I think I was looking forward to Walter’s take on The Masks more than any other episode in Season Five. I can’t imagine a “Best Of” Twilight Zone list without this one in the Top Five!
I liked that they took time to show how respectful Jason is towards his servants, saving his contempt towards his self absorbed relatives. Also, Wilfred Jnr. And Paula can be seen comforting each other when they see their father's disfigured face
The doctor as well. It's clear from their interaction that they're old friends and when Jason snarks about the doc's "mediocre medical skills", the doc just smiles at it. They've clearly been bantering back and forth with each other like this for years.
I sometimes think Jason should've just left his fortune and property to his servants and the doctor. His family could inherit the masks. A little bit of a vindictive twist, but, quite honestly, I don't think they deserved any of the inheritence. Just the faces of their true selves.
I always appreciate storys that show people with hired help (maids,butlers,chef,etc) aren't always abusive authority figures that look down upon their help
Bit of an anecdote here, for a creative writing assignment in my high school, one kid submitted a story that was, by his own admission, heavily inspired by this episode. He didn’t get in trouble for plagiarism, though, because he changed enough details from the original like character names and dialogue, but especially the ending twist. You see, in his version, the masks were all identical, except Not-Jason’s mask had symbols drawn on it in white paint, while the other masks were in red paint. When the clock strikes midnight and the family unmask, they discover to their horror that they’ve all aged by decades, appearing gaunt, frail, and near death. But when Not-Jason unmasks, he’s 21 years old again. He explains to the family that this was all a voodoo ritual, that the wearer of the white mask would receive the youth of the wearers of the red masks. Not-Jason tells his family that since they intended to waste their lives on vanity, avarice and narcissism, he decided to steal their remaining years, believing he could make better use of them. The story ends with the now youthful Not-Jason cackling with sadistic glee as one by one his relatives die of old age.
When I first saw this episode, I actually thought that was how it was going to end; particularly when Jason told the doctor he'd see him the next day. Of course the line turned out to be a red herring, that meant he was acknowledging that the next time the doctor saw him, he'd be examining his corpse.
I experienced a kind of real life version of this. My Great Uncle passed away suddenly several years ago. He didn't leave a will and as a result I saw the true ugly side of my family. I saw my mother and her sister turn into greedy vultures trying to grab anything he had hurrying to sell the house, get his possessions, any money, anything they could get their mitts on while my sister, my other aunt (the youngest of the three) watched in horror. It made me so ashamed to be related to those two not to mention how cruel they were to my uncle's ex-wife. Although they were no longer married they had come to be friends but two psycho sisters were trying everything in their power not to let the woman have anything! This episode really hit home
The ending narration of this episode always stuck with me. “Mardi Gras incident, the dramatis personae being four people who came to celebrate and in a sense let themselves go. This they did with a vengeance. They now wear the faces of all that was inside them-and they'll wear them for the rest of their lives, sad lives now to be spent in shadow.” Chills. I love that.
@@mriddley Yep this is one of my favorits along with The Monsters are due on maple street and 5 charicters in search of an exit. Also Walking distence is also up there. :)
4:51- there is also a subtle nobility to the skull mask compared to the others. While the others are just warped distortions of humanity’s fleeting nature, his mask is the ultimate truth of the inevitable demise and humility in accepting that truth of death, which is beneath all the attempts of gaining wealth for the sake of small time hedonism.
This is one of my favorite episodes. I love the character drama and even the Mardi Gra backdrop. Every time I watch this, I catch an extra detail I didn't get, like how you can make out Foster's eyes more than his family's when he wears the mask. I think its too show how far the family has gone in their own evilness. Also, I like how Emily doesn't immediately start celebrating with the rest of the family when her father dies. If you look closely, before Wilfred pulls off his mask, she looks nervous and begins checking her father. Even though she is greedy, she still cares for her father in a way.
One of the best twist endings in TZ history. Jason got back at his greedy relatives in the most epic way, showing their true colours, and while they've inherited an estate, they're permentently disfigured.
Revenge is sometimes giving the target(s) what they want the most(here the wealth). . .and making sure they regret it for the rest their lives(the true faces being exposed to the rest of the world).
I don't think it's revenge, so much as atonement. He's dying, he doesn't need the vengeance because in the end it's what he's leaving behind, an avarice, apathetic,cruel,and pathetic group of (in my best obi wan) scum and villainy. He wants to make sure they have the red flag plastered on their new faces for the rest of the world.
Man I've been waiting for this episode. One of the best! Also worth mentioning is the great sound design. That eerie humming that plays when they take off their masks is perfect.
This has become one of my favorites. I like to think the reason Foster's face didn't change was because he had already accepted his truth, while the others were in denial
I saw the twist coming from a mile away, but I don't care too much. The episode was visually very impressive, and the acting and directing were on point. The masks looked great, and I was rooting for Jason to have the final laugh on his family the whole time. Solid episode!
I remember seeing this in middle school English class then probably SYFY but the first time gave me chills because of the twist was darker and twisted then any other TZ installment
Similar to Anne in "Spur of the Moment", it's implied that Emily was a far nicer person before she married Wilfred Snr, and that her decision broke her mother's heart, leading to Jason's disdain of the entire family.
After living in New Orleans for two years… I can safely say this episode captures the culture down there pretty well. The only thing missing is hurricane protection plan.
Also, while I'm not surprised to see it from a series from Rod Serling, it's nice not only to see two black characters, but ones who even though they're servants, they're not stereotypes like you saw all too often in the early 60s. They're smart and clearly have a good relationship with their employer (see how much more respectful and affectionate Jason is with them compared to his family).
Not only is Ida Lupino only person to both star in TZ episode and direct different TZ episode, but also her husband at the time Howard Duff starred in Season 1 episode World of Difference, making them only married couple to appear in separate episodes of the original series.
I would have preferred had Dr. Thorne and Jeffrey get Jason’s inheritance instead of the family. It would have been a bigger comeuppance after already getting disfigured
I like it the way it is. They get the money, but how could they ever show their faces in public ever again? They’d have to live in the house forever and have servants buy them stuff because they can’t show their messed up faces in public. It’s like, you got all the money, but you’re screwed anyway.
We read a short story this was based off in one of my English classes and then watched this in class! I loved it! It'll always have a soft spot in my heart.
I was wondering if there could have been an added twist if there was one kid who didn't become their mask. Like, if one of the children didn't care about the inheritance and only wanted to be with their father in his final hours, perhaps they would remove the mask early to prove they don't care about it, or wear it all the way but be shown over the course of the episode to be more empathetic and concerned for the father's comfort, so in the horrifying final reveal they take their mask off to find their face unchanged, like the father who kept his because he accepted his death with grace and dignity.
Or if there were one who seemed to actually take the father's criticisms to heart and realize they had been terrible. Show a bit of them trying to improve/change as the evening progresses. Then, as the father dies, actually be upset that he's gone instead of celebrating with the others. This episode has such an obvious twist that you almost have to expect a second layer to it that just isn't there. They put on masks that represent who they really are? Was anybody *not* expecting the twist to be the masks becoming permanent somehow? Either their faces were going to transform or the masks wouldn't come off. What other twist could there have been? Having one of the group get a different result would have been a great option.
@@ImminDragon Although it would make you wonder if the only non-deformed family member would try to stay and take care of their now deformed relatives, or leave. Maybe say the only-non deformed tries to stay with them butt hey are thrown away without a penny to their names, because the others are so self absorbed they think that child's genuine care is pity they don't want?
Or a family member who was physically unattractive but in character genuinely a nice person (bullied by the others perhaps) and the only one to see Jason as not a boost to their coffers. They have a beautiful mask and earn a beautiful face for their compassion. Granted, it wouldn’t be a subtle take on showing true nature on the outside.
@@jbcatz5 that one would make You wonder "Why wouldn't that person take off their mask if they are genuinely Nice?" My Only answer Is that the wear mask clause is that ALL OF THEM must keep it so the Only Nice one is pressured by the others too keep it Against their will
@@ianr.navahuber2195 Or it’s to humour Jason because the person genuinely likes him and sees this as one last thing for him. It’d contrast the others because Jason aside they’re only doing it for the inheritance. Jason has come to terms with his fate and embraces death, so what if someone else embraces the magic instead of putting up with it, rewarded for good karma instead of punished for bad?
The Masks is on of the best episodes of the Twilight Zone, and one of my favorite episodes of the show. Now their outsides reflect their insides forevermore!
One of my all time favorite TZ episodes. I'm sure Rod took great pleasure in writing this story. It speaks so well to worst in human behavior, something Rod was always commenting about throughout his writing life.
Ooooh excellent. This is an absolute fave! Fwiw, I think the bratty Wilfred Jr. hits it out of the park. They're all excellent but he's just... so... extra.
All the family are delightfully despicable in their own way, but I like Wilfred Sr. the best. As Walter says, his veneer of affability is so fucking fake it's laughable. To paraphrase Tywin Lannister, "Any man who needs to say he is affable is not affable." He's so blatantly chomping at the bit to get at his father-in-law's estate that he's like a vulture barely waiting for the intended carrion to expire. I believe there's one moment where he's looking at his father-in-law's bookshelves and you can tell he's thinking, "Ooooh, first editions, I can sell this for a bundle." Which Jason alludes to in his climatic rant, saying, "He FEELS books, he doesn't read them!"
@@mst3KGf Oh, that's true. I guess I like Wilfred Jr. the best because I was unfortunate enough to meet a real-life version of him. But I agree; they're all deliciously evil.
@@spikeoramathon The family may all be "caricatures " as Jason puts it, but there's all sorts of people like them in real life. Wilfred Jr. is a type we've probably met at some point in our childhoods in particular; the sort of kid who likes burning ants for kicks. The problem is, he never grew out of that casual cruelty.
A very good and memorable episode. I remember reading that it inspired Tim Burton when he created the characters of Lock, Shock and Barrel for The Nightmare Before Christmas. The episode also reminds me a little bit of the film Knives Out.
I consider this the last great episode of the original TZ. I especially like the portrayal of Jason; he's an ornery old guy, but he's honest, full of integrity and it's clear the way he interacts with the doctor is that the snarking between them is banter between old friends. His servants also think highly of him as well. It's only his leech relatives who get real contempt from him and for good reasons. I also have to think R.L. Stine had this episode in mind when he wrote "The Haunted Mask" for "Goosebumps."
My grandparents showed this to me as a kid and I didn’t wear a mask for a long time. To this day this one episode made me paranoid this out happen. Also, American horror stories referenced this episode and brought it all back to me.
A great episode. Fun Fact: The only actor to duplicate the feat of starring and directing Twilight Zone episodes was Lou Diamond Phillips. He starred in the 2002 episode "The Pool Guy," and directed "Into the Light." I love how in the end Wilfred Jr. And Paula are holding and comforting each other suggesting that maybe they will be better people for it.
Even if this skull mask is to represent Jasosn dying status, I can't help myself to see it as the Grim Reaper. It took the old man dying body as a vessel, to cast a spell on the guests.
Season 5 did give us this iconic episode and the heavily influential Terror at 20,000 feet. Like Jason himself the original series was on death’s door, but it still gave us many good episodes we would always remember.
This episode actually introduced me to the Twilight Zone! My teacher was a huge fan and decided to show it as a Halloween special! I’ve loved this episode and the series ever since!
❤❤ really great episode I remember them showing this on a Halloween marathon that's a really clever twist and that's probably makeup was very uncomfortable but very well done
