Season 2, Episode 3

Written by Rod Serling — Directed by Douglas Heyes — Starring Joe Mantell and William D. Gordon

A small-time crook is ordered to kill a man or face death himself, forcing him into a battle with his own conscience.

Jackie Rhoades is nervous, insecure, and clearly not cut out for the life of crime that he’s chosen. Joe Mantell does a terrific job portraying a man who has spent so much time being pushed around that he’s not sure he has it in him to stand up for himself, let alone take another person’s life.

Jackie keeps talking to himself in the mirror. It becomes a visual representation of his internal struggle, with his reflection almost functioning as another character in the room. What starts as a conversation with himself develops into a battle between two sides of his personality, each fighting for control over the person he’s going to become.

I love when The Twilight Zone gets into this kind of psychological and existential territory, where the tension comes from what’s happening inside someone’s head. As Jackie’s grip on things begins to loosen, the line between what’s real and what’s imagined starts to feel increasingly uncertain.

It’s a better-than-expected episode, with an ending that feels genuinely hopeful rather than tragic.

Twilight Zone Verdict: Solid