Of the 60s Twilight Zone I find myself liking the psychological ones more as I rewatch the show vs the iconic twist ones here is a list of five of my favorite episodes in each season (I tried choose ones that are a little more obscure then your Maple Streets and Eyes of the Beholder), but this show is has just such a high hit ratio that if you choose an episode randomly it will probably be worth watching: Season One: Walking Distance- The critique of nostalgia seen here is one Serling would come back to many times later (usually with diminishing returns), but this episode is a breath of fresh air to modern soy culture where people are encouraged to act and think like children. The closing narration is one of my...
A lot of people will say it's "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge".
Just make sure not to look it up before watching because you will spoil the whole thing.
A lot of people will say it's "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge".
Just make sure not to look it up before watching because you will spoil the whole thing.
"The Prime Mover is" really good. It feels like a short movie.
"The Obsolete Man" might be the most important episode?
"Five Characters in Search of an Exit" has my favorite twist.
Every episode with Ed Wynn was precious.
I hold the very unpopular opinion that "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" is fucking boring and obvious with its message. I found none of the characters interesting or relatable.
If you want scary ones, you'll want to watch "Shadow Play," "The After Hours," and "The Invaders."
There're too many episodes that are so good. It's difficult to narrow it down. Bear in mind that "I Sing the Body Electric" is the worst episode of the whole show, hands down.
“Walking Distance” from season 5 is one not a lot of people bring up. I’m overly sentimental and relate to the main character desperately missing his childhood and realizing living in the past isn’t healthy.
The one where the guy is trapped in a nightmare where people keep rating his brilliant posts as "dumb" or "autistic" and no matter how good his shitposting is he can't get a single "winner" or "semper fi".
“Walking Distance” from season 5 is one not a lot of people bring up. I’m overly sentimental and relate to the main character desperately missing his childhood and realizing living in the past isn’t healthy.
"The Shelter." Kinda eye opening as a youngin'. It made me realize most everyone you know has this veneer that they will present to you as their best self. When times get tough, that mask gets taken off, you see who they really are, and there is no going back to how things were.
I loved "One for the Angels" (I think that was the name, where the salesman was bargaining with death) though I'm probably a bit biased in part because its the first one I really remember watching.
Two others I really love that I think are underrated are "Night of the Meek" and " The Passerby". That being said, I love pretty much all the episodes that I remember.
Of the 60s Twilight Zone I find myself liking the psychological ones more as I rewatch the show vs the iconic twist ones here is a list of five of my favorite episodes in each season (I tried choose ones that are a little more obscure then your Maple Streets and Eyes of the Beholder), but this show is has just such a high hit ratio that if you choose an episode randomly it will probably be worth watching: Season One: Walking Distance- The critique of nostalgia seen here is one Serling would come back to many times later (usually with diminishing returns), but this episode is a breath of fresh air to modern soy culture where people are encouraged to act and think like children. The closing narration is one of my favs:
Martin Sloan, age thirty-six, vice-president in charge of media. Successful in most things but not in the one effort that all men try at some time in their lives—trying to go home again. And also like all men, perhaps there'll be an occasion, maybe a summer night sometime, when he'll look up from what he's doing and listen to the distant music of a calliope, and hear the voices and the laughter of the people and the places of his past. And perhaps across his mind there'll flit a little errant wish, that a man might not have to become old, never outgrow the parks and the merry-go-rounds of his youth. And he'll smile then too, because he'll know it is just an errant wish, some wisp of memory not too important really, some laughing ghosts that cross a man's mind, that are a part of the Twilight Zone.
The Last Flight- A good time travel redemption story about heroism A World of Difference- A pretty sad episode about a broken man who just wants to get away from it all The Hitch-Hiker- A slow burn horror with excellent suspense and a haunting villain Mirror Image- Here the classic doppelganger story seen The Double by Dostoyevsky and William William by Poe is given a really strong live action adaption. Its low-key, freaky, and really
gets at the heart of what makes this kind of story scary, the idea that someone could replace you. Season Two: Nick of Time- A great psychological episode about relationships and superstitions Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room- Another great psychological episode focusing on the break down of a single man over the course of one night. The Invaders- The effects here are probably some of the most dated the show had, at least in terms of not reaching the effect they set out to do, but excellent directing, a dreary set, and phenomenal acting more then make up for it. The Jungle- A tense episode about the urban jungle. The Trouble with Templeton- is another good psychological episode about growing older. Season Three: The Arrival- This episode ends up being a subversion of the traditional Twilight Zone mystery episode in an interesting way. The Shelter- A more grounded episode depicting how fast social orders can break down under stress. The Mirror- A cool episode about a communist revolutionary holed up in capital of his new government. The Hunt- a wholesome religious parable about a man and his dog. The Changing of the Guard- A What a Wonderful Life type tale about a man being reminded of the good he did. Season Four:
Despite watching Seasons 1-3 and 5 all the way through like three times I haven't finished Season 4 the episodes just all seem too bloated, but of the few I've seen two stand out: In His Image- A weird story that is a little too stuffed for its own good but makes up for it with good character writing. Of Late I Think of Cliffordville- A decent faust story which lampoons the meme of modern people thinking they are so smart and think they would be the top cat in the past. Season Five: Steel- A story about two old men in a world long past them. The Old Man in the Cave- Another religious parable which I hated as a teen when I was going through my new atheist phase, but I've grown to like it more. Uncle Simon- A psychological tale about a woman and her abusive uncle. The Encounter- A pretty mature depiction of racism which easily blows anything Jordan Peele tried in the Twilight Zone out of the water. Number 12 Looks Just Like You- A personal favorite which rings ever truer today with how online culture has further fetishized illusions of beauty.
While I am at it I will also shill the 80's Twilight Zone reboot, while it isn't as consistently good as the original and never reaches its high I still think it is a fun show and easily the best of the three reboots. It has decent acting, some cool mattpaintings, and lots of crazy stories, I'll just list a few of my fav eps: Nightcrawlers- a freaky episode about a Vietnam vet. A Matter of Minutes- an episode where a couple falls out of time into a strange void. Take My Life...Please!- an episode about a disturbed stand up comedian.
A lot of people will say it's "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge".
Just make sure not to look it up before watching because you will spoil the whole thing.
This was a french short film that was the producers bought the rights too so it could be show on the Twilight Zone to save money. Still a great short film.
thats the episode I was watching as I wrote this post. You know an episode is well paced when you figure out the twist just a second before it happens.
"A Nice Place to Visit" is really good; small-time crook has died and gone to his idea of a heavenly reward, with one surprising detail; add to it the hilarity of Mr French from Family Affair playing the role he does, and the further hilarity of Carlo and Tony's brief heated discussion on Sopranos of the episode, apropos of Tony's gambling problem.
The guy died and originally thinks it's heaven; but he is trapped in hell where he gets bored of winning at gambling forever and getting everything he wants; and Mr French is Satan.