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.