Description: Season 5, Episode 26
Air Date: March 27, 1964
Plot Summary: In the hours leading up to a man's execution, a small town becomes cloaked in perpetual darkness.
Review: I get what they were trying to say here, but I think they missed the mark. Too much of the story is vague, and they do not fully explore the motivations behind the executed man. Apparently some little town in the boonies is performing a public execution by hanging. Uhh...was this even legal? (In Palpatine voice) I will make it legal! There is something about the guy killing the town bully in self-defense, but he also says he got off on the killing for whatever reason. The townspeople have been complicit with the conviction as well, but we don't know enough about these characters.
Despite a supernatural night that won't end, the townspeople are seriously more concerned about making sure this guy dies on schedule. Okay, I get it, the premise is the people are evil, hence the night, but would people ignore something akin to divine intervention? So, yes, the night is explained to be a manifestation of the evil of humanity. Though this town is the first, or one of the first, the characters eventually learn this is a worldwide phenomenon. Essentially, the hate of humanity has grown out of control and has manifested into reality in a tangible way. This aspect I do really like, but it's not examined in a way befitting of TZ. I think there should have been an emphasis on a breaking point. Like...there was a tipping point that connects specifically to this execution and the events leading up to it, but this is never explicitly mentioned nor would it make sense given the vague aspects of the execution. Finally, the man is executed rather quickly as the town grows ever darker. The episode ends with characters wondering when the light will be gone permanently. I appreciate the grim tone and outlook--I especially like the basic principle at hand--but that extra kick TZ is known for is absent this time around.
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