Every George R.R. Martin-Written 'Twilight Zone' Episode, Ranked (2024)

Every George R.R. Martin-Written 'Twilight Zone' Episode, Ranked (1)

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Every George R.R. Martin-Written 'Twilight Zone' Episode, Ranked (2)

For decades, Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone has had a lasting impact on television viewers as well as the science-fiction genre, leading to the series being rebooted in 1985 and recently again in 2019 by Jordan Peele. Even though the first reboot wasn't as successful as the original, it did feature the talent of iconic filmmakers like Wes Craven, Steven Spielberg, and John Landis, as well as popular stars such as Bruce Willis, Shelley Duvall, Frances McDormand, and Morgan Freeman. While the series had plenty of star appeal and endless material from famous sci-fi authors including, Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke, it also brought the work of incredible then-fairly unknown writers into the mainstream Hollywood spotlight, most notably Game of Thrones author, George R.R. Martin.

Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, Martin started writing at a young age and started his career by selling short stories in 1970. After a string of jobs and publishing several stories, Martin was contacted by Hollywood producer Philip DeGuere Jr., who wanted to adapt the author's unpublished novel, The Armageddon Rag, into a film, which he agreed to. Unfortunately, the project fell through, but Martin stayed in touch with DeGuere. Eventually, DeGuere became the producer of the rebooted series of The Twilight Zone and personally offered Martin a job as a writer on the show. Known for his intense attention to detail and well-crafted characters, Martin provided the Fifth Dimension with five exceptional episodes that are each a unique testament to the writer's boundless sense of imagination and creativity. The Twilight Zone requires a certain form of storytelling and, considering Martin's work in both fantasy and drama, it's easy to see why he was a solid choice to add his contributions to the ground-breaking series.

Every George R.R. Martin-Written 'Twilight Zone' Episode, Ranked (3)

The Twilight Zone (1985)

TV-PG

Sci-Fi

Fantasy

Drama

Horror

Release Date
September 27, 1985

Creator
Rod Serling

Cast
Robin Ward , Charles Aidman , William Atherton , Ellen Albertini Dow

Seasons
3

Buy On Amazon

5 "Lost and Found"

Season 2, Episode 4 (1986)

Every George R.R. Martin-Written 'Twilight Zone' Episode, Ranked (4)

When a college student, Jennifer Templeton (Akosua Busia), and her roommate, Kathy (Cindy Harrell) return to their dorm room, Jennifer begins to notice several of her items are missing or have been misplaced around the room. As Kathy tries to convince her that she must have misplaced them or moved them and forgotten, Jennifer is adamant that she didn't move any of them. Soon, Jennifer is startled and believes that someone is in their closet. When Kathy opens the door, they're both shocked to discover two people who claim to be from the future. The man and women explain that they're not allowed to take anything during their "trips," and return Jennifer's items to her, bringing to light one of Serling's favorite and frequent subjects: time travel.

Season 2, Episode 4, "Lost and Found," is a short but extremely intriguing segment of a three-part episode that makes audiences wonder about not only the concept of time travel but also how even minor details or seemingly simple choices could have an incredible impact on the future or maybe even a detrimental one. Jennifer learns from the time travelers that one day, she will become president, (which is why the traveler took some of her items as mementos of sorts), and even just this bit of information results in her deciding not to continue skipping political science class. If the time travelers hadn't appeared, what would have become of Jennifer? Would she still have found her way into political office? Or perhaps on another, less desirable path? Martin expertly taps into Serling's frequent use of time travel with a modern touch as well as adding a slight political undertone that effortlessly leaves viewers wondering about the past, present, and future.

4 "The Road Less Travelled"

Season 2, Episode 7 (1986)

Every George R.R. Martin-Written 'Twilight Zone' Episode, Ranked (5)

Jeff McDowell (Cliff De Young) is a loving family man and teacher who still feels immense guilt and shame over dodging the military draft during the Vietnam War. When his young daughter, Megan (Jaclyn Bernstein) and wife, Denis (Margaret Klenck) both claim to have seen a man in a wheelchair in their house, Jeff starts to investigate the unusual claims for himself and soon begins to think that the man is there for him and that his past actions are somehow starting to catch up to him. Little does he know that the man is actually him from an alternate universe where he didn't run from the draft and ended up serving in the war, forcing him to finally come face to face with his troubled past as well as his choices that are not as horrible as he initially believed.

Martin explores the theory of an alternate universe in Season 2, episode 7, "The Road Less Travelled," which is an obvious nod to Robert Frost's iconic poem, The Road Less Traveled, which essentially examines the intriguing idea of what life would be like for someone if they chose a path that many end up taking or are expected to take or one that is, well, less traveled and leads to the unknown. Initially, viewers may think that the alternate Jeff who did serve in the Vietnam War would be there to scold or ridicule the other Jeff for his disgraceful choice, but in an unexpected twist of irony, the alternate Jeff tearfully confesses how horrible his life turned out to be after being drafted and the horrors and regrets he now has to live with every day after serving overseas. While Jeff lives with the immense guilt of dodging the draft while others served their country, he also becomes a loving and supportive husband, father, and teacher, which begs the question, Are his actions worth the burden he continues to carry? The Vietnam War is one of the most controversial wars in American history which also caused incredible damage to many of those who served and endured combat. Many of them came home with severe trauma, PTSD, and life-changing injuries that made it incredibly difficult for some to adjust back to civilian life. Martin does a fantastic job of exploring the two sides of the same coin with a concept that genuinely resonates with viewers, especially when the episode originally aired, providing an insightful and sensitive perspective into how one's choices can determine one's destiny for both the better and the worse.

3 "The Last Defender of Camelot"

Season 1, Episode 24 (1985)

Every George R.R. Martin-Written 'Twilight Zone' Episode, Ranked (6)

In London, England, a distinguished professor (Richard Kiley) who is about to go on vacation, is revealed to be the brave and noble knight, Sir Lancelot du Lac, who, unfortunately, has been cursed to walk the Earth for centuries for his sins by the wizard Merlin (Norman Lloyd). When a strange young man brings him to see an old acquaintance, the beautiful, Morgan Le Fay (Jenny Agutter), he learns that Merlin, who has since been in a deep sleep, is now awake and is preparing to restore the former land of Camelot, forcing the brave Lancelot to find the old sorcerer and try and stop him before it's too late.

Season 1, episode 24, "The Last Defender of Camelot," is a clever, fantasy-bound Martin episode that taps into the famous tales of King Arthur with a twist of following an aged Sir Lancelot living in the modern world. Based on the short story by the same name written by Roger Zelazny, Martin provides in-depth, well-developed characters while also remaining true to their original origin and transports audiences to a blended world of present time and fantasy that is incredibly alluring. Martin is no stranger to knights and sorcery, which is perhaps why this episode unfolds so well in the Fifth Dimension. Considering "The Last Defender of Camelot" is only a short half-hour-long episode, the surprising quality and expertly crafted structure of the characters plus Martin's iconic skill of storytelling are most impressive and definitely worthy of the silver screen.

2 "The Once and Future King"

Season 2, Episode 1 (1986)

Every George R.R. Martin-Written 'Twilight Zone' Episode, Ranked (7)

Gary Pitkin (Jeff Yagher) is an Elvis Presley impersonator who has dedicated his entire life to his musical craft and is in it for the long run with the hope of making it big in show business one day. When Gary is involved in a terrible accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, he is offered a ride by a man (also played by Yagher) driving by who strangely looks exactly like the King himself and soon discovers that he has somehow traveled back in time to the year 1954. As Gary realizes that he has been picked up by the real Elvis Presley, he tries to guide the King of Rock' n' Roll on his path to greatness, but when Gary accidentally kills the young musician during a fistfight over creative differences, he ends up taking Presley's place, ultimately leading him on the course of destiny of becoming Elvis himself.

Season 2, episode 1, "The Once and Future King," is based on a story written by Bryce Maritano and gives a whole new meaning to walking a mile in another man's shoes. This is another episode that deals with time travel and the premise of altering the past, but it also pulls from Presley's real life, notably his twin brother, Jesse, who died as an infant. This key piece of history plays a major role in why Elvis grows fond of Gary, who he believes is his deceased twin. The episode is also similar to the concept of the original series episode, Season 3, episode 33, "The Dummy," where a more suitable candidate takes on a life of his own, ultimately reaching the level of stardom the original performer once desired but could never achieve. Martin does a fantastic job of following Presley's historical timeline and meticulously weaving Gary into pivotal moments in the musician's life, such as when he's about to make his first hit record, which proves to be a crucial point in the story. It's interesting to see how Gary's best efforts actually foil his idol's future and career, only to open the door for him to become one of the greatest musicians in American history.

1 "The Toys of Caliban"

Season 2, Episode 5 (1986)

Every George R.R. Martin-Written 'Twilight Zone' Episode, Ranked (8)

Loving parents, Ernie (Richard Mulligan) and Mary (Anne Haney) Ross have lived their lives in a constant state of stress and unyielding fear of their son, Toby (David Greenlee), a grown man who still has the mind of a child. In order to protect their son as well as others, Ernie and Mary go to extreme lengths to keep Toby hidden and isolated from the outside world, not because they are bad parents, but because Toby has the magical ability to make anything he imagines into reality, including nightmarish figures and deadly creatures that could cause serious harm to Toby or someone else. While some might not find anything wrong with Toby's ability, his parents beg to differ, since they have seen their fair share of haunting terrors that have convinced them that their son is a serious danger to others.

Season 2, episode 5, "The Toys of Caliban," is considered to be one of the best episodes in the entire series and is also an unofficial tribute to The Twilight Zone's original and iconic episode, "It's a Good Life." The title is in reference to William Shakespere's play, The Tempest, which follows a wild and crazy character, Caliban, who is discovered on a deserted island by a man named Prospero, who tries relentlessly to control the unruly Caliban. Similar to the original series episode, Season 3, episode 8, "It's a Good Life," Toby resembles Anthony, played by BIlly Mumy, who, by appearances, seems perfectly harmless, but behind that innocent face and doe eyes lies a sadistic soul who forces people to walk on eggshells around him, and submitting to the ill-tempered boy's every desire and demand. Like Anthony, but as an adult, the negatives of Toby's gift are initially unknown, and once he himself is revealed, the idea of him being in any kind of danger is bewildering, begging audiences to question how anyone could be afraid of him. As the reality of Toby's unexplainable ability slowly begins to unravel, viewers are astonished at Toby's unforgivable acts, quickly changing their initial opinion. Martin brilliantly takes the concept of Anthony from "It's a Good Life," but adds his own signature twist of terror through the mind of an adult and a sense of horrifying emotional honesty that actually takes a physical and psychological toll on audiences.

NEXT: The Best George R.R. Martin Books, Ranked According to GoodReads

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