How about "Changing of the Guard"? Sure, he still has to retire but at least he's reminded he won more than his fair share of small victories. I hope everyone on the cusp of retirement has the same epiphany Professor Fowler has.
The ending of "Changing of the Guard" reminds me in some ways of the ending of "About Schmidt."
Schmidt is like Fowler convinced of his failings. And then he receives a letter from Ndugu, the impoverished boy from Tanzania he's been writing to throughout the movie, and Ndugu's words of thanks for his letters and his monetary donation move him to tears. Like Fowler, he too understands his life was worth a little more than he initially concluded.
Then again, both films wouldn't exist without that Christmas chestnut "It's A Wonderful Life."
I like The Whole Truth, find it entertaining from start to finish. This is a rarity for a TZ comedy episode.
Even though the ending is bad news for Rocky Valentine I can't see how anyone would be depressed by the new he receives from Mr. Pip at the end of A Nice Place To Visit.
The Mighty Casey may not be a good episode but it's not depressing, just not well developed.
Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up? Quirky, suspenseful, often funny.
The Fugitive is rather whimsical, not depressing at all.
Same with Hocus-Pocus And Frisbie, which is downright funny.
Showdown With Rance McGrew may be a mediocre episode but it's no downer.
The final season The Fear is tense, well acted and in the end nearly inspiring,--I mean good news for the two characters--and certainly not depressing.
As to which episode is the absolutely positively least depressing of the Zones, I can't pick just one. Sorry.
I agree completely about “The Whole Truth,” telegonus. I, too, find it thoroughly enjoyable despite the fact that it may fall somewhat outside the Zone as we’ve come to understand it. I think my favorite part is actually the ending, and the rather novel way the car dealer attempts to solve his problem - by pawning it off on the White House, or more accurately, the unidentified Soviet leader.
The mild reek of cheese now and then never hurts anybody – even in the Twilight Zone.
The others you mentioned are also wonderful examples. The only one I can think to add would be "Mr. Bevis." He has a rough time in the beginning, but in the end all's well - although likely much to the dismay of his guardian angel, masterfully portrayed by Henry Jones.
Thank you so much, Doug. You are truly, literally the first fellow The Whole Truth fan I've encountered anywhere, in real life or on-line. The wiseguy dialogue is hilarious, with the references to the Battle Of the Marne. Also, the hipster with a bit of Damon Runyon thrown in for good measure writing, with Jack Carson's expert delivery, make this one, for me, a treasure. My favorite part is Carson's character encountering, sizing by and being sized up by the politician. Yes, it's all stereotypes, with the hats and cigars, but it feels larger than life, archetypal. For me it's almost like a mini-Gilbert & Sullivan without the songs.
You know, the same thing crossed my mind as I was replying to your message up there - there sure don't seem to be many fans of "The Whole Truth" at all!
But aye, now that you mention it the episode reads more like a stage play than anything in the way it's crafted. It's not "Oklahoma!" or "Damn Yankees!" but it ain't bad just the same.
Yes, Doug, and it plays like a stage play as well, or one written for live television. The videotape doesn't bother me and I think it rather enhances the mood. Don't ask me why. It puts this Zone into another zone on account of it. Is it me or is the set for the used parking lot fascinating to look at? Those shiny vintage cars draws me in. The Kennedy-Krushchev references lock it into its time, and for me it makes it nostalgic, as when I first saw this one JFK was still alive and well in the White House, Krushchev the Premier of the Soviet Union.
That’s the one thing that almost everybody misses nowadays actually. “The Whole Truth” (as you likely well remember) was broadcast for the first time on Friday evening, January 20, 1961 – less than 12 hours after President Kennedy took the oath, making it (as best I can recall anyway) the first time a sitting President was mentioned by name in a fictional television program. I know he’s mentioned at least one other time in the series as well – in “The Parallel” it might be.
It seems I’ve heard or read somewhere that “The Whole Truth” created a bit of a minor diplomatic flap, essentially because Khrushchev couldn’t take a joke.
I don’t especially mind the videotaped episodes myself – although for the record I will say I’m very glad there’s only a handful. The effect in each case adds something that would otherwise be absent on film.
I know what you mean about those “vintage” cars, too. I didn’t come along until the (original) Social Security Act was 30 years old, but in my earliest years it seemed that they were still pretty much everywhere. Of the cars we had the one I remember best was a little red 1964 Beetle – the “plain vanilla” model under the hood, to which a good tailwind was always a great help. My Dad said awhile back that he averaged about $3.00 / weekly driving back and forth to work in that little bug. (I liked it because on long trips I could wiggle over the back seat and take naps in the back.)