I remember well. 

A 9/11 episode would be interesting.  
 

 

 

Edited May 13 by Cobb Salad

[txhorns79]

On 5/12/2024 at 11:21 PM, MagnusHex said:

That being said, I would have liked to see a remake in the '80s Twilight Zone that's about the JFK assassination instead.

You can read the Stephen King book 11/22/63 or watch the Hulu miniseries.  It's all about how a time traveler tries to prevent the assassination.  It offered the interesting idea of "time pushing back" to try and stop the time traveler from messing with events. 

Quote

It’s one of few episodes from that bunch that I remember well. 

 

I don't know why it is, but I always remember the 80s episode where the man is living in a world where the language suddenly changes, and everyone starts spouting nonsense except for him (for example the word "dinosaur" is used instead of "lunch,") leaving him unable to communicate.          

Edited May 16 by txhorns79

[Snow Apple]

Nothing beats the original but I'm quite fond of the later versions too. I remember one with Pam Dawber as an underappreciated secretary. A copy machine knocked her out and she woke up to a world where secretaries are worshipped for their knowledge and competence.

Another one I remember is that everyone went insane learning the meaning of life. And who can forget "Button Button." 

One that I didn't like was the remake of The After Hours. They changed the ending to be like a horror movie.

[MagnusHex]

1 hour ago, Snow Apple said:

One that I didn't like was the remake of The After Hours. They changed the ending to be like a horror movie.

Oh man, now I wanna see that.

[Snow Apple]

2 hours ago, MagnusHex said:

Oh man, now I wanna see that.

It's on YouTube if you want to check it out.

[Annber03]

6 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

Another one I remember is that everyone went insane learning the meaning of life. And who can forget "Button Button." 

I liked those episodes, too. The one with the people going insane freaked me out a bit. I also remember one with this woman and her nephew, I think it was, who pick up this old man hitchhiking along the road. And it does not end well. That's a creepy little story, too. 

Yeah, I've found stuff to like about each reboot that's come along over the years. I think they've all had some good episodes and interesting takes on some of the classics. Obviously the original is the standard for a reason, of course, but yeah, there's good stuff in the other versions out there, too. 

Edited May 20 by Annber03

[MagnusHex]

2x17: Twenty-Two

The problem with watching older shows, especially those very old shows, is that you inadvertently call up memories you have of newer shows. Sometimes, this is detrimental to your viewing experience as you make unfair comparisons which had a better telling of the same story.

"22", however, had me at the edge of my seat in the last 5-10 minutes because I've seen Final Destination. I literally yelled in my head, "DON'T GO ON THAT PLANE!"

Granted, the character of Liz Powell (played by Barbara Nichols) is a little thin in character substance. Worse, she acts like an airhead blonde who's rude to the psychiatrist trying to help her feel better. However, under a different context, this episode takes on a more feminist approach: mansplaining doctors and colleagues trying to claim that the woman is delusional (in a Rosemary's Baby kind of situation). Though to be fair, the doctor did his best to help Liz snap out of her supposed nightmare (the agent Barney Kamener, played by Fredd Wayne, not so much helpful as patronizing and sleazy).

Furthermore, I just like the whole atmosphere of the dream sequence and how it foreshadows quite decently what's about to unfold in the ending. It's basically one very long sequence of Final Destination premonitions, which I found to be clever once I realized what it all meant (my headcanon is that this is the TV pilot to Final Destination and poor Liz ultimately didn't escape the entity of Death itself after the episode ended; Flight 180 was merely history repeating itself). I was waiting with bated breath for the plane to blow up even though I don't think I've seen this episode before (or haven't seen it for a long time), and when it did, it was still such a shocking moment.

Anyway, great fun of an episode when viewed from a modern movie goer's perspective. Rod Serling was ahead of his time.

4/5

[Annber03]

I love "Twenty-Two", it's honestly one of my favorite episodes of the show. The story premise is just genuinely creepy, which I like - I've always been fascinated by stories about premonitions of death - and I agree that the way the episode is filmed really adds to the surreal, haunting nature of the dream. And yeah, even when you know how the episode ends, it still doesn't make that moment with the plane blowing up any less chilling. I like the Final Destination comparison, I can totally see that. 

The doctor is an interesting character for me in that episode, 'cause on the one hand he is trying to help her deal with her nightmare (until he realizes that it's not a nightmare), but on the other hand, he's got the creepy laugh and making his own kinda sleazy comments to her (the bit towards the end where he's telling her to give him a litlte wink when he shows up at where she dances - not something you typically expect to hear a doctor say to their patient). 

But yeah, I think the Rosemary's Baby comparison, with the guys all trying to tell Liz that this is all just in her head, is also very apt. And I also like that once Liz is about to get on the plane and she sees that the flight attendant is the woman from the morgue, and says the exact same thing besides, she does what you want any person in a horror movie style situation such as that to do - she gets the hell out of there.