sgodrich

This episode is about a man who refused to help someone based on the colour of his skin. Well, that's what it is supposed to be about. What it actually does is place someone (who is white) in a situation where a crazy seeming person (who is black) comes running breathless and screaming, banging against the window, even demanding he be allowed to get into the car. Naturally, the car owner drives off (totally startled and afraid) thinking they were about to be carjacked. Skin colour has nothing to do with this.

The episode then moves on to the car owner being turned into a black man and experiencing racism first hand.

This in itself would have made a great episode, the problem I have is that what originally happened WASN'T RACIST! For me, this led to the episode being based on a false premise and destroyed its credibility.

Twilight Zone is the brainchild of Rod Serling whose frustration with the censorship on television at the time forced him to create a fantasy show allowing him to express his ideas and beliefs in a way that the censors couldn't touch.

The show is famous both for its twist endings and its infamous theme music. Using top writers such as Charles Beaumont, George Clayton Johnson, Earl Hamner jr. as well as Serling himself, the viewer was treated to an episode set in a fictional world whether it be similar to the 'present day', the future or even another planet altogether. Stories varied in quality but were generally of a high standard leading to 2 Emmy awards and 2 Hugo awards.

The show itself has entered popular culture and has been resurrected twice, first in the 1980s and then again (less successfully) in 2003.

The show is also a popular staple having Halloween, Thanksgiving and new year marathons on the sci fi (syfy) channel.

This show is a masterpiece of television and can easily be traced as the pioneer in television that made you think. Highly recommended!