Season 2, Episode 4 Written by Rod Serling — Directed by David Orrick McDearmon — Starring Richard Haydn, Barbara Stuart, and Barney Phillips

An increasingly paranoid man believes the machines in his home have turned against him.

Bartlett Finchley is a thoroughly unlikeable guy. He’s a malcontent with a particular disdain for machines and technology, and he’s convinced that the appliances in his home have it out for him.

At first, it seems like the paranoia of a man who simply can’t stand the modern world. But then his typewriter starts producing threatening messages.

There’s an interesting idea here about our relationship with technology, particularly the resistance to change as the world becomes increasingly dependent on machines. Finchley’s conversation with his telephone is especially good commentary on how technology has changed our lives, and not always for the better.

Richard Haydn plays Finchley at about an eleven, and while that certainly makes him memorable, the performance is a little too over-the-top for my taste. The character is already unpleasant enough that I don’t think the extra theatrics are always necessary. Some of the interactions with the machines are genuinely funny, though, and the episode has a good time playing with the absurdity of his situation.

But what starts out as somewhat campy gradually becomes a horror story. When Finchley is driven out of his home and finds himself cornered by his own car, the episode becomes surprisingly effective.

“A Thing About Machines” has an interesting premise and some fun ideas about technology, even if the broad acting doesn’t always work for me. It takes a while to find its footing, but the shift from comedy to outright horror gives it a memorable finish.

Twilight Zone Verdict: Solid