All 156 Episodes of The Twilight Zone Ranked

hello everyone my name is nathan welcome to hail this is a video that i've been so excited to make and i can't believe that i'm actually sitting down to talk about all 156 episodes of the twilight zone ranked nothing like this exists on youtube at least to my knowledge i haven't seen any other people do this and so i hope i don't disappoint you there's obviously a lot to talk about in this video and i don't want to waste too much time but i do want to throw out a few disclaimers before i start my ranking first off i won't be explaining the plot to each episode i mean i'm already talking about 156 episodes it's just going to take so much longer if i talk about the plot for each one i will say however that i'm going to provide at least one sentence review for each episode so every episode you'll at least know kind of my general thoughts about it whether it's a one sentence review or a few sentences as i get closer to my number one i will provide a little bit more of a review for each episode also i have obviously seen every episode of the twilight zone but i feel like it probably goes without saying that i've obviously seen some more than others and so there are some episodes on this list i've only seen once others i've seen countless times and so keep that in mind that's obviously very biased when it comes to how i rank these episodes also recently i reached out to my followers on instagram on twitter and you guys on youtube and i asked what your favorite twilight zone episode was i received over 300 answers and so there will be a bookmark section of this video where i share the top 25 most answered episodes for what your guys's favorite episodes were finally i do have to say this is all my opinion it's just solely based on how i feel with each episode i base my ranking on a few factors of the twilight zone and how i feel about each episode this includes the story the execution of the story the themes the performances from the actors the characters the ending as well as the cinematography and i'm sure there are more factors as to what makes it a great episode and what makes it an okay episode but for the most part those are the big things that i'm looking for in these episodes also i want to share a quick background as to how i discover the twilight zone why i love it so much and so if you already know my story you can just skip to number 156 i don't know if my story is that exciting but i'll just flat out say that i discovered the twilight zone from the tower of terror ride at california adventures in cal california got myself my bellhop hat right here that i really want to just wear for the rest of the video but it just doesn't i just don't have a hat head you know maybe it feels like a little bit more fitted anyways it was such a creepy eerie ride and it was only then that my parents told me oh yeah you know this is based on a tv show right for the longest time i thought that the tower of terror was an actual episode and i was really disappointed when i found out that it wasn't i found out about the sci-fi channels marathon that they do every new year's eve and new year's day and since then it's just become a tradition in our family where we'll just have it playing in the background whether we're sitting down and watching the episode or just letting it play in the background twilight zone is a big deal on our family we love the show i have grown to love it in the years since discovering it and it was only this last september that i finally finished the tv show so it was a 15-year journey and i could have finished it much sooner but i kind of liked prolonging it and always knowing that there are other episodes out there that exist that i still haven't seen however i have seen them all now and i love it it's my favorite tv show of all time and so you better believe i am stoked to talk about all 156 episodes so this first category of episodes i'm going to show are the ones that i don't think are that good i mean i still like them at least a little bit because they're the twilight zone but in my eyes these are the bad episodes and so let's just get started my least favorite episode number 156 mute its cheeziness really hurts it and the long season 4 run time does not help either i didn't like horus and therefore i don't like horace jr also season 4 runtime it's amusing watching poor elwood be controlled by agnes but it's also just really dumb next up we have a category of episodes which i just find decent or on my channel i say dece for short it's really dumb i know but anyways they're not awful but they're not good necessarily they're just like fine number 153 i dream of genie it's so average i mean we've seen the genie tale before and this one unfortunately just doesn't stand out amongst the others barley finchley is just super unlikable and the episode is really silly according to my knowledge there are six episodes of the twilight zone that were filmed on videotape i think it was and so it looks like it's a soap opera episode it the style looks very strange and in some ways it's a con to the episode but in others it works okay i guess but with static i wasn't a big fan of it grumpy ed hears radio shows from the past and if there's one thing this episode really touches on it's the love for nostalgia but it's also a bit forgettable and nothing too exciting theodore bequell has some serious am acting here which is a pro and a con but i do like the ending despite appreciating the sudden ending the episode soundtrack is just so bizarre and it gets old fast i'm sorry to the fans of this one it honestly just kind of gives me a headache this is jezebel's distant cousin john macgyver is just kind of an adorable actor in a really weird way but even that couldn't say this strange episode it's very over the top and just silly i'm not a big fan of shakespearean work even when it comes to the twilight zone however this episode still has some goofy moments with ridiculous sound effects and a fun performance from jack weston i love the opening with him just coming out of his coffin and shocking the town but the coolest thing to say about this episode is that i have this autographed card from sherry jackson it's legit i promise the chaser feels very predictable just don't force love it's just obvious its uniqueness to the twilight zone makes me love it and hate it like 60 40 relationship there it has a great message about being yourself but unfortunately it's not the most rewatchable episode mostly because it's just really goofy this is the lowest rated episode according to users scores on imdb i love me a good jack warden appearance but this is just super cheesy especially the sound effects of the pitches little susan is super annoying and the main character played by jackie cooper doesn't have me invested in his life i definitely prefer twilight zone's other doll episodes you can't help but appreciate what they did with the set design to make mickey rooney look larger than he actually is and speaking of mickey seeing him in the twilight zone is awesome but the episode just isn't the aging potion that ends on a satisfying note but in the long run does it when you realize who mom is and who the daughter is you can't help but feel just a little creeped out soldier spells in satan welcome to the twilight zone i feel bad for the professor like dude just let him work on his time machine i like the idea of leather jackets being invaders and they're all just hidden in our society but the episode is just cheesy with the telepathic powers and zoom ins warning we've got another soap opera episode it feels different from its soap opera filming and if anything stands out it's definitely it's sad ending the names uncle simon calls his knees are so overly done that it's kind of hilarious the masks used to look like archibald beechcroft are horrifying but also good on them if someone was yelling at me furiously in a black cape i'd run too a piano that forces you to tell the truth is both cruel but satisfying for fitzgerald's end i love seeing boxing in black and white and this episode is clever enough but it doesn't stand out in the long run miranda sings and great value it's a wonderful life what a sweet episode and it's very cool to see an african-american lead cast too it's just your good old-fashioned taste of your own medicine episode the ending is very clever and made me smile but everything else is just you know yeah a cool concept of whoever wears the shoes comes back as dane a man wanting to get even with a competitor this episode shows exactly what most people would want to do if they had man powers i really like the ending though it's satisfying and it's just kind of makes you smile a haunting in mother-in-law's house the monster looks really dumb but that kind of makes me like it more this is the first long episode that's actually engaging and has a good twist dear twilight zone have you ever heard of this movie called sunset boulevard you would be great friends gene carson's voice just really annoys me woman falls out of window man falls out of window he can't change the past buster i loved the eeriness and the foggy roads got another soap opera camera plus really cheesy acting but cool concept i really like the story to this one and hey hey look it's peter falk this is a more comedic episode which i'm not as big of a fan of but it's still a fun time okay now we're in the collection of episodes that i consider good so they're better than decent but they're not yet great the long morrow this is a sweet story that reminded me actually of the 2014 film interstellar but it's just nothing too amazing i love the way this episode is filmed with the mere reflection and two personalities elizabeth montgomery twilight zone woo i don't like the man a man brings the dead to life with the twist being he's a fake just earning money or is he the it's a wonderful life to twilight's own and what i mean by that is it's about a man who wakes up and no one knows who he is i don't like robert cummings acting having one's life transition to a movie scene is actually so scary and i think they do a good job at executing it old actor visits nostalgic life nothing too special here maybe on a revisit i'll like it more foggy nights and twilight zone are just such a great match am i right number 100 the grave this reminds me of a story i read in scary stories to tell in the dark which now that i think about it they probably got it from this show this is the first burgess meredith episode on this list and it's super goofy the martians and aliens from venus are so weird looking but i love seeing burgess meredith always it's cool seeing a female devil fun ghost story on the sea it just moved a little too slowly though like the rights of jeff myrtlebank i also have an autographed card from derek lewis hey guys it's me derek sorry renard is just such a tool that it's hard to like this episode as much it's a fun fortune teller concept though and the hit and run scene at the end is edited in a very funny way by today's standards i love this concept i mean a car salesman is forced to tell the truth in the long run it's a very minor episode but its justice is very welcome an episode about time that i actually enjoyed quite a bit there's nothing spectacular here just a solid twilight zone episode about fitz a man who can predict death i also liked the ending too this episode definitely changes your perspective on war and for that i think it's good immortality meets the twilight zone it's a fine episode but kind of forgettable thomas gomez is a big standout he's the best part of this whole episode too this episode goes from one main plot to a twist that changes the whole entire episode and for that i tip my hat it's good by season 4 standards it's a classic twilight zone episode of a man switching dimensions i mean doesn't that just scream twilight zone this is so goofy but it's also just so fun and i really like how the car takes him to the police station at the end i think it's humanly impossible to not like edwin he's such an adorable goofy old guy that makes me happy anytime i see him the episode doesn't quite compare to his other entrance in the twilight zone but his performance and presence still makes this one good the twilight zone is so amazing at creating a foreign story only to realize by the end that you're very familiar with the story probe 7 over and out is a perfect example of this and you'll have to watch to understand what i mean the cinematography feels weird in this episode it's another soap opera one but i love the eerieness in it and the ending scene always horrified me with a plane like for real a lot of people are scared to ride planes for various reasons of our history in the past and everything i don't want to go into that but the reason i'm always scared to ride a plane is because of what happens in this episode it has scared me since i was a kid and i still think about it every time i take off on a plane the funniest thing about this episode is people disagreeing with themselves in their head like for an example someone out loud says yes that's true and then in their head they're like that's not true no one does that it's just funny because everyone thinks the way one who reads minds would prefer they speak so they can understand it a man sells his soul in exchange for immortality and then of course he gets a life sentence in jail come on this is great twilight zone i like this one because of how it all connects together in the end the episode isn't too exciting but it has a great ending and a powerful conclusion for decker's character who is once a coward but dies a hero i love the execution of this episode it's the classic don't get too deep and a lie because eventually it'll catch up to you trope the final shot of the four faces is the most memorable thing for me from this episode uncle ben is in the house this is the best dummy episode from the twilight zone and the ending is honestly pretty unsettling this one offers a number of exciting moments though it has a slow start i love seeing the dinosaurs and the final conclusion of getting back to the future is an iconic twilight zone ending the town drunk given the role of hero i like the final showdown when the two characters realize they've both taken the potion i love the meta humor in this episode rod certainly is totally called out the best quote is when he says he's apparently in control of the twilight zone number 75 one more pallbearer joseph wiseman has a little bit too much ham acting for my taste however i still enjoy what this episode gives me alright my next pick is the most controversial ranking of this whole entire list please don't turn off the video after you see this number 74 to serve man i realize this is a fan favorite and the cookbook line is no doubt one of the greatest lines to come out of twilight zone but i just find the martians to be so cheesy i can't take them serious but i still do appreciate the episode because of twilight zone this has a fun little twist other than that it's a bit of a forgettable episode mr pip is definitely the best in this episode especially his mischievous laughing throughout and the ending is just iconic there is very good dramatic acting here alright we are now in this section of twilight zone episodes that i deem great the little people it may be a little cheesy by today's standards but twilight zone cheese has never bothered me unless we're talking about mew this episode has a lot to say about power and the dangers of letting it get to your head this is an episode i remember watching as a kid so it's a bit more special the plot is intriguing and the episode is actually pretty sad plus we get a great performance by jack warden nothing amazing here but still enjoyable the propeller scene is very intense the coolest thing about this episode is the idea that small towns like this actually exist and it makes you wonder what dark secrets each one holds i can't quite grasp the dislike for this episode it touches on so many christianic themes and the ending reveal of just what the gift is makes me like it even more robert duvall really makes this strange season 4 episode much better than it should be his performance makes me care for him and just want what's best for him too it's a little sappy but it's also just such a heartwarming story and plus it's an interesting one too it's just a great entry to the twilight zone where the whole episode you're wondering where they are and how they got there and how it's going to end i don't care what you say i like this one it's so funny to watch the character make up all his lies trust me i'm completely aware that this is among the goofiest episodes of the twilight zone but i just have such a fun time with it this was an unexpected surprise i really like the storyline of being two places at once and one version trying to save everyone this is one of the best episodes to come out of season four burgess meredith makes a great addition to the twilight zone devils and this episode is just a good time overall super sweet episode that has a happy ending which is always nice in the twilight zone a very clever idea that is both well executed and even a little creepy it's cool seeing roddy mcdowell and there's also a great twist here this is the twilight zone's interpretation of being damned the concept was incredibly clever however the execution was different than any other twilight zone episode it's mostly because it was actually created by the french and then purchased by rod serling to feature in the twilight zone although it's very unique it totally belongs in the catalogue of twilight zone episodes i really enjoy this one it's a really scary concept living in a world where everyone is alike it scares me just thinking about it this one will frustrate you but it also proves that history has to play its role it was still a fun episode to watch and i also liked how him going back in time still had a minor effect on the future he returns to this is one of my earliest exposures to the twilight zone the other side is so eerie and the camera angles play a role in making it that way back when the tower of terror was operational in california adventures i remember there being an easter egg for this episode while you waited in line there was actually a drawn out circle out of chalk and if you listen to the wall you could hear the little girl from this episode calling for her parents [Music] so cool and just another reason why i missed that ride i saw this episode for the first time in high school and was genuinely creeped out by it the idea that the devil can be stored away and released is the freakiest concept and the way this entire episode is put together makes it even scarier number 50 a passage for trumpet i love me a good jack klugman episode and although this ranks the lowest of his four entries there's still a lot to appreciate it's a heartwarming episode that goes from sad to great and there's also just something about the trumpet that makes it all even better it's a haunting jungle episode which is something i didn't know i needed from the twilight zone this episode is great at illustrating lack of faith and leadership it also has familiar faces including james coburn and john anderson if you look past the awful dubbing this episode holds a great story i love watching these kids escape to a new world in many ways it's like willoughby for kids plus it's awesome seeing mary battham since i love her as scout and to kill a mockingbird so much that i have this autographed card from her i promise this is the last autographed card i have call from the grave yes please you hate peter vollmer but at the same time you feel kind of bad for him i love the direction this episode takes especially the visit from a mysterious figure who uses peter as their pawn christmas plus the twilight zone is an equation that equals amazing i love the magic to this one at times it doesn't feel like the twilight zone but doesn't that almost make it more twilight zone if there's an episode that scared me before the howling man it was definitely the hitchhiker the idea of a ghost hitchhiker stalking this woman who's all alone was terrifying to a point where i had nightmares about this hitchhiker stalking me under any circumstances he looks like such a sweet guy but throw on the ghost hitchhiker label and he's the scariest guy i've ever seen starting with this next episode we are in the category of episodes that are just nearly perfect in my eyes the nine and three quarter episodes is what i call them you'll like this episode way better if you've seen a buster keaton silent film that was the case for me at least and it just made me really appreciate the silent film vibes plus it was neat hearing him speak i never heard that before jack clagman this is a season four episode that in my eyes deserves a longer run time and that's a rare situation so take the compliment it never feels too long for the story and the story is a good one it deals with themes of man's pride and reminiscence it has a twilight zone way of wrapping everything up and i can't wait to revisit it in the future this is an episode about true love and i'm just a hopeless romantic i love seeing these elderly people have the chance of going back to the good old days it has a very happy ending but it's also just a little sad there's not much i can say about this one if you've seen it you know it's a good one and plus the ending is just the epitome of twilight zone this is an amazing episode on so many levels it talks about man's best friend being loyal being tricked by the devil and humility that lies in heaven i loved it this one just has a classic twist and it really reminds me of i shot an arrow into the air however i don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it and so just go watch this episode when you have a chance i actually really like this season 5 episode it's twilight zone meets the escape room it has a satisfying ending and there are suspenseful moments throughout the whole run time seeing a young richard erdman is my favorite thing about this episode it's a season 5 episode so we all know the twilight zone very well at this point and for that reason the unfortunate ending is pretty predictable but i ain't complaining because it feels necessary though i do feel bad for the guy this one holds an amazing message about hatred and how contagious it is this is one of the many episodes that still apply to today maybe even more so than when it aired it's a mini horror story with little dialogue and an awesome twist ending i have no complaints i love that we get to see cliff robertson again the whole story of a man from the 1800s crossing a rim and landing in the 1900s it's so fascinating and also the moral of the whole story is just so heartwarming too this one has impressed me since the first time i saw it the twist was unexpected and the realization of the twist makes the episode that much more impactful this is another entry that just creeped me out when i was younger wax figures are creepy as is but when you throw in that they're wax figures of famous murderers it's horrifying the casting is all well done too from the wax figures to martin balsam but come on he's been good in anything i've seen him in this is my highest rated episode of season four and it definitely deserves to be this high on the all-time list james whitmore is so young and great here the episode reminds me of the man in the cave in the sense of a community following a leader based on faith but it excels with its story in twilight's own ending watching eric a dirtbag of a character be mocked and teased by a small doll is so amusing yes the episode is creepy on the surface but when i watch it i'm more entertained than anything else it's just so fun watching this battle between a man and a doll my favorite quote from this episode is it's because you're men and when there's men there's no peace not only my favorite quote from the episode one of my favorite quotes from all of twilight's own alright if you're still here let's take a little break and talk about your 25 favorite episodes from the tv show so some quick facts i threw in all i think it was like 317 answers i got into a pivot table on excel i found out that there were 94 single episodes mentioned and so that means there were roughly 60 episodes or so that just weren't mentioned at all however with those answers i compiled it into a top 25 list there are many episodes that are tied with the number of answers they got what i'll do is i'll include the episode title with how many people said it and you can just make up in your own mind where you would rank it but this is just how i'm ranking it based on my pivot table number 25 shadow play 24 the dummy 23 an occurrence at owl creek bridge 22 number 12 looks just like you 21 the midnight sun 20 the hitchhiker 19 22 number 18 the after hours 17 nightmare at 20 000 feet which honestly was very low either this would be like top five or maybe even number one sixteen nick of time fifteen five characters in search of an exit fourteen it's a good life thirteen night of the meek number twelve a game of pool number eleven walking distance 10 the howling man nine the obsolete man eight time enough at last seven will the real martian please stand up six to serve man five living doll four a stop at willoughby three the masks two ayah the beholder and number one with 16 answers the monsters are due on maple street to all who participated in answering that thank you so much i just love hearing your guys's thoughts on the twilight zone and on anything for that matter and so i'm really happy that you participated and i hope you agree with yourselves but let's continue on with my top 25 starting at number 25 these are the episodes that i deem just perfect i have no problems with them every time i watch them i love them or i get something new out of them they're just great in my mind number 25 shadow play being trapped in a reoccurring nightmare that's the nightmare that this episode is is so horrifying to think about but one detail i really like about this episode is how every nightmare that happens the roles are switched one night in the nightmare a character could be a jail mate another night that same person could be the judge it's just really well crafted and very scary too 24 the man in the bottle i just totally dig this one i mean it's predictable in the sense that the wishes will go wrong but i love what i got out of the episode there are creative consequences to each wish there's not any wishes where it happens and it's just kind of like a dumb wish a wish happens and then something bad happens out of it and you're like oh that was a clever little twist there i mean you know the twist is going to happen but the actual twist they give you is just satisfying and shocking and enjoyable i also really like luther adler and vivi janus as the couple who own the pawn shop for whatever reason i just really felt for them in this episode number 23 where is everybody this is the perfect starter to the twilight zone it really sets the tone for what to expect from the tv show i mean the entire episode you're wondering what is happening the ending has a twist of sorts and it just perfectly prepares you for what to expect for the next 155 episodes number 22 a game of pool this episode holds two great actors jack klugman and jonathan winters and it's just them playing pool but amidst the game there's a meaningful discussion about life and what it really means to be the best at something there's nothing too exciting that ever happens but sometimes dialogue and sweat is exciting enough plus i love the conversation in this episode about what it really means to be the best at something is it as good as it's cracked up to be number 21 it's just such a sweet episode and i love seeing the love a father has for his son the way that it's executed the way it all comes together the performances from jack klugman and even billy mummy are just really precious and you can't help but have a smile on your face by the end number 20 walking distance this is one of the first episodes i ever saw and i feel like that's a big reason that it's this high on the list i will say though that every time i rewatch it i just love the nostalgic feeling i get when i watch it it's fun following martin sloane as he visits his childhood city and really just gets a flood of memories and then there's a twist of things that happen and you'll just have to watch to see number 19 is a bit of a controversial pick it is the encounter this episode was banned for years because of the racial topics it addresses i personally saw it for the first time just a few months ago but i've already rewatched it since i really enjoyed the way it tackles these issues of race obviously race is a clear plot line and so of course it'll be brought up the twilight zone is so good at tackling these controversial issues and for whatever reason sticking two sweaty men who were affected by the war in an attic together for one afternoon was the best way to do this i love their performances from both george takai and neville brand i also love the dialogue that is delivered and the final moments of the episode including what happens with the door number 18 mirror image this is the epitome of the twilight zone where logic is thrown out the window i love how the twins if you will are almost evil always smiling and almost taunting the main characters especially when she's about to board the bus and you just see her other half smiling in her chair it's very eerie and the ending is awesome too number 17 is nick of time and this episode is just so fascinating there's nothing too exciting that ever happens there's no big twists or anything crazy like that but it's just a good watch seeing this young married couple get obsessed with this fortune teller number 16 nothing in the dark young robert redford is amazing this plotline is so intriguing to me an elderly woman constantly cheating death i mean so well that it's gotten to a point where she doesn't even leave the house when she's faced with deciding whether to help this young man dying in the snow it makes it all the more unsettling to watch i love the uncertainty with this episode and the ending number 15 will the real martian please stand up this is just a great whodunnit episode and i especially love the setting of it it's in a snowy remote area a bunch of strangers just simply trying to find out who amongst them is not from this planet number 14 it's a good life this is the highest rated billy mummy episode i have on this list he was in a few episodes but this is definitely my favorite with him i think what i like most about this episode other than the fact that the monster depicted is a little boy is that you get to see a first look at what it's like to live in fear 24 7. it's scary to think about these people's positions and how they have to live life with this monster of a child every day and just constantly pretend like they're happy and that they're there for him although inside they just want to kill this kid number 13 a stop at willoughby fat boy why don't you shut your mouth one of the best lines out of the twilight zone it's just such a symbolic episode that deals with wanting to get away from life i mentioned earlier that the bewitching pool is almost like a children's version of a stop at willoughby that's because both episodes deal with that theme of just wanting to escape your reality and be happy it's a really sweet episode but at the same time it's really depressing too and i just love the way it's executed and put together plus the final ending with two twists very satisfying and shocking number 12 the masks something that the twilight zone never fails to be good at is showing true human nature and the masks is perhaps one of the best ways to show human nature it puts new meaning to the definitions of beauty on the inside and beauty on the outside number 11 the shelter this is very similar to the monsters are due on maple street in the sense that it shows true human nature it doesn't affect me quite as much as maple street but man does it still pack a punch i love seeing the neighborhood go from kind and unified to absolutely in contention and carelessness this every man for himself attitude is what makes the shelter so great and the final monologue from the doctor at the end is just the icing on the cake alright guys we have made it my top 10 favorite episodes of the twilight zone starting off the list we have aya the beholder even after knowing the twist ending to this episode it's still such a fun time to watch can we all just appreciate all the work that goes into shielding the doctor's faces from view i mean even moving shots has their faces covered it's very impressive to me on top of this it's just creepy our main character is someone covered up in bandages for two thirds of the episode i remember being a kid and just feeling uneasy obviously this episode also has an amazing message and theme to it of beauty being decided by the beholder and plus i just love this line from it when doctor when will the bandages be taken off number nine nightmare at 20 000 feet nightmare is the classic boy who cried wolf story done in such a creative way the episode sets itself up perfectly by starring a character who has recently been released from mental health care he's been declared as cured yet still worries about riding a plane the stage is set and everything that happens after is just history this is definitely one of the most iconic episodes of all time and every time i revisit it i wonder if it will hold up and yeah it always does number eight goes to nightmare as a child it was one of the first twilight zone episodes i ever saw and even as a kid it really creeped me out i love the idea of a stranger appearing to you one day and just knowing all the facts about you but you have no idea how they know so much about you and this episode executes it so well number seven one for the angels i don't know if i can say this is the most heartwarming episode of the twilight zone wait until you see my number four but i can definitely say it's one of the most heartwarming episodes edwin is what makes this episode so great it's amusing and almost sort of adorable watching him try to cheat death in such a comedic way and by the time the episode finally ends you have such a big smile on your face and your heart is warmed and you're just so happy and i live for those kinds of things in the twilight zone number six five characters in search of an exit this just has the classic twilight zone twist in rod sterling opening monologue he says we will not end the nightmare we'll only explain it and man do they explain it this may very well be the episode that contains my favorite reveal my favorite twist however you want to describe it it's one of those stories you love the first time because of the mystery and arguably even better the second time and every other rewatch because you know the mystery there's not one bad performance but there is a great one and that's from murray matheson as the clown he definitely stands out to me but all the characters together are what makes this episode on a first watch you seriously are just so confused as to why all these characters are trapped together and i'm not spoiling it here but if you haven't seen this one watch it as soon as possible ladies and gentlemen my top five favorite episodes of the twilight zone number five death's head revisited this in my eyes is the most mature twilight zone episode though many episodes of the show give a nod to world war ii none put us in a concentration camp seeing this ex-nazi go insane is so satisfying and justified i love what the finale of this episode has to say too none of it's about revenge it's all about justice and the way those lines are delivered by joseph schildkraut excuse me if i'm pronouncing that wrong are just so powerful also i have to mention oscar beregi jr he gives an amazing performance as well as everyone who's in this episode but it's just such a haunting episode that feels way too ahead of its time for the twilight zone and that's what makes me love it so much number four the changing of the guard i saw this episode for the first time just about a year ago i just rewatched it a couple days ago and the fact that i'm talking about it amongst my top five favorite episodes of the twilight zone of all time in all my 15 years of watching the twilight zone that within itself shows how much i love this episode and how special it is to me i know i've mentioned other episodes compared to it's a wonderful life but this is the ultimate example what makes it's a wonderful life as good as it is is the theme of impact every person's life is important for the fact that if you removed it it would affect everything and everyone around you the changing of the guard uses the same theme but with a teacher and his students and yeah it's really good not just for its themes but also donald pleasant's outstanding and emotional performance and plus i absolutely love the christmas setting number three time enough at last burgess meredith's zany acting and fun character is such a joy to watch on screen this has a true twilight zone ending and it may even be the best one it's the same ending that traumatized my little sister from watching the twilight zone that's been referenced in countless pop culture items and it's the epitome of a cliffhanger it's really unfortunate too like you love this character the entire episode and then the ending happens and you're just really sad i can see why my little sister was so traumatized after watching this episode but for me it's just a perfect example of what twilight zone has to offer and if i'm ever showing people the twilight zone for the first time i feel like this is one of the first episodes i tell them to watch number two the monsters are due on maple street my favorite quote of this entire episode is we'll let them destroy themselves if you don't believe in perfect watch this i love everything from the opening monologue to the closing monologue i can't believe that such a perfect story can be told in just 25 minutes i mean it seems like a whole movie could be made out of this but then again that might tarnish what's so special about this one i already mentioned how incredible the twilight zone is at showing real accurate human nature and here it's painted in the small community of maple street when monsters are declared to be amongst the neighbors everyone's finger is pointing and no one can be trusted to see how fast a small community can turn against one another is what makes this episode as good as it is man is their own greatest enemy my favorite part of the entire episode is the final five minutes of havoc yelling close-up shots violence and anarchy then the reveal at the end is just the cherry on top and makes the story that much more satisfying and endearing and isn't it sad that 60 years later this episode feels just as applicable as the night it aired no battle is necessary for extraterrestrials just leave the people alone together and let them destroy themselves and my favorite episode of all time from the twilight zone is the obsolete man not only is the obsolete man my favorite episode of the entire tv show it's the first episode i ever saw i remember sitting down new year's eve and watching the twilight zone for the first time and it opened with the obsolete man now if you recall the episode opens with burgess meredith's character walking into a room where there's a courtroom setting there's people watching him a ginormous door and his shadow is just spread in front of him being the eight nine-year-old kid that i was i thought that this was going to be how every twilight zone episode began i thought that these people entered a room and that was what made them officially in the twilight zone obviously i found out by the second time i watched an episode that that wasn't the case but it's always stuck with me that in my mind that's how the twilight zone always began with these characters these people walking into this room and oh man now they're in the twilight zone the more i see it the more i love it it really is like fahrenheit 451 but even better you can take just about any quote from this episode and apply it to today it's that powerful and it's that rich in themes it's just timeless the camera angles are eerie we look down at the characters which establishes a sense of seniority on the contrary we look up at the characters as if they belittle us the symbolism is as present as ever the main character being a librarian named mr wordsworth that just says enough speaking of mr wordsworth i just love him i love his courage and i like to think about his life up to this point the life that he lived the life that he touched i love what he stands for he's so wise and confident burgess meredith gives a fantastic performance the moments with mr wordsworth and the chancellor shared in that room where he will be executed are so powerful in the best moments of the episode but it's also hard to identify a best part of the episode because i think the whole thing is the best part of the episode does that even make sense the whole thing is just perfect to me the ending is eerie too and yet it's super satisfying i've seen every episode of the twilight zone and the obsolete man without a doubt is my number one there you have it all 156 episodes of the twilight zone ranked i'm going to challenge you if you dare to comment your 156 episodes ring and if you don't i understand i realize that you're not all as crazy as i am at least give me your top 10. that gives me something to work with right if you want to see a more trimmed down version i do have top 10 episodes for each season out on my youtube channel in my twilight zone playlist however i will say that you won't see the same rankings in those videos as you did in this video because this is my up-to-date twilight zone ranking as of halloween 2021. by next week i could re-watch an episode and the ranking spot could change on the list if you haven't seen the twilight zone and you watch this whole entire video major props but also watch the twilight zone yes it was made in the 50s and the 60s but if you got anything from my video i hope that it was the show is timeless there's a reason so many people praise it the way they do because there are so many episodes in it that still apply to today it's just an absolutely perfect show my favorite of all time and i'm so excited to just keep on watching it thank you guys so much for watching have a great day and happy halloween [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: Maple Street Movies

Views: 55,146

Keywords: movie, review, ranking, movie ranking, nathan hale movies, the twilight zone, the obsolete man, nick of time, the hitch-hiker, to serve man, mirror image, five characters in search of an exit, rod serling, twilight zone ranked, top 10 episodes of the twilight zone, favorite twilight zone episodes, the twilight zone ranked, the monsters are due on maple street, eye of the beholder, william shatner, nightmare at 20000 feet

Id: zjDO2z7CvDk

Length: 35min 48sec (2148 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 31 2021

Reddit Comments

[u/[deleted]]

I will definitively give this video a watch.

Trying to do a ranking like this video would be so difficult as the only 2 positions I instantly would lock in are first and last place, everything in between would change repeatedly for me.

1 Death Ship

156 Once Upon a Time

[u/dr_franck]

Note: Video not mine. Just something I stumbled upon that I think folks here would like.

[u/Booth_Templeton]

I listened to it. Everyone's got their opinion. I wasn't aligned with his.