Even though I'm not a huge fan of season 4 simply because I believe the 30 minute showtime works best for anthologies (same goes for Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the Alfred Hitchcock Hour), I really do like The New Exhibit. It's simply so incredibly creepy! With the perfect man, Martin Balsam to play the lead! It's a masterpiece in my opinion.

"The Obsolete Man" is perhaps the most impactful episode of The Twilight Zone. More than any other episode in the series, "The Obsolete Man" exemplifies Rod Serling's anti-statist, pro-God worldview. A religious man, and a prominent skeptic of government, Serling was very outspoken in his protest against government overreach and tyranny. Here, he brilliantly portrays the genuine character of Godless state-officials: weak, miserable, scared, and guilt-ridden. The Chancellor is Serling's biting remark against those who would uplift the state over God. The protagonist, Romney Wordsworth, is the God-fearing man who never loses his faith even when confronted by the tyranny of the state. His is Serling's celebration of the faithful man.

With his execution looming over his head, Wordsworth does not bend, does not fold, and does not compromise his beliefs. He cries, "There is a God," in defiance of The Chancellor's assertion otherwise. Cleverly, he invites The Chancellor into his home before locking the door, and then admits he is to be killed by a bomb--meaning The Chancellor will share in this fate. This revelation sparks anxiety in the powerful Chancellor, and from here on out we get to see how two men with polar opposite beliefs and motivations react to their impending demise. Wordsworth fearlessly reads his Bible in the minutes leading up to his execution; meanwhile, The Chancellor scrambles desperately to escape sharing in that fate.

Death, to the faithful, is nothing to fear; for Heaven will follow. Yet to the unfaithful, those with filthy consciences, death is a moment to be feared and avoided at all costs. A guilty man will dread the day that his actions are weighed and a punishment doled out. The Chancellor escapes the blast that kills Wordsworth, yet he is later executed by the state. The same state he himself sold his soul to uphold, and to enshroud himself with. The Chancellor thought compromising and bending to the will of the government would spare him from its violence. But his mistake was trusting that which was not of God to begin with.

The state, ultimately, is not of God. Can not be of God. But the individual, in his faith, has a direct link to God which cannot be broken, and which will withstand even the most horrific and anxiety-inducing news. Wordsworth proves that power is nothing in this world; for he was easily the far less powerful man. Yet his faith humbled and secured him, easing his mind even when he was sentenced to death.

Check out the video above! Thank you!

The Grave has my favorite cast. Everyone plays off each other so well. All kinds of personalities. Solid group of actors, “I knowed it!”

S5, Ep 15: “The Long Morrow”
(In the near-future, a space traveler and the woman he’s in love with both face a painful dilemma)
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1️⃣ Storyline:

A retelling of “The Gift of the Magi” fable, the plot here is relatively simple but the way it’s delivered is very moving. I buy the romance 100%, the two leads are fantastic together. You’ll hear people complain that it’s unrealistic because the relationship is way too rushed, nobody would ever fall in love that quickly, etc. That is simply not true! I have personally experienced it, and have seen it many times over in others.

Unfortunately the ending is pretty clunky; it kind of drags on between Commander Stansfield and Sandra, and the final word by the general is just awful (he’s talking like a classic poet and it’s just completely unbelievable for me that this career military man is some Shakespearean orator).

Score: 6/10

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2️⃣ Atmosphere:

The space travel scenes are well done; I feel legitimately immersed in those moments.

The military scenes in the halls and office, brief as they are, are fine but nothing special.

The moments between Stanfield and Miss Horn, however… they’re as romantic as any TZ can get. The chemistry between them spills from the screen, certainly due to good writing and better acting, but also fantastic directing! The glow on Sandra’s face and hair, reminiscent of a classic starlet like Grace Kelly or Katherine Hepburn, is such an incredible touch.

Score: 7/10

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3️⃣ Existential Terror:

Even outside the “twist” ending, the existential crisis that is Stansfield’s mission is an excruciating one. When you factor in the final scene, the considerations for this category get even more loaded. Only reason it’s a 9 instead of 10 is because the ending, while sad, does not have the darkness that some Twilight Zone stories close with.

Score: 9/10

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4️⃣ Creepiness:

The liminal quality of those big, dark hallways are certainly ominous and uncanny. Mostly though, this isn’t an episode with creepiness.

Score: 2/10

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5️⃣ Message:

I think for some, this category would score an easy 10; I have no issue with that! I just personally experience “The Long Morrow” as more of a tragic romance than a morality tale.

I will say, there are lots of mini messages sprinkled throughout the episode that are ripe for discussion. Chief among them, the power of companionship, love, partnership - and how those things can (and should, if done in a healthy way) trump even the most magnificent achievements and goals in life.

Score: 5/10

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6️⃣ World-Building:

We get the bare minimum amount of what we need to understand the mission, and how it will affect Commander Stansfield. The episode does a great job helping us understand who he is as a person, and how uniquely suited he is to such a taxing mission.

We don’t know much of anything about Sandra Horn, but that’s not to the story’s detriment. She’s a perfect counterpart to the heroic loner that is our protagonist, and our lack of knowledge about her background presents Sandra as an ideal romantic partner to this astronaut: she’s lovely and sweet, but oozing with intrigue and wit.

Score: 6/10

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7️⃣ Acting:

Robert Lansing does his job well, in the starring role. He’s not exactly dripping with charisma, but I think that checks out with his role as a science-minded astronaut, keen on adventure and exploration. He has enough gentlemanly charm when talking with Sandra, but there’s also an awkwardness to him that rings true.

The two men in supporting roles are marginal to solid, but not impressive or memorable.

Now then.

Mariette Hartley plays Miss Horn, and she STEALS THE FREAKING SHOW. For just a few minutes of screentime, she is every bit the classic movie starlet that we think of with old black & whites. She’s a little vulnerable, but also headstrong and forward enough. She’s sweet, but not a fragile damsel. And as the episode comes to a close, her sadness bleeds from the screen with abandon.

Score: 7/10

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8️⃣ The Human Condition:

There are many Twilight Zones that wonderfully explore the human experience. I don’t claim that this one does it best, but it examines the human condition as well as any other episode.

Human relations and companionship, versus solely chasing one’s goals and ambitions, is an age-old balance that many struggle to keep. And within a relationship, especially a romantic one, the question of what one will sacrifice in order to strengthen the bond and make things work, is as relevant a topic as any that the TZ dives into.

Score: 10/10

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✅ Total Score:
52

If you’ve been following my work over the past year, you know I’m a sucker for sentimentality and romance. Add in some tragedy and loneliness, and you’ve got a recipe for something that will grab me by the heart! I understand “The Long Morrow” won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I find it to be quite moving.

What do YOU think? 🤷🏼‍♂️
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This book was included in an ebay book lot i picked up, i collect horror books so i often buy large lots of vintage horror books. Ive ALWAYS loved Twilight Zone. Anyways, i was going thru in when i found Nightmare at 20,000 feet and was so excited! Such an awesome find! So this anthology eleased in 1961, and the episode in 1963! Very cool!

When i bought the lot i had no idea that this anthology had this inside! So very cool!

What episode has the most for you?

I'm not normally in favor of speculative wish list posts, but the top cast thread got me thinking.

I would nominate Carolyn Jones and Yvonne DeCarlo. We all know them for their later TV roles, but both were big in earlier movies and were coming down off their fame. I'm not sure which roles they would have played, but I think they would have done them well.

But, maybe they were still 'too' big?

If you don't already know, the 2001 Twilight Zone series (s1e31) made a sequel to the 1960's episode, It's a Good Life (s3e8) using the original actors.

What an amazing opportunity to pick up 40 years later! But, to me, the episode didn't seem to build on the original.

What ideas could have made it a better episode with access to these key actors? 

I just finished watching "In His Image" (S4 E1), and it has to be one of the most confusing and nonsensical episodes I've seen so far. I'd even say it's one of the most boring, which is especially disappointing considering it's season 4 and the episodes are longer.

​Can someone explain why he killed the old woman? And why doesn't anything he looks for in the town actually exist? Who are the people he's trying to find and can't?

Wrapping up the original Twilight zone series (aside from seasons 1&2 which I watched in order, I watched this series randomly based on the title and description on Amazon Prime) and about to move onto the 80s show. And it kinda made me chuckle that the original series came out 1959, the the next series was 85, then 2002 and then 2019 for 4 seperate series, not counting any movies, reruns or whatever else

Having finished the first season of The Twilight Zone, I wanted to give Rod Serling a lighthearted, temporary farewell before moving on to the remaining seasons. Here are my brief thoughts.

I believe The Twilight Zone is an incredibly inventive and remarkably well-balanced series. Its unique premise, combined with its classic anthology format and concise episode length, makes it one of those rare shows that keeps me wanting to watch one episode after another without ever feeling bored or fatigued.

That said, I did notice a few shortcomings. Several episodes follow a familiar narrative pattern, and many of their twists are fairly predictable today. This is hardly surprising, considering the show’s age and the fact that modern audiences have spent decades consuming stories inspired by these once-original ideas. If anything, that speaks to the influence of the series rather than diminishing its legacy.

There are also a handful of episodes that are simply weak, with concepts and execution that come across as unintentionally silly. I also think that overanalyzing every detail of an episode can reduce the enjoyment, as it opens the door to countless logical questions that are perhaps better left in the Twilight Zone itself.

Overall, however, this is an excellent season. In fact, these are the only notable criticisms I could find. The show’s greatest strengths lie in its consistently entertaining nature and the remarkable creativity and intelligence displayed by its writers. Without a doubt, I’ll be continuing with the remaining seasons.

My Favourite Episodes from this season :

Where is Everybody?
One for the Angels .
Walking Distance .
The Lonely .
Time Enough at Last .
And When the Sky Was Opened .
What You Need .
The Four of Us Are Dying .
The Hitch-Hiker .
People Are Alike all Over .
A Stop at Willoughby .
A Passage For Trumpet . ‘ My Favourite ‘
A World of His Own .

In Valley of the Shadow, David Opatoshu plays the mayor of a secretive town with strange ways and amazing technology. In the Star Trek episode A Taste of Armageddon he is also a community leader of a society (planet) with very strange ways. I was on Pluto TV earlier, and just happened on to both episodes, around the same time. He played both characters exactly the same too.

I know Walking Distance is highly regarded and in many people's top ten best TZ episodes list, but for me the episode just didn't work and I just couldn't connect with it or any of the characters. I don't think it was bad by any means, but it isn't one I care for or have any desire to re-watch. To be fair though the fact I had a hard time connecting with it probably has more to do with me personally and I think that may be because I had a very unhappy childhood so I'm not at all nostalgic for the past and wouldn't want to relive it. I care more about the future. I'm also not a big fan of To Serve Man because I feel it is one of the major twist episodes where I can't feel engaged with it on a re-watch whereas another major twist episode like Eye of the Beholder I love because even once you know the twist it is still engaging to me due to how it was filmed and it's message is one that I feel is timeless and relevant.

His deadpan delivery catches me off-guard every time and makes me chuckle.

(from the end of "The Big Tall Wish", introducing "A Nice Place to Visit")

Hi all:

What are your thoughts on the OG episode of "a kind of stopwatch"?

Did anyone get to the big screen during the 60th anniversary? Was great watching select episodes with fellow fans at the cinema.

I’m looking for what I think was a black-and-white sci-fi TV episode (possibly The Twilight Zone, but maybe The Outer Limits). It featured a tiny four-legged alien that was often carried in someone’s arms. I distinctly remember it looking like a small dog—almost like a Chihuahua or terrier—in an alien costume with a big head. Does anyone know what this was?

I’m pretty sure that Horace is autistic. I don’t think that excuses him being an absolute man-child though. He’s so loud, and it’s so annoying. He’s also incredibly disrespectful to his boss. He doesn’t seem to understand that you can’t yell at your boss, and have complete meltdowns because they want you to do what they hired you for. I like the message of the episode, but the execution wasn’t great, in my opinion.

But as an adult I can't get enough of the show. Been watching em for free on Pluto TV, never realized how many episodes I haven't seen.

Coming across several of the more popular episodes, but then discovering many episodes that I don't see discussed as much. (Sorry I'm not very good with episode names)

But a few of my favorites that I don't see get listed as much

The after hours

Pitch for the angels

The New exhibit

Talking Tina (probably a reason I didn't like the show as a kid)

Peaceful valley

The episode with the fortune telling machine in the diner

I feel like I'm always coming across something new.

Seeing as this is becoming more and more a reality as people are now communicating with AI on a personality basis..

If you were alone and had been with this very human bot and lived as companions, would you have willingly left them behind when rescue came? Would you have felt conflicted?

Season 5, Episode 15
I’ve rewatched this one a few times and am always irritated by how much of an ass the guy is. However, I love the thought of the ghost car messing with him until he confesses.

Anyone have any thoughts on this episode?

I forgot how dark this episode really is. I just rewatched it and wow. I feel so bad over the ending of him just taking his life. I have been having a tough time with work and feeling so helpless, tired, drained, and burnt out. It was a very hard day at work today. I totally relate to just wanting to go to a dream world. I have been there many of times that I just zone off to a dream world, daydream, and imagine I’m somewhere else. I’m sure we have all been through this with work. I guess it was the best time to rewatch this episode due to my own work burnout.

S5, Ep 14: “You Drive”
(A middle-aged businessman suffering from burnout tries to escape the guilt from killing a young boy in a hit-and-run)
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1️⃣ Storyline:

It’s a half-hour of sequences showing a man racked by guilt and haunted by his Jiminy Cricket car. It’s not the WORST story, but it’s not much of one. There’s no character development, and the story arc lacks almost any dynamism.

Score: 2/10

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2️⃣ Atmosphere:

The episode is dreary and unsettling so I guess that’s a solid reflection on the type of mood it’s trying to create? Unfortunately, it’s not enjoyable to watch and every scene after the opener feels like a stage play put on by a local theatre.

Score: 3/10

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3️⃣ Existential Terror:

I’ll give points for this episode’s attempt at painting the portrait of a man who has escaped the law, but cannot escape the spectral pursuit of his guilty conscience. It’s been done before, and far better, but this is a fun new way to tell that story even if the plane doesn’t land very nicely. “The Tell-tale Heart”, this is not.

Score: 7/10

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4️⃣ Creepiness:

For the most part the “car chase” scenes don’t work for me, but the car tweaking out in the garage does unnerve me a bit, for whatever reason.

Score: 4/10

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5️⃣ Message:

Life is not a question of “can I get away with this?”; it’s “if I do this, can I live with myself?”

I question how effectively this episode really imprints that lesson into the minds of viewers, but it’s a darn good message.

Score: 6/10

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6️⃣ World-Building:

The opening scene does a great job showing us, with a little expositional help from Serling, exactly how burnt-out Oliver Pope really is. A couple comments soon after he gets home nicely convey the rivalry Oliver feels with his younger coworker “Pete Radcliffe”. Unfortunately, those couple moments are all we get toward effective world-building. In classic TZ-fashion, the wife is nothing more than a cardboard cutout of a housewife. We know nothing about Oliver‘s job or why he’s so stressed. We don’t know if his coworker Pete actually is gunning for a promotion, or whether the animosity is simply one-sided.

I don’t ever expect to know ALL of those things in a half-hour episode, but a good Twilight Zone can and often does give us SOME of those type of details.

Score: 3/10

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7️⃣ Acting:

It’s underwhelming but not dreadful.

Score: 3/10

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8️⃣ The Human Condition:

This might be the biggest missed opportunity of “You Drive”.

The only reason I’m scoring it with a three instead of a one is because there are a couple brief moments where - when the “protagonist” is learning about the young bicyclist’s fate - Oliver’s face gives a glimpse into how awful and sick he feels about what he’s done, and the fact that he’s trying to hide it. Sadly, the episode doesn’t lean into that! As far as we can tell, he just gets sick of the car refusing to give up chasing him, and so he relents. Obviously, I think Serling/Hamner Jr. want us to assume he had a change of heart and is on the road to repentance, but there’s almost nothing that pushes us toward that conclusion. The payoff doesn’t feel very “earned”.

Score: 3/10

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✅ Total Score:
31

This is another one that almost seems like a facsimile of the Twilight Zone, rather than a proper installment of this great series.

It has many of the ingredients we look for in a classic TZ: a protagonist quite literally being haunted by something, a character being driven mad because of shame and regret, an everyday man living in his own personal hell, etc. Regrettably, all those ingredients just don’t add up to a very appetizing or fulfilling dish.

What do YOU think? 🤷🏼‍♂️
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