The Odyssey of Flight 33

Description: Season 2, Episode 18

Air Date: February 24, 1961

Plot Summary: Passengers on a plane en route to New York find themselves displaced in time.

Review: This is another classic episode and another instance where I disagree with that assessment. As with "The Invaders," the story is a novelty the first time you see it, but it can't stand up to multiple viewings. It's kind of ironic really since the story is about time travel, and this episode is hopelessly dated to the '60s. On top of that, TZ was always working within the confines of a tight budget, and the ideas necessary to tell this tale properly cost too much money; as a result, the effects look terrible or aren't shown at all.

I don't necessarily mind the story for what it is, but the material is spread thin as we are introduced to the flight crew and passengers on the beloved flight 33. While the primary focus deals with the flight crew, and one annoying stewardess, we do get padding in the form of a few passengers bantering and another stewardess. The crew realizes they are suddenly speeding up past mach 1; this probably should have destroyed the plane as one of the crew mentions. This phenomenon appears to have something to do with a magic portal through time and space. Flight 33 does go through this portal, or whatever it is, and realize they're in dinosaur times. Welcome...to Jurassic Park (just picture the voice)! I love the casual nature to seeing dinosaurs as well. See...Mr Hammond, you were wrong about people giving a damn about dinosaurs. The flight crew decides they will magically go through the portal again and end up hearing a voice on their radio afterward. They appear to be back in the present, but they quickly realize they're in 1939 instead. The episode ends, quite abruptly, with the crew saying that the fuel is low, but they will attempt another pass into this godforsaken portal. Wait, what? Just land in 1939! Hell, even if I was stuck time traveling and ended up in 1939 I would stay. You could warn people about everything and probably be hailed as a hero (or institutionalized). Come on...think of the food! All the pizzas you could eat! Don't even pretend I'm the only one who dreams of being a fat ass time traveler?! But, yes, the episode feels shallow and short with little understanding of anything. The lack of a proper conclusion serves as the icing on the cake.

Twenty Two

Description: Season 2, Episode 17

Air Date: February 10, 1961

Plot Summary: A woman, staying at a hospital, believes her nightmare regarding an ominous nurse is real.

Review: Once more, we have an episode that is actually based on an existing story. I haven't read the source material, but most horror veterans should be familiar with the core concepts as this particular tale has inspired many incarnations; the most remarkably, similar instance of this would be the first "Final Destination" film. There have also been interpretations of this story as if it's an urban legend of some kind; an episode of "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction" tried to portray this tale as such. I, for one, think this is a cool episode and probably falls in the underrated category. It does receive recognition, and it does appear in marathons, but it's not one of the staple episodes. I will probably have to make a list of top 10 episodes as well as top 10 underrated. Might as well throw in a top 10 worst, right?

So we have a woman, named Liz, who is staying in a hospital due to fatigue or something. She claims to be a dancer, but, at the same time, they mention she's a stripper. Hmm, well, if she's a stripper, she's the classiest one I've seen (not that I see many strippers--I promise!). Each night Liz has had a reoccurring nightmare that involves her following a shady nurse to the morgue or room 22. When Liz arrives, the nurse taunts Liz with the statement "Room for one more, honey." After this, Liz would wake up from the dream, but she is convinced it is real or an extension of reality in a way. Two things: the nurse is played by that little chickadee, Arlene Martel, from the "What You Need" episode. The second item is that they use an awesome lighting effect to obscure the nurse's face which, in turn, creates an unsettling look; that's some next level Kayako shit right there.

Liz is portrayed in an almost cartoonish manner for whatever reason, but it kind of goes hand in hand with the '60s persona she exudes. Liz's doctor, played by the villainous-looking Jonathan Harris, does not believe her as he brings in the actual night nurse to show to Liz. I have to mention I loved that Liz refers to the doctor as laughing-boy; a girl with the same humor as me...oh, Lizzy baby! Under the direction of laughing-boy, and without support from her manager, Liz is told to control her dream by doing things differently this time. That night, like clockwork, the dream appears to begin, but Liz attempts to alter the circumstances. Despite her best efforts, the dream still plays out like usual with the nurse appearing and beckoning Liz toward the morgue. A hysterical Liz is sedated and laughing-boy laments that Liz somehow knew that the morgue was room 22 without ever going there.

We cut to Liz being released from the hospital as the fatigue has been overcome, but we get the inference that she was not fully helped. When at an airport that night, Liz notices the circumstances of her dream being recreated in an indirect manner. She feels a sense of dread and unease as she attempts to rationalize the series of events before her. When about to board the plane, Liz realizes that the stewardess is the same nurse from her dream and delivers her same line. Oh man, sexy nurse and stewardess?! Just need the schoolgirl outfit to complete my dream trifecta! Scared senseless, Liz runs away from the plane as it takes off moments later. To Liz's horror, the plane suddenly explodes, confirming her dreams as a premonition of doom.

This is most certainly classic horror at its finest, and the twist was original for the era; it's definitely a timeless and relatable story. While the original story takes a slightly different approach, the heart of the story is what compels others to use the material. It plays off human fear and the belief that our dreams have meaning or can be omens.

Ms. Martel in stewardess form:

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Description: Season 2, Episode 16

Air Date: February 3, 1961

Plot Summary: After a series of unusual events, a man realizes he has gained the ability to read anyone's mind.

Review: This is yet another of the underrated episodes, and it's actually really funny to boot. This episode has always resonated with me since it was one of the last episodes in the series I ever saw as a kid, and I remember thinking that it should air more during those marathons. You have the first Darrin, Dick York, as the main character, Mr. Poole, and he always performs with a goofball charisma that works well; I know we already saw Mr. York before, but that wasn't the kind of performance I associate with him. Anyway, when buying a newspaper, Mr. Poole throws in a coin that lands on its edge rather than one side or the other. As Mr. Serling acknowledges, you have a 50/50 chance for heads or tales, but one time in a million you get neither. It's not really explained, but we can assume Mr. Poole has triggered the magic of the TZ universe to give him telepathic powers--mind reading to be precise. I love how all these assholes keep bumping into Mr. Poole without saying a word, then, in their mind, they talk shit on top of it. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Poole is nearly ran over and the driver is talking mad shit as well--the audacity! To be fair, the trash talk back then would be nothing compared to the mindless drivel I'd expect from people in the present. My goodness, can you imagine?!

For some reason, Mr. Poole does not fully grasp his new found power until he goes to the bank he works at. At this point, he realizes what is happening and entertains himself with the ability. The best moment, and a hilarious gag in general, is when Mr. Poole tries to read the mind of some bimbo counting her money. Big shock, she gives off no thoughts at all. Hah, you dumb, greedy bitch! See, TZ always knew the real deal with people. This reality is cemented by Mr. Poole's boss being overheard cheating on his wife. You know, I never realized how much infidelity went on in this series until now. While this is occurring, Mr. Poole comes to the realization that one of the girls he works with likes him; I guess he likes her too. She's no Samantha, though, that's for sure! Mr. Poole first loses the bank a client due this client trying to cheat them, but he also overhears one of the employees plotting to rob the bank. When trying to foil the theft, it turns out the employee was merely daydreaming about doing it as he's simply an old man content with his shitty life. Oh come on, grandpa, don't give up! Mr. Poole is momentarily fired until the boss realizes that the lost client from earlier really was trying to cheat the bank. The boss offers Mr. Poole his job back, but, with the help of the girl that likes him, Mr. Poole convinces the boss to promote him instead. This is mostly accomplished by blackmailing the boss in regards to his mistress; Mr. Poole also asks for the bank to buy the old man a vacation since he feels bad for grandpa. When going home to probably screw his new girlfriend, Mr. Poole knocks over the coin from earlier and loses his power. And that's pretty much all she wrote.

While the events of the story aren't fully fleshed out, it's presented with a whimsical charm and serves as a more upbeat tale. It's worth acknowledging that there is this sense of fun to the experience that is somewhat atypical to TZ. I have been critical of the episodes that were meant to be funny in the past, but that's because their jokes didn't feel as timeless as this idea. People can always relate to the notion of discovering terrible thoughts lurking behind the pleasant smiles of everyday individuals. Let's be honest, humans incessantly lie, and it would probably drive someone crazy to know the degree to which people lie. They do mention Mr. Poole losing his naivety after assuming people were nice, but the episode keeps things positive rather than dwelling on the horrors such a power would reveal. Overall, this is one of the better episodes in the series, but I'm not sure if it will quite make the cut for the top 10 list.

The Invaders

Description: Season 2, Episode 15

Air Date: January 27, 1961

Plot Summary: An old woman is tormented by tiny aliens that land of the roof of her house.

Review: This is another one of those classic episodes I don't think deserves the legendary status. I never really felt this episode was anything special and the twist is cheesy as hell. The story is simply too outlandish and nonsensical with all things considered. I mean, the no dialogue gimmick is interesting, but if I close my eyes it just sounds like I'm listening to porn--all that heavy breathing and moans! There are certainly better episodes that don't receive any recognition, so what makes this one stand out and worthy of the endless reruns?

In a nutshell, the story is simply about an old lady freaking out by little aliens attacking her. We are led to believe that the setting is in the middle of nowhere, or the past, but in reality it is a different planet altogether. The little aliens are not actually aliens, but, are, in fact, human astronauts that have landed on a world with giant humanoids. What I don't understand is why would astronauts land on a planet that would be this hostile? Plus, this is supposed to be the first ship yet they just happen to land on a planet with humanoids? Was there no surveying ahead of time? And while the old lady does start the fight, why wouldn't they simply escape instead of trying to fight her? Ehh, I find the whole situation questionable and forced in an attempt to deliver an underwhelming twist. TZ's typical flair was missing this time around or something. I can appreciate what they were going for, but it could have been a lot better with a less corny twist.

The Whole Truth

Description: Season 2, Episode 14

Air Date: January 20, 1961

Plot Summary: A used car salesman finds himself incapable of telling a lie.

Review: This episode is essentially the plot of "Liar Liar," or, I should say, "Liar Liar" took this plot. While the episode was striving for comedy more specific to the era, I can't help but praise the awareness of TZ writers once again. The '50s and '60s are infamous for their apparent naivety, but TZ writers have shown over and over that people knew what was up with the world. Even though it's barely 1961, they were already wary of the quality of manufactured goods, and everyone has always known politicians are the biggest liars on earth (yet people continue supporting them). These bonus aspects add to what would be an, otherwise, mediocre experience.

So we meet the used car salesman himself, Hunnicut, as he's already hard at work conning people into buying his lemons. The episode makes great use of pointing out the typical tricks associated with these sleazy salesmen--you know, the fast talking, bullshitting, gimmicks these clowns employ. At one point, an old man shows up to sell his car as Hunnicut is more than eager to swindle him on the deal. Unbeknownst to Hunnicut, the old man has unburdened himself of the car--a car that forces the owner to tell the truth at all times. They mention that the car is haunted as an explanation, but this is questionable at best. Immediately, Hunnicut is stuck telling the truth which hurts his business as his entire car lot is full of junkers. Hunnicut also gets in trouble with his wife and gets knocked out by his employee. Huh...we REALLY need to bring back the days when you could punch someone for messing with you; I think this would solve a lot of problems. Anyway, Hunnicut eventually comes across an equally sleazy politician who almost buys the car; as a professional liar, the politician detects something is wrong with Hunnicut's honesty. This leads to Hunnicut being coerced into selling the car to some politician they want to see get stuck telling the truth. It turns out that this particular politician is none other than the (then) current leader of the Soviet Union, Khrushchev. Eh, this is a corny conclusion to say the least. Plus, come on TZ, you've established the notorious lying of politicians then throw in an anti-soviet statement? The pot calling the kettle black for sure. Oh well. In the end, this is a moderately entertaining episode that had a few poignant points to make that add a little interest to an ordinary tale. It's not bad, but it's not especially noteworthy.

Back There

Description: Season 2, Episode 13

Air Date: January 13, 1961

Plot Summary: A man inexplicably finds himself time traveling back to 1865--hours before Lincoln's assassination.

Review: This episode borders more on the moderate side as it has interesting themes to consider, but the execution is severely lacking. We are first shown cliched, rich guys in the most cornball of ways with such references as "old chum" if that helps set the tone. The main character, Corrigan, is played by Russell Johnson who makes yet another appearance. Corrigan and his crew are discussing the plausibility of time travel and whether or not you could alter history. Hey, old chums, mind if I get in on this conversation?! Come to think of it, what happened to the days when a bunch of old men (and me) could sit around and debate philosophy Plato-style? Anyway, Corrigan ditches the retirement home, and magically finds himself transported to 1865. This is heavy, Doc! I really didn't like the casual nature to the time travel as it makes absolutely no sense. Was this supposed to be divine intervention? A weird rift in time and space? If so, how could Corrigan change his clothes? I have no clue, but it seems like some supernatural force was at work to deliberately mess with Corrigan; not even addressing this issue is nearly unforgivable as well.

When Corrigan realizes the exact date, he attempts to warn the people that the president is going to be assassinated, but he is arrested instead. Out of nowhere, a fruity guy appears to release Corrigan from jail which you will realize is an outlandish contrivance. When taken back to the weird guy's home, Corrigan realizes he's been drugged. It turns out the guy is actually John Wilkes Booth and Corrigan appears to have inspired the assassination on a whim; I don't know if that was the intended implication, but that's how the story presents the setup. Unable to stop the assassination, Corrigan is magically returned to the present as he realizes he couldn't alter time in the grand scheme but was able to make a small change. Due to Corrigan trying to warn the public, one police officer believed the warning and this resulted in him becoming wealthy; in turn, his descendant, whom we met earlier, was no longer an employee at the retirement home but became a member of the club. And that's pretty much all she wrote.

If they had simply offered a reason for why the time traveling occurred, I think my mind would be at ease in accepting the situation. Also, the notion that Corrigan could have led to the assassination is pushing my sensibilities to the limit. While I'm no theoretical physicist, I contend that if time travel could exist, by default, time can be altered. Would this create universe-destroying paradoxes? Perhaps, but time travel in essence establishes time altering. To say a time traveler already made their trip, thus, became an existing part of history, cannot possibly occur. This would entail that all of time itself was predestined and that a time traveler had to make their journey in order for the events of time to exist. But this creates a paradox since there would have to have been a time line in which that time traveler didn't originally come back. As I've mentioned before on this topic, we look at the big picture and draw conclusions, but, realistically, if we could travel through time, we could test things in a small scale. Meaning, if I invented a time machine and plan to travel back in time 5 minutes, technically I should run into my future self before I even did the test. Now, keeping that knowledge in mind, and assuming I did meet a future self from 5 minutes ahead, this would provide me with the knowledge to come back 6 minutes earlier instead. Then 7 minutes. Then 8 minutes. You see the paradox, right? If I have knowledge of the future, I can alter it. Therefore, there would be an endless loop, or time itself can be changed. That is the only way things could feasibly work without somehow imploding the cosmos. In fiction we often depict an event that cannot be averted due to forces beyond human comprehension, but if the small scale can be altered, it would stand to reason that all things could be changed. One more thing...wouldn't the time traveler add matter to the universe, thus, breaking the law of conservation of mass? Meaning, the matter that comprises me is already in existence, yet if I time travel, I am adding that same matter to the universe again. This would extend to whatever microorganisms are on my persons as well. Or are they time travelers with me? Okay, I'm going waaaay off here. Enjoy the episode!

Dust

Description: Season 2, Episode 12

Air Date: January 6, 1961

Plot Summary: Divine intervention comes to the rescue of a man about to be executed.

Review: This is pretty much as bland as a TZ episode can get. I struggled to write the plot summary in such a way as not to outright spoil the entire episode, but it's virtually impossible due to how little actually happens in the story. Seriously, all that happens in the episode is some guy is in jail for killing a little girl when he was drunk; apparently it was an accident, and the guy hit her with his wagon or something. This is supposed to be the old west by the way--not that it matters since this has little bearing on the situation. There is an annoying peddler, who looks like a fat Indiana Jones, who revels in the idea that the guy is being executed. The only person who seems to empathize with the guy being executed is the sheriff, but we don't learn much about why he even cares. When the guy's father comes to beg for forgiveness or whatever, Indiana Jones tricks the father into buying magic dust which he claims will make the townspeople spare the man from being executed. When the father tries to use the dust, of course nothing happens, but, magically, the rope being used in the execution snaps. I suppose the townspeople see this as some kind of divine intervention and they free the guy permanently. The episode then ends with Indiana Jones returning the money he received for the dust to random peasant children. And that's it. I mean, what's there to analyze with this one? It's a pretty straightforward tale that is padded out by meaningless dialogue. I guess when you have to fill an entire season worth of stories, you're going to have a few phoned-in episodes.

The Night of the Meek

Description: Season 2, Episode 11

Air Date: December 23, 1960

Plot Summary: A drunken, store Santa Claus discovers a magic bag that gives people whatever they want.

Review: It may be a bit early for Christmas but oh well. This is another classic episode although it's difficult to find a way to air the episode appropriately. In other words, you want to air the episode during marathons, but it feels out of place; at the same time, it feels odd to air at Christmas time all alone. Anyway, this story has been ripped off numerous times, quite blatantly as well, but it carries a certain, whimsical aspect to it that the ripoffs fail to capture. Also, despite this being 1960, they touch on the commercialization of the holiday; oh, if they only knew how bad it would be down the road.

At whatever random store this is supposed to be, Piglet, aka John Fiedler, is annoyed, because the Santa they hired, Corwin, is off drinking at the local bar. Corwin is played by the great Art Carney who brings a lot of conviction to this role. After getting kicked out of the bar, Corwin returns to the store in a drunken stupor where he makes a mockery of himself in front of all the kids. That'll teach you kids for believing in Santa! When Piglet tries to fire Corwin, Corwin provides a poignant speech on the state of Christmas, its loss of meaning, and a general observation regarding the suffering of humanity. TZ usually wasn't one for sugarcoating reality. Corwin further explains that he wishes he really could be Santa Claus and allow the meek to inherit the earth.

Since Corwin has just stepped into the Twlight Zone, he stumbles across a random sack, that a cat knocks over, that pours out gifts when, at first, it spilled out only trash. I have to interject, however, because the sound effects for the cat are, perhaps, the worst in film history. I mean, was someone's kid on set simply meowing? So Corwin begins running around giving people whatever gift they want out of the magic bag in the very manner of a real Santa. Corwin stops at, what appears to be, a homeless shelter, but a suspicious nun gets Corwin arrested as she believes the items to be stolen. At the police station, the cop has called in Piglet since they believe Corwin must have robbed the store for the gifts. When Piglet looks in the bag there are only empty cans and that cat again. The cop realizes something strange is going on, and Piglet asks for a random wine bottle to prove that the bag is magical. Corwin, of course, provides the specific bottle with a special note attached regarding Piglet. After a night of gift giving. Corwin realizes the bag has gone empty as one of the homeless guys observes there's nothing left in that bag for Corwin himself. Corwin says the only thing he would want would be the ability to do this every year. Shortly after, Corwin finds a sleigh with reindeer as he is in disbelief. An elf girl appears and tells Corwin he is Santa Claus, and the two fly off into the moonlight. The episode ends with the cop and a drunken Piglet shocked to see Corwin flying off in the sleigh.

Whether it's Christmas or not, or whether you practice or believe in Christmas or not, the themes are still relevant and touching. There is a sense of wonder, magic, and togetherness to the season that extends beyond any kind of religious context. And no matter how commercialized or selfish the people become, there will always be the childlike hopes and dreams that Christmas invokes. I think this episode captures those sentiments perfectly with the deeper theme of those perceived as weak rising up to help those in need. The selfless nature of Corwin is commendable especially in light of the fact that he's a drunk, cynical of a miserable world. Finally, all of this comes together well as the TZ universe is capable of many extraordinary feats, and we often forget the good parts.

A Most Unusual Camera

Description: Season 2, Episode 10

Air Date: December 16, 1960

Plot Summary: After robbing an antique store, thieves realize they stole a camera that can take photos of the future.

Review: It's tough to say at the moment, but this is certainly a contender for my top 10 episodes list. The story is just so much fun--able to balance the humor and horror effectively. Others have tried to capture the imagination of this episode, in some form or another, over the years, but they can never realize the proper approach. Yet again, the story is timeless due to its play on human greed and the curious nature of the camera itself. The ending also provides a great payoff--with a fitting conclusion yet still leaving the audience desiring more.

The story begins with the thieves already looking over the loot they stole from the antique store. The thieves are a couple, Chester and Paula, and they're clearly dimwits. Immediately you notice the humor as Paula reads off, from a newspaper, all the things that were allegedly stolen by the thieves as Chester counters the claims with the antiques simply being fakes. One of the best lines is when Paula mentions 3 Picasso paintings and Chester says "Three posters in frames." That's awesome! When Paula is done, they realize that the one thing never mentioned was an odd looking camera; this is 1960 and they already think it looks old, so are we talking a turn of the century model? Chester tests the camera, and when the photo comes out it shows Paula wearing a fur coat. At first they believe it is some kind of trick photography where it applies an image over the person you take a picture of. Really? Would that kind of shit even be possible now? Moments later, they break open a suitcase and find a fur coat inside that Paula wears in the exact position depicted in the photo. That night, Chester contemplates the ability of the camera to show the future as he takes a picture of the door. Strangely, this photo reveals Paula's idiotic brother, Woodward, coming through the door; he's played by the sailor from "The Hitch-Hiker." Sure enough, Woodward does show up as he's recently escaped prison. Now they are certain the camera can foretell the future. But, seriously, what kind of name is Woodward? Was he born a snooty butler? That will be all, Woodward.

At first Chester considers all the good that the camera could do for the world while Paula disagrees. When Chester thinks of a way to make money with the camera, he quickly changes his tune; this banter is presented quite amusingly. The three crooks go to a horse race and take photos of the winning board; they use the results displayed to acquire vast amounts of money quickly. Before they can count all the money they've won, the crooks are spending it lavishly as their French waiter looks on. The waiter notices an ambiguous phrase written on the camera that he translates as "10 to an owner." Getting rid of the waiter, the crooks begin to argue about how to use the remaining photos since they have used up 8 already. Big surprise, the flunkies accidentally use another photo in the shuffle that shows Paula screaming. Chester interprets this photo as Paula's reaction to Woodward trying to kill him, and Woodward interprets this as Paula's reaction to Chester trying to kill him. The two imbeciles fight until they fall out the nearby window; the photo actually showed Paula screaming from this sight. Quickly getting over the loss, Paula takes a photo of the dead bodies before grabbing all the money for herself. She is interrupted, however, by the waiter who comes to steal the money for himself. As the two argue over the situation, the photo Paula took comes out, and the waiter notices there are more than two bodies shown. Shocked, Paula runs to the window to check, trips, and falls out the window. The waiter, not bothered by this turn of events, looks down below at the 3 dead crooks. He then realizes the photo actually had 4 bodies total and ends up falling out the window as well. And so our unusual camera awaits the next person to discover its abilities.

I know it's hard for me to properly illustrate the jokes and the level of humor they were striving for, but the episode is perfect when you watch it. Unfortunately, I don't think this episode receives the kind of legendary status it should. Once more, I think this is a case of mid-tier popularity--meaning, it will be shown in TZ marathons sometimes, but is optional whereas the main classics receive constant re-airings. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's underrated, however, since it does get a moderate amount of attention. Overall, this is one of the best episodes for me, and it captures the essence of what TZ was all about: imaginative ideas, great storytelling, and a fun twist.