The critique of the content of the show was written by my colleague Ben Belcher.
A few years ago, if you told me that Jordan Peele was going to be the lead creative officer and narrator of a Twilight Zone reboot, I would’ve laughed in your face and asked what Key and Peele skit you were talking about. However, with the incredible success of his thriller Get Out, Peele identified himself as more than just a funny man and has run with it to some incredible places.
The second, and sadly final, season of his reimagining of the anthology series The Twilight Zone is a fascinating exploration of the human psyche. Just like its predecessor, each episode is its own contained story; each posing its own unique mystery or moral conundrum for its unfortunate protagonist. Now let’s get into it, shall we?
Season 2 kicks off with “Meet in the Middle,” wherein a lonely man starts to hear the voice of a woman in his head leading to disastrous consequences. Jimmi Simpson plays our beleaguered lead through this tale of twists and turns, and it is spectacular. Simpson’s range is on full display here, and it is a real treat.
Episode 2, “Downtime,” follows Morena Baccarin as Michelle, who after being promoted to hotel manager where she works is put through the ringer on whether her life is real or a simulation. Baccarin is great, but this was hardly the highlight of the season.
Episode 3, “The Who of You,” is one such highlight. We follow Harry Pine, a struggling actor turned bank robber, who is suddenly given the power to swap bodies with anyone he meets eyes with. Ethan Embry and Daniel Sunjata both put on stellar performances in this episode, and it is magical to watch them seamlessly transition from one character to another.
Episode 4, “Ovation,” is all about fame and its effects. Jurnee Smollett, as Jasmine, gives a good performance, but the story overall is less original than others and doesn’t really stand out amongst some of the series’ better episodes.
Episode 5, “Among the Untrodden,” was a particularly unique episode. The episode follows transfer student Irene, played by Sophia Macy, and Madison, played by Abbie Hern, during a tumultuous science fair. Madison and her popular clique quickly take the Mean Girls approach with Irene, but roles start to reverse and lead to quite an unexpected finish.
Episode 6, “8,” is one of the weirder episodes of the season focusing on a team of scientists that discover a new and highly intelligent species of octopus-like creatures. This episode has some great drama, and I love me a weird monster. Also, Joel McHale is a treat every time.
Episode 7, “A Human Face,” has another of my favorite actors, Christopher Meloni, so I may be a bit biased. Meloni’s Robert and his wife (Jenna Elfman) are grieving parents who are in the process of moving when a strange being appears in the form of their recently dead son. This was a very emotionally heavy episode, and definitely worth a look.
Episode 8, “A Small Town,” does my favorite thing that this series does and reuses classic Twilight Zone props or premises to tell a unique and interesting story. Damon Wayans Jr. is Jason Grant, a church handyman who discovers a scale model of his town in the basement. He learns that everything he does to fix the model directly correlates to the town as well, but Mayor Conley (David Krumholtz) keeps taking all the credit. A quintessential Twilight Zone episode.
Episode 9, “Try, Try,” is a terrifying play on the premise of Groundhog Day. Marc Wheeler (Topher Grace) is a man seemingly trapped in an endless time loop. Sounds fun right? He manages to marvel Claudia King (Kylie Bunbury) until she realizes what’s going on. This was quite possibly my favorite episode of the season, and I cannot recommend it enough.
The tenth and final episode, “You Might Also Like,” sees housewife Janet Warren (Gretchen Mol) as she looks forward to acquiring a new device that alleges it can “…make everything ok again forever,” while also experiencing unexpected blackouts of time. There’s a nice nod to the classic episode “To Serve Man” that I won’t spoil for hardcore fans. I wouldn’t have ended the season on this particular episode, but that’s just me.
To make an already long story short, The Twilight Zone is able to entertain its audience while also making them question their realities and relationships. It’s been very good at it for a very long time. I’m sad to see this iteration go, but hopefully we’ll see more of Rod Serling’s classic in the near future.
Video Quality
The Twilight Zone comes to DVD with 10 episodes over 3 discs, which offers a fair amount of room to avoid compression issues. Due to the limitations of the format, these episodes are not going to look as good as they do in high definition, but the presentation is top notch within the DVD format. Even without the added definition, this is still a sleek show with fine details easily visible. Skin tones look natural, and close ups look quite good. Black levels are a little more problematic here, as nighttime scenes lose some of the outlines of objects within the shot. Colors are rendered favorably, and there is a whisper of texture in the clothing. The first season was provided a Blu-Ray release that was available at retail, but the second season Blu-Ray went to manufacture-on-demand, which means it was not available for review. If you are a fan of the show, you are going to want to spring for the HD version on Blu-Ray.
Audio Quality
This DVD comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that sounds good for the format. Dialogue is rendered clearly with a focus in the center channel. Sound effects and the ominous score never overpower the dialogue causing lost information. The rear speakers create a dynamic atmosphere as the multitude of settings and environments envelop you at all of the appropriate times. The mix has a good sense of directionality so that nothing ever feels like it is coming from the wrong place. This track gives you what you would want from a modern science fiction show, as it executes all of the key elements perfectly.
Special Features
- Deleted and Extended Scenes: Six minutes of unused material is provided here mostly from the episodes “Ovation” and “Small Town.” Most of these moments are small and do not add up to much, and some shots feature unfinished effects work.
- Gag Reel: Four minutes of flubbed lines, ruined takes, goofing around and other humorous moments from the production of the season that provides some chuckles.
Final Thoughts
The Twilight Zone reboot from Jordan Peele is a little less consistent than the Rod Serling classic, but the same could be said of most shows. Taken as its own thing, the show delivers some really compelling stories with an inventive bent that provides some interesting food for thought. The familiar faces that pop up throughout the season are a welcome sight and help every episode impress to one degree or another. CBS Home Entertainment has provided a DVD set that will get the job done, but those who want the best quality will want to spring for the MOD Blu-Ray so you can see the show in the best quality possible. You at least owe yourself that. Recommended
The Twilight Zone: The Complete Second Season is currently available to purchase on DVD and MOD Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.
Disclaimer: CBS Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
