Past seasons averaged about 35 episodes while the show’s fourth season offered a mere 18. As a result, instead of a seasonal Top 10, I’ve decided to go with a Top 5. To be honest, this was a tougher list to put together simply because the longer format really hurt the quality of the episodes and, with fewer to choose from, offered little in the way of home run episodes the likes of To Serve Man, Time Enough at Last, or Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? All the same, I was able to put together a fairly strong Top 5. Honorable mention to Mute and In His Image that just failed to make the cut.
THESE were my Top 5 favorite episodes of The Twilight Zone’s fourth season…
5) Jess-Belle
I was expecting this one to be all sorts of hokey, but was pleasantly surprised. Minor logic bumps aside, it spins a compelling and ultimately tragic tale. Poor Jess-Belle!
4) On Thursday We Leave for Home
This was, I thought, a pretty strong entry that would have benefited from a more sympathetic approach to our doomed off-world leader.
3) The New Exhibit
This one is a wonderfully creepy episode with a fun final twist that sees our beleaguered protagonist joins the ranks of his beloved rogues gallery. Those off beat serial killers looked plenty menacing.
2) Death Ship
This one gets a top 5 nod on the basis of its killer sci-fi premise alone. A terrific episode that I really wish had remained ambiguous in its conclusion.
1 ) Miniature
Unlike previous seasons, there was no agonizing over the #1 spot in this ranking. A great script by Charles Beaumont (?), a fantastic performance by Robert Duvall, and a fantastic ending. This one was perfection.
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So, I’m curious – What do YOUR season 4 Top 5 episodes look like?
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