This list is sponsored by Chesterfields: nothing says smooth like a hit from a cocaine-laced Chesterfield cigarette...which is what you're on if you enjoy these episodes. Although the Twilight Zone is known for timeless classics and legendary stories, there were unfortunate episodes that make you realize why the show was cancelled...twice. Whether the episode was bad from a technical standpoint or was incoherent from start to finish, these are the stories that serve as a blemish on TZ's glorious legacy. Once more, if you're curious about any particular episode you can check out my full reviews for each. Finally, these are my personal opinions, and, if you have a problem with that, I'm sure there's a "safe space" at some college to seek comfort in. Now, without further ado, I present the worst episodes of the Twilight Zone!
Dishonorable Mentions (in order):
Elegy (Season 1, episode 20) - The first legitimately bad episode in the series. The plot is predictable and overshadowed by shoddy camerawork involving the supposedly dead extras.
The Arrival (Season 3, Episode 2) - Starts off incredibly promising but shifts into an incoherent mess only to linger onward to a miserable conclusion. Of all the episodes on this list, this is the one that could have easily escaped this fate had they put a tad more work into the ending.
The Gift (Season 3, episode 32) - There was certainly potential here, but it's as if they only had enough material to fill 5 minutes of the running time.
The Last Night of a Jockey (Season 5, episode 5) - I can appreciate the approach, and I did like the miniature set, but nothing makes any sense and the conclusion is moronic.
10. Spur of the Moment (Season 5, episode 21)
We have a time loop, a horseman of the apocalypse-lookalike, and an attempt at a plot twist...yet this episode still falls face first into the ground. The love triangle is presented horribly, and there doesn't appear to be a point to the story. On top of that, the time loop is pointless, unexplained, and the main chick is too stupid to figure out how to change the past even though she knows where her past self will be and how she will react. That's a good one.
9. Mr. Dingle, the Strong (Season 2, Episode 19)
I would have rated this episode lower on the list, however, the story appears to be, at least, slightly self-aware. The comedic elements just don't work due to the overly cornball nature of the plot. The aliens look utterly abysmal and demonstrate TZ's budget limitations. If the resolution weren't so lame, I would have actually forgiven the shortcomings.
8. Sounds and Silences (Season 5, Episode 27)
This episode mostly fails due to not taking the material seriously enough. The background characters serve no purpose, and the main guy is not properly fleshed out. Had the story taken a darker turn you might have sympathized with the main guy or it would have made his comeuppance more satisfying. Instead, we are left with one of the more irrelevant episodes in the entire series.
7. Ninety Years Without Slumbering (Season 5, Episode 12)
Similar to "The Gift," there was, realistically, 5 minutes of material to work with. Unlike "The Gift," however, the general premise of this episode is idiotic. Some old guy thinks he will die if a clock stops? Okaaay...except it's not true, and the old guy is conversing with his own ghost or something? Whaaat? In a nutshell: this plays out like a spitball idea cooked up in the TZ offices that somehow was taken seriously.
6. Come Wander With Me (Season 5, Episode 34)
This is what happens when the TZ writers puff away a little too hard on those Chesterfields. I can appreciate trying to incorporate a musically-themed episode into the mix, but the story is a complete mess. Once again, nothing makes any sense but in an extremely annoying way. The audience is left in the dark with only faint hints as to what the hell is happening.
5. The Mirror (Season 3, episode 6)
I kind of understand what they were trying to convey, but it's all too stupid and pointless. Oh noooo...a magic mirror that might show the future. There is no clarity, and the attempt to depict paranoia fails monumentally. Maybe if this episode were from season 4 it could have worked given the extra running time. On the other hand, that would have probably been a bad idea, because they would have dragged it out to create an even more torturous experience.
4. Black Leather Jackets (Season 5, Episode 18)
What a debacle. The tone is completely off with that goofy music, and why would aliens, covertly trying to take over the world, dress so conspicuously? To make matters worse they add a love story to the mix that occurs over the course of a few hours? Whaaaat? And the final nail in the coffin is the unbelievably rushed and lackluster ending that has absolutely no resolution. My goodness...
3. The Jungle (Season 3, episode 12)
This episode is just bad. On the surface, the idea of a corporate asshole getting his comeuppance after disregarding locals sounds mildly interesting. The execution of that idea is terrible. Cheap sound effects, moments of sheer idiocy, and a pitiful ending cement this as one of the worst. If there were simply more buildup or explanations this could--COULD--have worked.
2. The Hunt (Season 3, episode 19)
I hate this episode. The retardation is palpable during every single second. It's almost like the story is a slightly edgier (yet less funny) episode of "Scooby Doo." I can't get over why TZ thought this would work or how anyone could take this material seriously. The afterlife is just some shitty dirt road in the middle of oblivion? AND you can get tricked into going to hell unless you have a dog with you?! Riiiight. Hey, at least it's not number one on this list, am I right?
And the worst episode in the entire series is...(Drumroll!)
1: The Bewitchin' Pool (Season 5, episode 36)
Well this shouldn't have come as much of a shock--this episode is painful...utterly painful. No other episode could possibly occupy this prestigious position. Besides being the worst episode on a technical front, as well as one of the dumbest stories ever depicted in TZ (or any other fiction for that matter), this episode sours TZ's entire legacy by having (what should be) the honorary position of the series finale. Argh! It frustrates me to no end that this is the bookend to the franchise--the worst fucking episode of them all! Shit audio, horrendous voice dubbing, reused scenes, laughable acting, a creepy pedophile grandma, a ridiculous divorce plot line, and a goddamn hidden world under a swimming pool?! Get the hell out of here! I refuse to ever watch this episode again.
