10 Greatest Episodes Of The Twilight Zone

Long Distance Call is about a little boy whose grandmother dies, but she then starts to communicate with him from beyond the grave via a toy telephone. It turns really sinister really fast as it becomes clear she’s trying to get the boy to kill himself so they can be together.

Very wisely, Serling doesn't let the audience hear the grandma on the other end of the phone. Like many of the greatest episodes, there’s a level of ambiguity as to if this is really happening or if it’s just a part of the boy’s grieving process. That feeling of uncertainty makes the whole thing a lot creepier.

In terms of the aesthetic, the episode was shot on videotape rather than film as a way to cut costs, and that actually just adds to the creepiness. Everything just looks off, and that’s appropriate for one of the series’ weirdest outings. 

Underneath it all is a really affecting story about coping with loss, especially as a young child exposed to death for the first time. In the end, Billy is allowed to stay in the world of the living, and the episode serves as a warning to always move ahead even in the face of profound tragedy.