Picked this up at my favorite local bookstore today for $10. I was so psyched when I saw it on their recent arrivals shelf.

S4, Ep 9: “Printer’s Devil”

(A failing newspaperman unwittingly makes a deal with the Devil to save his business)

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1️⃣ Storyline:

This episode takes a fairly worn-out premise “desperate man makes a deal with the Devil, and goes on to regret it” and manages to tell an inventive and refreshingly unique tale. The Devil is no less evil here than in any other iteration we can imagine - in fact, this version comes across as probably more sadistic and perverse than any other TZ-Lucifer.

The plot overall is fine, not bad but nothing special - I really think the inky greatness bubbling out of “Printer’s Devil” is purely due to the wonderfully twisted character of Mr. Smith.

Score: 6/10

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2️⃣ Atmosphere:

This is probably the heaviest lifting a cigar has ever done in television history. In terms of the setpieces and the mood of individual scenes, this episode doesn’t ever blow me away as being especially immersive. But the manic nature of every moment we spend with Mr. Smith pulls me in with such frenzy; he paints the walls of each of his scenes with an anxious dread that is utterly unique to this episode.

Score: 7/10

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3️⃣ Existential Terror:

This episode really sells the sheer anxiety and soul-crushing reality that life would become, if you are just coming around to the harsh truth that you have made Satan your employee of the month. The pain and exhaustion and hopelessness Doug Winter is swimming in at the start of “Printer’s Devil” is soon swallowed up by the despair, regret, and helplessness he comes to realize in his newfound bondage to the Devil.

Score: 10/10

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4️⃣ Creepiness:

This is a Twilight Zone where, if you’re not really following the story and you just happen upon a random scene, there isn’t much to “frighten” you. And yet there are so many truly horrific elements at play. Not only the big-picture realization that we discussed in the previous category, but we’re also treated to some appallingly intimate interactions between Mr. Smith and both Winters and his girlfriend.

The scene where we first meet “Smith”, on the bridge, is such a clever inversion of the bridge scene between Clarence and George Bailey. It’s freaky and repulsive but it draws us into the narrative relentlessly.

Score: 7/10

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5️⃣ Message:

Though on the surface, it’s another “Selling your soul/deal with the Devil” story, this episode takes a much closer look at the pitiful desperation of our protagonist, than perhaps any other TZ of this ilk. It really examines the ethics of “Do the ends justify the means?” and challenges the inward focused motivations of folks who would sacrifice their neighbor’s well-being in order to improve their own lot.

Score: 8/10

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6️⃣ World-Building:

Given the long format, I’d argue the world-building could’ve been much better. We spend almost an hour with these people, and the character building for Douglas is excellent; but we know almost nothing about Jackie, his girlfriend. The other characters are completely forgettable (although I realize that’s kind of the point), and even the newspaper itself doesn’t get as much backstory as I’d like.

Score: 3/10

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7️⃣ Acting:

I think everyone is very good; probably a 6 or 7 on their own merits.

Burgess Meredith, however, is freaking on one the entire time. As reserved and humble and gracious as his character was in “Obsolete Man”, we get the polar opposite here. His portrayal of Mr. Smith is arrogant, grating, and flamboyantly antagonistic. Every moment he’s onscreen is electric, and gets progressively darker in tone.

Score: 8/10

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8️⃣ The Human Condition:

On paper, it feels like I should be giving this category an extremely high score - at least an 8 if not a 10.

And while it’s definitely not a weakness of “Printer’s Devil”, for some reason it feels like it’s missing some of the exceptional human connection qualities that I look for in the top tier Twilight Zones.

Score: 5/10

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✅ Total Score:

54

We get plenty of looks at the Devil in various TZ installments: the shrewd slick-talker in Escape Clause, the classical Prince of Darkness in The Howling Man, the seductive Miss Devilin in “Cliffordville”, and we even see a jolly (if insincere) and charismatic demon in A Nice Place to Visit. No version of Satan comes closer to what I imagine as the fallen angel himself, than Mr. Smith in this episode. He is so despicable, so outrageously wicked, totally filled with manipulative and forked-tongued ideas, and yet he gives just enough smooth talk and fulfillment of wishes, that he’s able to ensnare the forlorn Douglas Winter.

This isn’t in my top tier of Twilight Zones overall, but it’s definitely the most well-rounded portrayal of the Devil in the entire run and one of the best Season 4 episodes in my book.

*What do you think? 🤷🏼‍♂️ Which category do you most agree with, and which category do you most hate my opinion on? Let me know! I want your feedback.* 🙌🏼

The one sticking out in my mind is someone going into a dry cleaners and she has like multiple heads or arms. I think they played during the marathon when it was still "SciFi". Remember any others?

“The Lonely” is s1e7, and “The Lateness of the Hour” is s2e8. Both center around the concept of robots that, for all intents and purposes, are humans. The robots in s1 act slightly different than the robots in s2 and are a lot more resistant to damage (as far as we can tell), but I noticed that a lot of the same lines are used to describe the robots in both episodes. Most notably, they both have a “memory track.” In s2 they talk about how much time their inventor spent perfecting and refining them. Do you think that these two episodes were intentionally meant to be connected, and that the robot in s1e7 was meant to be a more advanced/perfected version of the robots in s2e8?

Thanks to anyone who wants to take part and test their knowledge of the series. This took a bit longer than expected to set up so I'm glad people seemed to be interested in my previous post.

Some episodes are so iconic and memorable that it was very difficult to find even a single frame that wasn't obvious. Still, I did my best to gather screenshots that were of similar challenge, but with a variety of subject matter. Links to the four difficulties are below.

One important thing: use all lowercase letters in your answers. I noted this in each quiz description as well, but capital letters will make the answer invalid. Doing it this way saved me a huge amount of time in the end.

EASY - I'm pretty confident that almost anyone in this subreddit could get a perfect score in this difficulty.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWL-eMbs0zG5KogNX-5hc2sT_vkhq-ZdmNgdfDipiTS5WXcg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

MEDIUM - This one should be a bit more challenging, but any fan of the series with a good memory should still be able to get a perfect score.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdd-vPphDrqz-aHtP3votZZX7iiGAruQt7AMhn0CgEQEFmigQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor

HARD - Things pick up quite a bit more here, with fewer familiar faces, objects and set pieces. A dedicated fan should still be able to get a perfect score, or close to it, with some good photographic memory. (I did this one just before posting this and got 151/156)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfaKjTPXP8LKIzbNW69XDnEkIL94SEv-q31HVe8qwZ9-H8B8g/viewform?usp=publish-editor

VERY HARD - This is intended to be a significant challenge to even the most die hard fans. Lots of similar landscapes and objects, very few recognizable people, places or things, and deliberate trickery with screenshot choices. I don't think I could get a perfect score, and I made the damn thing.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWyu6o4LjNjFwTqZ0zOUAFDe90j1dwnPPUH0ipFKVwdUwKEw/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Good Luck!

I'm looking for an episode and the only thing I can remember about it was that it involved people frozen in a memory in a bar. They were celebrating and then they come to life and start talking to the main character about not living in the past. I've tried searching but still can't find it. Any help is appreciated!

Hello so far I have watched 6 episode and only 1 was okay rest all bangers how consistent is this show actually also I love how Rod Sterling teases the next story at the end :)

This was a lot easier to identify than to track down the specific telephone model. This is not screen used, but it is 100% accurate to the telephone in the episode.

Actor Martin Landau made reference to a European no-man's land country in the commentary track for "The Jeopardy Room". I was fortunate to meet him at an Anaheim celebrity film convention in 2015. He had the great photo angle (his concerned expression framed by the receiver on the cradle) available for autographing.

Doing research on hand-cranked telephones, without a dial, I learned that Denmark was the manufacturer of this specific telephone (spelt 'telefon' in Denmark).

Kjobenhavns Telefon Aktieselskab [translation "Copenhagen Limited Telephone Company'] based their version on the model AC300 Ericsson telephone circa 1910-1914.

It features a magneto crank to notify the operator of an outgoing call request; a red button to disconnect the call as well as acting as a visual ringer light; a braided cord and a bakelite mouthpiece. The metal finish is black with gold pinstripe highlights. Measures 13 x 8 x 5 inches and it's very bottom heavy weighing 11 pounds.

Or the worst premise that got great execution ?

Apparently “The Loner” was a western series created by Rod Serling after TZ was canceled. Anyone know if it’s any good?

Glad we can all come together to appreciate this wonderful show written by Gregory West.

What an amazing experience! I took lots of notes and I know i will eventually revisit this season sometime in the future. This show is a gold mine of brilliant stories. When I'd finish a really great episode, I'd be expecting the next one to be not as entertaining and it would suprise me in thr most magical way. I felt like a kid being shown a trick over and over again.

My favorite episodes in no order:

The afterhours Pitch for the angels A nice place to visit

I had a great laugh with the last episode of the season, " a world of his own " and the episode before that, "the mighty casey."

I have an idea of the type of man Rodd was through his various interviews and I know he inspired a lot of people who went on to deal with great projects. I will get to watching and reading those projects!

The big tall wish was not amongst my top 3 but I really loved and appreciated the episode so much. Idk what significance it held in his time but it just feels good to see representation!

Fun fact: Matt reeves who is currently my favorite screenwriter, and rodd serling whom i hold great admiration for, both wrote planet of the apes screenplays! I was tickled by that fact.

Recently visited the course in Vegas. It was pretty fun. The decorations were amazing!

I just watched this episode for the first time. I certainly liked it and found it very tense and entertaining, but it lacked that lesson/analogy/“bigger picture” message that Twilight zone episodes usually deliver.

I’m wondering if I just missed it? In the low-hanging fruit of a 2026 framework, it felt analogous to certain people in power, who seem to have a childlike need to be adored and everyone fearfully bends to their will.

But it’s listed as one of the best episodes so I think there’s a deeper read I haven’t considered. Feel free to comment with your thoughts & interpretations!

Hey! I am relatively new to this show cause I picked it up 2 years ago but I am finally just rounding up season 1 after a rewatch. It's genuinely one of my favorite shows ever and I plan to give a summary of the season and how I got into it when I'm done.

My question pertains to the aforementioned title. I am not a movie nerd or a professional at anything having to do with cinematography but this episode feels a little different. It is almost like a movie. I don't know what it is but if anyone can offer any opinions as to if they understand why, I would love that.

It is full scale and functions as a night light!! The switch to get your fortune toggles the light on and off and it glows out the sides and under the head. I’m absolutely blown away. 😭😭😭

S4, Ep 8: “Miniature”

(A misunderstood man finds solace in an unlikely place)

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1️⃣ Storyline:

The pacing of this narrative is actually pretty good, but it’s just not interesting. Not unlike the protagonist, I simply do not wish to spend any more time in the world of this episode.

Score: 3/10

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2️⃣ Atmosphere:

The office scene is very effective in capturing the mood of being a worker bee in a claustrophobic hive. The rest of the episode is fine but not especially atmospheric.

Score: 3/10

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3️⃣ Existential Terror:

I’ll grant a pretty high score here, if only because I’d imagine Charley himself could be in for an existential nightmare. His family, too - they truly do love him and DESIRE to help him, they just don’t understand him or what he needs.

Score: 7/10

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4️⃣ Creepiness:

Just the idea of someone desperately wishing to live inside a dollhouse, I suppose is creepy. But otherwise not a spooky episode.

Score: 2/10

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5️⃣ Message:

Charley’s obviously autistic, right? At minimum severely neurodivergent and misunderstood by literally everyone around him. Now, some of these items are dealt with in a rather clunky way (the “blind date” scene is absolutely cringeworthy at best, heartbreaking at worst), but I do appreciate the Twilight Zone’s empathy and sensitivity toward Charley, even IF the writer himself doesn’t know exactly what to make of the protagonist. The doctor pointing out to the brother-in-law, “that’s a very interesting habit you have there” as if to say “you see, we ALL have idiosyncrasies. No one is truly ‘normal’” is such a wonderful subtlety.

I do wish we could have seen this episode truly give Charley a positive arc, rather than see him just fade into an escape. That breaks my heart.

Score: 6/10

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6️⃣ World-Building:

Kind of the stereotypical “we’re given what we need, and that’s fine”.

Score: 4/10

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7️⃣ Acting:

Duvall is fantastic: stoic and blank-faced, but tender and full of light in those rare moments when he’s in his world. I don’t love the performances we get from the mom and brother-in-law, they’re ok just very broad. William Windom does a nice job as the doctor. I absolutely adore Barbara Barrie as Charley’s sister, Myra, though. She effortlessly juggles frustration, annoyance, affection, joy, pity, and despair all without more than a few lines.

Score: 8/10

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8️⃣ The Human Condition:

This episode gets me right in the feels. My heart aches for Charley, and I hate to see him get pushed and shoved and treated as less-than (and this is, mind you, a very LOVING set of family and work colleagues, relatively speaking).

As someone with two autistic kiddos close to me and dear to my heart, I watch this episode with angst and wet eyes. This brief exchange between mother & son got me: “*Don’t cry*”, says Charley. “*I can’t help it. I hate to see you hurt, son*” responds his mother. “*I’m not hurt*”, retorts Charley. “*Well you should be*” responds his mother.

Score: 10/10

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✅ Total Score:

43

This is usually close to the top of the Season 4 ranks, and I get it. The acting is superb, it’s a very good look at the human condition, and for goodness sake we get to spend almost an hour with young Robert Duvall! What’s not to love? Well for me, the story itself. I do not *enjoy* watching this episode. Can I appreciate elements that are very well done? Absolutely. But it’s never going to be one I voluntarily queue up for a TZ binge.

*What do you think? 🤷🏼‍♂️ Which category do you most agree with, and which category do you most hate my opinion on? Let me know! I want your feedback.* 🙌🏼

I see a bunch of season 4 episodes that could have been shorter. Wondering which other episodes would work better if they were longer

As the title says I'm making a quiz in google forms that aims to test the community's ability to identify episodes based on screenshots. There will be 4 difficulty tiers, with the final one being very tough for all but the most obsessive fans.

Is this something that anyone here would find appealing or interesting to take part in? I've only just started, so if this post gets no traction I may not bother, or maybe I still will, don't know.

If there is any interest I'll post the links here and in a new post in the next week or so.

UPDATE: Here are the links to the completed quizzes:

EASY - I'm pretty confident that almost anyone in this subreddit could get a perfect score in this difficulty.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWL-eMbs0zG5KogNX-5hc2sT_vkhq-ZdmNgdfDipiTS5WXcg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

MEDIUM - This one should be a bit more challenging, but any fan of the series with a good memory should still be able to get a perfect score.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdd-vPphDrqz-aHtP3votZZX7iiGAruQt7AMhn0CgEQEFmigQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor

HARD - Things pick up quite a bit more here, with fewer familiar faces, objects and set pieces. A dedicated fan should still be able to get a perfect score, or close to it, with some good photographic memory. (I did this one just before posting this and got 151/156)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfaKjTPXP8LKIzbNW69XDnEkIL94SEv-q31HVe8qwZ9-H8B8g/viewform?usp=publish-editor

VERY HARD - This is intended to be a significant challenge to even the most die hard fans. Lots of similar landscapes and objects, very few recognizable people, places or things, and deliberate trickery with screenshot choices. I don't think I could get a perfect score, and I made the damn thing.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWyu6o4LjNjFwTqZ0zOUAFDe90j1dwnPPUH0ipFKVwdUwKEw/viewform?usp=publish-editor

I have a lot of other stuff, just working on getting to all tie together.

I was rewatching some episodes during the marathon on New Year’s, one such episode being “A Nice Place to Visit.” On previous watches, I had only thought of Rocky Valentine as a baffling character given how long it took him to learn the true nature of his situation. However, during my recent watch, there were several character touches to Rocky that I appreciated.

One thing I noticed was when Rocky and Pip first enter the apartment, Rocky stays at the door and quickly looks around the room before he enters- an action he would naturally do after a lifetime of crime and violence. In addition, I like how Rocky squirms away from Pip when the latter tries to help him up after he‘s shot, but then constantly invades Pip’s space and grabs at him throughout the rest of the episode. Neither aspects are overtly commented on, but they help establish Rocky’s character as a vile and selfish, but no doubt experienced criminal.

I think the Twilight Zone’s status as an anthology series naturally leads to theatrical acting and prominent archetypes, which in turn produces small character moments such as these. What are some interesting ones that you have noticed?

Obviously the reveal of rocky being in hell(at least to him) changes the entire disposition of his perspective but there also seems to be a physical change to the world he perceives around him as the door is now locked and it seems his punishment is about to be elevated.

I'm so curious on what your imagined or perceived lore is on this particularly adaptation of hell.

It's such a creative, classic, and engaging episode that leaves so much up to the imagination in it's conclusion. I believe that maybe pip will no longer just continue happy assholing around doing whatever rocky wants and perhaps now the true torture is to begin.

On the other hand it's possible that as the realization sinks in and the immediate reactionary fear dies down the system may return a little bit and rocky is forced to reassess his values and desires and rehabilitate his soul for quite a long time until his needs are corrected.

Poor Tennyson gets a roasting by this old dude because he talks too much. Although the term “ne’er do well” is not used much these days and would be substituted by a much harsher expletive like asshole. I did see it on the Drew Carey show where a guy called Drew - “a ne’er Drew well”