Spoilers for The Twilight Zone season 1 episode “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street.“Rod Serling wrote variousTwilight Zoneepisodes during the show’s original run, and one episode in particular shows why the series is a timeless masterpiece. One of the most influential andbest TV shows of all timeis the anthology fantasy seriesThe Twilight Zone, created by Rod Serling.The Twilight Zonepremiered on CBS in 1959, and it stood out for its combination of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, with hints of drama and the occasional comedic story.The Twilight Zoneran for five seasons, ending in 1964.
The success and legacy ofThe Twilight Zoneare such that many elements have become part of pop culture, many episodes have been endlessly referenced and parodied in other media, and the show has been revived three times (in 1985, 2002, and 2019).Many stories covered inThe Twilight Zonehave also been timeless, either because of the topics addressed in them, their setting, tone, or the story itself, and among them is one ofthe best episodes written by Rod Serling, which proves whyThe Twilight Zoneis a timeless masterpiece.
“The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” Is Rod Serling’s Best Episode Of The Twilight Zone
“The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” Is The 22nd Episode Of The Twilight Zone Season 1
The Twilight Zoneseason 1 episode"The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” takes viewers to Maple Street, in the US, during the late summer.On a late Saturday afternoon, while the residents of Maple Street lived happily and peacefully, a shadow and a flash of light passed over with a roar. After that, the residents realized that their power had gone off, but even lawnmowers, cars, and portable radios stopped working.
“The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” was rated 8.9 on IMDB.
As they tried to figure out what happened and find a solution, local kid Tommy warned his neighbors not to leave town looking for answers, as this wasall about an alien invasion, and that there were aliens among them pretending to be humans, but were actually spying for their species. The neighbors initially grew suspicious of Les Goodman (Barry Atwater), whose car suddenly started after he tried many times without success, but they gradually began to distrust everyone without actual proof of them being aliens.
The tension and problems between the residents of Maple Street peaked when a shadowy figure approached them,which Tommy claimed was an alien monster. One of the residents shot the figure, revealed to be one of them who had left earlier to check if other neighborhoods had also been affected. Of course, this further sparked tension and distrust among the neighbors, while the lights began to flash on and off in the neighborhood’s houses and cars and lawnmowers started and stopped.
As was tradition in mostTwilight Zoneepisodes,“The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” has a twist ending, with the reveal of humanoid aliens being behind the power outage, who were well aware of the problems they would cause. The aliens mentioned how messing with routine could send people into a downward spiral and lead them to turn against each other, and how they would use this to conquer Earth one neighborhood at a time. “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” is regarded as one ofthe bestTwilight Zoneepisodes, and the best out of the ones written by Serling.
What makes this episode so good and timeless are the topics addressed in it, as Serling cleverly adapted them to the show’s sci-fi and horror tone, making them more accessible.
“The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” has been praised for its writing, as it perfectly builds tension and suspense, and it brings the audience in as they also attempt to figure out who among the Maple Street residents could be the alien. However,what makes this episode so good and timeless are the topics addressed in it, as Serling cleverly adapted them to the show’s sci-fi and horror tone, making them more accessible.
This Twilight Zone Episode Confirms Why The Series Remains A Timeless Masterpiece
“The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” Covers Topics That Are, Unfortunately, Still Relevant
Rod Serling often addressed social and political issues of the time in hisTwilight Zoneepisodes, and he did so cleverly, blending these topics with sci-fi, horror, and fantasy in ways that didn’t feel forced. The political commentary in “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” was relevant back then (with the Red Scare going on at the time) and landed well thanks to Serling’s metaphors and more, andthe episode continues to be relevant nowadays. This episode shows whyThe Twilight Zoneis a timeless masterpiece, as this and other episodes are still (sometimes unfortunately) relevant.
Rod Serling’s Best Twilight Episodes Are All Hard-Hitting & Memorable
Rod Serling Made Sure To Make Memorable, Smart, & Relevant Stories
Surely, not all theTwilight Zoneepisodes written by Rod Serling were a hit (episodes like “The Bard” and “Cavender Is Coming” are examples of that), buthe was the mind behind some of the most memorable and successful episodes of the show. Serling’s best episodes are those that delivered a strong message relevant to social and/or political issues at the time, of which many are still relevant.
DID YOU KNOW: Rod Serling’s bestTwilight Zoneepisodes are a big part of the charm and success of the show’s original run.
Among these are “Eye of the Beholder”, which tackled beauty standards brilliantly; “The Obsolete Man”, about a totalitarian government; and “Deaths-Head Revisited”, about the horrors of World War II. Rod Serling’s bestTwilight Zoneepisodes are a big part of the charm and success of the show’s original run, so much so that their impact couldn’t be replicated in the revivals.
