The Hitch-Hiker
Possibly my dad’s favorite episode. This episode is a major influence on all other “on the open road” horror movies, because it taps into that fear of loneliness and isolation on a long journey. I recently returned from a similar journey from New York to South Carolina to Alabama and back to New York again. You think that’s long? This woman travelled from New York to California (well, almost).
This episode aired on January 22nd, 1960. Read more »
I Shot an Arrow into the Air
The four of them are dying! Haha, see what I did there? I played the title of a couple episodes ago. But really, four astronauts land on some deserted planet/asteroid and fight for survival. This episode dives into human desperation during a near death situation.
This episode aired on January 15th, 1960. Read more »
Third from the Sun
One of my favorites, and it’s all about the twist. This episode is very scifi-y: with flying spaceships and nuclear war and weird looking phones.
This episode aired on January 8th, 1960. Read more »
The Four of Us Are Dying
Another superpower. Instead of Precognition, this time it’s Shapeshifting. I can only imagine how awesome this episode would be with today’s special effects. Maybe we’ll see an example of it in one of the Spider-man sequels, featuring Chameleon.
This episode aired on January 1st, 1960. Read more »
What You Need
Premonition. One of my favorite powers (mostly because I believe I have some form of it myself). This small old man named Pidot just so happens to be blessed with it. And it’s used very well in this case.
This episode aired on December 25, 1959. Merry Christmas Read more »
And When the Sky Opened Up
This was a trippy episode. It’s a very simple idea, but the more I think about it, the more I try to figure it out, the more it boggles my mind. I think there wasn’t enough information given to figure it out. Sort of like an early season of Lost.
This episode aired on December 11th, 1959. Read more »
Judgement Night
A man with amnesia (how convenient) can’t remember how he got on this ship, or where he’s from, or what his occupation is, or anything else; except that he knows a lot about German submarines.
This episode aired on December 4th, 1959. Read more »
Time Enough At Last
One of the greatest Twilight Zone episodes ever. Definitely top ten material. It has a great underdog story, character driven, foreshadowing, and a great twist at the end.
This episode aired on November 20th, 1959. Read more »
The Lonely
Ahh, the lonely. Aren’t we all? I mean, we are born alone, and we all die alone… Just kidding, I’m not about to go all emo on you. So this episode has sparked an idea or two of mine. Not so much the robot sex doll, but more so the isolation prison/exile aspect of it.
This episode was aired on November 13th, 1959. Read more »
Perchance To Dream
Aren’t dreams weird? I have dreams all the time, well actually, everyone has dreams every night, it’s just a matter of remembering them. I usually remember my dreams. The nights that dreams are the craziest are when I wake up from my alarm clock in the morning, snooze for ten minutes, and have a dream that feels like it lasted an entire day.
They say you can’t die in dreams. If you die in dreams, then you die in real life. And that is exactly what Edward Hall has to avoid in this episode.
This episode aired November 27th, 1959. Read more »