10 Greatest Episodes Of The Twilight Zone
1. Walking Distance
While everyone remembers the Twilight Zone episodes that surprise or terrify you, the best one of the series doesn’t even try to be scary. Instead, Walking Distance is a story about nostalgia, following a man who goes to visit his hometown only to discover he has traveled back in time 20 years to when he was a young boy.
The whole thing is about the passage of time, with Martin looking back to the happy memories he had as a child. He doesn’t try to change things, but in a really beautiful moment, he instead simply warns his young self to enjoy childhood while it lasts.
After exploring nostalgia for the majority of the running time, the episode ends with a warning against the dangers of it. Martin’s father tells him that he’s been looking behind him all this time, but maybe he should try looking ahead. As much as people tend to idealize the past and convince themselves their true happiness is behind them, it’s just as likely the joy they’re searching for actually lies in the future.
It’s a beautiful, meaningful episode that speaks to the universal feeling of wanting to return home again. And despite how dark The Twilight Zone often gets, here Serling reminds you that the future is far more hopeful than you might think.