The Twilight Zone · On the air
Entering the Fifth Dimension
A fan podcast dedicated to the sci-fi classic, The Twilight Zone. Each month, two episodes explored around a shared theme, from the original Rod Serling stories to the Jordan Peele series.
With Darrell Darnell and Robert Beury
Episodes
Back to the Future
Is the line between one era and the next as thin as a single step, a single flash of light, and just as impossible to uncross?
Mistaken Identity
How securely anchored is your sense of self when the people who know you best suddenly refuse to recognize you?
Circular History
Is the past truly fixed, or is it merely waiting for someone brave enough to rewrite it? The Twilight Zone loved toying with the idea that time itself might bend for the right person, and few…
Love is in the Air
Can love be manufactured, and if it can, is it still love? Today we're diving into two classic Twilight Zone tales that ask whether desire, stripped of authenticity, is worth the price paid to get…
Time Travel Part 2
Can the past be changed, or are we forever prisoners of the moments that shaped us? Today we're diving into two classic Twilight Zone tales that wrestle with the tantalizing, terrifying idea of time…
Haunted and Hunted
Guilt has a way of finding you, no matter how far you run or how loudly you laugh it off. That is the dark thread binding our two episodes together this month, as we dig into a pair of Twilight Zone…
Pulling Back the Curtain
What happens when the monsters we fear most turn out to be the ones staring back at us in the mirror? In Four O'Clock , a fanatical man consumed by self-righteous rage believes he alone has the power…
Face the Truth
Can the truth be both our salvation and our damnation, depending on how desperately we need to escape ourselves?
Special Talents
What if getting exactly what you want is the moment everything starts to go wrong? Two Twilight Zone tales explore the seductive promise of beating the odds, only to reveal how quickly fortune…
Childhood Trauma
What happens when the mind becomes both prison and sanctuary, trapping us between terror and silence? "Nightmare as a Child" confronts a woman with her repressed memories when a mysterious little…
Risky Gambles
What happens when ordinary objects become instruments of our own destruction? Both "The Fever" and "A Most Unusual Camera" explore how material possessions can transform from sources of pleasure into…
Visions of the Future
What happens when ordinary people are granted extraordinary glimpses into the darkest corners of reality?
Aviation Anomalies
What happens when reality itself becomes unreliable, and the very fabric of existence begins to unravel before our eyes?
Call of the Sea
What mysteries lie beneath the waves, and can a journey across the sea bridge the gap between life and death?
Fountain of Youth
Can anyone truly outrun time itself, and what dark bargains might immortality demand? In "Long Live Walter Jameson," a history professor's uncanny knowledge of historical events draws suspicion from…
Face Off
What price would you pay to change your appearance, and what happens when the power to transform yourself becomes a curse?
Come to Life
When the lines are blurred between the animate and inanimate, suspenseful and thrilling things happen within the sandbox of the Twilight Zone.
Criminal Justice
The Twilight Zone can be a cruel adjudicator doling out ironic punishments to characters whose desires ultimately become their undoing.
Epitaphs
In the shadowy realm of the Twilight Zone, "Night Call" and "Mr. Garrity and the Graves" present haunting narratives where the boundary between life and death blurs with terrifying results.
Time Marches On
Time is a fun concept to explore and the Twilight Zone did plenty of playing in that sandbox. "A Kind of Stopwatch" follows the story of a man named McNulty who comes into possession of a stopwatch…
Quick Draw
This month we're heading to the old west! In "Mr. Denton on Doomsday," Al Denton is a former gunslinger, now a town drunk.
Mysterious Towns
This month we look at two episodes which share the common theme of time being unnaturally halted and the moral quandaries that such power presents.
Bygone Technology
The 16mm Shrine" and "Static" are Twilight Zone episodes thematically linked by the persistent pull of nostalgia.
I Told You So
The truth is out there, but do you recognize it when you hear it? "The Old Man in the Cave" is about a post-apocalyptic community guided by a mysterious old man in a cave who provides crucial advice…
Rise of the Machines
"A Thing About Machines" and "The Brain Center at Whipple's" each explore the tension between humans and technology.
As You Wish
"Mr. Bevis" and "The Man in the Bottle" from "The Twilight Zone" explore the pitfalls of wish fulfillment. "Mr. Bevis" features James B.W.
Wide World of Sports
Step into the ring with us this month as week take a look at two sports-themed episodes from The Twilight Zone. "The Mighty Casey" and "Steel" both explore themes of man vs.
The Great Escape
Themed around groups of people making an escape, this month we look at two iconic Twilight Zone episodes: "Third from the Sun" and "On Thursday We Leave for Home." Season One's "Third from the Sun"…
Civil War
Nothing is civil about war, and nothing is ever as it seems in The Twilight Zone. This month we take a look at two Civil War themed episodes, "The Passerby" from season 3 and "An Occurrence at Owl…
Mysterious Melodies
Music has the power to enchant, stir emotions, calm the spirit, and heal. This month we take a look at two episodes that use the power of music to explore the impact of music.
Dimensions in Space
Alternate dimensions and parallel worlds is not something The Twilight Zone was afraid to explore, and this month we take a look at two excellent examples of this type of storytelling.
Righteous Reciprocity
Rod Serling was no stranger to the atrocities of what Hitler's Nazi party did to Jews during the Holocaust.
Before They Were Famous Part 4
Many Hollywood legends spent time in The Twilight Zone, and this month we look at two of the largest legends in Hollywood history with Robert Redford and Dennis Hopper.
Close Encounters
The Twilight Zone is no stranger to close encounters between various aliens and humans. Sometimes those encounters are fun or silly, other times they reveal some of the darker realities of our…
Religious Connections
Over the course of the 5 season run of The Twilight Zone many episodes touched on religious themes. We've already looked at episodes like, "The Hunt," "The Obsolete Man," and "The Howling Man," for…
Do You Believe In Magic
It's been said that magic is just science that we don't understand yet. While we're not sure if that's a suitable explanation for the kinds of magic on display in this month's episodes, we certainly…
Before They Were Famous Part 3
Carol Burnett was recently honored on her 90th birthday for her lifetime of work in film and television.
Poetic Justice
Season 5 of The Twilight Zone brought us two episodes handing out poetic justice to the lead characters.
Am I Dreaming
"Perchance to Dream" follows the story of Edward Hall, who suffers from a recurring nightmare. He seeks help from a psychiatrist who helps him confront his fear.
Big Talkers
The world is full of big talkers, and not even the Twilight Zone can escape them. In season 2 Rod Serling wrote "The Silence" about two rich men who square off in an expensive bet, just so one of the…
Before They Were Famous Part 2
Hollywood legends Dennis Weaver and Robert Duvall each made trips into The Twilight Zone. In the season 2 episode, "Shadow Play," Dennis Weaver portrayed Adam Grant, a man stuck in a dream where he…
Mind Your Business
The power of the human mind is perhaps often underestimated, but it's certainly capable of much more once it enters the Twilight Zone.
For the Love of Machines
Are machines capable of love? Can they learn, adapt, conspire, or feel emotions? They definitely can in the Twilight Zone!
I See Dead People
Whether it's on the train to Willoughby or coming home from a 'coon hunt, you never know when you might find yourself on a journey to the after life.
Elderly Exploits
Stories that focus on the young or the elderly tend to bring us as viewers into an introspective frame of mind. Season 3 of The Twilight Zone gives us two such examples of this.
Single Actor Episodes
It takes a gifted actor to be able to pull off a single-actor episode. When executed well - such as Agnes Moorehead's "The Invaders," the episode can become legendary.
Jack Klugman Part 2
Jack Klugman, along with Bergiss Meredith, has the esteemed honor of being one of only two actors to be featured in the lead role of four Twilight Zone episodes.
Transportation Tragedies
Whether driving or flying across the country, tragedy can strike at any moment, especially in the Twilight Zone.
I am the Night - Color Me Black
Throughout the 1950's and 60's Rod Serling wrote several stories aimed at shedding light on racial issues with blacks in America.
Before the Bat
Beloved as Catwoman from the 1960's Batman series, Julie Newmar first appeared as Miss Devlin on the season 4 Twilight Zone episode, "Of Late I think of Cliffordville." Pat Hingle, who played the…
Stranded in Space
If there's one thing The Twilight Zone loves, it's exploring humanity through the lens of space travel.
Let it Snow!
While the weather may be a bit unseasonably warm for us right now, we find ourselves in a much cooler situation than those in the season 3 Twilight Zone episode, "The Midnight Sun." For much of the…
Burgess Meredith Part 2
Burgess Meredith's impact on the Twilight Zone is arguably deeper than any other thespian to enter the fifth dimension.
Dealing with the Devil
Is dealing with the devil ever a good idea? Would you even recognize the devil if you met him face to face?
The Zone of Mirrors
Mirrors give us glimpses into a parallel world and allow us to see the hearts of men. Well, at least they do in The Twilight Zone.
The Best of James Best
I'll go out on a limb here and state unequivocally that James Best is in the best two scary Twilight Zone episodes of the entire show.
Bookending the Twilight Zone
When you look at the beginning and the ending efforts of arguably the best genre tv show in history, you need to expect there might be low's and high's to discuss.
Twist Endings Part 2
We have a double dose of Twist Endings Part Two for you this time as we look at "I Shot an Arrow into the Air" and "The Invaders." Two episodes, somewhat vastly different except we see they both…
Eye of the Beholder
Joined by one of our listeners, Rick, this month we look at one of the most highly regarded Twilight Zone episodes of all time: "Eye of the Beholder." Darrell has a lot of books and DVD's about the…
Walking Distance
These 3 pairs of boots were made for walking the walk and the distance to a weird stroll down your hometown's memory lane.
Jack Klugman Episodes
We really picked two amazing Jack Klugman Twilight Zone episodes in which each had its own version of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
Time Travel
Yes, we finally got to a couple classic episodes we aren't crazy about. That's ok, IMDB ratings seemed to like them more than us, but for us wasn't clear to why the TZ that is so famous for pointing…
When Toys Attack
Are perceptions that toys (specifically human-looking dolls) are scary and sometimes evil a right of passage for childish thoughts? Are all of us born with those perceptions ingrained in our DNA?
Christmas in the Zone
In two classic, albeit thematically loosely connected episodes by a Salvation Army collector's Christmas bell, we see a story of one man's salvation is found because he yearns so painfully for his…
Alien Invasions
Martians, three-eyed short order cooks from Venus, and a little sci-fi nerd named Tommy wreak havoc in this month's classic look back edition of the podcast.
Burgess Meredith I
Here we are. Two tales of one actor as two different bookworms. Darrell and Robert take on the great, classic Burgess Meredith episodes and answer once and for all if Robert is or isn't related to…
Before Star Trek
Before we loved them as Spock, Scotty, and Sulu, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, and George Takei all found their way into The Twilight Zone.
You Might Also Like
"You Might Also Like" brings us to the end of the second season. 20 episodes total for two seasons for this modern version of the Twilight Twilight Zone to establish itself.
Try, Try
"Try, Try" comes in for us as one of the most thought provoking of Twilight Zone season 2. Do we really know anyone? Do we really trust anyone?
A Small Town
"A Small Town" got big ratings from Robert, sort of big ratings from Darrell, but nothing but small ratings from our viewer feedback section, Talky Tina.
A Human Face
Here we are, 70% finished with season 2 of the new Twilight Zone series. I haven't done the math, but I think it is fair to say we like season 2 at least more than 70% of our collective capacity to…
8
Check out "8" with us. We have half as many people with audio discussing the episode, and that is probably fitting because among the four of us the score average is nearly half as low.
Among the Untrodden
Here we are: half way through season 2 and after last week's story felt out of tune for many of us, this week's story has the right amount of magic, or, well, let's call it metaphysical enchantment…
Ovation
Fire Lady sing us a sweet song where we can't stop clapping in the end. Or, as in this episode, keep the praise going as long as possible for fame-lusting has-beens.
The Who of You
Darrell and Robert get under each other's skin and wrap their collective minds around "The Who of You." Both of us agree the first two episodes of the second season came right out of the gate…
Downtime
Are we dreaming, or did we just experience the best episode of Jordan Peele's Twilight Zone to date? Starring Morena Baccarin, "Downtime" had us cozied up to our screens and enjoying an episode that…
Meet in the Middle
Jordan Peele's Twilight Zone returns for season 2 with a psychic connection head game thriller. The moral of this episode isn't easily black or white and you would have to be a wiz to know exactly…
William Shatner Episodes
"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" is arguably the most iconic episode in the entire history of The Twilight Zone. It's been redone and parodied generation after generation since it first aired in 1963.
Mark Dawidziak Interview
We are joined by none other than one of the most distinguished TWILIGHT ZONE historians there is (and that's not just because he also does a mean Mark Twain).
Twist Endings I
If you're like us, you like a good twist ending. Welcome back to the Twilight Zone--El Clasico Twist Endings Style—This time for an installment of "To Serve Man" and "The Masks." Be honest.
Before They Were Famous I
We are proud to present to you, with very little delay, "Two," and "The Bard." The episodes feature film stars Charles Bronson and Burt Reynolds, and TV Star Elizabeth Montgomery.
Billy Mumy Episodes
We appropriately scared ourselves a wee bit this close to Halloween by covering sweet, little, red-headed, and possibly demonic Billy Mumy (sounds like Moo-me) episodes: "Long Distance Call," and…
Our Favorite Classic Twilight Zone Episodes
"A World of His Own," and "One for the Angels" are covered in-depth as Darrell's and Robert's favorite episodes.
Blurryman
Well, it's in the books. Season 1, Episode 10 of the Twilight Zone reboot made its final mark. "Blurryman," let's face it, did not disappoint.
The Blue Scorpion
The penultimate episode, number 9 of 10, jumped out at many like a Blue Scorpion jumping out of the darkness into the light and making everyone who saw it jump during its airing this past Thursday.
Point of Origin
Just when you thought you'd hear Darrell and Robert unanimously echo each other's likes and dislikes again, we finally have a split decision for "Point of Origin," the most recent episode of the…
Not All Men
Darrell and Robert try to keep it positive as they discuss "Not All Men," where not all men truly didn't add up to enough reasons why we should cut this episode any slack.
Six Degrees of Freedom
Colonization of Mars is not only possible in the most recent episode of the Twilight Zone, "Six Degrees of Freedom," it is also imperative now that the human race is on the brink of self-extinction.
The Wunderkind and Marika Sila Interview
Marika Sila, from last week's "A Traveler" episode, yes, Sgt. Yuka, talked with us and gave an inside look at her experiences auditioning for—and making choices how she approached—her role.
A Traveler
Super talented Glen Morgan of X-Files writing and executive producing fame gets back to his writing desk this week to pen the rebooted Twilight Zone's 4th Episode, "A Traveler." Morgan's tale…
Replay
Without the constraints that often limited what Rod Serling could do, Jordan Peele get's to take a full head of steam as he tackles the subject of racism.
Nightmare at 30,000 Feet
A podcast about a TV show about a podcast? A TV episode inspired by a TV episode? We're full meta this week as we discuss, "Nightmare at 30,000 feet." Robert and Darrell try to decide if this was…
The Comedian
Here it is!! Season 1: Episode 1, The Comedian. The long wait is over. Join Darrell and Robert as they discuss the episode's hits and misses, former Twilight Zone connections, current news, and…
Introduction to The Fifth Dimension Podcast
Welcome to The Fifth Dimension! There are a LOT of fun moments and clues in the epic Super Bowl commercial and we're here to help make sense of much of it.
