20 best and 20worst Twilight Zone original episodes
Mar 7, 2024 5:44:38 GMT
cryptoflovecraft likes this
Post by drystyx on Mar 7, 2024 5:44:38 GMT
Just from the original series.
TEN WORST: No honorable mentions. This was a good series, and I went up to 5/10 to fill the 20 spots.
20. The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine. Not really a bad episode, but very weak and predictable. We knew she would wind up in the "screen world". Twilight Zone set the bar high, so this barely makes the "ten worst" list. 5/10
19. Time Enough at Last. Burgess Meredith plays a meek man who wants to read. The whole episode is very contrived, and there's no real "payoff". 5/10
18. The Passersby. A depressing story of dead Confederate soldiers walking by a lady sitting on a porch. It's not overly depressing, but it's one of those stories that is hard to care about. 4/10
17. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. A spy in the Civil War is about to be executed, but escapes. The story line is just too hate filled to like, unless you're a real Beavis or Butthead.
16. Still Valley. There really isn't a lot to like in this story of a Confederate soldier who gets a chance to win the war with the help of a demonic force. It ends okay, but who really cares about anyone in this episode? 4/10
15. The Mighty Casey isn't "bad". It's just "weak". It's watchable enough, though, but the story of a robot playing Baseball just doesn't cut it for an entire episode, and the attempt at comedy is pretty weak. 4/10
14. Execution. Albert Salmi is a Western outlaw who is about to be hanged, but winds up transported to Russell Johnson's science laboratory in a time machine. Just too much of this is "convenient" and contrived. Way too much. It should have been a slapstick Monty Python comedy, but to work as a serious sci-fi, it flails. 4/10
13. The Lateness of the Hour. A very predictable one, even for its time, where a family has robot servants and a daughter who is just hateful about the whole situation. 3/10
12. Shadow Play. A man about to be executed keeps reliving the nightmare. There isn't much to this one. I guess it's a bit of a morality piece, but it is nothing more. 3/10
11. Nick of Time. Shatner's lesser work in the Zone. He's stymied by a demonic looking fortune telling machine. He's not likable enough to care about here. 3/10
10. Uncle Simon. An inventor just seems to live to torment his niece. The niece isn't a nice person, but this is a bit like the worst episode in the way someone with power just abuses his power to judge and torment other people out of pure hatefulness. 2/10
9. A World of His Own. A "writer" supposedly is so crafty that his descriptions of characters makes them come to life, except that his "descriptions" are not "clever", and it's very contrived. 2/10
8. What's in the Box. A sinister TV repairman seems to control the libido of a dull man in what just looks like a piece written out of hate and vindictiveness to someone the writer didn't like. 2/10
7. The Fever. A couple is in a casino, and we're not sure why they bother going there, or why the old man suddenly gets gambling fever. Not a good job of writing. 2/10
6. A Thing About Machines. This one is just a hate piece directed at people who aren't gifted. 2/10
5. Escape Clause. A very dull character makes a deal with the Devil for immortality, but nothing in this episode has any explainable motivation. Any six year old could write a better script. 2/10
4. Ring a Ding Girl. A partner piece to #3. This one, a brunette is doomed to die on a plane trip. In the other one, it's the same plot, but a blond girl is spared. It's total Nazi propaganda, and it isn't one bit subtle. I don't know why Serling sank this low. It goes against all male instinct.
3. Twenty Two. A partner piece to number 4, which both are strictly neo Nazi propaganda. 1/10.
2. A Nice Place to Visit. The old delusion based on the joke "Why worry?", but it's a sick delusion that Hell is a fun place, and it's just "wishful thinking" for sick people. The idea that having too much can be a bad thing is something that could only be related to by the most spoiled rich brat. 1/10
1. THE WORST EVER EPISODE: THE MASKS. Granted that the four "antagonists" are pathetic losers, but the gifted tycoon who abuses them is even worse to judge them and condemn them with such evil ways. What makes this the worst of the episodes is the self righteousness in the way the writer shows the two supporting characters appear to be in support of this monstrous tycoon in his desire to play God. In another episode, Serling condemns a mentally ill man as an evil man who should be two feet tall for the rest of his short life for playing God with other lives, but here Serling sympathizes with a totally sane and powerful man who has all the assets of success.
TEN BEST EPISODES:
Honorable Mentions (all 8/10): One For the Angels, I Shot an Arrow Into the Air, Mr. Dingle the Strong, Spur of the Moment, Stopover in a Quiet Town, the 7th is Made of Phantoms, Probe 7 Over and Out, the Old Man in the Cave, Living Doll, Miniature, The Hunt, Showdown With Rance McGrew, A Piano in the House, The Silence, A Penny For Your Thoughts, Third From the Sun, The Last Flight, Elegy, People Are Alike All Over, The After Hours, King Nine Will Not Return, The Howling Man, Judgment Night, The Lonely, The Rip Van Winkle Caper
20. Mr. Garrity and the Graves. A hilarious look at a con artist reminiscent of the Rain Maker, in the Old West. Even if you hate con artists, as I do, you will probably appreciate the humor of this one. 8/10
19. The Hitch Hiker. You will probably figure this one out pretty quick about a woman who is frightened by a hitch hiker who keeps passing her up while she is driving, but the way the switch is revealed, and the drama, is pretty good. 8/10
18. One More Pallbearer-A control freak tries to fool three people from his past into humiliating themselves by faking a nuclear holocaust, but these people didn't abuse him. They stopped him from abusing others. 8/10
17. Four O Clock. One of the "train wreck" episodes, a pretty predictable piece about a man who is mentally disturbed and thinks he has some supreme power. He wants to judge other people way too much, but instead of being evil, he's really just insane, so when Serling pronounces that he was evil, it doesn't ring true, because Serling was very compassionate in another episode about a sane man who played God with people's lives and did it successfully. Still, a very interesting episode with some great acting by Theodore Bikel as the antagonistic lead character. Bikel puts this in the top twenty. 8/10
16. A Most Unusual Camera. A dark comedy about a magic camera that shows what will happen about a minute after the picture is taken, is discovered by some rogues. The comedy is well cast and well done. The only weak part is the "fourth character" that is inserted for some reason. It would rate higher without him. 8/10
15. Stop at Willoughby. A story about a man looking for an ideal place, and he finds it while he dreams while asleep on a train. The switch is quite interesting. 8/10
14. Five Characters in Search of an Exit. This one is more style over substance, but it keeps you glued. It's just a great story about the five characters. The protagonist is a major. His antagonist is a clown. A beautiful dancer is the love interest. A bagpiper and a hobo bring in some thoughts as supporting characters. An iconic episode. 9/10
13. The Jeopardy Room. An awesome one that is more drama than sci-fi. A sadistic, smug assassin plays a game with his prey. 9/10
12. Little Girl Lost. An amazing story of a little girl lost in a nether world, that came before the Poltergeist movie. 9/10
11. The Little People. Two astronauts are temporarily stuck on a planet. One of them is horribly deranged as he decides to be a god to some "little people" he finds on the planet. A Shakespeare sort of tragedy on the order of "The Man From Colorado". 9/10
10. Hocus Pocus and Frisby. Andy Devine plays a rogue who tells tall stories, and some aliens believe he is the genius whom he claims to be. Quite hilarious. 9/10
9. The Grave. A lot of big time actors here that makes this a legendary piece. It's one of those stories that isn't exactly "deep", but is very interesting, as Lee Marvin plays a bounty hunter who is taunted by the dying words of an outlaw. 9/10
8. To Serve Man. One of the most iconic episodes. A tall alien visits Earth to serve man. When I first saw this episode, I was very alert to the lie detector test, and couldn't figure out how not one of the experts missed it when the alien said "I hope you believe me when I say...", lol. I think the real message of this one is how the people in charge are often (and I think always) the least capable stewards and least qualified to make decisions. 9/10
7. Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? A busload of people at a diner, but only 6 passengers on the bus? But 7 people are in the diner. Two cops wonder which one is a Martian in this dark comedy that is super iconic. 9/10
6. The Purple Testament 9/10. The fact that you know how it will end only makes it better, in this story of a man who sees death in the faces of those will die soon.
5. And When the Sky Was Opened. A nice science fiction idea with some big name actors as the three astronauts who find that they are being erased. Interesting idea. 9/10
4. Death's Head Revisited. A sadistic Nazi who ran a concentration camp revisits the camp after the war. He is judged by those whom he killed. This can have two interpretations, but since the man has no conscience and no regret, it's almost surely the supernatural interpretation that is correct. 10/10
3. The Obsolete Man. This is probably the one most people will pick as Burgess Meredith's best one of the Twilight Zone. He's an obsolete man according to some hateful people who unfortunately are scary real in too many places. 9/10
2. Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room. A coward is told that he has to murder someone, and he fights with his alter ego in a mirror. A very good psychological piece that can be called either "psychological" or "supernatural", but with a very positive piece that sends a productive message. 10/10
1. BEST EVER EPISODE: Nightmare as a Child. Eerie story, well told, of a woman who is visited by a small girl. You'll figure it out before the woman does. It's the way it is directed and acted that makes this a great episode. 10/10
TEN WORST: No honorable mentions. This was a good series, and I went up to 5/10 to fill the 20 spots.
20. The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine. Not really a bad episode, but very weak and predictable. We knew she would wind up in the "screen world". Twilight Zone set the bar high, so this barely makes the "ten worst" list. 5/10
19. Time Enough at Last. Burgess Meredith plays a meek man who wants to read. The whole episode is very contrived, and there's no real "payoff". 5/10
18. The Passersby. A depressing story of dead Confederate soldiers walking by a lady sitting on a porch. It's not overly depressing, but it's one of those stories that is hard to care about. 4/10
17. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. A spy in the Civil War is about to be executed, but escapes. The story line is just too hate filled to like, unless you're a real Beavis or Butthead.
16. Still Valley. There really isn't a lot to like in this story of a Confederate soldier who gets a chance to win the war with the help of a demonic force. It ends okay, but who really cares about anyone in this episode? 4/10
15. The Mighty Casey isn't "bad". It's just "weak". It's watchable enough, though, but the story of a robot playing Baseball just doesn't cut it for an entire episode, and the attempt at comedy is pretty weak. 4/10
14. Execution. Albert Salmi is a Western outlaw who is about to be hanged, but winds up transported to Russell Johnson's science laboratory in a time machine. Just too much of this is "convenient" and contrived. Way too much. It should have been a slapstick Monty Python comedy, but to work as a serious sci-fi, it flails. 4/10
13. The Lateness of the Hour. A very predictable one, even for its time, where a family has robot servants and a daughter who is just hateful about the whole situation. 3/10
12. Shadow Play. A man about to be executed keeps reliving the nightmare. There isn't much to this one. I guess it's a bit of a morality piece, but it is nothing more. 3/10
11. Nick of Time. Shatner's lesser work in the Zone. He's stymied by a demonic looking fortune telling machine. He's not likable enough to care about here. 3/10
10. Uncle Simon. An inventor just seems to live to torment his niece. The niece isn't a nice person, but this is a bit like the worst episode in the way someone with power just abuses his power to judge and torment other people out of pure hatefulness. 2/10
9. A World of His Own. A "writer" supposedly is so crafty that his descriptions of characters makes them come to life, except that his "descriptions" are not "clever", and it's very contrived. 2/10
8. What's in the Box. A sinister TV repairman seems to control the libido of a dull man in what just looks like a piece written out of hate and vindictiveness to someone the writer didn't like. 2/10
7. The Fever. A couple is in a casino, and we're not sure why they bother going there, or why the old man suddenly gets gambling fever. Not a good job of writing. 2/10
6. A Thing About Machines. This one is just a hate piece directed at people who aren't gifted. 2/10
5. Escape Clause. A very dull character makes a deal with the Devil for immortality, but nothing in this episode has any explainable motivation. Any six year old could write a better script. 2/10
4. Ring a Ding Girl. A partner piece to #3. This one, a brunette is doomed to die on a plane trip. In the other one, it's the same plot, but a blond girl is spared. It's total Nazi propaganda, and it isn't one bit subtle. I don't know why Serling sank this low. It goes against all male instinct.
3. Twenty Two. A partner piece to number 4, which both are strictly neo Nazi propaganda. 1/10.
2. A Nice Place to Visit. The old delusion based on the joke "Why worry?", but it's a sick delusion that Hell is a fun place, and it's just "wishful thinking" for sick people. The idea that having too much can be a bad thing is something that could only be related to by the most spoiled rich brat. 1/10
1. THE WORST EVER EPISODE: THE MASKS. Granted that the four "antagonists" are pathetic losers, but the gifted tycoon who abuses them is even worse to judge them and condemn them with such evil ways. What makes this the worst of the episodes is the self righteousness in the way the writer shows the two supporting characters appear to be in support of this monstrous tycoon in his desire to play God. In another episode, Serling condemns a mentally ill man as an evil man who should be two feet tall for the rest of his short life for playing God with other lives, but here Serling sympathizes with a totally sane and powerful man who has all the assets of success.
TEN BEST EPISODES:
Honorable Mentions (all 8/10): One For the Angels, I Shot an Arrow Into the Air, Mr. Dingle the Strong, Spur of the Moment, Stopover in a Quiet Town, the 7th is Made of Phantoms, Probe 7 Over and Out, the Old Man in the Cave, Living Doll, Miniature, The Hunt, Showdown With Rance McGrew, A Piano in the House, The Silence, A Penny For Your Thoughts, Third From the Sun, The Last Flight, Elegy, People Are Alike All Over, The After Hours, King Nine Will Not Return, The Howling Man, Judgment Night, The Lonely, The Rip Van Winkle Caper
20. Mr. Garrity and the Graves. A hilarious look at a con artist reminiscent of the Rain Maker, in the Old West. Even if you hate con artists, as I do, you will probably appreciate the humor of this one. 8/10
19. The Hitch Hiker. You will probably figure this one out pretty quick about a woman who is frightened by a hitch hiker who keeps passing her up while she is driving, but the way the switch is revealed, and the drama, is pretty good. 8/10
18. One More Pallbearer-A control freak tries to fool three people from his past into humiliating themselves by faking a nuclear holocaust, but these people didn't abuse him. They stopped him from abusing others. 8/10
17. Four O Clock. One of the "train wreck" episodes, a pretty predictable piece about a man who is mentally disturbed and thinks he has some supreme power. He wants to judge other people way too much, but instead of being evil, he's really just insane, so when Serling pronounces that he was evil, it doesn't ring true, because Serling was very compassionate in another episode about a sane man who played God with people's lives and did it successfully. Still, a very interesting episode with some great acting by Theodore Bikel as the antagonistic lead character. Bikel puts this in the top twenty. 8/10
16. A Most Unusual Camera. A dark comedy about a magic camera that shows what will happen about a minute after the picture is taken, is discovered by some rogues. The comedy is well cast and well done. The only weak part is the "fourth character" that is inserted for some reason. It would rate higher without him. 8/10
15. Stop at Willoughby. A story about a man looking for an ideal place, and he finds it while he dreams while asleep on a train. The switch is quite interesting. 8/10
14. Five Characters in Search of an Exit. This one is more style over substance, but it keeps you glued. It's just a great story about the five characters. The protagonist is a major. His antagonist is a clown. A beautiful dancer is the love interest. A bagpiper and a hobo bring in some thoughts as supporting characters. An iconic episode. 9/10
13. The Jeopardy Room. An awesome one that is more drama than sci-fi. A sadistic, smug assassin plays a game with his prey. 9/10
12. Little Girl Lost. An amazing story of a little girl lost in a nether world, that came before the Poltergeist movie. 9/10
11. The Little People. Two astronauts are temporarily stuck on a planet. One of them is horribly deranged as he decides to be a god to some "little people" he finds on the planet. A Shakespeare sort of tragedy on the order of "The Man From Colorado". 9/10
10. Hocus Pocus and Frisby. Andy Devine plays a rogue who tells tall stories, and some aliens believe he is the genius whom he claims to be. Quite hilarious. 9/10
9. The Grave. A lot of big time actors here that makes this a legendary piece. It's one of those stories that isn't exactly "deep", but is very interesting, as Lee Marvin plays a bounty hunter who is taunted by the dying words of an outlaw. 9/10
8. To Serve Man. One of the most iconic episodes. A tall alien visits Earth to serve man. When I first saw this episode, I was very alert to the lie detector test, and couldn't figure out how not one of the experts missed it when the alien said "I hope you believe me when I say...", lol. I think the real message of this one is how the people in charge are often (and I think always) the least capable stewards and least qualified to make decisions. 9/10
7. Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? A busload of people at a diner, but only 6 passengers on the bus? But 7 people are in the diner. Two cops wonder which one is a Martian in this dark comedy that is super iconic. 9/10
6. The Purple Testament 9/10. The fact that you know how it will end only makes it better, in this story of a man who sees death in the faces of those will die soon.
5. And When the Sky Was Opened. A nice science fiction idea with some big name actors as the three astronauts who find that they are being erased. Interesting idea. 9/10
4. Death's Head Revisited. A sadistic Nazi who ran a concentration camp revisits the camp after the war. He is judged by those whom he killed. This can have two interpretations, but since the man has no conscience and no regret, it's almost surely the supernatural interpretation that is correct. 10/10
3. The Obsolete Man. This is probably the one most people will pick as Burgess Meredith's best one of the Twilight Zone. He's an obsolete man according to some hateful people who unfortunately are scary real in too many places. 9/10
2. Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room. A coward is told that he has to murder someone, and he fights with his alter ego in a mirror. A very good psychological piece that can be called either "psychological" or "supernatural", but with a very positive piece that sends a productive message. 10/10
1. BEST EVER EPISODE: Nightmare as a Child. Eerie story, well told, of a woman who is visited by a small girl. You'll figure it out before the woman does. It's the way it is directed and acted that makes this a great episode. 10/10
