You're traveling through another dimension, whatever that means.
A dimension not only of praise and criticism, but of mind.
You just crossed over...
...into The 1 Good & 1 Bad Zone!
Where is Everybody?
GOOD
I don't wanna spoil it because it's more satisfying to watch if you don't see it coming, so let's just say it's something involving a mirror.
BAD
Mike: I got 2 dollars and 85 cents, American money. Sure, American money. Well, we got that much settled. I'm an American.
Holding onto some American money does not prove you're American.
One for the Angels
GOOD
Death being depicted as a person is nothing new, but this episode has a unique new take on the concept. Instead of a scary Ghost of Christmas Future lookin' guy, he's like a a lawyer or businessman or something like that.
BAD
Mr. Bookman is way too nonchalant about everything that happens to him. He doesn't even have any reaction to a stranger somehow getting into his home while he was away.
Mr. Denton on Doomsday
GOOD
I tried to find something I liked about this episode, but I just couldn't. Sure, the actors give good performances and the cinematography is well done and all that, but I want it to be something specific to the episode. So, the good thing I'm gonna say is that the cowboy hats they wear are stylin'.
BAD
I do not like this episode. It is so boring!
The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine
GOOD
The main character, Barbara, has to learn that her life isn't the way she wants it to be anymore and she has to accept that things change. I like that message.
BAD
At the end of the last episode, Rod said that this one would be "shocking." I liked the episode, but I wouldn't say anything about it shocked me more than any other did. Maybe there's something about it that was shocking back then in 1959.
Walking Distance
GOOD
The first merry-go-round scene is so sad in a good way. Just like The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine, the message of letting the past be the past is great. I even almost cried a little while I watched Walking Distance.
BAD
But I'm not a fan of the way the episode tells that message. Not much is done to establish that Martin needs to learn it and I don't get how scaring his younger self teaches it to him.
Escape Clause
GOOD
Walter's a whiny jerk, but I like this one part.
Mr. Cooper: I don't know. I just don't understand you.
Walter: Mr. Cooper, please don't bother.
BAD
After Walter's wife Ethel falls off the roof of their apartment building and dies, he says...
Walter: Wonder what it felt like.
Jump then. You were going to, so why won't you now?
The Lonely
GOOD
The idea of prisoners being sentenced to complete isolation on an asteroid is an interesting one.
BAD
I do not think this episode is good and I have a lot to say about why, but I want to stick to only saying one bad thing per episode as often as possible.
After Alicia says "My name's Alicia. What's your name?" for the second time, there's this big dramatic sound effect you'd usually only hear after something serious and unfortunate happens. I don't get why it's there.
Time Enough at Last
GOOD
Despite what I said in the bad section down below, I still found this episode enjoyable to watch. Seeing Henry, who I found relatable during the part where he wants to share facts about characters he likes that he finds interesting, walk around the destroyed town thinking about how this is his life now is entertaining. I'll bet it's made even better if you go into this without knowing the plot because then the bomb drop and everything after it will take you by surprise.
BAD
It's never explained how much destruction the bomb did. Did it destroy just the one town? The whole country? The whole world? Unless it destroyed the whole world, which is very unlikely, there's no reason for him to act like he's the last man on Earth. He just needs to find a way to go somewhere that wasn't hit by the bomb and buy a new pair of glasses.
Perchance to Dream
GOOD
Coupled with the eerie music, the closing narration is great.
Rod: They say a dream takes only a second or so and yet in that second, a man can live a lifetime. He can suffer and die and who's to say which is the greater reality? The one we know or the one in dreams? Between heaven, the sky, the earth - in The Twilight Zone.
I really like the episode's ending in general, but I'd rather not go into detail so it can stay unspoiled.
BAD
Rod: They say a dream takes only a second or so, and yet in that second, a man can live a lifetime.
Nobody says that.
Judgment Night
GOOD
The scene where Carl says he knows something will happen at 1:15 makes it seems like he's using psychic powers to see the future, so I love how the twist ending is more creative than that.
BAD
Too bad that twist ending misses the point of itself. Carl's supposed to be punished by reliving the same event over and over for eternity. But by having his memory be wiped every time the time loop restarts, it results in him not feeling that eternity of punishment.
The episode wouldn't be nearly as good if he had his memory, but there's an easy solution to that. It could've been this is his first time reliving the event and his memory is gone for now, but it remains every time the loop starts over.
And When the Sky Was Opened
GOOD
The actor who played Clegg, Rod Taylor, absolutely nailed the role. This is exactly what a person losing his mind over his friend being erased from existence would be like.
BAD
When Clegg looks in the mirror, he's supposed to not have a reflection. However, you can still see a little bit of the actor's reflection in the mirror and it's not exactly hard not to notice. This breaks the illusion not just because you can see that little bit, but it lets you know that you shouldn't be able to see the rest of the reflection anyway.
What You Need
GOOD
This episode is about an old man giving people presents and it premiered on Christmas Day. Whether that was a coincidence or done on purpose, they went all out with it. Not only did they make it the twelfth episode, but the last episode ended with Rod holding presents while he talked about this one. As a massive fan of Christmas, I really like that they chose to do all this.
BAD
It's a ripoff of the It's Pony episode The Giving Chair.
...I'm just kidding. Here's the real bad thing.
Pedott: Coincidence, maybe. Or just good fortune.
This is a stupid line. The only difference between good fortune and a coincidence I can think of is that a coincidence doesn't have to be good. But he was talking about a good one, so that's no excuse.
The Four of Us Are Dying
GOOD
Arch: If this is the happiest day of your life, how come you look like somebody just stuck lemon juice in your beer?
I like that line.
BAD
Maggie: Oh, Johnny. I don't care if you are a ghost.
She says that while touching him.
Third from the Sun
GOOD
It's a small thing, but I like the design of the phone. It's the perfect balance of futuristic and what phones looked like back then. It even kind of has a modern day aesthetic to it. A lot of toys and kitchen appliances kind of look like it.
BAD
Will: Because this world as we know it won't exist much longer. It's about to blow itself up. And that may happen by morning.
Jody: Well, in the morning, where will we be?
That's all she has to say? Shouldn't she have a reaction to learning about the world blowing up instead of just asking what's gonna happen after?
I Shot an Arrow into the Air
GOOD
I like the music that plays during the montage of Corey leading the way to where he saw Pierson.
BAD
Rod: You scrabble up rock hills and feel hot sand underneath your feet.
No he doesn't. He's got boots on.
The Hitch-Hiker
GOOD
The twist comes completely out of nowhere and given very little detail, but I don't care. It's the kind of a twist I've always been a sucker for. I liked it in That '70s Show, I liked it in Friends, and I like it here in The Twilight Zone. That- That's a- One of these things is not like the other.
BAD
This is entirely my fault, but it still bothers me. The hitch-hiker looks like Inspector Gadget, so my brain often tricks me into thinking that's who I'm looking at when I see him. It really takes me out of the vibe the episode is supposed to have. It's like I'm watching a Halloween movie that swaps out Michael for Sonic the Hedgehog. Although, to be honest, I can guarantee I'd love that movie.
The Fever
GOOD
I paused the episode to stop and type that the bad thing about it is that it's so boring that I don't recommend you show it to someone who's addicted to gambling because it'll make them crave entertainment and go right back to gambling. I then watched the rest of the episode and the ending redeemed it.
BAD
When that guy tries to talk Franklin into playing the slot machine, you can see Franklin intentionally pushes the coin in. Since he's so anti-gambling that he yells at his wife about it, I don't buy that a pushy stranger would be able to convince him to put a coin in that easily. I feel it should've been Franklin tries to get the coin out but then pushes it in on accident.
The Last Flight
GOOD
I like the speech Flight Lt. Decker gives about how he's ashamed of himself for being a failure.
BAD
Flight Lt. Decker: It's a private joke, of course. Mac's a proud fellow. You know? He wouldn't like it if I bruited it about.
So then why did you reveal Mac's nickname and embarrassing secret completely unprompted?
The Purple Testament
GOOD
I like the effect they used to make people's faces glow.
BAD
Lt. Fitzgerald knows for a fact that Captain Phil Riker is going to die when he sees his face glow. So why does he bother telling him to stay behind as if his power lets him know what way people will die?
Elegy
GOOD
Mr. Wickwire: No, no. Not all of them. Just a select few. The others are imitations.
I'm all for the attention to detail here. When I was listening to Mr. Wickwire explain everything, I started thinking about how weird it would be if someone's choice was to be a person celebrating the new mayor's election or one of the losers of a beauty pageant. But since not all of the people are real, that issue gets resolved.
BAD
I don't like this episode. I wish I could explain to you the reason why, but I don't have one. I wish I did. I dislike it just because, unfortunately.
Mirror Image
GOOD
The part where Millicent is so shocked by what she's figured out that she doesn't move or say anything is so effectively creepy. It's made even better by the fact I wasn't sure if that's what was happening when I saw it. Knowing this show, it wouldn't have surprised me if it had turned out that something else was causing it.
BAD
When the police car arrives, it is way too bright outside for 2:30 in the morning, which is what time it's revealed to be shortly later in that same scene because the bag check guy says 7 AM is four and a half hours away.
The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
GOOD
I like the small detail of Pete's hammer revealing who he is when he's walking through the shadows.
BAD
I was going to say that the bad thing was that not enough time is spent letting us see what Maple Street was like before the power outage. It would've made for some great contrast. However, the episode can only be 25 minutes long and I know from experience that you sometimes can't let your audience see certain important plot points. If that's what caused them to write it this way, I completely understand. If it wasn't, that's fine too because it's not that big of a deal.
So, here's a different bad thing.
A World of Difference is right up my alley, so the bad thing about The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street is the fact it came before it. When doing a binge watch of the whole show, I'd rather not have to sit through an episode I don't particularly care for and make the wait for one of my favorites longer. That's not the episode's fault, but it's still something I don't like.
A World of Difference
GOOD
Just the whole thing.
BAD
Arthur: Of course there is! I work there! I've worked there for the last seven years!
It doesn't make any difference how many years he's worked there. All that matters is whether or not the company exists. And yes, that is a very pedantic thing for me to say. I'm sorry.
Long Live Walter Jameson
GOOD
Walter/Tommy: Nothing lasts forever. Thank God!
This great line adds quite a bit to what's already a really chilling ending.
BAD
This is of course just my personal preference, as well as the personal preference of anyone who agrees with me on it, but I would've made the old lady be Walter's daughter instead of his ex-wife. I think that would've been more interesting.
People Are Alike All Over
GOOD
There are Pac-Mans on the wall in the rocket ship. That couldn't possibly be intentional, which only makes me like it more.
BAD
When Sam's finger gets wet, without even looking for a towel or anything first, he dries it by wiping it on his head. Who does that?
Execution
GOOD
I really like the design of the time machine.
BAD
Paul calls Joe a cowboy at one point. Why? Joe is in fact a cowboy, but nothing about what he does in that scene gives off a cowboy vibe and the way he's dressed doesn't exactly scream "cowboy" either.
The Big Tall Wish
GOOD
Bolie: You stink, Thomas.
This line.
BAD
The title is stupid. A wish can't be tall. It isn't a physical object that you can measure the height of.
A Nice Place to Visit
GOOD
I'm impressed by the sets in this episode. Rocky's new home and the hall of records both look great.
BAD
Rocky: Now that's a tie.
The one Rocky picks out doesn't look much different than the one Mr. Pip suggested. Maybe I'd understand what he means if I could watch this show in color, but the fact it's in black and white just makes his "I have way better taste in ties than you" attitude seem bizarre.
Nightmare as a Child
GOOD
There's a thing in this episode that scared me. I'd tell you what it was, but I'm trying to keep this as spoiler free as possible.
BAD
So many things are very overexplained in this episode. And I don't just mean they spell it out for us too much. Some pieces of information are needlessly repeated. It's really annoying.
A Stop at Willoughby
GOOD
Rod: This is Gart Williams, age thirty-eight, a man protected by a suit of armor all held together by one bolt. Just a moment ago, someone removed the bolt, and Mr. Williams' protection fell away from him, and left him a naked target. He's been cannonaded this afternoon by all the enemies of his life. His insecurity has shelled him, his sensitivity has straddled him with humiliation, his deep-rooted disquiet about his own worth has zeroed in on him, landed on target, and blown him apart. Mr. Gart Williams, ad agency exec, who in just a moment, will move into the Twilight Zoneāin a desperate search for survival.
With this opening, there's no telling what the rest of the episode will be about. And yet, it still works perfectly for it. I like how they were able to make it so the viewers won't be able to tell what direction the episode is going in. That's probably nothing special, but this is the first episode of the show where it stood out to me.
BAD
Jane: You were just born too late. Because, you know, you're the kind of a guy that could be satisfied with a Summer afternoon or an ice wagon being drawn by a horse.
The thing about a horse makes it clear to me she's saying he likes old timey stuff. But enjoying the Summer is timeless. It's something anyone might do no matter how old they are or what time period they live in, so it doesn't support her claim that he was born too late.
The Chaser
GOOD
I do not like this episode, but I still prefer it over the short story its based off. After looking it up and reading it, I discovered its nothing more than the scene where Roger has a conversation with the professor (named Alan and the old man in the short story) about buying something from him. I mean no disrespect towards John Collier, the man who wrote it, but I don't think that scene on its own makes for a good complete story. It doesn't have any ending.
BAD
Professor A. Daemon said Leila would think she's in love with Roger for the rest of her life no matter what he does. So how come when he starts to get sick of her, Roger doesn't start yelling at her? Before she drinks the love potion, its clear he doesn't care about her feelings at all, so what made him learn to restrain himself?
A Passage for Trumpet
GOOD
All of the trumpet playing is great.
BAD
Too bad it's in a super boring episode.
Mr. Bevis
GOOD
Thank you, people who made the show. I am so glad they chose to change up the tone for this episode. Watching it made me so happy. If you know anyone who doesn't watch The Twilight Zone because they don't like horror, tell them about Mr. Bevis. I'll bet they'll like it if they're in the mood to watch something wholesome.
BAD
But on the other hand, there's probably some fans of the show out there who dislike Mr. Bevis for the same reasons I liked it. Anyone could easily find this episode stupid and cheesy.
The After Hours
GOOD
I was gonna say this episode is so well executed that I don't mind that I predicted its ending during the first scene, but it actually didn't end exactly the way I expected. That makes it even better!
BAD
Why does Marsha whine to the elevator guy about the thimble she bought being scratched and dented? Whether or not customers are happy with their purchases has nothing to do with his job. That's like going to a baseball game and yelling at the people selling fries when the umpire makes a bad call.
The Mighty Casey
GOOD
Speaking of baseball, Casey's pitching skills are so impressive that it gets reported on the front page of newspapers for Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Illinois even though he plays for a New Jersey team. I really don't buy that would happen in real life, so I think it's a pretty clever way to indicate how good he is, if that's what they intended.
BAD
Manager McGarry: Catch him for a while.
That makes no sense. He's gonna catch the baseballs Casey throws, not Casey himself. I hope that's not actually the terminology people use in baseball. It be almost as stupid as having the team Casey plays against in his first game be an NFL team.
A World of His Own
GOOD
Victoria: Gregory, would you please get that elephant out of my hall?
The fact that this question is a line in the episode.
BAD
Gregory said he was able to bring his characters to life because they've gotten a lot of development. They feel so real that they become actually real. However, we see him bring the elephant to life simply by describing that it's there in the house. A character doesn't feel real the moment you create one. It takes time and effort. That elephant shouldn't have appeared.
Anthony Staffenhagen, the creator of 1 Good & 1 Bad will tell you about the second season's good and bad things after this lack of words from our nonexistent sponsor.
