Was "A World of Difference" the only episode with the twist at the start of the episode?
It was a great of change of pace that blind-sided me as much as it did poor Arthur Curtis.
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MovieChat Forums > The Twilight Zone (1959) Discussion > Was "A World of Difference" th...
Don't forget about "It's a Good Life." We are told in the teaser that the town is controlled by the monstrous little boy. That's the twist. The rest is just a half-hour of watching him torture the poor townspeople. He doesn't die. He doesn't undergo a change. Nothing. That's why this is one of my least favorite episodes.
share A few episodes did start out with a "twisted" or unusual premise. The audience was told right away. Like in 'The Midnight Sun', we learn right away that Earth's orbit has shifted and it is moving towards the sun.
In 'The Lonely' it is revealed that Mr. Corry is imprisoned on an asteroid millions of miles from Earth.
Not sure if they are actual "twists". But they do reveal that something out of the ordinary is already happening for the characters.
"in 'The Midnight Sun', we learn right away that Earth's orbit has shifted and it is moving towards the sun."
It is an unusual premise, but the actual twist at the end informs us that this premise was incorrect.
Well I guess one could say that the twist was actually a misleading twist!
Other episodes lead the audience into accepting a false premise at first. Like in 'Eye of the Beholder', the woman has a "horribly disfigured" face. The first time I saw the episode (many years ago) I couldn't wait to see what was there under the bandages! The real twist comes at the end of course, but TZ was great with misdirection.
I think "The Midnight Sun" is an example of an unreliable narrator and Serling's opening narration is technically true in that what we're witnessing is in fact a world where the Earth is moving closer to the sun. Whether it's the real world Serling slyly withholds from us (he's not deceiving us he's just a good storyteller who's ensuring the integrity of his tale by handing details out piecemeal).
shareThose aren't twists! That's science fiction! 😜
shareI think "Spur of the Moment" also has the giveaway at the beginning when we see "Old Anne" chasing "Young Anne."
shareI'd agree with that also Jennie. Can you imagine the sense of terror, being chased by your younger or older self?
shareIf my young self had been chased by the self I am now, the young self wouldn't have recognized me (just as she didn't), so my young self would have been afraid just as she was.
If my young self was chasing me now, I wouldn't be afraid at all. I would have a lot to say to that person.
Well it wasn't much of a "giveaway" for me! I didn't realize at first that the two women were the same! Guess I'm slow. ha!
Great episode though. Just when you think Anne has defied her father and found true love, everything gets twisted around.
Sometimes I wish I could catch up with my younger self and give her some advice (or a kick in the pants!).
Maybe Old Anne could have given Young Anne some advice if she wasn't just scaring the crap out of her! Lol; maybe in retrospect, not the best approach :)
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