The Twilight Zone is a classic of sci-fi TV, but even a show like that has a bad season – however, it’s such a good show that even its worst season has great episodes. Created by Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone debuted on ABC in 1959, running for a total of five seasons.
As an anthology series, each episode of The Twilight Zone is a different story with a different cast, though the show had its own list of frequent collaborators. The stories of The Twilight Zone mix sci-fi, horror, and fantasy, most of them with plot twists and endings with a moral.
The Twilight Zone is one of the best TV shows of all time, and many of its episodes are now classics and part of pop culture. However, its fifth and final season was weaker than the rest, housing many of the worst episodes of the show, but even this season has great episodes too.
A Kind of a Stopwatch
Directed by John Rich, “A Kind of a Stopwatch” introduces viewers to Patrick McNulty (Richard Erdman), an annoying, unpleasant, and self-important man in his 40s. After being fired for wasting everyone’s time, McNulty goes to a bar, where he annoys everyone. A drunk patron gives him his stopwatch, which McNulty soon learns can pause time for everyone except the watch holder.
Of course, McNulty takes advantage of this in dishonest ways, but his time of joy and fun comes to a sudden and tragic end. Although Erdman’s performance is too over-the-top and comedic for The Twilight Zone and a story like “A Kind of a Stopwatch”, the concept and twist make it one of season 5’s best episodes.
An Occurrence At Owl Creek
“An Occurrence At Owl Creek” is a unique case in The Twilight Zone. The episode follows Peyton Farquhar (Roger Jacquet), a man about to be hanged from a rural bridge. When Farquhar is dropped from the bridge, the rope breaks, and he falls into the river, and so his escape begins.
“An Occurrence At Owl Creek” has one of the most tragic twists and endings in Twilight Zone history, and it’s an episode with almost no dialogue. “An Occurrence At Owl Creek” was originally an Oscar-winning short film, later adapted to TV as season 5 of The Twilight Zone struggled to find ideas.
In Praise of Pip
Written by Rod Serling and directed by Joseph M. Newman, “In Praise of Pip” is one of season 5’s saddest stories. “In Praise of Pip” follows Max (Jack Klugman), a bookie whose son, Pip (Robert Diamond), a soldier in Vietnam, was wounded and is dying.
After learning of Pip’s condition, Max is unable to handle his grief and anger at not being a father to his son. Max then comes across his own son at age 10, and they spend the rest of the day together. “In Praise of Pip” has drama, fantasy, and emotional depth, which are some of The Twilight Zone’s strengths.
You Drive
Written by Earl Hamner Jr. (and first used in the 1954 TV show Justice) and directed by John Brahm, “You Drive” introduces the audience to Oliver Pope (Edward Andrews). One day, on his way home from work, Pope hits a boy on his bicycle, mortally wounding him, with Pope running away.
Pope keeps this secret and lets a coworker of his be mistakenly arrested for the murder of the kid. However, his car begins to rebel against him, including driving his wife to the scene of the accident. A car with a mind of its own might sound silly, but “You Drive” used this concept brilliantly and realistically, resulting in a suspenseful and scary story.
Number 12 Looks Just Like You
Based on the short story “The Beautiful People” by Charles Beaumont, “Number 12 Looks Just Like You” takes the audience to the future, where all 19-year-olds go through the “Transformation.” This process changes a person’s body to a physically attractive design of their choosing from a selection of numbered models, along with other enhancements.
The most popular models are 12 and 17, but 18-year-old Marilyn (Collin Wilcox) refuses to go through the “Transformation.” Although her decision is initially respected, she ends up confined to a hospital against her will. The overall concept of “Number 12 Looks Just Like You” is terrifying, and its twist makes it heartbreaking, too.
The Masks
Written by Rod Serling and directed by Ida Lupino, “The Masks” is set during Mardi Gras and follows Jason Foster (Robert Keith), a wealthy but dying man. Jason isn’t pleased by the arrival of his cowardly daughter, Emily (Virginia Gregg), her greedy husband Wilfred (Milton Selzer), their sadistic son Wilfred Jr. (Alan Sues), and their vain daughter Paula (Brooke Hayward).
Knowing well they are only there to claim his fortune when he dies, Jason makes them wear deformed masks that represent their horrible personalities. Jason tells them they must wear the masks until midnight to inherit his estate, but it all takes a turn when the clock strikes midnight. “The Masks” is one of those Twilight Zone episodes with a satisfying twist.
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
A classic Twilight Zone episode, and one that has been endlessly parodied in other media, is “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” Directed by horror master Richard Donner, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” follows Robert Wilson (William Shatner), a man who has recovered from a nervous breakdown on an airplane that happened six months earlier.
Now on a plane back home with his wife, Robert sees a gremlin-like creature through the window, which hides whenever he tries to alert someone about it. Robert begins to panic when the gremlin starts messing with the engines, but no one believes Robert. It’s a classic Twilight Zone episode with horror, fantasy, and a touch of drama.
Living Doll
Directed by Richard C. Sarafian, “Living Doll” introduces viewers to Annabelle (Mary LaRoche), who has remarried to Erich Streator (Telly Savalas), an infertile man. To comfort her daughter, Christie (Tracy Stratford), Annabelle buys her a wind-up doll named “Talky Tina”, while Erich, frustrated by his inability to have his own children, is very hostile toward Christie.
One day, while alone, Erich winds up the doll, which tells him she doesn’t like him, and later engages him in a more elaborate conversation. This begins to mess with Erich’s mind, and his attempts to get rid of the doll continuously fail. “Living Doll” covers the common fear of dolls with the added horrors of Erich’s constant abuse.
The Long Morrow
Written by Rod Serling, “The Long Morrow” centers on Commander Douglas Stansfield (Robert Lansing), an astronaut in 1987 who is about to embark on an exploratory mission that will take him 40 years. Shortly before leaving, he meets and falls in love with his colleague, Sandra Horn (Mariette Hartley).
Both Douglas and Sandra are aware of the big age gap there will be between them when he returns, as, thanks to suspended animation, he will only age a couple of weeks in 40 years. “The Long Morrow” is one of the most heartbreaking episodes of The Twilight Zone, favoring drama and emotional weight over horror.
Night Call
One of the best and most tragic Twilight Zone episodes can be found in season 5. “Night Call” takes the audience to meet Elva Keene (Gladys Cooper), an elderly paraplegic woman accompanied during the day by her caretaker, Margaret (Nora Marlowe). One night, Elva gets a mysterious call, hearing only static.
The following night, Elva gets another call, this time hearing a man moaning, and the next night another call, with the man repeatedly saying, “Hello?” In his next call, the man says, “Hello? Where are you? I want to talk to you.”