In 2015, SYFY kicked off their Twilight Zone marathon by showing the entire series in chronological order, start to finish. I always liked that idea, but it was sheer insanity to believe I could ever follow such a multi-day marathon without sleep or attending a party with family and friends at some point. I completely understand why SYFY didn't do this every year. Even edited sloppily, a marathon of such distinction is quite a long haul. Even as much as I damn near worship the show, that is a dogged task. Still, it is a fascinating idea: to start from the beginning and watch every episode in order. I'm simply not going to write reviews since I've done that already, but this could be a fun trip just the same.
I was wondering while watching "Where is Everybody?" if Oakwood is a completely manufactured place in Mike Ferris' mind or if this is an actual location where he grew up or lived. The added touches of the burning cigar in the sheriff's office and the running water and shaving cream on the brush as if folks just vanished were always so neat to me. The running jukebox, mannequin in the passenger seat of a car, and the running movie at the theater...all these individual details that develop into a very vivid mental locality Mike can operate within, as his mind creates something tangible for him to navigate. But without that person to talk to, a trip to outer space seems quite a bit daunting.
You see, we can feed the stomach with concentrates. We can supply microfilm for reading, recreation - even movies of a sort. We can pump oxygen in and waste material out. But there's one thing we can't simulate that's a very basic need. Man's hunger for companionship. The barrier of loneliness - that's one thing we haven't licked yet.
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| Mike Ferris checks the football schedule |
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| Mike in town near Oakwood High |
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| Water in the jail still running, with shaving cream on brush |
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| Mike visits Oakwood Police Station |
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| Mike can't seem to contact anyone |
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| Mannequins, the Twilight Zone staple |
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| Cafe/Diner, a Twilight Zone staple |
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Mike needs someone[thing] to talk to
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| Jukebox, first Twilight Zone appearance. |
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