A World of His Own

Description: Season 1, Episode 36

Air Date: July 1, 1960

Plot Summary: A playwright reveals to his bitchy wife that he has the power to bring any character he imagines to life.

Review: Well, here we are, the final episode of season 1, and we end with one of most underrated tales. I'm not sure why it gets so little credit considering this is one of the more ballsy episodes for the era; man, this episode would never fly nowaday in this wasteland of pc, crybabies infesting every entertainment outlet. Besides a provocative plot line, this episode also provides the one time Mr. Serling is actually a character in the story. I've always thought that was a nice touch and made for an awesome conclusion to the season, but if only they could have strategically saved it to be the conclusion to the series itself.

While the story itself isn't all that complicated, it's the way they go about dealing with the subject matter that makes it memorable. We meet a playwright, named Gregory, as he is being serviced by a, decently, attractive woman, named Mary. The complete implication is that this dude is cheating on his wife, although, I am willing to consider the situation to be slightly more innocent than it appears; but come on, the guy even refers to her as his mistress. Conveniently enough, Gregory's wife, Victoria, walks by the window as she catches him with Mary. When Victoria tries to confront Gregory, it would appear Mary has completely vanished out of thin air while Gregory plays it cool. The two sort of screw with each other, in the lamest of ways, trying not to let the other know what they are up to. In a sly move, Victoria tricks Gregory into admitting Mary was there; she's completely convinced there's a hidden door or something. Caught in the lie, Gregory reveals that the characters he creates come to life as real people. He uses some early cassette recorder equivalent (hell if I know), but they never address if it's Gregory that makes the characters come to life or this recorder. As for Mary, she is Gregory's newest character, and the way he made her disappear was by burning the tape that her description was recorded on.

Of course Victoria doesn't believe any of these excuses, and the episode really stresses her bitchy attitude; TZ writers certainly had no love for nagging wives. While I can't fault her for being mad at possible cheating, she is too annoying to tolerate. To prove himself, Gregory materializes Mary and then burns her tape again to show Victoria the process firsthand. Despite this revelation, Victoria insists she will have Gregory institutionalized. I guess that really would have been a threat back then, but, still, I doubt you could really just pick up the phone and say, "yeah, come get this guy." To stop Victoria from escaping, Gregory manifests an elephant in front of the door (that's a good one), but then gets rid of it shortly thereafter. Annoyed that she can't leave (to where I know not), Victoria tries to steal the door's key from Gregory as he explains that, perhaps, Victoria is too perfect of a woman. Wait, hold on while I contain my laughter...perfect woman? Dude, are you fucking high outta your mind? This chick is a total bitch and busted as hell to boot! It's okay though, because Gregory discloses that Victoria is nothing more than another fictional character that he could discard if needed. Quickly relenting in this initial threat to get rid of her, Victoria proceeds, in disbelief, to destroy her own tape believing it to be a ruse by Gregory. Victoria then disappears from existence as Gregory frantically tries to recreate her, but decides instead to stick with Mary; yeah, good choice. The episode ends with Mary making Gregory a drink as Mr. Serling tries to wrap the tale up, however, he is interrupted by Gregory who ends up burning Mr. Serling's tape. I guess we know who really runs the Twilight Zone.

So what exactly makes this episode so ballsy? For one, you have the cheating almost admitted. Gregory even admits to screwing his characters, although, that could simply have meant banging Victoria technically. Gregory wants to get rid of his wife for a younger, nicer, and more attractive girl while also, sort of, threatening to kill her. Gregory traps Victoria and keeps control over her, and one of the main reasons he wants to get rid of her is because she's not listening to him anymore. Hah! Oh man, this Gregory guy is great. And the fact that the episode ends with him NOT getting his comeuppance and getting what he wants: priceless. Let's face it, a story like this would never be allowed on TV today, because it's pandering to the wrong demographic and we can't have that, now can we? Overall, this is an imaginative episode that tackles quite a bit with a hell of a lot going on under the surface. It is humorous, and the ending is one of the best in the entire series.

The Mighty Casey

Description: Season 1, Episode 35

Air Date: June 17, 1960

Plot Summary: A robot is secretly added to a failing baseball team's lineup to turn things around.

Review: While this a fairly straightforward episode, there was a lot going on behind the scenes worth mentioning. For one, the original actor cast to play the manager died shortly after filming, and Mr. Serling and crew felt it would be a disservice to air the episode as is; the actor was succumbing to his illness while filming. Being the assholes they were/are, CBS didn't want to pay for a re-shoot so Mr. Serling and crew ended up paying for it personally. Now that's integrity you rarely see anymore. At the same time, this re-shoot created various editing inconsistencies and other behind the scenes problems. Sheesh.

Anyway, the story is simply about a terrible baseball team that are meant to be the worst in the league; the team is fictional by the way. The manager of the team is losing his shit after the pitiful display of the current players, and it was kind of amusing in a way; I liked when the one dude was exorcising and the manager is like, "Yeah, we see you." The manager is also played by the same actor from "The Lonely," Jack Warden, who must really love his robutts (and must they pronounce it like that?). And, again, the robot is more of an android than a true robot. A scientist brings this robot, named Casey, to the baseball field to try out, and he blows away any human player. It was a bit awkward when the manager meets Casey, though, because he like orgasms or something. I believe the emotion you were looking for, Mr. Warden, was pain, but you play it however you wish, buddy. 

After seeing Casey in action, the manager decides to quietly add him to the team without revealing he's really a robot. Does it even matter--considering when people find out Casey's a robot they're completely nonchalant about it? I don't know about you, but if I found out someone was really a robot I'd be seriously unnerved...and this is more than 50 years later! So, yes, after winning endlessly, it is discovered Casey is not human, and the team is nearly expelled until they find a loophole to exploit. The baseball officials claim they are only bothered by the fact that Casey has no "heart;" no clarity on whether that's figurative or literal. Because the scientist thinks making a robot is a walk in the park, he says give me a second, brah, and magically creates a full-fledged artificial intelligence. With Casey becoming pretty much sentient, he cannot bring himself to cheat with his superhuman abilities and lets the team lose. It was funny that they kept cutting to the scoreboard to show the giant margin of loss. I know that's cliched as hell, but usually when other films do it the innings keep going up and TZ kept the blowout in the top of the first inning. Casey then decides he wants to do something more meaningful with his life as the manager and scientist concoct a plan to create a team of robot players. The episode ends with the implication that they did, in fact, create a robot team in the form of the Dodgers, but I don't know enough about baseball history to know if there was another team TZ could be referencing.

Overall, this is a mostly forgettable episode. It has its moments and moderate gags, but it's more zany antics than anything. I appreciate the trouble that went into presenting the episode, but there's not a lot of depth to the story. I know it was meant to be another comedic episode, but I don't like those for the most part. Or maybe it's the fact that the huge dork in me can't seem to watch anything baseball related without perpetually singing "take me out to the ball game" continually in my head (sometimes aloud).

The After Hours

Description: Season 1, Episode 34

Air Date: June 10, 1960

Plot Summary: While looking for a gift for her mom, a woman is taken to a hidden floor at a department store.

Review: I suppose this is one of the classic episodes, but it's mostly mediocre to me. Sure, it has its moments, and the title is cool, but it makes virtually no sense. You have a woman, named Marsha, shopping at a random department store that, apparently, has 8 floors as she attempts to find a gift for her mother. At one point, Marsha is invited aboard a private elevator despite the fact that there is a long line for the main elevator. She does question this unusual scenario slightly, but she should have been more unnerved once she arrives on the mysterious ninth floor and there is nothing there. Wouldn't a normal person believe they were tricked somehow? Well, our dear Marsha still tries to shop on the barren ninth floor like a complete moron. It's okay though, because Marsha comes across a sales woman that just happens to have the exact item she wants: a gold thimble. The two women exchange awkward dialogue as the sales woman reveals she knows who Marsha is ahead of time; seriously, a normal person would be bothered by all these strange events. When Marsha leaves the floor, she notices the thimble is damaged and decides to speak to a manager or whatever. The one manager is a little bitch boy and calls in the store manager to deal with Marsha's nonsense. They question Marsha's story, especially in regards to a nonexistent ninth floor, as well as her lack of a receipt proving she bought the thimble there. Then Marsha believes she sees the sales woman that sold her the thimble only to discover she is a mannequin. This is clearly too much to handle for a mild-mannered '60s girl, so she passes out pathetically.

After a series of zany antics, Marsha is seemingly locked in the store overnight as she awakes from her slumber. Marsha begins to hear people calling out to her as multiple mannequins speak to her psychically or something. This part is kind of creepy as one of the mannequins moves right when Marsha walks by; this is followed by another scare when Marsha escapes in the elevator and is met by the sales woman from earlier. The sales woman tries to console Marsha as she takes her into the ninth floor with many mannequins all coming to life. The group of living mannequins help Marsha remember that she too is a mannequin and has spent too much time away that it made her forget her true self; apparently the mannequins each take turns spending a month as a human. With Marsha's memories returned, the sales woman goes out into the world as a human just as Marsha becomes a mannequin again. The episode ends with that bitch boy seeing the Marsha mannequin and doing a double-take.

Believe me, I appreciate the intrigue and attempt to make the episode scary, but these facets are overshadowed by an incoherent plot. Why are mannequins coming to life and pretending to be humans? If they can take human form what is stopping them from prolonging it? Shouldn't we get a little back story on this aspect? And when they're human they can forget that they're mannequins? Also, they can forget to the point that they believe they have a family? Besides the logistics of the situation being nonsensical, what about the whole hidden floor? Why did no one see the extra elevator? Is everything in their heads? We see that the mannequins are actually used in the store...you're telling me no one notices them disappearing and reappearing? How do they have money to survive on their own for a month? Well thank god this episode was before the surveillance era or else we'd have even more problems; Orwell would be proud. Ugh. I know I'm looking too hard into this, but I expect a lot more from my TZ and this isn't cutting it. On the surface, this is a cool episode, but a closer examination reveals a brainless twist that wastes all the buildup leading to the payoff. Hell, it would have been creepier if the mannequins were simply evil and turned others into mannequins to join the fold.

Mr. Bevis

Description: Season 1, Episode 33

Air Date: June 3, 1960

Plot Summary: An oddball man has the worst day of his life but is offered the chance to do it over again.

Review: With a title like "Mr. Bevis" you know this story is going to be a bit strange. I just kept wondering when was Butthead going to show up. This is one of those episodes that hardly anyone remembers and for mostly good reasons. The message is decent, and a universal one as well, but the presentation is severely dated. I think this was TZ attempting to be funny--and not working--but perhaps others at the time would be more entertained. So we meet an eclectic weirdo named, obviously, Mr. Bevis as he goes through a most troublesome day. Although Mr. Bevis is a huge goofball, he is beloved by many for his unusual eccentricities and easygoing attitude. The first order of business is that Mr. Bevis is fired from his job, followed by his car crashing, and ending with him being evicted from his apartment. Surprisingly, Mr. Bevis takes this horrible situation with great stride as, seemingly, nothing will keep him down.

As Mr. Bevis drinks at a bar, he begins to see a man that only appears in a mirror and motions him toward a table. It would appear this mysterious stranger is Mr. Bevis' guardian angel who watches over the entire Bevis bloodline; they mention something about a Bevis relative that did the world a great favor and his reward was a guardian for his ancestors. Ehh, that's a questionable explanation, but I suppose the ridiculousness can't get any worse. The guardian angel explains that the Bevis family has had big dreams and accomplished much, but this particular Mr. Bevis is thinking too small. The guardian angel then proceeds to help Mr. Bevis by redoing the day with everything changing to work out in Mr. Bevis' favor; in reality, he appears to have altered Mr. Bevis' entire life and personality.

When the day starts over, Mr. Bevis has transformed into a respectable-looking guy, no longer concerned with his old interests, and learns his rent has been paid in advance to prevent any kind of eviction. Instead of being fired, he is actually promoted, and instead of crashing his car, Mr. Bevis is given a crazy sports car. The cost, however, is that Mr. Bevis is no longer the lovable loser, and all the friends and associates he had are cold to him. Although Mr. Bevis likes the idea of success, he sees that losing his true self is not worth the trade-off. This is solid advice for anyone or time, and I can appreciate what TZ was going for with this episode. In the end, everything is restored back to the way it was, but the guardian angel tries to help Mr. Bevis in tiny ways that Mr. Bevis is more comfortable with; for example, helping him out of a parking ticket.

I do like the concept of staying true to yourself no matter what others think, but Mr. Bevis is too bizarre for the current era. I mean, he likes taxidermy, zither music, pointless odds and ends, and hanging out with kids. I think that's a recipe for a serial killer. At the same time, the comedic moments aren't really funny and appear stupid. Ehh, this episode is okay, but it's perfectly understandable why it is not a classic. It's a good message, no doubt, but presenting it through the eyes of a nutcase was not the best manner to showcase said message.

A Passage for Trumpet

Description: Season 1, Episode 32

Air Date: May 20, 1960

Plot Summary: After an alcoholic trumpet player commits suicide, he finds himself in an unusual afterlife.

Review: I don't think you'll hear me say this very often, but I don't recall ever seeing this episode before. While the story does tackle similar themes to other episodes, it has a unique spin to the situation. Also, it stars the great Jack Klugman who we will see again in one of the best episodes, "A Game of Pool." Anyway, the story focuses on a washed up musician named Joey. Joey used to be one of the great trumpet players, but, nowaday, he spends more time drinking than anything else. He claims he needs the alcohol to invoke his true, musical potential or something along those lines. Once Joey meets up with an old friend, and realizes he's lost his chance at greatness, Joey decides to pawn away his trumpet and spend the money on more booze. This is followed up by a deliberate walk in front of a truck to end the misery once and for all. Although, the editing of this shot is shoddy, and the closeup of the random woman screaming was laughably bad.

Joey comes to his senses moments later and believes everything is okay until he tries to interact with individuals; it would appear no one is able to see or hear him. It doesn't take long before Joey realizes he must surely be a ghost. This part was kind of funny since Joey's immediate reaction to this revelation is to try and scare someone. As Joey wanders the city aimlessly, he remarks that things are out of place and is still able to interact with reality. Eventually Joey comes across a strange man playing a trumpet who can hear and see him. This man knows all about Joey and informs him that he's not really dead; to the contrary, it is everyone Joey sees that is actually dead. In this version of the afterlife, people go on living their lives as usual while being oblivious to the fact that they're dead. Joey is offered the choice to return to the real world or to stay in this limbo. Of course Joey wants to return as he has gained a new found appreciation for life. As the strange man reassures Joey of his purpose in life, we learn that the man is actually the angel Gabriel; I liked the shot they used here of Gabriel standing under the street light. Joey then awakes after being hit by the truck and magically has no serious injuries. The truck driver bribes Joey to keep this accident between the two of them, and, in turn, Joey uses the cash to buy back his trumpet. With his reverence for life restored, Joey plays to his heart's content atop the roof of his apartment when he comes across a girl admiring his playing. The two flirt a bit as the episode ends with the implication that the two will get together. Damn, angels hooking this fool up with a second chance at life and a chickadee?!

I guess we could put this episode among the underrated ranks. It didn't have as meaningful of a theme as it could have, but Mr. Klugman plays his characters quite passionately. Likewise, TZ loves exploring the concept of failed success and the influence this has on a person. However, the introduction of this limbo world was cool and not something typically explored; this helped to spice up the ordinary nature of the tale. The angel aspect was predictable, considering Joey mentioned it earlier, but I am okay with it. Overall, not too bad for an episode that probably almost never airs on TV these days. Maybe this has something to do with it being a slightly longer than usual episode...I mean, we can't possibly go without as many godforsaken commercials as possible, now can we?!

The Chaser

Description: Season 1, Episode 31

Air Date: May 13, 1960

Plot Summary: A man obsessed with some dumb chick gives her a love potion with easily predictable consequences.

Review: If it feels like you've heard this tale before, chances are, you have. While this episode is one of the earlier incarnations of this story, it's not the first, and, for once, I don't feel it's the best either. More so, the love potion concept has been around for a long ass time and is a pretty standard morality tale in regards to love, lust, and obsession and the difference between the three. In this episode, we meet a so-called "lover boy," named Roger, as he pines over a girl named Leila. Ehhh, Leila looks okay, but you could do better, lover boy. The episode doesn't provide us with any real reason why Roger likes her which was kind of annoying. Give me anything--I don't care. Leila, on the other hand, is a pain in the ass tease, but they don't even get her character correct since we don't get the full picture on this chick's situation. She appears to have other admirers, but we never see them or hear about them. They should have had a line that explained how the two crossed paths or something deeper to address the backstory.

One night, while endlessly calling Leila at a bar's payphone, of all places, an old man in a hurry ends up giving Roger a business card to meet with a man called Professor A. Daemon. Oh, no, that's not suspicious sounding at all! Actually, I would have liked to know more about the old man's story. Who was that son of a bitch, and what potion did he end up with? Anyway, Roger meets demon-man who is another pain in the ass. He thinks Roger wants to be something great and offers him remedies, but Roger claims all he wants is Leila. Demon-man thinks this is a lame scheme but obliges the request with a love potion that will clearly make someone crazily obsessed. Roger, being a dumbass, doesn't care and later begs for a meeting with Leila. Leila, being a tease, humors this proposition long enough for Roger to slip her the love potion. Of course this potion works its wonders, and Leila is hopelessly enthralled by Roger. We then bypass the honeymoon phase and skip to Roger already annoyed with Leila. They mention something about being together for 6 months so I guess that's how long it takes to go crazy. I did like how annoying they made Leila--asking shit over and over and perpetually vying for Roger's attention. Roger can no longer take the situation and goes back to demon-bitch for a cure except there is none. On the other hand, demon-man offers a potion that will seamlessly kill Leila instead. Roger, Roger, Roger...are you a complete imbecile? If Leila will do anything you say, just tell her to commit suicide or somehow trick her into getting killed! Or, grab a knife and put a smile on that face! Too far? Well, Roger goes to poison Leila but learns she is pregnant and drops the poison. He then comes to terms with the fact he is stuck with Leila forever. Other incarnations of this story typically tweak the ending to make things unique, but I do like TZ's version. Either way, there are worse fates in life than this, Roger. Plus, you can't kill Leila after she gives birth? Overall, not too bad of an episode, but it's been done better. I also feel this is a tale that could be told better nowaday with an adult tone to seriously address the themes fully.

A Stop at Willoughby

Description: Season 1, Episode 30

Air Date: May 6, 1960

Plot Summary: An overly stressed business man dreams of a quiet town where he can escape his unfulfilled life.

Review: I think I might just have to classify this episode in the underrated category. It's not as good as I would want it to be, but it was ahead of its time in certain respects and the message was sound advice. The story shows us the shallow life of a man named Gart who has reached an impasse. Gart has grown wary of his annoying boss and bitchy wife. The boss is your stereotypical business executive that screams all his dialogue while only caring about results and money. Gart's wife is a cliched bitch that only married Gart for the potential money he would make. Her ambitions have translated into pressure for Gart to succeed where he wouldn't have chosen to otherwise. As for Gart himself, he simply reflects on a life he didn't necessarily choose and how everything about himself is an act to maintain appearances--to be someone he's not and never intended to be. I'd say this was not something typically addressed in 1960 especially in regard to the blunt shallowness and nihilism connected to work and marriage. In fact, I'd say society wanted (and continues to want) people to think things will turn out to the contrary.

With Gart cracking under the pressure, or perhaps no longer caring, he dreams of a magical town called Willoughby as he rides a train home from work each day. In Willoughby, life is simple and devoid of complexity, almost in a naive sense, but this is a dreamworld after all, right? Although Gart would wake from this dream, he becomes fixated on the notion of getting to this place. He realizes that it is his own apprehension to escape that stops him from fully embracing the dream. One day, when finally caving in to the pressure of success, and his wife abandoning him, Gart decides he will go to Willoughby the next time he dreams. Sure enough, Gart arrives at his destination, and, we can assume, reaches a sense of inner peace. In reality, Gart appears to have committed suicide while on that train ride home--seemingly leaping from the train in mid-motion. Then it is revealed that Willoughby is actually a funeral home. The episode is a bit ambiguous as to whether Gart really went to a dreamworld or was getting glimpses of an afterlife as he grew closer to death. I suppose it's up to the viewer to decide which was the true reality, but I will believe Gart was transported to his own imagined paradise. Alternatively, you could view the ending as significantly more morbid and that the only real release from life's stress is death itself. Regardless, a happy death is better than a lifetime of unhappiness.

Overall, this is a good episode with a few interesting points to consider. This is definitely a good example of introspection and an examination of how believing you have everything you want may not, in fact, be what you truly desire. There is certainly more to life than material gain and you bet your sweet ass there is more to life than simply striving to give that material gain to someone else. One of the best points of the episode was touching on the idea of spending more than you have to maintain an appearance and to hide your real self. No wonder people have mid-life crises. I do wish there was a concise conclusion or a whimsical approach, but other episodes have addressed that concept.

Nightmare As a Child

Description: Season 1, Episode 29

Air Date: April 29, 1960

Plot Summary: A woman with a hazy past meets a child who appears to know everything about the woman.

Review: I might be stretching things a bit here, but I think TZ really wanted to call this episode "molested as a child." This would certainly explain the plot shenanigans more precisely. I'm not even joking either; the story seriously sets this plot line up, but, of course, doesn't deliver. In this respect, the episode is quite disturbing. However, since they couldn't go balls to walls back then with ideas, I think they settled for this whole murder mystery bullshit. I don't know. I'll let you decide.

We are introduced to a woman, named Helen, coming home from work as a teacher, as she comes across a little girl that Helen oddly invites over for hot chocolate. The little girl claims to know everything there is to know about Helen and demonstrates this ability in an almost psychic capacity. I have to hand it to the actress playing the little girl, Terry Burnham, she does an amazing job. Despite the knowledge and intelligent demeanor, Helen doesn't seem all that unnerved by the little girl. But Helen is bothered by the little girl's cocky attitude? Priorities, hun, priorities! Anyway, it would seem Helen doesn't remember quite a bit about her own childhood, and the little girl clearly knows the truth regarding a mysterious trauma Helen faced. Before the little girl can blab, a man comes knocking at the door claiming to be a former employee of Helen's mother who had been murdered when Helen was a child; the little girl runs off during this time as well.

The man creepily discloses he had a crush on Helen when she was a little girl. Keep in mind, this guy was a full grown man when the mother died and Helen was meant to be like 10 or 11. The man also expresses further interest in the current Helen in a weird way. Exasperating the pedo-level is when the man pulls out a photo (from of his ass seemingly) of Helen as a little girl. Yeah, that's totally normal. Oh come on! Well, sure enough, the photo of Helen as a little girl is a dead ringer for the little girl Helen has been talking to. And like the little girl, this molester clearly knows the truth regarding Helen's trauma but he too leaves suddenly. Eventually Helen talks to the little girl again who reveals she truly is the embodiment of her younger self; I guess it's ambiguous as to whether it's all in Helen's head or a real manifestation of sorts. Helen has been forgetting a horrible truth regarding her mother's murder and the little girl has awakened it. As Helen remembers the murder more clearly, the pedo-guy reappears to tell us a few more juicy details. Apparently he has been stalking Helen her whole life and watching her from afar. The episode claims it was to make sure she never blabbed about him being the actual murderer but nice try. Now that the cat is out of the bag, the guy tries to grab Helen, but, through sloppy editing, Helen ends up knocking pedo-man down a flight of stairs. Random cops sum it up for us regarding Helen's reconciliation with her trauma, the truth behind it, and the appearance of the little girl. The episode ends with Helen talking to another little girl for whatever reason. Oh no, don't tell me you have another trauma, Helen?!

Okay, if you remove the murder and replace that with Helen getting molested, doesn't it all fit? The guy admits to having a crush on a little kid, keeps a photo of her as a little girl on him, has watched her grow up creepily, and seems to want her even now! This would also explain Helen's willful forgetfulness better. Plus, this theory addresses why she became a teacher to help children and why she's still single. It all adds up. OR, I could be completely wrong. Eh. The episode isn't too bad as is, but it would be revolutionary for the era if looked at in the way I interpret. I mean, it's not like they could feasibly write a story like this back then anyway, and Mr. Serling was a smart guy.

A Nice Place to Visit

Description: Season 1, Episode 28

Air Date: April 15, 1960

Plot Summary: After a thief is gunned down by the police, he finds himself getting everything he wants in the afterlife.

Review: Now this is a little more of what we've come to expect from TZ. Although the twist is painfully obvious, it's still amusing to witness and is sort of unintentionally thought-provoking. This was also the first episode that was bordering on risque (for the time) with a few choice lines. The story is straightforward-- involving a career thief who is killed during his most recent gig. Though, do the police typically shoot first and ask questions later? Wait, don't answer that. Believing he's simply waking up, the thief, nicknamed Rocky, is met with a man dressed in all white. Rocky acts like a huge douche to the man in white, simply referred to as Pip, as Rocky is led to a massive penthouse that Pip claims has been prepared for him. Since Rocky doesn't trust anyone or anything, he is reluctant to let down his guard despite being offered whatever he desires. I think this part also demonstrates how stupid Rocky is since he honestly believes anyone would go to this much trouble just to simply poison him. Really, dumbass?! After throwing a tantrum, Rocky tries to shoot Pip only to discover he cannot be killed. Pip tries to explain that Rocky is dead and that this is the afterlife; Rocky makes the assumption that it's heaven since it's so nice and shiny.

Rocky is told he can have whatever he wants whenever he wants--something he greatly relishes. My favorite thing, of course, is that he asks for a "stacked" girl. Hilarious. And you know they wanted to say more but toned it down. Unfortunately, that chick is busted as hell (pun intended). For a time, Rocky does everything he ever wanted which includes winning huge at a casino. Huh...was that the same demonic slot machine from "The Fever?" Rocky eventually wants to meet up with friends, or whoever else could have made it to heaven, but learns everyone is in their own personal afterlife. This is followed by Rocky realizing that nothing is real nor are any of the people he believes he's interacting with; the only real people are he and Pip. Questioning the situation at hand, Rocky wants to know what he did that was good enough to land him in heaven as he and Pip look at his record. As you might easily predict, Rocky's life has been nothing but douchebaggery and asshole behavior. Because he's an imbecile, Rocky tries to live it up but he realizes he can't tolerate heaven any longer. There was an especially provocative moment when one of Rocky's harem girls was like "is there anything else I can do for you" and they zoom in on a seductive look. That's a good one...not gonna lie. So Rocky whines to Pip about going to "the other place" since he doesn't think heaven is working out. He can't stand getting whatever he wants, being unable to lose, dealing with people who aren't real, etc. Rocky is all like, "take me to the other place" and Pip wonders where Rocky thinks he's been at all this time and says something along the lines of, "welcome to hell, bitch!" Well, that's what he wanted to say. The episode ends with Pip cackling like a son of a bitch. Mr. Serling wraps things up nicely explaining how Rocky is going to get everything he ever wanted for eternity.

I mean we could cycle through all the typical concepts like be careful what you wish for, too much of a good thing, etc. but the episode goes a little deeper whether it was intended or not. Since many people envision their heaven to be like Rocky's, this should indicate the gravity of that situation being a reality. Sure, having everything you've never had would be nice, but you will get bored of it over time especially if it's forever. TZ actually managed to provide an interesting understanding of how heaven could be considered hell-like while simultaneously addressing an existential hell as being something beyond fire and brimstone. That's not too shabby. Of course we could assume a real heaven wouldn't leave a person with a sense of time, thus, weakening any sensation of boredom, but Rocky most certainly experienced time. Overall, the moral of the story provides food for thought that can influence you far beyond the simplistic plot. The twist is almost impossible to not realize immediately, but this doesn't deter from the buildup as that is the more important aspect to focus on.