In some ways, this Holiday-themed special is about as dour asRod Serlingsseries ever gets.
Now, he is left with nothing but the ability to reflect on his lifes choices.
At the time of release, Serling was notoriously unhappy with this episode.
Custom Image by Jefferson Chacon
The Twilight Zonewas rarely known to lift greatly from other fictional properties.
However, with The Night of the Meek," things appear a bit different.
Corwin isnt like many of the otherTwilight Zoneprotagonists, though.
Image via CBS
Instead, he longs to live up to the title that he has taken on as Santa Claus.
Corwin has a massive heart, maybe the biggest inall ofThe Twilight Zone.
Carney’s performance, on the other hand, makes for one of the best in this entire series.
He’s not hamming it up in the charming way that many actors do on this show.
He’s delivering a genuine, fantastic performance.
That, Serling does masterfully.
Of course, you’ve got the option to read this as a literal ending.
“The Night of the Meek” ends with a shot of the bag where Corwin originally found it.
Then, when he flies off on the sleigh, he has fully moved on from this life.
But hey,thatsThe Twilight Zonefor you!
Props to Serling for presenting the ending this way, too.
It gives The Night of the Meek a closing that feels perfectly in line withIts a Wonderful Life.
Serling, on the other hand, gives you exactly what you want… initially.
Its all up to interpretation!
He would write multiple Christmas-themed stories over the years, from dramas to comedies.
The end result, undoubtedly, looks cheaper than most other episodes.
One of the trademark qualities ofThe Twilight Zoneis its stark, rich, black-and-white film photography.
Even Rod Serling can overstay his welcome.
Serlings reasons for being upset about the production are valid.
However, not every film and TV show entirely rests on the quality of its presentation.
That would obviously be ideal, but this episode is all about its words, not flashy special effects.
Save that for science fiction and horror episodes like Nightmare at 20,000 Feet or Time Enough At Last."
The Twilight Zoneis available to watch on Prime Video.
