Living Doll - Twilight Zone Episode REVIEW 

At first I disliked that Eric was a stepfather. Playing into the "evil stepparent" trope (even though those are mostly mothers) seemed to be merely censorship so they wouldn't have to illustrate how the 50s nuclear family can fail. But the infertility conflict was an interesting (if brief) exploration of a topic that is still somewhat taboo today and certainly back then even more so. I tend to dislike the Twilight Zone episodes that are pure morality tales, but Telly Savales brings enough to the role to make this a wholly engaging watch despite the black and white morals and the (nowadays) clichee storyline. Not one of my favorites, but still a solid episode

Anyone else pick up on the fact that both "Christie" and "Tina" are nicknames for Christina? Raises the question of whether Tina is the part of Christie that rebels against/hates her stepfather...

As a child of divorced parents, I used to put a lot of my issues growing up into the imaginative play of my toys. My Masters of the Universe action figures were often my comfort, even though I had a brother we sort’ve had an understanding that we didn’t talk about our issues, we just played with our toys to get out our frustrations with what was happening in the real world. I connect to the episodes message about toys taking on a lot of roles for children for that alone.

Tina is so sweet looking and isn't wielding a knife like Chucky. Somehow that makes her even more terrifying. I think the mother's reaction to the doll at the end of the episode is great, and Telly Savales performance on this is epic.

Miss June Foray's voice as Talking Tina still scares hell out of me

Okay, now this was my family's favorite episode of "The Twilight Zone"📺 Oh, I particularly enjoyed Telly savalas's performance as the dad.

I absolutely love this episode. The living doll trope is very common, but depending how it's handled, it can very scary and the Twilight Zone is no exception. Something that isn't human, but imitates to be is just unsettling.

The mother's name is Annabelle? How ironic.

The dill served as an alter ego for the daughter… that’s why it ended with “you better be nice to me.”

This makes me wonder how sales for Chatty Cathy were after the episode aired. Heck some of the talking dolls we have nowadays are creepy.

I kind of think of Talky Tina could be almost a protector to Christy, sensing how toxic the household (particularly her stepfather) was. I like the idea of dolls/toys in general being protectors of the children they're given to.

Tracy Stratford voiced Lucy in the 1965 Peanuts classic "a Charlie Brown Christmas"

Wow! I haven't seen this since I was very little. Don't mess with Talking Tina! Thanks for refreshing my memory. And thanks for the kind comments you've left on my channel. Have a great day my friend.

One of the best episodes - an absolute classic!

Another great review of another great episode! I really enjoy your breakdown of these man. I love how you mentioned this one could've been summed up in a mere sentence, but it was fun to hear you go through it. I like this particular spin on the evil doll story. Like you brought up with the Dexter analogy, she isn't straight up evil and that adds a nice element that we don't get in Chucky and the others. Plus, that was a pretty smart way for her to take the guy out as opposed to managing to get her hands on a knife and try shanking his calves or somethin 😅

The music score by Bernard Herrmann was written for two harps, celesta and bass clarinet.

Most of my favourite TZ episodes are the dark and creepy ones like this one. So much fun. Excellent video 💪.

This one...this one hits a little too close to home for me, thanks to my own junkie abusive asshole father. You're amazed they're talking about infertility while I'm amazed that they even MENTIONED domestic abuse (BIG no-no on TV of that era). And Tina frightens me. Yeah, she saved her human. But that warning to her mom...it makes me wonder if they've just traded one domestic tyrant for another.

My mom told me a fun story about how watching this episode for the first time with her three sisters. They were so scared by the episode that when they were sent to bed, Mom and her sisters grabbed all of their dolls, put them in the closet of one bedroom (two slept in one room and two slept in the other room) and all four of them slept in the other bedroom for two nights.

This is in point of fact my all time favorite Twilight Zone Episode.

I think you're right about the infertility topic in those days! They never actually came out and said either Barney or Betty Rubble were infertile - just that "they'd been trying unsuccessfully"!

Hokey Smokes, let's hear it for the great June Foray

Savalas had a diverse career before starting his acting profession. A deep and resonant voice, he co-starred in The Birdman of Alcatraz. Your observation on sleeping in separate beds? Networks had a ridiculously puritanical outlook on marriage. Dick Van Dyke and Laura slept in separate beds although wed. Sex and the inhibited morality of TV shows was eventually eased.

This episode would definately creep me out for sure!! Looks about the scariest you have reviewed to date - or at least the creepiest! Awesome review! :)

Savalas is a great actor, anything with him as going to be good, but I don't do well with creepy dolls, may be one I will probably never watch.. But sounds interesting enough.. Who knows 😬

I hated the way Erich treated his step-daughter Christy in this episode. Although I felt sorry for his predicament I just wish that he would've been nicer to her.

Great review, so detailed and spot on. Talking Tina is one scary looking doll.

My all-time favorite Twi-Zone episode!

Leeeeetttttssss goooooo! One of my all time favorite episodes that still gives me goosebumps to this day as a 24 year old man child

I remember when the Simpson’s parodied this and I didn’t actually see this until far later on. I really like they way they designed the doll. It’s unsettling but you’re hard pressed to say exactly WHY

The twin beds come courtesy of the prudish Hays Code.

HEEEE’S BACK! Anthony I was so excited when I saw this video on my feed and immediately clicked on it! I have never seen the Twilight Zone through and through but your analysis IS SPOT ON and so insightful! This is one of the more well known episodes and it’s truly terrifying. I was sweeping the floors and my wife’s like “turn that video off! It’s scaring me” lol great video my friend! Can’t wait for more!

Very nice breakdown mate 👌 👍 you explained this very well. Imagine getting a phone call from a doll you just threw away lol.. I'm sure I wouldn't just hand it back to my daughter great review mate hope you are safe 🤘 👍

Love the depth of the stories you go through with your videos. Great job!

This was the first Twilight Zone episode I ever saw. I found it creepy but enjoyable. It got me curious about the entire show

this is definitely creepy. But in a fun way, and I kind of root for Tina because she does away with Eric and in her own creepy way protects the daughter. And I wonder why she threatens the mom too. Just to cover her bases?

I just realized you could talk about the episode The New Exhibit.

Heyyyyy bro you always sharing great videos much love to u

I believe in these stories about dolls and this tina is a matter of fact they have Annabelle in Connecticut i forget where ill have to look it up 😆 u wont see me getting no dam doll 😂

Great review, this episode always creeped me out for some reason

Love this type of video man :D awesome channel!!

As great as I'm sure the episode is Anthony, I just enjoy hearing you break it down 😝 this fu*king Talking Tina is way scarier than Annabelle the doll! I would not want to mess with her! I'm also surprised they had that infertility twist, I wonder if that would've been taboo subject matter back in the day... I would think so! Another great break down Ant, always enjoy these 😄

Totally forgot about this episode. Thank you for the gripping reminder

I know Eric is humanized, but…I just can’t find myself feeling bad for him. Anyone who hurts their kids deserves whatever happens to them, in my opinion. “I’m not your daddy!” That’s right, you’re not! Ever heard the theory that Tina is like a split-off of Christie? Like Tina is doing what Christie wants to do? (Christie + Tina = Christina)

You really make me want to go give these episodes a watch myself. Nice review and breakdown, keep up the grind

That looks creepy but good

single beds were normal in 60s tv ricky/lucy rob/laura and a lot more

wow, good job my friend

I feel totally sorry for the Dad at the end and we see that Talky Tina will be equally mean to Annabelle now that the dad is dead.

Telly oh telly

Another classic TZ episode, you keep picking bangers! Good look into it, you definitely put some thought into your reviews Anthony.

Great episode very scary

Yet another great video!! Keep up the fantastic work mate! :)

I don't know if I can pick out an absolute favorite _TZ_ episode, but I can say there aren't any of them I love more than "Living Doll", and that's primarily due to the wonderful scenes of confrontation between Erich Streator and Talky Tins, especially the one that takes place in the dining room, which I think is genius dialogue. After he sticks a lit match close to the doll's face, causing it to react with a startled "Oh!", we get this choice exchange: *Erich* _So, you have feelings?_ *Tina* _Doesn't everything?_ *Erich* _Then, I can hurt you._ *Tina* _Not really, but I could hurt you._ *Erich* (chuckling with amusement) _Threats from a doll._ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6Z0bdJPvDaw.html&ab_channel=TheTwilightZone This is another of those episodes that lends itself to natural and supernatural interpretations. Of course, while I prefer the latter, I've heard a guy on a podcast who defended then naturalistic view to the point of denouncing the warning the doll gives to Annabelle at the end ("I'm Talky Tina, and you'd better be nice to me.") as weakening the episode by placing it firmly in the realm of the supernatural, and it does pretty much close off the possibility of other interpretations. My, bias aside, the other explanations have their merits and boil down to three: 1) Erich has a screw loose and is hallucinating the whole episode, 2) Christie is projecting her fears upon the doll (Rod's closing narration includes something that would support this to an extent -- "to a child caught in the middle of turmoil and conflict, a doll can become many things: friend, defender, guardian"), and 3) the one that resonates most with me is that Tina is sort of Annabelle's alter ego. While Annabelle isn't as overtly nasty as Erich, I regard much of her behavior as passive-aggressive and see Christie as the only true innocent in the household. And we get some of this from the very first scene. we see her instructing Christie to take the doll upstairs so her stepdad won't see it. Now, I know you said Erich Streator was making enough money that he could have afforded the doll, and that's no doubt true, but in the context of 1960s America there were cultural dynamics that have to be factored into the equation, foremost among them, the Great Depression, Telly Savalas was born in 1922, and we should presume Streator being more or less the same age. Many people who grew up during the Depression were taught to be frugal with their money, even if they were well off later in life. When Annabelle and Christie get home, we see Erich doing what looks like the household budget. He says the girl didn't need another doll, and from the substance of the exchange, it appears that this is something the couple had discussed in the past, and I get the sense that Erich wasn't saying Christie would never get another doll, but just not at the moment. Annabelle ignores his attempts to engage her in some sensible talk about the situation, repeatedly refusing to answer how much she paid for the doll. At one point, he even says "I thought we agreed...", but she cuts him off midsentence when it sounds as though he was going to remind her that she had agreed that they needed to tighten the purse strings for the moment. Later, when Annabelle defends the purchase by saying Tina would be "a good playmate for Christie," and Erich takes that to be a swipe at his manhood, I believe that despite her protestation to the contrary, I believe that even if it wasn't intended as a jab in that particular occasion, she's brought it up in myriad ways to him, and he may not be entirely thin-skinned about the subject. While this wouldn't excuse Erich's boorish, even hateful behavior, it does mean Annabelle would be contributing to the mess with her attempts to undermine his authority with Christie and her discreet, ongoing mocking of his infertility (or impotence). She feigns love, but I think that's something that flew the coop in that marriage quite some time ago, and now only a shadow of it remains. Tina embodies this passive aggression quite well, her threats always come in the same sweet "I love you very much" voices as when she's talking to Christie, she takes all the abuse Erich can dish out in the wonderful scene in his workshop, and even when she kills, it's by allowing the victim to precipitate his own demise by stepping on he passively lying in wait. Telly Savalas is terrific as the malevolent Erich, yet the script is nuanced enough that it allows some glimpses of humanity to break through for his character from time to time. However, I think that the voice-acting of June Foray may even top Telly. Rather than the behavior of similar characters such as Willie in "The Dummy" and Chucky in _Child's Play,,_ there's nothing maniacal about Tina; she's cold and calculating, and all the scarier for it. I especially enjoy how Foray's voice work is always of a quiet tone as she always speaks with that lovable, friendly talking doll voice, even when threatening to commit murder. Also, Bernard Herrmann's eerie score adds greatly to the overall mood: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TPn0i44egCc.html I think in a battle with the other two sinister dolls just mentioned, Tina could prevail against either Willie or Chuckie, given that she's more or less indestructible and a ruthless and patient schemer as well. *5 out of 5 threats from a doll*

🖐️ dolls

Dolls, clowns = creepy!

Sir I am also a RU-vidr and I am your biggest fan

Not in my top 20, but I see its merits and know it's very popular with horror-fans. I have no qualm with your rating (4/5).

Loved the show!! Hey what is your name?

I love all twilight zones series...