Stopover in a Quiet Town

A light episode, nonetheless well written by Earl Hamner Jr. Millie (Nancy Malone) and Bob (Barry Nelson) are New Yorkers who wake up in a strange place with no idea how they got there, having had a few drinks at a party the night before. They are lost - big time ,but the actors are at home at making this very enjoyable to watch. A guessing game of a plot has the town becoming more peculiar the more Millie and Bob see of it. If you enjoyed this, as I did, may I recommend the episode of The Outer Limits that starred Nancy Malone called 'Fun And Games'? (much more way out than this again). Nice to see her on the DVD extras praising the special qualities of TZ that are so much needed today.

There are shades of the first ever episode 'Where Is Everybody?' in this one (including a similar moment opening a car door).It would have made a good finale for the final season, as it is one of the highlights of the tail-end.

The message is don't drink and drive. This is, in effect, the weirdest public information advertisement ever.

Yes when I think of the Twilight Zone tv show or even the generic phrase, this is the episode I think of, even though I may not have remembered where or when I actually first experienced it, or if it actually was a TZ episode. But it's so powerful it can't help but stick in your mind for ever. Even now knowing the outcome of this episode it still delivers a punch of mystery and suspense.

I also want to point out this is in season 5 and I do not agree that season 5 was a bad season, in fact some of the most powerful episodes occurred in season 5. I know because I've been watching them! All seasons are brilliant all have a few misses too.

One more thing this episode has absolutely nothing to do with drink driving or alcohol!

This episode is very representative of the entire run of The Twilight Zone series in many ways: the creepy sounds, misplaced reality, ignorant participants, all the elements that make it a classic Zone story. This is from the days when imagination and writing were primary and props and special effects were secondary or non-existent. The characters really had to tell the story, even pad it now and then, as in this story, because the story itself could've been done in half the time (you'll see what I mean when you watch it). Over all it may not be the BEST episode in the series, but a very memorable, none the less. I saw this episode some 40+ years ago. It is still the ONE episode that I think of when I see or hear mention of The Twilight Zone.

I have always liked this one . I didn't guess the ending the first time ( although my brother did the first time he watched it !) .

I do think it loses a little something after repeated viewings but it's still one I like.

The nightmarish aspect of it adds to the feel of the episode and the spookiness but it's also it's hope . The thing is if Bob and Millie had been dreaming they would be a lot better off! The Twilight Zone was always good at dream or dream like episodes or scenes. The episode also plays in something else we all need - other humans even when we would prefer to interact with fewer people it's ultimately what we need. It doesn't matter if you are not sociable by nature or are shy. It doesn't matter if we have someone else to depend on . This episode to me has that deeper meaning that isolation even desired has it limits. It's another theme The Twilight addressed regularly.

Well, for whatever its worth, I liked it. A book I have on the Zone rated this one very poorly. It seems like many of the 5th season episodes suffer from bad reviews, at least partly out of suspicion that the show was out of gas with fresh ideas. True enough, this one is probably too reminiscent of "Where is Everybody" from season 1.

Still, I feel this one is completely emblematic of the show's core entertainment values ... suspense, fish out of water characters, distorted realities, a surprising twist, etc. One of the common critiques about this one is the "unlikability" of the characters. They certainly have a short emotional band width here ranging from whiny to grouchy to hysterical. Then again, who wouldn't ? Hung over and with no footing in reality ... can you blame them ?

To me, though, their unlikability is part of the show ... they appear to be your typical no-kids-yet, self-interested, self-obsessed, urban (yuppie equivalent of the time) couple. Not liking them means we are more likely to be entertained by, than be saddened by their likely fate in some alien child's toy chest.

It's a good story. OK, it's not one of the best, but, because it checks most of the boxes for Zone entertainment criteria, I find it very entertaining and will stop what I'm doing to watch it, despite having seen it so many times.