With Jordan Peele’s radical reimagining of the classic sci-fi anthology series The Twilight Zone heading back to CBS All Access for its sophomore season, it’s the perfect time to look back at the first 10 episodes and appreciate them in all their strange, surreal, and satirical wonder. From time-traveling video cameras to podcasts that tell the future, evil child presidents to mysterious funny men, we’re ranking every entry of The Twilight Zone reboot right here!
Vague spoilers follow for Season 1 of CBS All Access’ The Twilight Zone.
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10. “The Wunderkind”
Jacob Tremblay stars as a young kid who wants nothing more than to be president. Though his dream seems insurmountable, with the help of John Cho’s down and out campaign manager he makes it a reality. But this is The Twilight Zone so it’s far from a happy ending as the show warns about the dangers of following charming demagogues, even when they’re kids. A smart idea which has a message a little too on the nose at points, this is still a solid episode.
9. “Nightmare at 30,000 Feet”
Reinventing one of the most beloved episodes of The Twilight Zone was never going to be easy, and it works to an extent. Instead of the iconic gremlin on the wing, we get something far more contemporary, a podcast that tells the future of the very man listening to it. Although it’s definitely one of the simpler entries in this season conceptually, it’s very effective as a searingly scathing little takedown on the potential harm of true-crime podcast culture.
8. “The Blue Scorpion”
Chris O’Dowd ventures into The Twilight Zone as a man who espouses that he hates guns but falls in love with the one that his father used to kill himself. Strange, haunting, and sometimes a little abstract, this episode questions the fetishization of guns while offering Jeff an unexpected chance to potentially become a hero… but at what cost? O’Dowd is infinitely watchable here and although the final twist offers up a happy ending for Jeff, it leaves no easy answers for us as an audience.
7. “Blurryman”
The finale of the first season does an admirable job of creating a meta-take on storytelling and the creative process. When a young writer discovers a mysterious figure named the Blurry Man, she also realizes that she’s become the protagonist of the episode of The Twilight Zone that she’s writing. Swinging for the fences, there’s a lot of fun to be had here and a satisfying Easter egg-filled twist that will please fans of the new and classic series alike.
6. “Not All Men”
Tackling toxic masculinity and the idea of agency, this episode is a wild ride. Taissa Farmiga stars as a young woman who has to fight for her life against the men she loves when a meteor hits her town. There’s a big twist here though, one that highlights the nature of complicity and which might make some viewers uncomfortable, but it does work in favor of the episode.
5. “Point of Origin”
When Eve agrees to lie in order for her housekeeper’s son to attend a good school, it feels like the right thing to do. But she soon finds herself in the custody of a shady government agency that thinks Eve isn’t who she says she is… and they might be right. Although the twist might be easy to guess, this episode is a great example of the power of political sci-fi.
4. “Six Degrees of Freedom”
Heavily inspired by Alien in tone, this episode offers a little hope in the darkness. As a group of astronauts come to terms with a terrifying new status quo, they try to adapt and survive as best they can in the wilds of space. Harking back to some of the best classic Twilight Zone entries, “Six Degrees of Freedom” is all about finding humanity in the face of incomprehensible loss.
3. “The Comedian”
Kumail Nanjiani plays a down and out comedian who just can’t get a break. But that all changes when he meets Tracy Morgan’s mysterious funny man who promises to make his dreams come true. A smart and bleak twist on the Faustian bargain, Morgan shines here with a season-best performance, and Nanjiani proves once again that he’s a stellar leading man.
2. “A Traveler”
Steven Yeun is one of our best living actors and he proves that once again in this segment. In the small town of Iglaak, Alaska, local cop Yuka is driving her drunk brother to the station to cool down. It’s okay though, as he’ll soon be pardoned as part of the sheriff’s tradition. That is until Yeun’s traveler turns up begging to be chosen instead. Policing, celebrity, suspicion, and the concept of community are all put under the microscope here to great effect.
1. “Replay”
This timely and terrifying story centers on a mother who sees her son murdered by a racist cop and is given the chance to save him thanks to a magical video camera. Although she can rewind time she can’t seem to escape fate, making this a story about the power of changing our lives as it ponders whether anyone can truly alter their destiny. Scary, moving, and thought-provoking, this is a peak example of the power of The Twilight Zone.
What were your favorite episodes of the first season of the new Twilight Zone? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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Source: IGN.com Ranking Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone: Season 1