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The Original Twilight Zone is my favorite tv show of all time. I am a twilight zone fanatic so I personally feel obligated to do a review on the episode “The Obsolete Man “. I have seen all the episodes so I felt compelled to rank them and compare them to each other. I personally feel the obsolete man is a top 10 episode of the entire series. Although not heavily remembered in pop culture I truly believe the episode plays off the fears and ideas about fascism which make it not only a strong 20th-century piece but also one of the more thought-provoking episodes in the series. For this review, I decided to evaluate this episode by the following criteria. Did this episode have any impact on me? The Twilight Zone as a series has influenced and impacted tv in numerous ways so I decided to truly measure the episode I must see if it had an impact on me. I also asked the question was the episode an all-time great? Were the themes of the story significant and clear? For a good story, the message must be clear and recognizable so I felt that would be a good question to ask. I also asked questions about the production itself. Were the Camera shots and Actors appropriate? Did the actors give memorable a performance? I also evaluated aspects of the story itself. Were the Climax and Resolution good or bad? Did the resolution properly fulfill the needs of the watcher To begin the episode setting is somewhere in the future where it is a totalitarian society. The opening scene is a trial held for Romney Wordsworth (Burgess Meredith), his crime is being obsolete. He is considered obsolete due to the fact his occupation is a librarian but alas, there is no use for him due to the fact there are no books. Also noted The Chancellor (Fritz Weaver) who also is the judge of the trial decided that Wordsworth is obsolete due to his belief in god which has been disproven by the state some time ago. Wordsworth and the Chancellor banter back and forth as Wordsworth plead his case for god and his rights as a human being which does not exist in this world. However, despite the pleads they still declare him obsolete and his must choose his method of execution in 48 hours. To the chancellor's satisfaction, he chooses a televised execution. The next night, Wordsworth asks the Chancellor to his room before he dies. The Chancellor brags on and on and taunts Wordsworth about he is not facing the camera, he wants Wordsworth death to be an example for anyone who defies the state. They then talk about the humanity of the state and the beginning of fascism, for example, the chancellor talks about how Hitler and Stalin had the right idea but did not take it far enough. After the discussion, Chancellor tries to leave the room but the door is locked! Wordsworth tells him there is a bomb in here that will detonate at midnight. Wordsworth to pass the time reads the bible. The Chancellor pleads for someone to help him, but the State makes it so the person executed is alone, so unfortunately for the chancellor, no one can come to his rescue. Wordsworth also states that The State will not come rescue the chancellor because if they do Wordsworth will win and the cause embarrassment to the state. Time continues to pass and with one minute left, the Chancellor begs “in the name of God, someone please let me out!" and jerks on the door violently. Wordsworth obliges with a smug look and lets the chancellor out seconds later the bomb detonates, killing Wordsworth. The Chancellor is then brought to trial just like Wordsworth, only to find he has been replaced and deemed obsolete. Since he was a coward he is a disgrace to the state and so there is no use for him. The Chancellor begs and pleads his case but ultimately the jury suppresses his voice and proceeds to constrain him.… Expand
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