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The Twilight Zone
So let's talk about the all-time classic science-fiction/supernatural television known as...the Twilight Zone. In many ways, The Twilight Zone introduced many average people (or non-sci-fi readers) to serious science fiction and proved that science fiction wasn't just cheesy, b-movie crap as most people were accustomed to. I think the strongest point that Twilight Zone had was that it possessed the rather remarkable ability to take silly story concepts, combine them with preachy, moralistic writing and churn out some truly outstanding episodes. The ghost of Hitler travels to the United States and teaches Dennis Hopper to become an effective demagogue ("He's Alive")? It works. A former concentration camp guard travels back to Dachau after World War 2 and is put on trial by the ghosts of his victims ("Death's Head Revisited")? It works. William Shatner hams it up and yells about the monster on the wing of the plane ("Nightmare at 20,000 Feet")? It works.
It isn't heavy-handed or unreasonable to say that creator Rod Serling was a literary genius who was able to weave deep social commentary to what appears to pulp or enjoyable television and no matter how many times they try to bring the show back to life by remaking it, nothing will ever surpass the original.
That being said, let's actually talk about the show and the stories that it showcased. If you have ever seen the show and liked it, what did you like about it and what particularly caught your interest? If you have any and can name them, what are your favorite episodes and list a few reasons why you liked them? Try not to spoil the ending cause that is a shitty thing to do because it will negate the purpose of watching the episode, instead try to make little references or subtle hints.
If you haven't seen the Twilight Zone, just watch the show, don't even question it; just watch it. There isn't any reason to not watch it, unless you don't like television.
It isn't heavy-handed or unreasonable to say that creator Rod Serling was a literary genius who was able to weave deep social commentary to what appears to pulp or enjoyable television and no matter how many times they try to bring the show back to life by remaking it, nothing will ever surpass the original.
That being said, let's actually talk about the show and the stories that it showcased. If you have ever seen the show and liked it, what did you like about it and what particularly caught your interest? If you have any and can name them, what are your favorite episodes and list a few reasons why you liked them? Try not to spoil the ending cause that is a shitty thing to do because it will negate the purpose of watching the episode, instead try to make little references or subtle hints.
If you haven't seen the Twilight Zone, just watch the show, don't even question it; just watch it. There isn't any reason to not watch it, unless you don't like television.
Comments
#1: Deaths-Head Revisited: The story is about Former S.S. Captain Gunter Lutze, who leaves his safeguard in South America to go to the Dachau Concentration Camp to relive "the old memories". What he doesn't know is that he is going to pay for all the crimes he committed and how he wasn't "just following orders".
This episode....my god....is so chilling that it's almost hard to watch. They capture the pain, misery, and terror of the Holocaust so well through the dialogue. The setting actually looks good for a concentration camp set. It is perhaps one of the few serious business episodes in the series and is a must watch for anyone at all.
#2: Living Doll: Erich Straeder's step-daughter, Crissy, purchases a new talking doll called "Talky Tina" which she adores to death. Although the doll says adorable and sweet things to Crissy, whenever Erich is alone, the doll is truly evil and psychologically tortures him. Nobody believes the claims he makes and he has to live with the fact that he knows the doll's true nature.
The evil doll trope is so overplayed that at first glance there is no point in watching an episode like this. However, the evil doll trope is handled very well in this case and trumps almost any other instance of an evil doll you've possibly seen. The doll itself is incredibly sinister and evil, but uses a thick, honey-coated voice to disguise her true nature. To this day, that doll still haunts me greatly. What can I say except that is an excellent episode and I highly recommend it.
#3: A Stop At Willoughby: Overworked and stressed-out businessman Gart Williams cannot take the "push push push" pace that his career forces him to take. Coupled with the fact that he is married to a cold, selfish, and unfeeling wife, his life is in the pits. One day, while on the train commute home, he dreams that he is suddenly in the late 1880s in an old-fashioned train coach and in a town that is straight out of Huckleberry Finn. Unfortunately, he can never seem to get off to the town in time as he wakes up each time. Will he ever get off at Willoughby, you'll have to find out.
This episode I mainly like because of the twist, because it is so cruel and so awful, because of which you just have to see it and it comes out of nowhere. One other noticeable thing is how much pathos you'll feel for the man. This town is William's heaven because it is some eighty years ago, and a carefree nature is in practice. It is a very sad story, not just for the obvious reason at the climax, but for the fact that Williams was born in a world where he is crying out for help, yet it is falling on deaf ears.
#4: Eye of the Beholder: Janet Tyler is in a hospital with her face encased entirely in bandages. She is on her 8th plastic surgery operation and all she wants is to be accepted by the rest of society and feels like an ugly monster. The mysterious doctors and nurses take pity on her and do everything in their power to help her be accepted.
This is possibly one of the most famous episodes ever in the series because of the cinematography and the story development along the way (leading up to the memorable climax) are just superb in execution. I can't really say a lot about it because it would just ruin the entire episode, and this one that must not (under any circumstance) be ruined at all. All I can say is that the title will have meaning at the end.
#5: The Changing of the Guard: Professor Ellis Fowler has been a teacher of poetry for over 50+ years and want to continue teaching until the day he dies...that is until he learns that he has been given a retirement notice due to the fact that the school needs a younger teacher to take over; a changing of the guard if you will, on Christmas Eve no less. This just shatters his whole world and he looks back on the many students he has had over the years and is convinced that he left them nothing and gave them nothing, and denounces his entire career as an abject failure. As such, he attempts to commit suicide outside the school, until he hears the class bells ringing and he finds his way back to his classroom. There he is greeted by the ghosts of his former students who have long since died. They come to him to prove that he left them with knowledge that they never forgot and were able to go onto greatness. They all came because he left something with them, and they want to thank him for everything he has ever done and also have this unspoken message of not killing himself as his life WAS meaningful and he HAS served a purpose in life. After this event, he gracefully accepts his retirement, convinced that he has taught all he can teach.
This episode is perhaps one of the most poignant in the series and one which lacks any kind of negative outcome in anyway. Even if you felt that I spoiled the whole thing, it really doesn't matter because it has to be seen to really get a full effect and the story is simple enough where spoilers don't exist and won't ruin your overall experience. There is not one person I've showed this to who hasn't either choked up or got a tear in their eye. I think anybody who is a teacher or has aspirations to do so, should see this as it is definitely an inspiration to anyone of that career-path.