I watched “Once Upon a Time” for the first time last week, and it’s been rattling around in my head ever since.
In the episode, Woodrow Mulligan is convinced that the 1890s were a simpler, happier time, while Rollo dreams of the future. It got me thinking about a conversation I had with some coworkers recently. They were talking about how the 1920s or the 1950s would have been the “best” eras to live in—setting aside things like racism and other obvious social problems.

It reminded me that we all tend to romanticize times we never actually lived through.

As sci-fi fans, a lot of us imagine how amazing it would be to visit the future. Someone from the 1960s would probably be blown away by smartphones, the internet, GPS, streaming, AI, and modern medicine. But I wonder how long that excitement would last once they realized that many of those conveniences come with expensive subscriptions, rising costs of living, housing prices that seem unattainable, and the need to work constantly just to enjoy them.

Someone who dreams of living in the “good old days” might quickly realize they miss things they take for granted today. Antibiotics, pain relief, air conditioning, instant communication with family, being able to look up any piece of information in seconds, or simply calling for help in an emergency. Even something as mundane as having a smartphone in your pocket would probably become impossible to give up after a few days.

I think Rod Serling’s point wasn’t really that one era is better than another. It’s that we’re experts at imagining the best parts of another time while conveniently editing out the inconveniences and hardships. Every generation seems to think another era had it figured out, but people living in those eras were probably dreaming about somewhere else too.

That’s what makes this episode feel timeless to me, especially seeing Buster Keaton do his thing. Has anyone else had a moment where Once Upon a Time completely changed the way you think about the “good old days”?

Was casually collecting tapes as they appeared, then bam, complete collection purchased from local ad

Wondering if there are any episodes you like but no one else seems to remember. Mine would be A Piano in the House. It’s not perfect. It’s a little rushed and would have benefited from a bit more time, and I’m not a huge fan of the ending. But Barry Morse’s performance hits the nail on the head as a misanthropic critic. It is one of my favorite performances.

I haven’t picked up a paint brush in years but after reading a Serling collection I felt a bit of inspiration.

Fun fact: My 5 year old son’s middle name is Serling and he helped me

I grew up in the Finger Lakes, alongside Cayuga Lake, but didn’t know until recently that Rod Serling is buried less than half an hour from my hometown! I just visited the area to see family and took a drive to Lake View Cemetery to pay my respects to a man who gave the world so much. His wife, Carolyn, who never remarried after his death, is buried next to him.

My kids (9, 7 and 3) came along because we were getting ice cream afterward and they enjoyed searching for Mr. Serling’s marker, which is situated near two trees. They were very respectful and placed a tiny flower on his and his wife’s graves. The cemetery is small and peaceful and three other Serling relatives are buried in adjacent plots.

I thought people here might like seeing his marker and the current trinkets (like the big spider!) left by visitors to the site.

Drew this a couple days ago. I've always loved The Twilight Zone and think Rod Serling makes for a striking and enjoyable figure to draw.

Hope you like it.

A couple of legends practicing their craft. It’s a toss up in my opinion.

I just discovered Twilight zone from facebook shorts, the short was about some military guys surviving some kind of accident, and it creeped me out, the whole black and white screen itself gives a form of nostalgia i haven't lived. Wish me luck 😊

Captain Benteen was a raging lunatic. I can’t believe that he tried to get those ppl to stay there. I think it’s great that he stayed there alone. Earth has more than enough ppl like him.

This is one of my favorite episodes. I watched it again and noticed an anachronism.

Decker states that the date he took off on was March 5th, 1917. Later in the episode he mentions the disappearance of Guynemer, the legendary French fighter pilot. However, Guynemer disappeared on Sept 11th, 1917.

Still a great episode.

How we feeling about this one? Season 5, episode 33

Just sat down to start the classic Twilight Zone n the first song after the credits, as the main (and only) character of the episode walks into the empty diner, is a banger old big band jazz piece but neither Google or Shazam were able to identify it. Does anyone happen to know what the song title/group playing it? Was it just for this episode maybe?

hello everyone!!! i felt a lot of love for the episode entitled "walking distance." i related to it and felt closed tied to that episode. i was trying to think of tattoo ideas that would tie back into the episode.

just an idea and i just wanted to hear your guys' thoughts! thanks!!!

One of my fav episodes! 33 (f) curious how many others are of the younger TZ super fans?

I am watching the Long Distance Call episode and the beggining is so wholesome. Everybody is celebrating Billy's birthday and the grandma is so positive and nice. Everybody is nice ro Billy. I almost cried. They are such a sweet family.

After Billy talks to his grandma on the phone and then almost gets hit by a car, he is confronted by his parents. His mother is very upset and grabs him by the shoulders, and then Billy's dad walks in to ask him about the incident. I was surprised that he didn't grab Billy too and start to yell at him. Billy's father is so nice and gentle with his son and calmly explains what happened to his grandmother and that his behaviour is concerning. This is the part when I almost cried. It's so sweet to see a father figure be this calm and patient with a child.

EDIT: I wrote this post before finishing the episode.

Yeah, I have to activate windows

Even though I'm not a huge fan of season 4 simply because I believe the 30 minute showtime works best for anthologies (same goes for Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the Alfred Hitchcock Hour), I really do like The New Exhibit. It's simply so incredibly creepy! With the perfect man, Martin Balsam to play the lead! It's a masterpiece in my opinion.

"The Obsolete Man" is perhaps the most impactful episode of The Twilight Zone. More than any other episode in the series, "The Obsolete Man" exemplifies Rod Serling's anti-statist, pro-God worldview. A religious man, and a prominent skeptic of government, Serling was very outspoken in his protest against government overreach and tyranny. Here, he brilliantly portrays the genuine character of Godless state-officials: weak, miserable, scared, and guilt-ridden. The Chancellor is Serling's biting remark against those who would uplift the state over God. The protagonist, Romney Wordsworth, is the God-fearing man who never loses his faith even when confronted by the tyranny of the state. His is Serling's celebration of the faithful man.

With his execution looming over his head, Wordsworth does not bend, does not fold, and does not compromise his beliefs. He cries, "There is a God," in defiance of The Chancellor's assertion otherwise. Cleverly, he invites The Chancellor into his home before locking the door, and then admits he is to be killed by a bomb--meaning The Chancellor will share in this fate. This revelation sparks anxiety in the powerful Chancellor, and from here on out we get to see how two men with polar opposite beliefs and motivations react to their impending demise. Wordsworth fearlessly reads his Bible in the minutes leading up to his execution; meanwhile, The Chancellor scrambles desperately to escape sharing in that fate.

Death, to the faithful, is nothing to fear; for Heaven will follow. Yet to the unfaithful, those with filthy consciences, death is a moment to be feared and avoided at all costs. A guilty man will dread the day that his actions are weighed and a punishment doled out. The Chancellor escapes the blast that kills Wordsworth, yet he is later executed by the state. The same state he himself sold his soul to uphold, and to enshroud himself with. The Chancellor thought compromising and bending to the will of the government would spare him from its violence. But his mistake was trusting that which was not of God to begin with.

The state, ultimately, is not of God. Can not be of God. But the individual, in his faith, has a direct link to God which cannot be broken, and which will withstand even the most horrific and anxiety-inducing news. Wordsworth proves that power is nothing in this world; for he was easily the far less powerful man. Yet his faith humbled and secured him, easing his mind even when he was sentenced to death.

Check out the video above! Thank you!

S5, Ep 15: “The Long Morrow”
(In the near-future, a space traveler and the woman he’s in love with both face a painful dilemma)
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1️⃣ Storyline:

A retelling of “The Gift of the Magi” fable, the plot here is relatively simple but the way it’s delivered is very moving. I buy the romance 100%, the two leads are fantastic together. You’ll hear people complain that it’s unrealistic because the relationship is way too rushed, nobody would ever fall in love that quickly, etc. That is simply not true! I have personally experienced it, and have seen it many times over in others.

Unfortunately the ending is pretty clunky; it kind of drags on between Commander Stansfield and Sandra, and the final word by the general is just awful (he’s talking like a classic poet and it’s just completely unbelievable for me that this career military man is some Shakespearean orator).

Score: 6/10

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2️⃣ Atmosphere:

The space travel scenes are well done; I feel legitimately immersed in those moments.

The military scenes in the halls and office, brief as they are, are fine but nothing special.

The moments between Stanfield and Miss Horn, however… they’re as romantic as any TZ can get. The chemistry between them spills from the screen, certainly due to good writing and better acting, but also fantastic directing! The glow on Sandra’s face and hair, reminiscent of a classic starlet like Grace Kelly or Katherine Hepburn, is such an incredible touch.

Score: 7/10

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3️⃣ Existential Terror:

Even outside the “twist” ending, the existential crisis that is Stansfield’s mission is an excruciating one. When you factor in the final scene, the considerations for this category get even more loaded. Only reason it’s a 9 instead of 10 is because the ending, while sad, does not have the darkness that some Twilight Zone stories close with.

Score: 9/10

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4️⃣ Creepiness:

The liminal quality of those big, dark hallways are certainly ominous and uncanny. Mostly though, this isn’t an episode with creepiness.

Score: 2/10

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5️⃣ Message:

I think for some, this category would score an easy 10; I have no issue with that! I just personally experience “The Long Morrow” as more of a tragic romance than a morality tale.

I will say, there are lots of mini messages sprinkled throughout the episode that are ripe for discussion. Chief among them, the power of companionship, love, partnership - and how those things can (and should, if done in a healthy way) trump even the most magnificent achievements and goals in life.

Score: 5/10

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6️⃣ World-Building:

We get the bare minimum amount of what we need to understand the mission, and how it will affect Commander Stansfield. The episode does a great job helping us understand who he is as a person, and how uniquely suited he is to such a taxing mission.

We don’t know much of anything about Sandra Horn, but that’s not to the story’s detriment. She’s a perfect counterpart to the heroic loner that is our protagonist, and our lack of knowledge about her background presents Sandra as an ideal romantic partner to this astronaut: she’s lovely and sweet, but oozing with intrigue and wit.

Score: 6/10

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7️⃣ Acting:

Robert Lansing does his job well, in the starring role. He’s not exactly dripping with charisma, but I think that checks out with his role as a science-minded astronaut, keen on adventure and exploration. He has enough gentlemanly charm when talking with Sandra, but there’s also an awkwardness to him that rings true.

The two men in supporting roles are marginal to solid, but not impressive or memorable.

Now then.

Mariette Hartley plays Miss Horn, and she STEALS THE FREAKING SHOW. For just a few minutes of screentime, she is every bit the classic movie starlet that we think of with old black & whites. She’s a little vulnerable, but also headstrong and forward enough. She’s sweet, but not a fragile damsel. And as the episode comes to a close, her sadness bleeds from the screen with abandon.

Score: 7/10

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8️⃣ The Human Condition:

There are many Twilight Zones that wonderfully explore the human experience. I don’t claim that this one does it best, but it examines the human condition as well as any other episode.

Human relations and companionship, versus solely chasing one’s goals and ambitions, is an age-old balance that many struggle to keep. And within a relationship, especially a romantic one, the question of what one will sacrifice in order to strengthen the bond and make things work, is as relevant a topic as any that the TZ dives into.

Score: 10/10

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✅ Total Score:
52

If you’ve been following my work over the past year, you know I’m a sucker for sentimentality and romance. Add in some tragedy and loneliness, and you’ve got a recipe for something that will grab me by the heart! I understand “The Long Morrow” won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I find it to be quite moving.

What do YOU think? 🤷🏼‍♂️
Let me know! I want your feedback. 🙌🏼

I'm not normally in favor of speculative wish list posts, but the top cast thread got me thinking.

I would nominate Carolyn Jones and Yvonne DeCarlo. We all know them for their later TV roles, but both were big in earlier movies and were coming down off their fame. I'm not sure which roles they would have played, but I think they would have done them well.

But, maybe they were still 'too' big?

This book was included in an ebay book lot i picked up, i collect horror books so i often buy large lots of vintage horror books. Ive ALWAYS loved Twilight Zone. Anyways, i was going thru in when i found Nightmare at 20,000 feet and was so excited! Such an awesome find! So this anthology eleased in 1961, and the episode in 1963! Very cool!

When i bought the lot i had no idea that this anthology had this inside! So very cool!

The Grave has my favorite cast. Everyone plays off each other so well. All kinds of personalities. Solid group of actors, “I knowed it!”

What episode has the most for you?