Twilight Zone as its long marathon concludes

I think what disappoints me more than anything is that Hazel Court only appeared in one TZ episode and it was this one. That was passing through my mind as the marathon (all TZ episodes were shown from New Years Eve until this morning, including the racially controversial episode, "The Encounter", with George Takei and Neville Brand) concludes (I'm not watching The Bewitchin' Pool, as the stinch of its awfulness leaves the show on a bad note) today. I'm a bit sad actually that the marathon is coming to an end as the idea of several days dedicated to my all time favorite show is such an awesome experience. At any point and time during a span of four days, TZ is on. You can watch their catalogue and perhaps even find a couple of gems you have never seen before (this year for me was the Brain Center 

at Whipple's & Passage on the Lady Anne). It is cool that such a show had five seasons worth featuring some of the best character actors ever to appear on television. The gamut of stories could appeal to any number of demographics. And the looking glass into how the mindset of some of the greatest fantasy/sci-fi writers of all time is always interesting/fascinating/compelling. 

"The Fear" was my final episode of the marathon, and it did occasionally make an appearance on past New Years/Fourth of July marathons in previous years. It was- a rather insignificant, fairly forgettable episode--what many might consider a throwaway--but it has the significance of being Serling's final screenplayed episode for the show. I just wish Hazel Court had appeared in others. Maybe it is my personal taste but I consider Hazel one of the most sexiest women of her generation as an on screen actress. She had class and polish, but her body type and sense of style (her style is classic dramatic, but I like it) appealed to me. Anyway, she's a fashion designer/writer who fled to this country mountain cabin away from New York due to a severe interest in boxing herself away from people. 30 miles from anyone, we are told. Mark Richmond (unceremoniously drowned in an alley barrel of toxic waste by Jason Voorhees in the eighth Friday the 13th film) is just a highway patrol officer answering a call from her to see about a noise that is occurring on her property. After some rather heavy exchanges regarding their status ("country bumpkins" is thrown around as is "rich snob") economically, the two get over their differences. When "the fear" intrudes upon their animosity, finding out what leaves a giant footprint on the ground and massive fingerprints on Richmond's trooper car is more important. Eventually they realize they like each other. Encountering danger and overcoming it could rebuild Court's courage. She certainly has bite in her feelings for rural folk. 

This episode has just two actors and the cabin location. It is very minuscule and the story is basically cobbled together from better stories you have already perhaps seen earlier in better episodes. There's a giant but it is a con with a smaller ship with little aliens asking their leadership for a departure. 

I think you can see from the remaining episodes (Come Wander with Me, What's in the Box?, The Bewitchin' Pool, Caesar & Me, and From Agnes with Love) the fertile, creative, and imaginative juices once flowing freely were dissipating. I think even the most genius of writers fall into creative drought, hitting the brick wall. The abuse of coming up with so many scripts and stories for a long season of television, casting and finding the budget to cover what could be possible, and just the five years of a process that produced such great television (the demands to continue to do so), I totally understand why episodes like "The Fear" bookend The Twilight Zone.

Thing is: even if the final batch produced mediocre content, I think even many of those episodes had aspects that hold the attention. I can't say I was bored with "The Fear", although the end result is rather familiar. I think you see burn-out, but the dialogue between the characters still had signs of life. The actors are good enough.