Rod Serling, creator of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, would've been 100 on Christmas day this year. I recently re-watched all 156 episodes. Many are familiar with the usual classics: "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", "Eye of the Beholder", "Monsters Are Due on Maple Street", etc, but here are my recommendations for five great episodes that sometimes get overlooked.
"Five Characters in Search of an Exit"
An Army General, a Hobo, a Ballerina, a Bagpipe Player, and a Clown are trapped in a tall, round, featureless room with no idea how they got there or even who they are outside of the clothes on their backs. TZ was famous for its twist endings and this is one I defy anybody to figure out ahead of time.
"Little Girl Lost"
Mom and Dad are alarmed to hear their daughter crying out for help but despite searching their house, can't locate her...until they discover a portal to another world has opened up in the girl's bedroom wall. "Poltergeist" completely ripped this off.
"Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?"
An isolated diner in a snowstorm is the location as employees, customers, and authorities attempt to determine if one of them is a visitor from another world. This one has a light comic element that works in its favor not to mention a double(maybe triple) surprise ending.
"Stopover in a Quiet Town"
From the final season, when the show was at its most unpredictable and nihilistic. After a drunken night out, a young couple awaken in a strange bed, in a strange house, in a strange town completely devoid of people. Not only that, everything--food, trees, animals, grass--is artificial. Features one of the more jaw dropping reveals in the series and Serling's closing narration left me speechless, but laughing my head off.
"Walking Distance"
This was a very personal episode to Rod Serling and also the one recommendation I'm going to (partially) spoil. An unhappy executive going through a divorce is on a business trip when his car breaks down. He manages to get to a mechanic but it will take all day to fix. Bored, he goes for a walk--only to discover that he has been transported back in time to his own childhood in the town he grew up in, the last time he was truly happy. This plays out like a sadder, poignant version of "Back to the Future". He manages to save his younger self from an accident and is even able to convince his father that he really is his son all grown up, somehow visiting from the future. He wants nothing more than to stay in the past and watch himself grow up, guiding his younger self to avoid all the mistakes he regrets. Sadly, his father tells him it isn't his place to remain: "You had your time here; let him have his. He's happy for now. I hope one day you can be too". The lesson is clear: no matter how much we wish, we can never truly go back. Cherish the good times while you have them before all your left with is memories.
I hope some of you will take the time to view these and other classic episodes in memory of Rod Serling, one of the greatest writers and humanitarians of all time. What episodes are YOUR favorite?
"Five Characters in Search of an Exit"
An Army General, a Hobo, a Ballerina, a Bagpipe Player, and a Clown are trapped in a tall, round, featureless room with no idea how they got there or even who they are outside of the clothes on their backs. TZ was famous for its twist endings and this is one I defy anybody to figure out ahead of time.
"Little Girl Lost"
Mom and Dad are alarmed to hear their daughter crying out for help but despite searching their house, can't locate her...until they discover a portal to another world has opened up in the girl's bedroom wall. "Poltergeist" completely ripped this off.
"Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?"
An isolated diner in a snowstorm is the location as employees, customers, and authorities attempt to determine if one of them is a visitor from another world. This one has a light comic element that works in its favor not to mention a double(maybe triple) surprise ending.
"Stopover in a Quiet Town"
From the final season, when the show was at its most unpredictable and nihilistic. After a drunken night out, a young couple awaken in a strange bed, in a strange house, in a strange town completely devoid of people. Not only that, everything--food, trees, animals, grass--is artificial. Features one of the more jaw dropping reveals in the series and Serling's closing narration left me speechless, but laughing my head off.
"Walking Distance"
This was a very personal episode to Rod Serling and also the one recommendation I'm going to (partially) spoil. An unhappy executive going through a divorce is on a business trip when his car breaks down. He manages to get to a mechanic but it will take all day to fix. Bored, he goes for a walk--only to discover that he has been transported back in time to his own childhood in the town he grew up in, the last time he was truly happy. This plays out like a sadder, poignant version of "Back to the Future". He manages to save his younger self from an accident and is even able to convince his father that he really is his son all grown up, somehow visiting from the future. He wants nothing more than to stay in the past and watch himself grow up, guiding his younger self to avoid all the mistakes he regrets. Sadly, his father tells him it isn't his place to remain: "You had your time here; let him have his. He's happy for now. I hope one day you can be too". The lesson is clear: no matter how much we wish, we can never truly go back. Cherish the good times while you have them before all your left with is memories.
I hope some of you will take the time to view these and other classic episodes in memory of Rod Serling, one of the greatest writers and humanitarians of all time. What episodes are YOUR favorite?
statistics: Posted by JakeTheSnake812 — 7:32 PM - Today — Replies 1 — Views 39