M
Mijoy2
Guest
I saw it I saw it. I know what happens.
- Status
S
Seeker1961
Guest
That one was the definition of my worst nightmare. It haunted me for weeks after I watched it.
J
Jeanne_S
Guest
Is this the one where the beautiful woman end up having plastic surgery on her face by aliens who make her over to look like them and what they perceive as beautiful?
J
Jeanne_S
Guest
One episode that really creeped me out,was the Talky Tina episode.I was only about seven or so,always loved dolls as a little girl,however this doll was really scary,she came to life
I
itullian
Guest
oooo, that was a scarey one.One episode that really creeped me out,was the Talky Tina episode.I was only about seven or so,always loved dolls as a little girl,however this doll was really scary,she came to life
L
louisak
Guest
I deliberately avoided giving details because I didn’t want to spoil it for people who hadn’t seen it before.Is this the one where the beautiful woman end up having plastic surgery on her face by aliens who make her over to look like them and what they perceive as beautiful?
L
louisak
Guest
Rod Serling was great but his scripts had a tendency to get too preachy. When I read your descriptions, it makes me suspect that some of those episodes may fall into that category.Season four also has “In His Image,” which deals with racism and prejudice, “The 20,000 fathom Grave,” which deals with guilt, “Valley of Shadows,” which is a study in human nature, “Of Late I Think of Cliffordville,” (Consequences for an immoral life), “Passage on the Lady-Anne,” (loving your wife), and many, many other good episodes.
Of course, some of the best episodes dealt with moral issues, but in subtle or unexpected ways. When Serling was less inspired, the morals tended to become too obvious and it would make viewers feel they were being lectured to. At least many people feel that way - of course, tastes vary. What seems “preachy” to one person may seem “honest and hard-hitting” to another.
J
Jeanne_S
Guest
oops!I deliberately avoided giving details because I didn’t want to spoil it for people who hadn’t seen it before.
V
VeritasLuxMea
Guest
I think that’s just sorta the way this goes. The show was essentially a series of fables. I mean they didn’t feature animals, but most of them were intended to cause one to reflect on an idea, a principle, or a life circumstance.
In that sense, I believe it can fail when someone feels “preached to”, but I think it succeeds rather well when it gets you to ask deep questions. I think it does that often, and that’s why it’s my favorite show of all time (despite the fact that I was born 25+ years later!). It’s a great source for introspection, and I think it would be excellent material for homilies (if any Priests are reading this!)
For example, I can go through almost every episode and figure out the question that it poses. Without specifying the name of any episodes, so as to avoid spoiler-ish material:
Season 1, Episode 1: What is loneliness? Why is human contact so important? How can I reach out to those who are lonely in my Parish and beyond?
Season 1, Episode 2: How do I define the word “success”? When I’m older and I’m reflecting back upon my life, what is it that I would like to have achieved? What do I have to offer that can make this world a better place, and how can I best utilize those talents?
Season 1, Episode 3: What are the long term consequences of sin? How can I make the most of negative situations in my life? How can the crosses that I carry actually help me (and others)?
I could go on. I should really write a book about this…lol
J
jimmy
Guest
That was my favorite.This is my favorite series of all time
That said, given the current climate, I believe that “The Obsolete Man” is the most relevant. It deals with what happens when the government rejects morality and God, and the strength of individuals who stand against such a government.
I
itullian
Guest
the one with William Shatner with the little fortune telling devil.
C
Cat
Guest
Night of the Meek. One of my very favorite Christmas stories. I think it would be a great stage (Broadway) musical–it would be easy to expand the plot a little and add some very poignant songs, along with the traditional Christmas songs. I wish it would be aired every Christmas season. It’s sooooo good. Great episode for Christians.
Death’s Head Revisited. Very powerful. I think it should be watched in middle school history classes.
I also love To Serve Man. Yummy! This episode is often selected as the Most Popular in various polls. IMO, it’s funny!
And I agree It’s a Good Day is awesome. I like to wish unpleasant people and situations “into the cornfield.”
And I like The Midnight Sun, too. Global warming, global freezing–it’s all been done before. Back in the 1970s (long after this episode was aired), the scientific community kept warning us that the earth was getting colder and colder.
You know–it seems that many of these episodes could be adapted for the stage (not necessarily musical). Many of them have minimalist sets, since television was pretty primitive back then. And nowadays, set designs are often done with projections via computer. Does anyone know if there are stage adaptations of the TZ? If so, have you seen them, and are they any good?
Death’s Head Revisited. Very powerful. I think it should be watched in middle school history classes.
I also love To Serve Man. Yummy!
This episode is often selected as the Most Popular in various polls. IMO, it’s funny!And I agree It’s a Good Day is awesome. I like to wish unpleasant people and situations “into the cornfield.”
And I like The Midnight Sun, too. Global warming, global freezing–it’s all been done before. Back in the 1970s (long after this episode was aired), the scientific community kept warning us that the earth was getting colder and colder.
You know–it seems that many of these episodes could be adapted for the stage (not necessarily musical). Many of them have minimalist sets, since television was pretty primitive back then. And nowadays, set designs are often done with projections via computer. Does anyone know if there are stage adaptations of the TZ? If so, have you seen them, and are they any good?
T
Tarpeian_Rock
Guest
Another vote for “A Stop At Willoughby.” I’ve got a set of Twilight Zone DVD’s, and I re-watch that episode more than any other. Having just retired, I’ve finally gotten off my particular train. Close second, though, would be " To Serve Man"…can still hear those words “It’s a cookbook!!!”
P
Portofino
Guest
So many favorite episodes; such a thought-provoking series.
“A Passage for Trumpet” is a favorite of mine, about a man (Jack Klugman) who feels that life is no longer worth living. It is a very poignant episode, that anticipates the later series Touched by an Angel. I think Jack Klugman’s performances are among the best acting in the TZ series, hands down.
“Piano in the House” for that sheer haunting quality, that feeling of the “uncanny” (about this bewitched piano that, when it plays a song, reveals people’s true natures)
That episode, which someone mentioned – “Nick of Time”-- where William Shatner plays a newlywed who encounters a hauntingly accurate fortune telling machine in a diner.
I tend to find a “haunting” quality in those episodes (“Piano in the House”; “Nick of Time”) that feature a mysterious and inexplicable object – an object with strange properties
One other one that occurred to me is “Mirror Image”, with Vera Miles, which deals with seeing one’s double.
“Person or Persons Unknown” – a man wakes up to find that he recognizes everyone in his life, but no one recognizes him
Sigmund Freud wrote a pretty perceptive article on “The Uncanny” which deals with this topic of what people tend to find scary (an article that Stanley Kubrick read in preparing for the Shining). TZ touches on a lot of these themes, especially – the doppelganger (seeing one’s double); and, especially, not knowing whether something is inanimate or animate (dolls; ventriloquist’s dummies; wax figures; masks).
- Status