The Twilight Zone episode that obtained a sequel from Longlegs director Oz Perkins

Can we belief the arrival of extraterrestrials on Earth with seemingly altruistic intentions? Or is it a Computer virus ready for the correct second to ambush? That is the elemental query posed by “Serving Man”, thought-about as one of the most impactful episodes of Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone.” When this episode aired on CBS in 1962, Serling’s present had already established itself as an anthology sequence with quick, meandering episodes about supernatural or psychological phenomena arising from the titular Twilight Zone. The original “Twilight Zone” TV show is infused with each wealthy, compelling storytelling and a deep sense of nostalgia, and that mix is troublesome to recapture or replicate at present. Nevertheless, Jordan Peele took the initiative to take action along with his 2019 revival of “Twilight Zone,” which ran for 2 seasons and featured an intriguing episodic premise.

Peele’s method to the property was measured. Thematically, its model of “The Twilight Zone” was meant as a direct response to the problems we face at present, however its finest particular person episodes nonetheless felt related. Nevertheless, Peele additionally understood that it was inconceivable to divorce the revival from the legacy of the unique sequence, so he and his artistic colleagues actively paid homage to it. In consequence, the duvet included quite a few Easter eggs referencing traditional episodes of Serling’s “Twilight Zone,” and even went as far as to explicitly remake/pay homage to a very well-known episode with “Nightmare at 30,000 Ft.” This turned out to be a double-edged sword, as Peele’s ‘Twilight Zone’ cover proved controversial for the best way it combines nostalgic appreciation and impressed reinvention.

Along with reimagining the episodes, Peele’s “Twilight Zone” revival additionally featured a “To Serve Man” sequel helmed by none aside from writer-director Osgood Perkins (who is aware of a factor or two about development and upkeep of worry in tales coded by horror). ). However as a way to higher perceive Perkins’ subsequent episode, “You May Additionally Like,” we first want to speak a little bit extra about its predecessor.

Shairdressers for “To Serve Man” and its sequel, “You May Additionally Like,” to observe.

Serling’s opening narration for “To Serve Man” introduces the Kanamits, an alien race with beings over 9 toes tall and of unknown origin, who arrive on Earth throughout turbulent occasions. After the intervention of the United Nations, the Kanamit declare their benevolent intentions and categorical their need to resolve Earth’s meals and power crises by sharing the superior expertise developed by their species. Regardless of their preliminary wariness, the individuals and governments of the world start to chill out as soon as a ebook left behind by the aliens is deciphered as being titled “Serving Man”. Over time, the Kanamits terraform the Earth into huge pure expanses, clear up the world’s issues, and assist disband all army forces. Nevertheless, the phantasm of this utopia is shattered when the Kanamit’s true intentions are revealed in one of the best “Twilight Zone” twist endings of all time: “To Serve Man” will not be an altruistic manifesto, it’s in actuality a recipe ebook.

“To Serve Man” unfolds by the eyes of Michael Chambers (Lloyd Bochner), a cryptographer tasked with deciphering the ebook left by the Kanamits. Chambers represents a disturbing human impulse: laziness, mixed with the everlasting refusal to assume past egocentric needs. He’s horrible at his job (an knowledgeable at doing nothing whereas pretending to do quite a bit) and is extra obsessive about getting a ticket to the Kanamit dwelling planet for leisure functions. However by the point another person does their job for them and interprets the ebook, it is too late. Michael’s recklessness value humanity every little thing; Earth’s inhabitants will quickly turn into scrumptious little treats for an alien race that was basically fattening pigs earlier than the bloodbath.

The episode’s pun-based twist is of the identical selection as Hannibal Lecter’s well-known line “I am having an outdated good friend over for dinner,” though “Twilight Zone” makes it work by contrasting the Michael’s darkish and ironic future with the accompanying stress of imminence. twist. So how does Perkins reinterpret Kanamit’s story in a sequel that sees the return of those conniving creatures?

Perkins, who directed films like “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” and “Longlegs,” is aware of how you can benefit from the quiet anxieties that linger on the edges of human consciousness. In “You May Additionally Like”, this factor is current all through, the place Perkins focuses on the smug apathy displayed by the Kanamits within the authentic, bolstered by their (perceived) superiority over humanity. Nevertheless, the episode fully builds on the absurdist humor of Serling’s episode, going even additional with ironic product placements that spotlight humanity’s obsession with devices they do not want (however who thinks they’ll repair every little thing). Right here, a wealthy lady named Janet (Gretchen Mol) suspects one thing is improper after dropping time and having reminiscence blanks, and the arrival of a predicted egg heralds the Kanamits’ return to Earth.

Whereas “To Serve Man” focuses on the human race’s incapacity to anticipate its smash, “You May Additionally Like” satirizes rampant consumerism and the way it prevents the lots from recognizing essentially the most ethical pitfalls. blatant. The Kanamits from the unique episode used trickery to idiot the neatest individuals on Earth and performed the lengthy recreation to lure humanity right into a false sense of inaction. Subsequently, such elaborate planning will not be obligatory, because the Kanamits can merely reap the benefits of late-stage capitalism to realize their objectives. Simply introduce queen eggs as the subsequent most coveted product that can considerably enhance everybody’s life. The whys and wherefores do not matter when one thing so “life-changing” is 50% off.

The reception to Perkins’ method has been blended, and it’s admittedly a slightly alienating episode. Despite the fact that it was objectively a more sensible choice to not take a critical stance for a sequel to a traditional “Twilight Zone” episode, the ironic nature of the story feels profound. It was a possibility to delve deeper into the connection between senseless consumerism and shallowness, how “being blissful” is usually a meaningless efficiency for an viewers, and the way hobbies are continuously inspired. Who’re we taking part in for? For higher or worse, the episode gives no solutions. As an alternative, it merely ridicules our reliance on “The Egg,” which guarantees that every little thing is correct once more. After all, that is not the case.