The Last Flight

Description: Season 1, Episode 18

Air Date: February 5, 1960

Plot Summary: A British fighter pilot from WWI suddenly finds himself landing at an American airbase in 1959.

Review: I think I have to classify this episode under the forgettable category as the tale is mostly pointless. It's not that it isn't interesting, to a certain degree, it's just that nothing really happens and there was no deeper introspection or harsh irony to supplement this lack of story; as I've said before, every episode is not gold that's for sure. On top of the shallow story, we have a few cornball moments that further exasperate the lame factor so that wasn't helping things.

Essentially, all that happens is some British pilot from WWI, named Decker, flies into a weird cloud and ends up in 1959. He lands at an air force base he thought was French, but is American, I suppose, for contrivance's sake. Decker is semi-arrested and questioned as they realize he's a time traveler...or at least they believe he thinks he's from the past; one officer in particular believes the story quite easily. Not understanding the meaning behind the situation, they mention that a British officer will be visiting the base but Decker believes this officer died. Inquiring why Decker believes this assertion, he reveals he was a cowardly pilot and abandoned that officer when he was surrounded by German planes. Once Decker comes to terms with his cowardice, he has the epiphany that perhaps his destiny is to travel back into the past and save this officer from being shot down in order to ensure the future. Lamely escaping his confines, Decker gets to his fighter plane and magically travels back into the past. When that particular British officer shows up they question him about Decker and most of what Decker claimed is vindicated along with the explanation that Decker appeared out of nowhere saving that officer. And that's pretty much all she wrote.

On paper this could be a mildly entertaining tale, but I have a certain expectation for TZ that this episode simply does not live up to. The main feeling you get walking away from this episode is "meh." It's not terrible, but it's not good. Maybe they blew the episode's budget on the plane scenes and were forced to focus the rest of the story to a single room. Who knows. What I can say positive is that they amusingly made female officers check out Decker so there's that.

The Fever

Description: Season 1, Episode 17

Air Date: January 29, 1960

Plot Summary: While on vacation with his wife, a stingy man becomes obsessed with a slot machine.

Review: For the most part, this is one of the more straightforward episodes, but it's also another instance of a theme that would be explored more in depth by a different episode; specifically in "Nick of Time." Essentially, a grouchy old bastard, named Franklin, goes on vacation with his wife to Las Vegas. My theory is that, considering Franklin and the wife sleep in separate beds, Franklin thought he'd be able to get a prostitute and now he's a miserable fuck since that plan didn't pan out. Giving further merit to my theory is the extra hot background chickadees and the scandalously short skirts on the casino girls. For some reason, Franklin had no intention of gambling and thinks people throwing away their money recklessly is stupid (I have to agree to an extent). The wife, of course, just wants to have a little fun, but that is difficult when Franklin is such a hardass. At one point, Franklin intends to go to his room to pout when a wannabe Jerry Lewis gives Franklin a free spin on a slot machine. To his astonishment, Franklin wins a decent amount of money. Trying to control his excitement, Franklin and the wife go back to their room, but Franky-boy thinks he hears someone calling his name.

While sleeping in that separate bed, Franklin decides he must go back to the slot machine but under the delusion that he feels compelled to return the winnings. Yeah, that makes soooo much sense. It's not long before Franklin is completely enthralled and begins to spend his own money--cashing check after check to continue playing. The wife, becoming concerned, tries to get Franklin to stop, but he goes off into a crazed tirade. To be fair, Franklin does sum up the scheme that is behind slot machines...although, does anyone really think that the big payoffs come from the stupid slots? Through his ravings, other patrons catch notice of his obsession as well as the casino employees who address that he's going off the rails and has been on the same slot machine all night. When Franklin is down to his last dollar, the slot machine inexplicably breaks. Believing the machine is doing this on purpose, Franky-baby knocks the machine over and is promptly thrown out of the casino. Still enamored in the situation, Franklin restlessly stays at his hotel room when he thinks he hears someone calling his name again. I actually think the voice they use is really creepy. In fact, had the tone been presented differently, this could have been a moderately scary episode. Franky-boy thinks he sees the slot machine coming after him and appearing throughout the hotel room until he clumsily falls out a window and dies. Oh great, another fucking idiot dying from a swan dive...killing me here TZ! At the end, casino employees discuss how they had never seen anyone so obsessed with a 24 hour gambling session. Then the slot machine appears and spits out Franklin's last dollar that rolls toward his corpse's hand.

Eh, not too bad overall. There was definitely a chance to make this creepy, but the music was off and the approach didn't allow for a proper execution. I think this is where "Nick of Time" shined in order to take on these themes. While "The Fever" emphasizes greed and gambling, which I don't feel were handled completely, the real idea is in regards to obsession. Nevertheless, still a cool episode and one that I would say is somewhat classic as I do see it get more airings than others.

The Hitch-Hiker

Description: Season 1, Episode 16

Air Date: January 22, 1960

Plot Summary: While driving from coast to coast, a woman notices she is being followed by a mysterious man hitchhiking.

Review: Well, here it is: my all time favorite episode of the Twilight Zone and so soon. On my movie blog I had a post that mentioned this episode in my list of top 10 TV show episodes. So yes, I consider this the best episode of the series, hands down, and count it as one of the single best episodes of any television show ever produced period. With that said, I have to obviously acknowledge the original writer, Lucille Fletcher, since it's her work that allowed the episode to come to life originally in a radio show format. I also want to mention that I found it interesting that in her original story the protagonist was a man, but Mr. Serling wrote the lead as a woman. Another thing worth mentioning is that the lead character, Nan, is played by the beautiful Inger Stevens who many feel, having a troubled life and early death, enhances the emotions of the episode. While I do think that sounds morbid, I can't help but agree nonetheless. Whatever your stance may be on the fate of Ms. Stevens, one cannot deny she completely carries the episode and does an amazing job throughout. You feel this raw emotion and power in her performance with each longing stare and frightened expression. Even when she's doing her own narration, you hear that sense of dread in her voice. Ms. Stevens did star in another episode (The Lateness of the Hour), but it wasn't as memorable of a role and she's not really the main character.

The episode begins with Nan having her car fixed up after an accident that she has miraculously endured unscathed. Nan is traveling from the east coast to the west (of the USA), but we are never given a clear reason as to why. While paying for the final work on the car, she notices a peculiar man behind her beckoning the hitchhiking hand gesture. It's important to understand that Nan feels a certain unease from the hitchhiker that isn't inherently addressed within the episode but will make sense by the end. Nan asks the mechanic about the hitchhiker, but they assume he must have been picked up. As she travels the endlessly stretching roads, she notices the hitchhiker is always just ahead of her on the road and always motioning toward her. In two scenes that are typically cut for modern TV airings, Nan talks to a diner owner who mentions that the roads are dangerous for a hitchhiker to walk, because there are no lights and people drive fast. In the other scene, that I'm glad is usually cut, the hitchhiker approaches Nan's car while she is stopped at a portion of the road under repair or something; in this scene the hitchhiker asks where Nan is heading and him speaking at this part takes away from the mystique slightly especially when factoring in the ending.

As Nan travels forward, she is stopped at a railroad crossing as she sees the hitchhiker once more ahead of her. She tries to peel away but finds herself stalled on the tracks. Only narrowly backing her car up before the train passes by, and the hitchhiker has disappeared, Nan comes to the realization that the hitchhiker is malevolent and wants her to die. In a way, she comes to terms with the fact that he won't stop following her and this fills her with immense dread. Nan ends up taking a back-road in the hope that she will slip the hitchhiker, but she runs out of gas instead. Luckily coming along to a gas station, Nan tries to wake the grouchy owner who is sleeping nearby. Hey, I have to give this guy some credit, douche or not, it takes a lot of mental fortitude to turn down a pretty girl especially back then. Although, Nan trying to describe the hitchhiker stalking her would need a rework nowaday since she claims he wants to rob her; psh, she'd be screaming rape at the top of her lungs in today's crybaby era. After being turned down, Nan is startled by the appearance of a sailor on shore leave. Nan desperately wants the sailor guy to accompany her to which he gladly obliges and gets the gas station owner to give them gas.

Once they're driving again, sailor man tries to kick it to Nan, maybe a bit creepily, as she attempts to steer the conversation toward the hitchhiker. But speak of the devil, the hitchhiker appears once more on the side of the road and Nan swerves to avoid him. Confused about what is going on, sailor man claims he didn't see anyone on the road just as Nan attempts to run the hitchhiker over upon seeing him a second time. Pulling over, Nan explains she was trying to kill the hitchhiker prompting sailor man to say goodnight. It's amusing that Nan tries to offer herself to sailor man to get him to stay, he looks her over a few times in consideration, but says nah. Priceless. Nan stops at another Diner that has a payphone she uses to call home--needing any form of comfort. Hoping to speak to her mother, the person answering is a woman Nan does not know, and this same woman claims Nan's mother is in the hospital. Wondering what is happening, the mystery woman says that the mother suffered a nervous breakdown after the death of her daughter...who is Nan. Oh shit! Nan suddenly finds herself disconnected and numb--free of any human sensation yet fully aware. She realizes the horrible truth and what the hitchhiker wants from her. Getting back in her car, Nan notices the hitchhiker is in the backseat and says he believes she's going his way. In case you're confused, Nan has been dead all along and the hitchhiker is the physical representation of death trying to take her to the afterlife. Finally, Mr. Serling closes us out by saying that Nan was traveling across the country but didn't make it due to her detour into the TZ. Truly haunting and quite fitting.

As I addressed in that other blog post, that mind-blowing revelation people felt when watching "The Sixth Sense" was how I felt when watching this episode for the first time; seeing this episode was one of the ways I already knew the ending to that film ahead of time. It really is a masterful twist and presented excellently. While there are some holes in the concept at a glance, it actually opens up speculation regarding the episode. Does Nan being dead mean the people she interacted with were dead as well? I'd say there is evidence of that for sure. Was it her denial and belief she was alive that allowed her to continue interacting with reality? It's tough to say really, but it's fun to think about. The unique music for this episode also stands out for being especially chilling toward the end when Nan realizes the truth. Everything just comes together and works so perfectly with this episode, and it resonates with me on some philosophical level. I love it. The only downside is that we've reached the highest point in the series (for me) already. But that's okay, there are still plenty of great episodes to come, with a few nearly equaling this episode in sheer awesomeness, as we journey deeper into...the Twilight Zone!

Ms. Stevens looking onward to what awaits:

I Shot an Arrow Into the Air

Description: Season 1, Episode 15

Air Date: January 15, 1960

Plot Summary: After crashing on an unknown asteroid, astronauts struggle against treachery and thirst in an effort to survive.

Review: This episode definitely falls into the underrated category as I rarely see it get any kind of acknowledgement or reruns. In fact, I could barely remember seeing the episode until the ending. Speaking of which, the ending is more of that harsh irony that we've come to know and love about TZ. Perhaps this awesome twist is the reason it has been overlooked since it is very much the same idea as the more popular ending to the original "Planet of the Apes" which Mr. Serling also created. Regardless of the reason, this episode has a few unusual aspects in that it is one of only a handful to have narration during the episode and was the one time they paid an outside writer for their work, though, the ending appears to be the effort of Mr. Serling himself.

Dealing with a common TZ theme, an experimental rocket has just launched in an effort to explore space but has disappeared from any kind of monitoring device; the implication is that it crashed in a location they could not keep track of. We then cut to four surviving astronauts of the rocket with one barely alive. The men have no idea where they are, and with limited water, they try and search for anything that may help them. The leader of the group is Donlin and there is a medic named Pierson who are both level-headed. The problem, however, is that the third guy is a huge douchebag, named Corey, who can only think about his own survival. Eventually the fourth guy does die which is the main way the episode conveys the asshole behavior of Corey. At one point Donlin stays at a base camp they've established while Pierson and Corey search for anything useful. When Corey returns alone claiming he and Pierson split up, Donlin rightfully suspects fowl play especially when Corey has more water now than when he initially left. Believing Corey killed Pierson for his water, Donlin forces Corey, at gunpoint, to show him the body since Corey claims Pierson was already dead when he stole his water. When the two find Pierson he is clinging to life and tries to draw something in the sand while motioning over a cliff before finally dying. Donlin runs off to see what Pierson saw, but Corey uses this opportunity to take Donlin's gun and shoots him--claiming one man with the water would have the best chance of survival. When Corey finally manages to get to the top of the cliff, to see what Pierson saw, he comes to the startling revelation that Pierson was trying to draw a telephone pole in the sand. In reality, the rocket never crashed on an asteroid but has actually been on Earth all along. Damn you all to hell! I guess they're in the Mojave Desert, and the reason they couldn't be tracked was due to the instruments being calibrated to space travel.

I think the parallel to "Planent of the Apes" is self-explanatory, but it is still a cool twist and this came first anyway. At the same time, this episode tackles a different theme involving human nature and the ease to which they turn on each other. Personally, I imagine most people reacting like Corey with a small minority willing to keep pressing forward until the bitter end like Donlin planned. In retrospect, considering the typical TZ hallmarks are all present, I'm surprised this episode isn't one of the classics. Oh well, I guess certain things resonate differently with the audience back then versus nowaday.

Third From the Sun

Description: Season 1, Episode 14

Air Date: January 8, 1960

Plot Summary: Fearing the end of the world, a man attempts to flee the planet with his family and friends.

Review: I sometimes see this episode ranked amongst the classics, but I must humbly disagree and quite adamantly I might add. This episode is loaded with shenanigans coming out the ass, and the twist is only unpredictable because it makes no sense and is virtually impossible. This isn't to say it's all terrible, but, simply, it lacks many of the hallmarks of the true icons while having outstandingly giant flaws. I mean, the story is basic in nature, mostly toying with the audience's expectations in regard to Cold War fears. All that happens is a man believes that the planet will be destroyed in a nuclear war anytime in the next 48 hours. The man's friend has been working on an experimental spacecraft that they intend to steal and use to flee the planet with their families. The only obstacle in this scheme is a little bitch-boy that has magically overheard their plan and wants to stop them for no specified reason. Well, they go to the base where the spacecraft is kept and sure enough bitch-boy is waiting for them. They easily overpower him, since there were five of them, and escape in the spacecraft which works perfectly for a prototype. Then the big reveal is that they're not fleeing from Earth but are actually heading toward it...dun dun dun!!! Yeah, I think I'm calling bullshit on that one and they really should have known better even back then.

Obviously the most glaring issue is the fact that these are aliens (to us) who come from a planet conveniently similar to 1960 USA. And I'm not talking surface level shit like that they look exactly like humans--I'm talking every facet of life is no different than humans. You're telling me aliens would also have lemonade, rotary phones, and the same cars (or cars at all)?! That's just a few specific examples, but if you look at the episode as a whole it cannot be distinguished from our world except the whole spaceship aspect. They mention that Earth is 11 million miles from their world but...uhh...that would put them where exactly? Mars and Venus are both farther from Earth than that. Okay, maybe they're from a planet that disintegrated itself, due to that war, and somehow we never knew of its existence. Nope, that doesn't work either since they mention they were interpreting radio signals from Earth. That means it's the same time period and that their planet was coincidentally paralleling our world almost like a mirror image. They never say that it's a different dimension or anything that could feasibly explain this. It's also not worth bothering with the ridiculous plot line that this spacecraft is experimental yet can go all the way to Earth without so much as a bump in the road.

I know it may sound like I'm being nitpicky, but it's impossible to take the episode seriously when the plot goes beyond any reasonable suspension of disbelief even for the era. I'm also being extra hard on it, because this episode does get featured and aired often alongside superior ones as if it's their equal. I understand the real point of the episode is meant to highlight the Cold War fears and emphasize mutual annihilation, but there are better ways to express those sentiments without an outlandish setup. Wouldn't it have been better if the aliens were actually our ancestors, escaping a doomed world, only for modern humanity to foolishly follow in their footsteps of annihilation? Oh wait, that's exactly what they did do in the episode "Probe 7, Over and Out!" Well at least they learned their lesson, right? I'd definitely recommend watching that episode instead to see these themes pulled off coherently.

The Four of Us Are Dying

Description: Season 1, Episode 13

Air Date: January 1, 1960

Plot Summary: A man who can make his face look like anyone attempts to pull off an elaborate scheme.

Review: This was an interesting episode in terms of the story, but it was mostly predictable and they could have made better use of the ideas especially in regard to the ending. Essentially, the main guy is a shapeshifter, although, I'm not sure if the term had even been coined at that point. The actual episode only mentions his ability to change his face, but we obviously see him change voices as well; he might also change build and size, but they did try to keep the four forms he takes similar to one another. We are told he's a cheap guy, and probably more of a lowlife, which might explain how a guy with such an extraordinary gift has accomplished nothing with it. The way they handle the shapeshifting is through obvious cuts, but it's effective enough. The man has a bunch of newspaper clippings of obituaries that he intends to use in a scheme we don't fully learn. We can infer that he had hoped to gain money, a girl, and perhaps other things before the scam meets an untimely end; or maybe that really was the extent of his plan. It's difficult to say, because he appeared to have more up his sleeve and had performed extensive research on the people he was scamming.

The first thing the guy does is take the form of a dead musician. The man seeks out the musician's, apparent, girlfriend who is a lounge singer I think. She's kind of cute, I suppose, and the two do one helluva make out scene. I'd imagine this was bordering on risque for the era, but, hey, they were bringing in the new decade...you gotta live it up in style! The girl is just so happy the musician is alive that she promises to run away with him later that night. The next phase of the plan is to take the form of a recently gunned down gangster found in the river. The guy goes to, what I'm guessing is, the boss and pretends he's a ghost or something and demands money from the gig that seemingly led to his death. This is mildly humorous as he tries to to taunt the boss a bit but then ends up running away like a bitch when backup goons arrive. In order to properly lose the goons, the man takes the form of a boxer whose image was plastered on a poster nearby. Through sheer shenanigans, or because this is the Twilight Zone, the man comes across the boxer's father who tells him how much he hates him and that he ruined multiple lives. Ditching that fiasco, the man goes back to his hotel to either plan the next stage or go meet his little hunny when he's suddenly arrested...I guess; this scene was questionable to say the least. In order to ditch the detective that found him, he amusingly runs around in a revolving door while shapeshifting, thus, confusing the detective when he catches up with the man once more. Unfortunately for our shapeshifting friend, when he fled from the detective he took the form of the boxer once more just as the crazed father has returned. Unable to focus long enough to shapeshift, the boxer's father shoots the man and he dies. That was so predictable even the shapeshifter should have seen that shit coming!

I really wanted them to somehow have the story come full circle with all the characters interacting. Wouldn't it have been great if all the people he was scamming began to come across him all at once and he had to shapeshift back and forth? But, then again, that might have turned out like a corny sitcom. We never get the full picture on what he hoped to accomplish or why now or why these people in particular. Lacking these aspects weakens the story since it was a missed opportunity to give the audience insight on the shapeshifter himself. Nevertheless, this was a nice little tale with some creative approaches to the situation despite the flaws. I suppose you could argue this episode is on the underrated side of the TZ spectrum.

What You Need

Description: Season 1, Episode 12

Air Date: December 25, 1959

Plot Summary: A man seeks to take advantage of an old peddler who claims to have whatever a person may need.

Review: This is one of the more straightforward episodes of TZ, but it's important to understand the context of the time period to get why it was probably intended to be that way. As you might have noticed from the air date, this was broadcast on Christmas Day. It's interesting to note that they actually did air new material on holidays once upon a time. That should be a testament to the show as they were confident people would tune in regardless, and, truthfully, there wasn't as much competition yet. While the plot doesn't actually revolve around Christmas, the message would be applicable to some typical Christmas themes.

So we get the introduction of a straight up loser who is hanging out at a bar that is clearly from the last episode. This particular man looks like Mel Gibson's dad or something, and acts like a douche as well, when he and the other patrons observe an old man come into the bar. The bartender tells us the old man comes in each night selling various items to people while claiming it is exactly what they need. I guess the old man is supposed to be a street peddler of sorts--something similar to that potato pancake from the "One for the Angels" episode. He also possesses a kind of psychic power or perhaps something greater; we don't fully get clarity on his abilities. The man gets a feeling, or vision, where he determines what to give people in order to help their future be better. It's unclear if he materializes these objects out of thin air considering the sheer implausibility of him having certain items on hand. We see the peddler in action as he first gives a sad-looking woman some kind of cleaning chemical (this was another kind of hot chick for the time). His next step is to give an old baseball player a bus ticket to Scranton, Pennsylvania (you see why I think he materializes these items?). Conveniently enough, the old baseball player gets a call at the bar from his manager asking him if he would like to take a job in, you guessed it, Scranton. Maybe it was the booze affecting his brain, but this baseball dude does not freak out or anything. Then, when whining about his only suit looking like shit, that little lady from earlier chimes in with the cleaner. Damn, set the guy up with a job and a chick?!

Impressed with the abilities, and seeing a meal ticket, our loser friend appears to stalk the peddler as he tries to get away...sensing the ill intentions of the man. Begrudgingly, the peddler gives the man scissors which he eventually must use in order to save himself when his scarf is caught in an elevator door. Completely convinced of the peddler's powers, the man magically finds the peddler's apartment and waits for him to come home. Acting like a total punk ass, the man lectures the peddler on how he could be rich with his powers and then bugs the peddler to give him anything to make himself rich. Once more, the peddler apprehensively gives the man an item--this time it's a leaky pen. The pen then drips perfectly onto a newspaper that is listing horse races and highlights a specific name. Of course the man bets on the horse and wins a whopping $240! Obviously not satisfied with this, and realizing the pen was a one time use, the man again comes to hassle the old peddler for more shit. The peddler finally explains to the man that there's a difference between what you need and what you want; he further explains that what the man needs are principles, morals, and things that cannot be given materially. Big shock, the man gets pissed and throws a tantrum rummaging through the peddler's items until he comes across a pair of shoes that the peddler warns him not to use. Believing the shoes will lead him to a place to get what he wants, the man tries to attack the peddler but instead slips on an icy patch of road and is run over by a car. Good riddance. The old man explains that the shoes were actually what he needed for himself since he knew the man would kill him otherwise. This would have been a nice place to end it, but then they show some idiotic couple receiving a comb from the peddler right when their picture is about to be taken. I think they typically cut this scene on TV airings now and rightfully so.

I think you can see why they chose to use this as a makeshift Christmas episode. The themes are universal which helps toward the episode's relevance, but, seriously, were street peddlers/vendors really this common? I mean, whenever I'm in a city I only see panhandlers, street performers, and other unsavory weirdos; I'd much rather come across psychic old men who can set me up with a cool job and a hot chick! Overall, this is a decent episode but not all that memorable since it's greatly overshadowed by TZ's actual Christmas-themed episode: "The Night of the Meek."

And When the Sky Was Opened

Description: Season 1, Episode 11

Air Date: December 11, 1959

Plot Summary: A flight crew returns from a botched mission only to discover they are fading from existence.

Review: I'm going to sound like a hippie saying this, but this episode is far out, man! It's actually quite difficult to properly explain this episode due to its unusual concepts and original story. I think the main reason why this episode has been overshadowed by the classics is because it doesn't make complete sense and that title is easily forgettable. Likewise, the ideas were a bit advanced for the era and the imaginations of the public couldn't fully grasp the complex nature of the situation and its implications.

So anyway, after returning from a flight that used an experimental plane, two pilots are staying at a hospital to recover; one is still bound to his bed, named Gart, while the other, Forbes (played by the great Rod Taylor), is anxious as hell. Forbes tries to explain to Gart that there were actually three of them at one point, but the third guy, Harrington, has disappeared with no one remembering him. Forbes, loosely, addresses that reality has warped to remove Harrington from it by pointing out a newspaper photo of just Forbes and Gart...minus Harrington. Gart tries to tell Forbes that there were only the two of them from the start and he thinks Forbes is crazy. Forbes, perhaps even trying to convince himself, explains to Gart the circumstances of Harrington's disappearance as told by a flashback. We see that, indeed, there were three men in the photo originally as Forbes and Harrington visited Gart at the hospital before going out to a bar. When trying to have a good time--getting free beers and trying to look good for the ladies--Harrington is suddenly struck with a sensation he can hardly describe. Harrington says that he feels a disconnect from reality as if his will power alone was keeping him in existence. It's surprisingly hard to explain what they're going for as it's kind of an emotion TZ invented. In essence, Harrington believes they were not meant to come back from that mission and that something is seriously wrong. This is further exasperated when Harrington calls his parents and they say they never had a son. When trying to reassure Harrington, Forbes steps away for a split second only to discover Harrington has vanished completely. More so, no one in the bar remembers Harrington, that newspaper photo has changed to just Gart and Forbes, and everyone acts as though Forbes was always alone; even a glass that Harrington dropped has disappeared. Later Forbes contacts his busted wife (no wonder TZ actually featured a somewhat cheating husband) as she pretty much says the same thing as everyone that there never was a Harrington.

Semi-convinced by Forbes' conviction, Gart still insists that Harrington wasn't real. Forbes then senses the feeling Harrington was trying to describe and knows his time is almost up as well. He further expresses this notion that they were not supposed to return from that mission, and that something is wrong with the world so to speak. Soon enough, Forbes runs out of the hospital room and he too has vanished from existence. A nearby nurse tells Gart that she has no clue who Forbes is and the newspaper photo only shows Gart alone. Gart then freaks out providing, probably, one of the best looks of genuine fright I've seen from an actor. Gart realizes Forbes was right and that it is only a matter of time before he too disappears. Moments later, we see a doctor and nurse discussing the hospital room as completely free as Gart has vanished along with any trace of the men or their mission; the plane has vanished too.

What does any of this mean or what is happening? Well, your guess is as good as mine. There is this "Final Destination-esque" vibe to everything, but that hardly does the episode justice. TZ honestly innovated with this one and came up with their own emotion of a person feeling as though they're slipping away from reality. We could call it a disconnect or a lack of belonging, but these ideas only feel like a taste of what TZ was trying to convey. We'd have to get all philosophical to really ponder the meaning and still have no answer possibly. Could it have something to do with the experimental plane or the mission? They mention that maybe something or someone made a mistake allowing them to return--does that mean aliens, god(s), or something beyond all imagination? I love the intrigue and the episode is played perfectly with great acting that complements the unique themes; this was certainly an interesting story to say the least. But maybe it truly does make no sense and they merely wanted to provide a cool mystery. I see why this episode is mostly forgotten, but I think it would have fared better with today's audience who are looking for things beyond the typical horror and sci-fi tales...something you could only find in the Twilight Zone!

Judgement Night

Description: Season 1, Episode 10

Air Date: December 4, 1959

Plot Summary: A man with a hazy memory finds himself aboard a ship seemingly doomed to calamity.

Review: This episode marks the first appearance of two plot aspects that will pop up frequently throughout TZ's run: nazis and an existential look at reality. The nazi element is easy to expect, because the show was made only 15 years after the end of WWII; the world was still reeling from its effects as well as it being fresh in the mind of TZ's audience. As far as the existentialism, I always liked it when they would explore perception and its many accompanying themes. Although a few episodes prior have kind of explored these concepts, this episode goes the extra step.

The story revolves around a mysterious man aboard a ship, in 1942, who is acting like a weirdo. He has a feeling of familiarity with the situation yet can't remember how he came to be where he is or what is going on. At the same time, there is a sense of unease as he knows the ship is in imminent danger. Details as to what is actually going on come back to the guy sporadically with fleeting memories. The man then remembers that the ship will be attacked by a German submarine at a specific time, of which, the the prediction comes true. Although the hints were there, the man is still shocked to realize he is the one captaining the submarine that is attacking. Everyone on the ship is killed which is surprising from TZ since the kids also die, and the man sees the ghosts of those poor souls. As the submarine disappears back into the depths of the ocean, we cut to the man's true self on board the sub discussing the situation with an officer. The officer is bothered by their unprovoked attack and the fact that they were innocent victims. The man doesn't care and is quite satisfied with their actions. The officer does get preachy and overly simplifies the meaning of the episode, but it is still cool unto itself. As it turns out, the man is forever stuck in a hellish loop reappearing aboard the ship he sunk and sharing the same deadly fate of those he killed for eternity. The episode ends as it began with the man once again finding himself aboard the ship with a hazy recollection of how he got there. By now you can understand why they called the episode "Judgement Night" as this was the moment his fate was decided.

I think it's safe to say the main influence here was "No Exit," but I liked the way they worked with the idea and it's not as though it was a copy by any means. In fact, I think this episode would resonate more with the audience by including the WWII plot line. I wish that that officer didn't have to spoon-feed the audience, but I suppose that's the '50s era speaking. Overall, a mostly underrated episode, but it does have its flaws.