4.5/10 I find it appropriate that my last review of 2020 should be the final season of the original series of “The Twilight Zone”, since this is a year that feels like it came out of this series. Unfortunately for this season, I found it to be the weakest of all five seasons, all the more disappointing since it came after season four, which was the strongest season in this original series. I surmised after season four that due to America getting rocked with the devastating news of JFK’s assassination that this season might touch upon similar themes but after having watched this season, despite many episodes being relevant (even to today), the show ignored JFK’s assassination, most likely due to it being too soon and that cataclysmic event happening mid-season. When you also think of television in the early 1960s and what they were able to get away with and not able to get away with, I am sure studio executives at CBS would have been in an uproar if the show became too controversial in dealing with sensitive subject matter. While some episodes of this 36 episode fifth season do work well, I found that more than half of them were either forgettable, too cheesy, slow or haven’t aged very well. Each season has had its fair share of hits and misses but in looking at the overall majority, this was the first season where I felt that the majority of episodes fell under that “miss” category. Some of the lesser episodes this season include but are not limited to “You Drive”, “The Long Morrow”, “Night Call”, “From Anges – With Love”, “Sounds and Silences”, “Stopover in a Quiet Town”, “Come Wander with Me”, “The Bewitchin’ Pool”, etc. Some of the season’s best episodes include but are not limited to “Steel”, “The Old Man in the Cave”, “A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain”, “Ring-a-Ding Girl”, “Number 12 Looks Just Like You”, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, “The Jeopardy Room” and easily the best episode of the season and one of the best all time, “The Masks”. Many of the episodes not listed are very average, generic and not even worth mentioning. I started watching this series so I could make my way through the three previous iterations of “The Twilight Zone” as the fourth and newest version hosted by Jordan Peele is currently on the air. Although this original series had its ups and downs, peaking in season four and running out of steam in this rather weak final season, I am glad I got to step into the twilight zone and plan on watching and reviewing season one of the next iteration of “The Twilight Zone” from the 1980s. Let’s hope 2021 is less like an episode of this show and more like an episode of something much more light hearted and comical.
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