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First time I saw this episode I thought it was so unfair. Felt so bad for Beamis. The Twilight Zone usually had endings where bad people were punished. I thought Beamis was an innocent. so I though the ending was odd. As I got older I realized what the moral of the story was. It's a cautionary tale warning not to put other things above human interactions. Beamis has NO REACTION to the fact that BILLIONS of people are dead. A normal person would be overwhelmed with grief if only a fraction of the people they knew died suddenly. Remember 911? Beamis didn't care that 911 multiplied by millions had just happened because HE got to read. It is his complete lack of empathy for his fellow man that he is being punished for.
This is a really powerful analysis, @jacquelinecallejas1390. It's quite refreshing to hear your take because it is very odd that Beamis didn't react to the world around him. In our other video, grace also discussed how Beamis' wife, Helen, may not be the villain we all thought. She may have been broken from Henry's neglect and just fought back the only way she knew how. It doesn't make her actions right, but it gives you more perspective into her situation.
If Burgess Merideth is in it...... it is one of my favorite episodes. He was an amazing actor. His command of his voice was so subtle and yet profound.
This is one of my most favorite episodes of the Twilight Show. And I have never seen or heard a better break down of this particular episode. Well done! I thoroughly enjoyed!
grace couldn't agree with you more. It's so hard to pick a favorite TZ episode, but this is definitely in the top 3 for her. And THANK YOU for your kind words. You make the work that goes into these videos so worth it.
I don't know. I think you're reading (no pun intended) too much into it. Henry hates the world around him and uses books to escape. When everything is destroyed, he thinks he is finally able to do what he wanted. There is peace in the ruins. Then the glasses break and he becomes one with the destruction faced by the rest of society. The theme is you can't escape your world and even if you dislike it- you are still irreversibly linked to it. I think it is a criticism of meek people who can get so caught up in their own worlds that they think they are removed from big events of war, the House of un-American activities and the like. But the same world that gave him the problems in his life also gave him books and the glasses to read them. This meek character is a common one in Sterling's work as from 'A Stop at Willoughby': "He's been cannonaded this afternoon by all the enemies of his life. His insecurity has shelled him, his sensitivity has straddled him with humiliation, his deep-rooted disquiet about his own worth has zeroed in on him, landed on target, and blown him apart." They have various fates. From the man who becomes Santa Clause, the man who dies and finds heaven in a small town of his childhood, or breaks his glasses in a wasteland. Sterling is a straight up story teller using metaphor rather than symbolism.
Thanks so much, @dennisanderson3895! We recognize that this analysis isn't everyone's cup of tea, but we're thankful for viewers like you who are open to it.
Everything you point out is true and sort of obvious. The only part I cared about when I first saw this back in the 60's was the cruel twist of fate at the end. Most of the TZ shows were like this.
Thought provoking analysis…my favorite Burgess Meredith Twilight Zone character is Romney Wordsworth from The Obsolete Man where he was persecuted for reading too LOL…keep up the great content and work…liked and subscribed 🤙🏽
That is one of grace's favorite Twilight Zone episodes, and Burgess Meredith is amazing in it (and everything else he ever did). Thanks so much for your kind words and for taking a chance on us! We're grateful to have you!
His wife was a terrible person. Instead of divorcing a man who she didn't respect or love, she chose to stay in an unfulfilling marriage for the sole purpose of tormenting and belittling him. Just imagine how much time it took for her to scratch out every page of his poetry book. She should have used that time instead to find a good divorce lawyer.
My favorite was how to serve man. Great episode next to this one, but most things you are pointing out like the prison cell, warden, and Helen name are more of a stretch. I'm not saying it isn't interesting, but not much groundbreaking. But, great video, hope you have more
