I actually have seen Carnival of Souls, which had a nice eerie feeling, but it wasn't quite as good.  Missing that essential quality I call Serling Silver.

I'm with you on The Hitchhiker.  That episode is suffused with fear in a way that few are.  "I believe you're going…*my* way?"

I'd put Person or Persons Unknown in the "genuinely unsettling" category of TZ episodes, along with And When the Sky Was Opened.  What else deserves mention in this regard?

Yes!  Yes!  I love Wages of Fear too, but I've been championing this one for years

I don't know how you mean that (text is difficult to read, tone-wise, as I'm sure you know better than me) but it sounds a bit condescending.  I, however, think Rod might me able to make something of us being the true monsters :)

I don't think there's anything remotely odd, let alone episode-destroying, about Serling's closing monologue in The Fugitive.  We're dealing with the land of not only aliens, but kings and queens and (by extension) betrothals, arranged marriages, etc.  And, of course, the fact that it was written in a time when our…

Agreed on Cavender is Coming.  Hands down the worst TZ episode.  If it gets higher than a D from our brave reviewers, I'll be astonished.

Are there any truly great comedic TZ episodes?  I'm a big fan of A Penny for Your Thoughts, but what's the next best after that?  Hocus Pocus and Frisbee has a few yukks, but it's not a stellar piece of television in my opinion.  Thoughts?

Love the Watership Down ending as well.  At the risk of sincerity, it's just so beautiful.  Also, if I want to make the tears come, the final scene of Au Revoir Les Enfants.  When the priest speaks the line of the film's title, and the Jewish boy turns back to give the Christian boy a fleeting wave, and then Louis…

Nice write-up.  Which I might just be saying because you spoke my thoughts far better than I could, but nevertheless.

God we have a terrible week coming up next week.  As for this week, I like Dead Man's Shoes more than Zach does.  It has a dark noir sensibility that's different from the average TZ.  If you're watching the marathon at New Year's, this one hits you like a breath of fresh air

I love how stark and desperate "Five Characters" is — the shadows, the music, the acting, etc.  As Zach mentioned, even Rod's closing monologue can't overcome the fact that this is a depressing episode.  It gives existentialism a good name

" I’d like to think that if God exists, slavery’s an institution he’d have no part of"

Though that would take away the power presented by the Dachau set

Yes my dear, [these writeups] are…wonderful!

Man I hope they talk about Z tomorrow.  Z and Battle of Algiers back to back..what an incredible double feature that would be

Oh man I'm fucking stoked for next week's episodes

No mention of his awesome turn at the end of Austin Chick's August?  That's like the definition of a notable Bowie cameo, even if the movie's a bit obscure.

Ahhhh The Mirror, an episode never to be filed under S for Subtle, either on earth or in…The Twilight Zone

Thank you for acknowledging The Passersby's direction!  There are some terrifically (word?) directed TZ episodes and they sometimes don't get acknowledged as such.  Don't get me wrong — I am more than happy to genuflect at the altar of Rod Serling, Matheson, et al — but where would the Passersby be, or hell where…