Twilight Zone - I Hit the Block (Cavender is Coming featured)

 

So after wrapping up the first season and starting the second I hit this block. I want to watch all the episodes of Twilight Zone and say I did, but admittedly I hit this point when I came across "The Man in the Bottle" where I was like, "I really don't want to watch this right now". Well, actually, that came with "A Nice Place to Visit" and "The Chaser". I love the idea of watching the entire original series in order, but I think the rest of the way I'll have a running check list of all episodes but go out of order. Anyone who has kept up with my blog at all realizes my attention can't seem to stick with any sort of linear interest for very long. LOST and Game of Thrones were the exceptions. My interest just wanes and I hate myself for that. I want to kick my own ass every fucking time I do that. Like Battlestar Galactica or Jessica Jones or Dexter or Walking Dead. I loathe myself for not starting and finishing. That's good intentions right there. I legit want to start and finish, but my attention is diverted or I get bored. I just fucking suck. 

I came up to "Nick of Time" and I was like, "Oh, man, do I want to "waste" such a great episode for some cold December night? This just feels best during the New Year's Marathon". So the goal will be cover the remaining episodes just in an order that I prefer. Watch all the episodes but in a way where I'm not dying inside. So I have my running checklist on a spreadsheet and for the foreseeable future, I'll be watching what is left according to interest.

So what did I choose for my insomnia at 12:18 in the morning? "Cavender is Coming". The 36th episode of the 3rd season. Another guardian angel episode. "It's a Wonderful Life" was obviously an inspiration. It just immediately comes to mind when you see one angel (Jesse White) assigned by (PUSH! PUSH! PUSH!) head angel (Howard Smith) to help Carol Burnett's hapless trip-and-fall klutz, Agnes Grep try to be successful at life. Another immediate episode comes to mind also for such a premise: "Mr. Bevis". Why Agnes flies through a mirror into her boss' office and a bus driver leaps out of his window instead of just walking down the stairs is anybody's guess...as a gag, it just feels like a desperate cry for any laugh available. 

Clearly Serling noticed how good a comedienne Burnett was so he wanted to fashion a comic vehicle for her. A sort of lark that would capitalize on her physical gifts. Much like Clarence in "It's a Wonderful Life", Cavender just wants to improve his position "up there". John Fiedler (voice of Piglet and has a bigger part in the episode I plan to re-review again for Christmas, "The Night of the Meek") is the angel next to Howard Smith with plenty of judgmental head-nodding and disappointment. Fiedler was good at that...cutting people down to size, including an angel just wanting to help a girl out.

Serling has the tendency of being a bit lazy. I admire that guy with all my heart. I do. But "Cavender is Coming" is a reworking of "Mr. Bevis". Agnes goes right back to her mess of a life, choosing it over high society, the luxuries of "the good life", fancy digs, and posh party-goers. Look, I personally believe the man, a real genius, was overworked considering the number of episodes his show had to produce and occasionally he just needed to fill the quota with content. With all the great content we get in the show, the many classic episodes, a "Cavender is Coming" is understandable. Sometimes a brilliant mind is sapped a bit and might spit out a stinker or two. 

Now saying that, I noticed one evening that there were fans of this episode who championed it regardless of its reputation on both the show's subReddit and on Twitter during marathons. The boo-birds like me might be the fuddy-duddies who frown upon an episode looking to bring smiles to faces. I will cop to the fact that I am just not the audience for "Cavender is Coming" even as I recognize the talent involved.