<>October Twilight Zone Recommendations<>
 

I'm aware that a whole lot of people are familiar with the Twilight Zone as being an old school, scary, sci fi, anthology series. <:/ and though it's not entirely fair to make that assumption, as many of the episodes are fantastical, lighthearted, or even comical...iiiiiit's not entirely wrong to assume that the Twilight Zone has some creepy stuff either. >w>
So in the spirit of Halloween month,
I'm going to be suggesting some episodes to check out for anyone who wishes to get a little spook or just wants to peak their interest a bit.
:]
It's an old show from the 1960's yes, so the effects will be hokey and the colloquialisms will be laughable, and a lot of things will be outdated, but it sure gives you a feel of that traditional, corporate, technological, civilized incivility, cold-war era time period. x}

I'll be suggesting an episode every day. (Or try to) x} And yes, I will be trying to focus on the more spooky ones! Or the ones I find to be the most creepy or unnerving. >w> People may or may not have seen some of these before, so please keep spoilers in spoiler tags. I know the twists can be lame and predictable sometimes, but they're still fun.
I think Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 5 are up on Netflix to watch, but I live in the US so, I'm not sure Netflix is the same in other parts of the world. :/ Season 4 is available on Amazon Prime Video, however, I believe you do have to pay for it, so I'll try not to include Season 4, even though season 4 has some pretty creepy stuff! >w> <3

Let's start with one of the more obvious ones when someone thinks of scary Twilight Zone episodes...


Of course, toys that come to life are nothing new today, but back then, it was probably too fantastic a concept to even dwell on. So when it occurs in the Twilight Zone, it's both alarming and unnerving to say the least. Nowadays horror has mastered the full frightfulness of living toys with movies like Child's Play, Poltergeist, Dead Silence, Anabelle and Puppetmaster, in which the inanimate objects have such unnatural movement and behaviors that are murderous and horrifying.

Back in the early 1960s though, to see that would likely be traumatizing to full grown adults, let alone children. x}
In Living Doll, the Doll, Talky Tina, conveys her character through her speech rather than move unnaturally. She doesn't really do anything scary by today's standards, except maybe threaten and end up vanishing from the places she was left in. She just sort of moves her head and arms back in forth in a robotic sort of way, and opens and closes her eyes.

This episode is a favorite simply because of her sweet little voice threatening a grown man with a rotten mean-spiritedness towards his step-daughter and his wife for getting her the doll. Talky Tina herself is actually kinda sassy despite being a guardian to the sweet little girl that loves her. xD Just the fact that she's alive and realizes the step-dad is an asshole and is probably abusive, kind of makes her a heroic force of retribution, as well as the creepy subject of focus. (:] Fun fact: I actually dressed up as Talky Tina for one Halloween. :/ Don't have any pics unfortunately tho..)

Additionally, the music in this particular episode is probably the creepiest I've heard compared to any Twilight Zone episode's musical score. :D It was composed by the legendary Bernard Herrmann and is one of his more creepy works I think. If you're familiar with the Psycho theme and the famous string shrieks during the shower scene, then you're familiar with Bernard Herrmann. >:D That was totally his music.

Season 5. Episode 6. Living Doll. Check it out. ;}

[Or don't, if you don't want to. :] *shrug* Up to you! ^-^]

Perchance to Dream

Alright, comin' right at ya with the nightmare episode here. It's not nightmare inducing, it's literally about a re-occurring nightmare. /x{ This Season 1 episode was one of the only episodes that I was surprised somehow got on the air. 8[ It baffles me. There's spooky imagery, I guess somewhat revealing dancing sequence going on, and it's one of the more creepy and weird episodes, simply because it delves into the world of the dream, which happens to be a circus fair. A creepy episode to say the least, it's also one of the more earlier, character-narrated sort of episodes which usually had that narrative element tied in, during Season 1.

There's not really a scary clown or jumpscares or anything in it at all, but there is a sort of a scary "cat girl"? And maybe a sudden spooky scream in there? She's pretty and she's seductive but she is wicked and possibly evil in nature. I think the music in this episode too is very fitting in the way that it evokes panic and the fear of the escalating nightmare, akin to a heart beating faster and faster.

This episode by itself has two twists. But I won't spoil them. >.> I'll just mention that the scariest thing is probably the dream sequences themselves. And that you'll likely feel pretty bad about who they're happening to as well. 8/ Because in a sense, it's relatable, especially if you had any re-occurring or feverish nightmare before, where you dread going to sleep, and wake up drenched in sweat.
Season 1. Episode 9. Perchance to Dream. B] Watch just before bed, if you dare.

[Alternatively, watch this one with care, as it is sorta dealing in suicidal death, and also with frightful sequences. Although, I'm sure if this episode were re-made today, >~>; it'd likely be difficult to sit through. You can skip this one though if you'd like.]

My top favorite spooky episode of the whole series, because it managed to give me a little chill down my spine and a nervous grin on my face. This episode is a little longer than the other episodes being it's from the fourth season and everything is longer in the fourth season..but it's engaging from beginning to end!

It ties two separate premises together and is essentially one deep ghost story.
It's best not to spoil in it's entirety, but I will say that it is one of the more spookier episodes centering around phantoms and fathoms. >w>
Of course, it was made in the 1960's post war era, but I think it still really holds up today. :o With the military handling operations professionally, and shedding light on war guilt and PTSD, it's kind of ahead of it's time.

I recommend this episode if you want a good ol' fashioned ghost story spook with a little bit of mystery. Written by Mr. Rod Serling himself, who was a veteran in WWII btw.
Season 4. Episode 2. The Thirty-Fathom Grave. Cannot recommend this one enough, because it's so spooky and classic. >w>
("I'll try not to include season 4." ...*includes season 4 three days later* xD)

This episode is special because it's got some of the least amount of dialogue in a Twilight Zone episode. It relies on visual story telling, through action, and sound to build up suspense into terror.

The invaders has a twist though that is a little distracting if you're trying to guess, so, it's best to watch this one without thinking about the end of it. :] It just makes it scarier. I will say, it was difficult to find a scary episode in Season 2 as most of them don't dive into a terror sort of feel. :/ But this one, with it's music and the woman's acting makes it so dramatic and terrifying.

If you've ever had a home-alone experience where somehow an animal or a pest was invading your space and you are deathly afraid of said animal or pest, the same feeling echoes out in this episode. 8{ Only, it's not an animal or something familiar terrorizing the woman.

Season 2. Episode 15. The Invaders. Give it a watch if you haven't before. It's really best to watch it without thinking too hard about what the twist would be. :]

Going back to that idea of inanimate things coming to life, this episode has more of a performing spin to it. Before the days of R.L. Stein and Goosebumps, and Slappy the Dummy, (if you're familiar is an evil dummy brought to life by magic.) there was Jerry and Willy. This episode in particular is sort of a predecessor of creepy dummies in horror. There are some that have come before, like in Alfred Hitchcock Presents, but also some I'm sure, that feature living dummies, but for comedic effect.

This episode is both comical and creepy, as you sort of get a sense that Jerry is extremely nervous and feels like he's lost his mind, but also see him being funny with another dummy and having a talent for ventriloquism. Willy the dummy is like many ventriloquist dummies that poke rude jokes at the guy in control as part of the act, and has a cheeky way about him. Although, he does have the most maniacal laughter I've ever heard in a twilight zone episode. O-O It's a bit disturbing how broken and almost inhuman it sounds.

Yes, this episode has a hokey twist that isn't really fully explained, and yes, the episode has little to go on with the effects of making the dummy move and talk on his own, but as creepy as it is, it's got it's funny moments here and there that make me crack a giggle or smile.
Can you imagine how terrifying it would be to know that something you've been working with in entertainment as a prop, suddenly came to life, and no one will believe you? >.>;

Season 3. Episode 33. The Dummy. Come for laughs. Stay for a nightmarish battle of control. B] Don't forget to hold your applause for the end.

Inspired in part by one of the many chilling short stories written by Richard Matheson, comes this creepy episode. It's lead character is an old lady living alone, with only the occasional company of only her caretaker. Most of the strange things happen at night, and during a thunderstorm. Classic haunted castle/house sort of vibe with those old lighting and thunder effects. The episode also involves a telephone, and the weird calls coming from the other end of the line, which is now commonplace in horror as a staple prop for delivering someone terrifying calling.

One of the best things about this particular episode is it's dramatic presentation in camera shot and in acting, to really show the fear of picking up that phone, and that feeling that perhaps you aren't as alone as you think you are. It's not terrifying by means of gruesome happenstance or frightful effects, but the terror here is more like that of a ghost story, which sends chills up your spine. However, unlike some of the more fantastical elements and scares of most other Twilight Zone episodes, this one in particular comes with a small grain of unbelievable truth.

I'm not saying the story and the thing that occurs is based on a true event, but...>.> believe it or not, there have been similar occurrences that the episode Night Call mirrors very closely. Even going into the modern day, with your everyday cell phone. <u< It's kinda spookier knowing that it has happened, and might happen again to someone, sometime, somewhere..

Season 5. Episode 19. Night Call. Watch it if you dare. And if by chance your phone is ringing or vibrating with a call during the episode, I sure hope the number calling is in your contacts. B}

[Note: <X'D There's a weird bit in the episode that sounds kinda oddly suggestive but it's not supposed to be, I promise. It's always a little funny to giggle at though for me.]

The Fever is one of those scary episodes that both revolves around insane impossible hallucination, and the suffocating power of gambling addiction. It's got some great over-the-top acting, and some humor here and there. The Fever refers to an illness Rod Serling describes as a most inoperative, deadly life-shattering affliction. He is speaking of gambling addiction and in the episode it is portrayed as giving money and hope and your entire being to a slot machine.

This is a good one to watch in particular because it really gets creepy towards the end with the name of the character being beckoned over and over. In fact, my baby brother was afraid of this episode for a while, in part due to the metallic, crinkling, dark voice in the episode. xD

Season 1. Episode 17. The Fever. If you gamble, always gamble responsibly. 8[ And never ever let it get the better of you!

This famous episode has a certain kind of terror transfixed in it. It's special as it's the only episode in the series with Rod Serling calling for a different kind of introduction. The world the characters live in is in itself a prison and a nightmare. This is one of my favorite episodes and I watch it sparingly, since it is so famous and I typically see it played in marathons on TV all the time.

In a nightmare scenario that could only be cooked up in The Twilight Zone, Billy Mumy plays the 6 year old boy that is the warden and king of the prison. You can imagine all the things an undisciplined 6 year old child could do that would be both innocent and under the circumstances, be absolutely troublesome. But take that child and give him godlike powers, suddenly, you'd be on eggshells just to keep on his good side. It's a good episode that also focuses on the boy's imagination and child-like wonder and joy, in the form of horrific and twisted creations. What feels real is the little boy's dictation and manners, which is exactly how a little kid thinks and speaks, which makes you so thankful that children don't have mind powers like setting people on fire spontaneously. 8[

The best part of this episode is saved for the end, when it's someone else's birthday party, and the mood is anything but celebratory or peaceful. You can really feel the unease of everyone in this episode but that of the little boy. And in turn, sort of makes you uneasy, or at least upset that the is kid being a little selfish dictator.

Season 3. Episode 8. It's a Good Life. Most horrifying thing is likely the way the boy punishes the guy who upsets him. Let's just say, he was a very bad man, but he was right about the boy being a monster.

Twenty-Two is another dream related episode, with a fever dream that happens again and again. It's one of the only Twilight Zone episodes that was shot on video instead of the television cameras, and gives it a creepier, closer-to-reality sort of feel to it. It's interesting to take this episode and compare it to Night Call, in which both episodes include a woman being terrorized by things, but one is a repeated dream and the other is a repeated phone call. Another parallel to note is that both uneasy and frightful instances are not as they seem at first glance.

The scariest thing about this episode is not the dancer's fright at her nightmare which assuredly would be a nightmare to you too if you were to find yourself stuck in that same dream. It's not even the dreadful feeling that the dream is bound to happen again, and when it does it'll still be as scary as it was the first time. No.

The most frightful thing about the episode is saved for it's twist at the end, which eerily also matches up with real-life accounts of people having near identical experiences. This I guess, is another spooky parallel drawn to Night Call. :] That this sort of weird and scary occurrence has happened to people in real life and still in our time.

Season 2. Episode 17. Twenty-Two. Give it a watch, and if you have ever found yourself in the midst of an actual repeating nightmare, this one might be a little too relatable. >.>

Another Richard Matheson short story based episode, this particular story centers around more than one person as the fear is passed on. I don't think I know of a scarier Twilight Zone episode personally to be honest. o_o The terror here is most uncomforting and most distressing. Not because it's real or possible, it's actually impossible..but can we say that for certain? >~>; The terror here comes from some unknown force that's a feeling, it's unseen and it's unstoppable. The greatest fear, is fear of the unknown after all.
Way before Thanos snapped his fingers and suddenly people just disappeared into dust and vanished into oblivion, the concept of being erased was present here in Matheson's own imagination. But with a slightly more horrifying effect coming with the erasure.

I won't give away this episode, because it's best to watch it yourself to get the horrific vibes. The acting is great, and a little over the top, but it certainly communicates the sheer fright the characters are going through. I will say, it's about a crew of three military pilots that were hospitalized after they crashed back to earth in an experimental aircraft, after disappearing from radar. I won't say what soon takes place after they recover from their injuries. Just that, whatever happens, is possibly one of the scariest sci-fi/horror concepts I have ever seen. o_o;

Season 1. Episode 11. And When the Sky was Opened. The terror here is psychological and fictional, but it far surpasses the fears of being killed, tortured, eaten, trapped, or cursed. It surpasses zombies, demons, ghosts and insects. It's subtle and it's slow, and it is unrecognizable. But it is unstoppable and it is tenacious. Just try not to think about all the missing person cases in the world. >-> And if you do, be thankful if the person missing still has a name..

Wow, a lot of these are just centered around dreams aren't they? o-o
This episode, likewise about a nightmare, but it's not only a repeating one, it's one the main character can't seem to wake up from. It's an interesting nightmare that he has to live through time and time again, like a song on repeat, over and over. While at the same time, no one seems to believe his story that he's in a dream and everyone is a dream person. The acting is great in this, and conveys the torment and the agony the man is feeling every moment of the episode.

The horror in this is felt through the dread that there is no escape and there is nothing you can do in time to change things. The man is simply stuck, and though there really isn't a twist, there is a hope expressed that changing the dream is possible.

The cinematography in this is also interestingly shown. With one sequence of a vision inside his head shown, and the focus on characters close up as things start to get more concerning and intensify. As well as the classic score used in most of the other Twilight Zone episodes, Bernard Herrmann does it again, with both subtle and quiet unease in his music. The episode also knows when to have the background silenced, and the music inserted. It flows together well in harmony, and gives you a slight dream-like doubt that, maybe reality isn't as it appears to be..

Season 2. Episode 26. Shadow Play. It's silly of course that we would all be living inside someone's dream, and that is the nature of reality. But it's a frightful thing, >u> to be questioning reality. This is more of a psychological horror than a spooky one. Give it at watch [or not. No pressure.] start to finish.

If there were ever an episode about the ultimate waking nightmare, this is it. Imagine the hottest day you've ever experienced...now imagine it didn't end when night came. And along with it, burns, dehydration, water shortages, electricity and power shortages, heat strokes, and people growing more desperate and mad with the harsh heat. In this episode there is horror in the fears of others, and the danger presenting itself in the form of extreme heat, slowly cooking humanity to death.

It really goes to show you, that life is so fragile in space, in our solar system. It'll make you glad that we're still snugly held firm in our goldilocks zone orbit. Although, it doesn't touch on Global Warming, it sure as hell paints out a disturbing picture of the consequences. 8{ (heh, paints. just noticed how appropriate that is, given that the episode revolves around a painter and her neighbor.)

This episode was written by Rod Serling, and the classic terror of awaiting doom and torment is not usually something he dabbles with, but in this case, he knows how to get under the skin and into the mind. >:] The acting itself is great, and genuine. You can relate to the characters well, even in a cool air conditioned place, but especially in a hot place. You can feel their sweat and exhaustion, and you can share in their terror, if you let yourself think what dangerous, murderous heat would really be like to stand. 8[

Season 3. Episode 10. The Midnight Sun. A portal of terror that's sure to make you sweat. <.< and wonder if hell might actually be closer than everyone thinks..
Scariest bit of this episode is the heat reaching temperatures beyond the boiling point, and if you've had a really bad fever, or maybe passed out in extreme heat, the lady screaming in agony one last time might be kinda terrifying. 8/

This very well known episode hardly needs an introduction. I don't really like drawing even more attention to this one, as it's so well known and the "American Pie" of Twilight Zone episodes. Meaning that it's probably the most well known episode that upstages the rest of the series while also being quite a good episode.

Though Richard Matheson's original story is far more frightful and intense, this episode was the one to bring it to life and essentially to fame. William Shatner is the leading role in this episode and it certainly earned him some acting props, especially before he found his lifelong career in acting in Star Trek.

Though the gremlin is a bit silly-lookin' and Shatner's reactions a bit goofy at times, this episode is all about fright, paranoia and anxiety. I think the best thing to remember when watching this, is that it is happening on an airplane during a storm. Not only is that horrifying by itself, as turbulence might become more likely, but add a creature to the mix, and what you get is truly a nightmare.

Season 5. Episode 3. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. The scariest thing in this; Possibly that fantastic musical score once again, highlighting the terror and the anxiety perfectly. :]

This particular episode of the first season is one many might recall for the creepiness. I won't spoil much, because the twist is kinda important. I'll just say, it's an episode that keeps some people up at night, and others not so much. o.o Especially if you're the sort of person who gets tripped up with "the uncanny valley".

This episode is one of the only ones without much of a musical score, except for the department store music and some music at the end I believe. It may or may not have been intentional, but I think it works with the scenes in making them a bit more unsettling. I think if some creepy score were added in, it would seem more creepier, but also might come off as a little hokey, and have too much of a horror theme, which Rod Serling didn't always want. He wanted the viewer to feel terror for the character, not to be scared out of their wits that they'd stop watching. Because he wrote this episode, I think he wanted the atmosphere to be still and quiet much like a real department store would be after closing hours, therefore any movement is shadowy, mysterious and frightening, communicating something unusual and unknown, and that was his favorite trick to use. Not people's fear of something happening, but the fear of the unknown.

The fear is known in this, but it's unknown why the terror is happening, until the twist is revealed at the end.
Season 1. Episode 34. The After Hours. Feel free to browse, check it out, and get it giftwrapped. :]

This episode wigged me out as a kid. O-O I won't lie.
And I'm beginning to notice a sort of correlation between Phones and Weird Terror in the Twilight Zone. /8{ Maybe Rod Serling just found phone calls kinda creepy. I can't blame him, they're machines with disembodied voices of the people you know coming out of it. >-> Weird.

Anyway, this episode is a good one. Like Twenty-Two, it's shot on video and in a single home set. It stars a very young Billy Mumy who was Anthony in It's A Good Life, the one I talked about earlier. :] He's also recognized as Will Robinson, the little boy in the Sci-fi series Lost In Space. Just a fun fact.

The whole unsettling emotion around this episode is how strong the ties of love are between a young boy and his old grandmother. It's sweet and sad and innocently eerie. You'll have to see it for yourself. There's no twist in this one per se', but it shares in it's creep factor with Night Call and Living Doll.

Season 2. Episode 22. Long Distance Call. The terror in this episode is less sinister but nonetheless, unsettling. Especially if you've ever seen a child talk to someone on their toy telephones, and seems to be having an actual conversation. o-o;

[!!ALSO!!: If you're interested in an unrelated creator's similar but equally interesting take on the Twilight Zone, :D Check out Channel Awesome's Twilight-tober Zone on Youtube. They will be reviewing the first 31 episodes of Season 1 more in depth and with more trivia facts. ^-^ I'm enjoying it everyday so far, though I wish they could review them all!]

Returning with a favorite I love relaxing to on a Halloween night, is Mr. Garrity and the Graves! This season 5 episode is a most unconventional, humorous and eerie sort. >.> I mean, it takes place in the wild west, but it also has to do with the resurrection of the dead. <u< The most hilarious things to come out of this episode are the colorful personalities of the townsfolk, and how they react to this man, Mr. Garrity, who cleverly and delicately handles them like a wolf amoung sheep...by which I mean, he plays them for fools. <x'D
It might be a bit of a spoiler, but it's not the first time he went into a town to profit from it.
The comedy comes from an old corner, in which irony is quick and simple, but at the same time, grows with time as you realize what is happening. >w> Lies met with lies only make you cries.~

This episode has some very fitting old timey western music for the beginning, though as it goes on, especially at the end, it changes into something creepier and ghost-like. o.o I won't give away this twist, because it's just too perfect. <xD It's appropriate to have "Happy Halloween!" at the very end as a title, even though it doesn't as this isn't a specifically halloween-geared episode.

The only frightful thing in this episode is the gullibility of people like in this episode that is still ever-present today. X'D But! If you're a bit squeamish about the idea of the dead rising from their graves, I wouldn't worry too much. This is in black and white after all, <:/ so these undead folks aren't like the zombies we all imagine to be rotting corpses, falling apart and looking horrifying. They just look like normal folks. :) And no animals were harmed in the making of the episode. -u- There is just a very talented animal actor. ^-^

Season 5. Episode 32. Mr. Garrity and the Graves. A most recommended episode, with smiles sprinkled around a gravely deceiving runaround rodeo! :D Give it a watch if you'd like. Playing dead has never been so entertaining.

Another sort of eerie episode involving two newlyweds that are stopping at a small-town diner on their way to their honeymoon vacation in New York. Being The Twilight Zone of course, nothing goes normally at all. x)

This is also another classic example of an episode with a psychological fear rather than a tangible one. Such as the Gremlin on the plane in Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. Which William Shatner also stars in.
:D He returns once more in this episode, playing the husband, and rather than portraying anxiety stemming from the fear of flight and disaster, he does an excellent job portraying the tormenting superstitions and beliefs of a man fearful of the future.

It's common knowledge that thinking of the past too much can bring sadness and longing, while thinking of the future can bring about uncertainty and paranoia. It's actually the present which matters most and holds the most security, despite all time giving the illusion that it can be controlled. The frightful thing in this episode is the uncertainty of what the future holds and the shady knowledge of knowing that future can only cost you your freedom and peace of mind. There's no real scary scares in this, and I guess the penny fortune machine is a little creepy in portraying a devil bobble-head, but it's got a rather silly grin I think. :) And the machine seems to have a mind of it's own. x'D

Season 2. Episode 7. Nick of Time. You don't know what the future holds until it arrives. /:] Check it out if it sounds like you're interested. There's no question about it, you may never know, until you dare risk finding out.

Another one from the elusive Season 4, this episode is one of the more classically creepy ones from the series. It has an element of horror more present than it's fantasy one for certain! 8(
If you've ever been to a wax museum, then you understand already how creepy they can be. The wax figures are so well made, you could almost mistake them for a living person! And this episode takes it a step further, by making the wax figures those of famous serial murderers!

xD Although the acting can be a bit hokey and this one doesn't have very much of an underlaying message or moral or meaning around it, it's still delightfully frightful to watch. I guess it's more akin to an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, than anything. :] You can sort of tell when the direction called for the actors portraying the lifeless wax figures to keep still, and you can notice a slight teeter of movement here and there, but in some scenes, 0.0 the actors really do a great job of selling you the illusion that they won't move!

I like a simple, little old spooky tale now and then. The old ones aren't so scary. They go about things slowly and carefully, and scare you just as slowly...like wax melting, until you realize how fast it actually went! 8o This episode drew me in so much, it feels more like 40 minutes than an hour! Time flies when you're being entertained. :)

Season 4. Episode 13. The New Exhibit. A creepy one to say the very least! There is a level of eerie uncertainty in that you feel like the wax figures can move whenever they want, and they don't until you least expect it. 8/ Doesn't have jump-scares per se, but it comes close. A little too close for comfort. But if you don't mind that, go on ahead and give it a watch if you dare. B] You might be glad you did.

This is one episode I never understood why it was scary. Every person I know whom this one has left an impression on, tells me it's a scary episode. It wasn't until I started driving alone that I understood why. 8(
In the context of the episode a young woman is taking a cross-country road trip alone. All sorts of scary things can happen. 8( But the one thing that comes to mind always is some man that takes interest or follows behind or along you when you're alone without someone to have your back.
One of the most frightening feeling for a woman I think, is the feeling of being preyed upon, and I understand it too well. >.> Though before watching it without the understanding context, I didn't see the hitch-hiker as much of a thing to be afraid of. I thought, "just say no and drive away."
x) Turns out, it wasn't that simple a solution, seeing as the hitch-hiker seems to always be there no matter how many times she drives away.
<;/ You find out why later on in the episode, so I'll leave the twist a mystery.

The things which really make this episode are the actress' narrations, giving us as the audience an insight into her thinking. Her acting is pretty good too! :) Very convincing. You feel bad for her. <:/ She spends a good amount of the episode frightened and desperate. The music of course is quite fitting too, and escalates as her terror escalates. However, my favorite thing of all in the episode is the little things along the way that add up in the end. It always makes me wonder about other details that went overlooked and could be explained in my mind. ^-^

Season 1. Episode 16. The Hitch-hiker. There are I guess a couple of music cues that might make one jump in this, though they are mostly fake-outs. One is just a goofy close up shot. x) Give it a watch if you want. Though solo-drivers proceed with caution, or the road ahead might just turn into a nightmare. o_o

This is one of the few episodes of the Twilight Zone that are often studied and shown as an example of a reflection of society and social community. Like Nightmare at 20,000 ft, it's a popular one. But I put it on this list for a special reason. /B]

The title is misleading, but it tells the truth. It's a pretty common episode, but I still won't talk about the ending. It's a slow ride of paranoia that happens throughout and it all gets you just as worried as the people in the neighborhood.

This episode has very well written dialogue and acting. Of course, this was another one written by series creator Rod Serling. There is such a battle of logic and illogic in this, and it doesn't come as much of a surprise, which one of them wins in the end. Because the scariest thing about this episode are just who the monsters are. If you're not familiar with Serling's other twists and notations on the allegory of things in life, then you know who the monsters are. If not, they may not be who you expect. >.> But they are probably much closer to us all now than they have ever been...


Season 1. Episode 22. The Monsters are Due on Maple Street. Nightmares seldom escape the sleeping subconsciousness of our minds. But the terror in this episode is one of the most feared and infamous waking nightmares. It's a look into the frightful reality, where logic, reasoning and a calm open mind may not be enough to save you... <.<

Ah! And we come to another one of my personal FAVorite episodes of the Twilight Zone! :D This is MY Maple Street. It's far less popular an episode, but I love it for exactly the same reason people like Maple Street. It has a message for people as a whole, as a group, and it reflects the absolute primal worst in us as a species. >-o It's a dark one, and it starts out so light! x)

This was an episode from it's time, during a time where cold war was the fear of all, and mutually assured destruction was a very real possibility. 8( It's a frightening thing alone, to feel you might be in danger of being in the midst of nuclear warfare...especially if you live in a major city somewhere. In the Shelter, the more frightening thing is far closer and far more devastating than any nuclear weapon or warfare imaginable.

Again, I won't give away the ending, as it's too good for words to praise. -o- But! I will give praise to the acting in this! :D The panic, feels real. The worries and woes, feel real. The fear and frustration, feels so very real. Above all, the animosity and desperation feels too real. I'd expect anyone to act these ways if they felt they had no protection, and were about to be doomed if they don't do something soon. o_o;

This episode has an excellent theme, premise, music, build up, and message. It's less science-fiction, and less horror. I'm not sure thriller was even a genre back then, but it would probably be categorized as such, as things get pretty intense prrrretty quickly. The best thing about this episode is the beginning and the end, which I compare all too often. You'd have to watch it to see what I mean. >u>;

Season 3. Episode 3. The Shelter. The unknown is one of the most frightening things we as humans can imagine. But what's ironic is that nothing in this episode is truly unknown. Give it a watch. It's more dramatic and reflective than anything, there's no scary faces or special effects or anything. I promise, it's one of the ones that has stood the test of time, despite the times having changed since then...or...has it really changed so much? >.>

The Masks is one of my guilty pleasure episodes. It's a fun exercise in clever dialogue as well as nasty pettiness that I reserve only for my most apparent and satisfying fantasies. >B] This episode takes place during the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and I found it really fitting for the Masks to take place as the main prop of the episode. It could have been a Halloween or All Hallows Eve celebration, but I think, in having it during the Mardi Gras, a time of infamous festivities, naughtiness and gluttony, it goes VERY well with the theme...which is the exaggerated and egregious qualities of the family in the episode.

This is a creepy sort of revenge tale with an interestingly creative twist to it. I would argue this is one of the more shocking Twilight Zone episodes that people tend to remember simply for the masks featured alone. The faces, twisted into the exaggerated and ugly expressions are indeed really easy to remember. 0-0
It's interesting that most people tend to forget that the power behind the masks is subtly explained by the old man, Jason. It's important to recall the details in his explanation and remember that the masks are more than they seem on the surface. Spookily enough, it was the actor who played Jason, (Robert Keith)'s final role before passing away...and he played the role of a dying man in the episode. e_e; But on a more interesting note, he also would star in a couple of episodes from Alfred Hitchcock presents. :)

Again, I won't give away the ending, though it's easy to see from the picture alone that the premise will involve faces and unmasking. I will say the ending is one of my favorites in the Twilight Zone that touches on the reality of death itself and the state of being of those who live having ugliness just beneath the beauty of their faces.


Season 5. Episode 25. The Masks. Some scares in here mostly have to do with the twist, though the make up is a bit dated and subtle so there isn't much to be too shocked about. :T It's mostly the music cues that clue you into being frightened. Other than that, what you see you can take at face value. /B} Just remember, take comfort in knowing that this is an episode of pure fiction this time. Take a look if you like, this is one that's sure to help you save face. x}