Top 10 Scariest Twist Endings in The Twilight Zone, Ranked

You’re venturing through a realm beyond our normal perception – encompassing not just what we see and hear, but also unforeseen plot twists that left 1960s viewers in awe. Rod Serling was indeed a visionary, as demonstrated by the fact that his unexpected endings continue to surprise us even today, as they did six decades ago. Although these surprising conclusions weren’t the only factors that made The Twilight Zone a timeless masterpiece of American television, they played a significant role.

Among the 156 episodes of the series that aired from 1959 to 1964, which had the most shocking or nearly-final scenes? For fans who closely followed this series, the answers may not be entirely unexpected, but they might come close. It’s worth noting that episodes such as “It’s a Good Life” and “Living Doll,” which do not feature twist endings, were excluded from this discussion. Unfortunately, episodes like “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” “Five Characters in Search of an Exit,” “The Silence,” and “I Shot an Arrow into the Air” narrowly missed being included due to their conclusions.

10) “Time Enough at Last” — Season 1, Episode 8

Title “Time Enough at Last” delivers a heart-wrenching climax that’s not frightening in the conventional sense, but it is utterly devastating. The powerful writing, combined with Burgess Meredith’s compelling performance as Henry Bemis, compels viewers to empathize with his fear and despair over his situation. Henry Bemis, a character deeply passionate about books, finds himself trapped in a bank vault during an H-Bomb explosion. Miraculously surviving the blast, he emerges to find himself apparently alone on Earth, with an abundance of books and endless time to read them. However, when his glasses break, he realizes that even in this seemingly idyllic scenario, happiness can still be elusive.

9) “The Invaders” — Season 2, Episode 15

Reflecting on the budgets of contemporary network television shows during its era, the cost assigned to each episode of The Twilight Zone was surprisingly meager. However, it effectively utilized these limited resources. On occasion, the frugal effects might diminish the potency of stunning plot twists, such as the one in Season 2’s “The Invaders.” This episode essentially starred Agnes Moorehead from Bewitched, delivering a dialogue-free portrayal of what seemed to be a solitary woman whose home was invaded by tiny spacegun-wielding extraterrestrials. In truth, she was the alien, and those little beings were actually Earth’s astronauts in disguise.

8) “The Hitch-Hiker” — Season 1, Episode 16

One notable episode from “The Twilight Zone,” titled “The Hitch-Hiker,” is often cited as a standout from what’s considered its strongest season. Originally adapted from a radio play, this episode revolves around Nan Adams, who encounters a mysterious hitchhiker who persistently haunts her across various states during her journey from New York City to Los Angeles. The story begins with Nan experiencing a flat tire in Pennsylvania, but it’s later revealed that the accident was far more severe: she didn’t survive, and the hitchhiker symbolizes death.

7) “Eye of the Beholder” — Season 2, Episode 6

In this episode titled “Eye of the Beholder,” known for an unexpected finale that even inspired Ariana Grande’s Halloween costume in 2019, we find one of the series’ most impactful episodes. Despite its chilling ending, it’s also laced with a touch of sweetness that keeps it from being ranked higher. The character, Janet Tyler, has gone through eleven surgeries to appear ‘normal.’ With her face completely bandaged throughout, viewers, like the medical team surrounding her, are left guessing about her appearance and the success of the operation until the end. When the bandages come off, the medical staff express disgust at another failed procedure, but the audience is puzzled – she’s a stunning woman. However, it’s revealed that the medical staff themselves are grotesque in appearance.

6) “The After Hours” — Season 1, Episode 34

In “The Twilight Zone,” there are some exceptional episodes involving dolls, and “The After Hours” is definitely among them. The story revolves around Marsha, a young woman, who ventures into a department store to find a gold thimble for her mother. She buys it on the ninth floor but later discovers it’s damaged. Desiring a refund, she goes back to the ninth floor, only to find out that there isn’t one and the cashier who sold her the thimble was actually a mannequin. To make matters worse, Marsha finds herself to be a mannequin as well, having reached the end of her one-month period allowed to live among real human beings.

5) “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” — Season 1, Episode 22

Similar to ‘Time Enough at Last’, the impact of ‘The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street’ grows stronger over time, even though it may not initially seem terrifying in a conventional sense. This classic episode from ‘The Twilight Zone’ (one of its finest) cleverly explores Cold War paranoia, depicting a neighborhood where residents quickly suspect and turn against each other due to mysterious events leading them to believe one is an alien. The twist ending reveals aliens on a hilltop, controlling simple devices like street lights, commenting that it’s easy for humans to turn against themselves. ‘The Monsters are Due on Maple Street’ remains as thought-provoking and relevant today as it was when first aired.

4) “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” — Season 2, Episode 28

The Truth Revealed: Who’s the Alien?”

In an unexpected twist, the title “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up” doesn’t just offer one surprise but two! Unlike a Russian Matryoshka doll where one smaller doll is hidden inside another, these surprises unfold like dominoes falling in rapid succession. The storyline unfolds within a single setting – a diner – where two state troopers are on the hunt for the passenger of a crashed UFO. Among the diners, there’s an enigma: one of them might not have even been on the bus!

As the bus passengers leave the diner to continue their journey, disaster strikes as the bus crashes. The gruff businessman Ross miraculously returns, claiming to be the lone survivor. However, he drops a bombshell when he reveals an extra arm and confesses that he is actually a Martian scout, tasked with ensuring Earth is ready for colonization.

The diner’s cook reacts calmly, removing his cap to unveil a shocking revelation: he’s not from Earth! A three-eyed scout from Venus, he reveals that his people have already intercepted the Martian convoy. The story serves as a reminder that sometimes, appearances can be deceiving and the truth is often stranger than fiction.

3) “The Masks” — Season 5, Episode 26

In simpler terms, “The Masks” is a story that delves deeper into human obsession with physical beauty, much like “The Eye of the Beholder.” However, where the latter offers a hopeful ending, this tale takes a darker turn. The characters in “The Masks” are so fixated on physical beauty and wealth that they willingly degrade themselves to secure their patriarch’s fortune. During Mardi Gras, he forces them to wear grotesque masks, claiming they represent their true personalities. After the required time has passed, the patriarch dies, leaving the family with permanently altered faces. The ending is chilling as there’s no redemption or acceptance; instead, these characters are left disfigured and without a way to reverse the changes. This makes “The Masks” more frightening than “The Eye of the Beholder,” as it presents a bleak, irreversible consequence for the characters’ shallow actions.

2) “Stopover in a Quiet Town” — Season 5, Episode 30

A Peaceful Town’s Enigma” – In this episode, the characters, primarily Bob and Millie Frazier, experience a relatively subdued narrative. Upon waking up in a town they can’t recall, they discover themselves inside a house filled with unconventional furniture, a non-functional TV, and a refrigerator stocked with plastic food. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that this is not a typical household but a miniature village created by a little girl. While one might initially presume the couple to be dolls, they are in fact real people. The alien aspect of the little girl is left ambiguous and open to interpretation.

1) “To Serve Man” — Season 3, Episode 24

In today’s era, it’s challenging to find a TV series from 60 years ago that still feels genuinely frightening in the 2020s. However, “To Serve Man” comes remarkably close to giving viewers a chill. Starring Richard Kiel, best known for his roles in “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Happy Gilmore,” this episode revolves around an alien race called the Kanamit. Standing tall and muscular, they carry a book named “To Serve Man.” They claim it’s a guide to help humans live better lives, but when translators decipher its contents, they discover that the title isn’t as benign as it seems – it reveals the aliens’ plan to eat humans! Unbeknownst to many, hundreds, if not thousands, of human beings have already stepped aboard the Kanamits’ spaceships, hoping for a better life on another planet.

2025-01-18 07:40