Aliens and Doppelgängers

Today's theme seemed to be invasion. I find it interesting that so many TZ episodes are centered on the idea of earth being overtaken, humans being overpowered, or of humans travelling into space. I feel like nowadays these aren't such hot topics though. With the space travel that's been accomplished and that's ongoing, our fixation with the "mysteries of the galaxy" seems to have subsided. These TZ episodes also made commentaries on the arms race and the Cold War. Because TZ was science-fiction, Serling was able to create episodes like these that appealed to fans of the alien/science/space genre, while also subtly making political and moral statements.


Examples of these sorts of episodes include: The Little People, The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, Stopover in a Quiet Town, and all of today's episodes. 


The Little People - Speaks to people's fears about what else is "out there." This episode also makes you consider that maybe we humans aren't the most powerful. It might be a stretch to suggest that The Little People has a religious undertone, but it certainly makes me remember that although our world may seem like the most important thing and we may seem like the ones with all the power, God is actually in control. And he is much greater than any of us can imagine! But unlike the little people, we don't need to fear. He has our best interests at heart.


The Monsters are Due on Maple Street - Commentary on the Red Scare; everyone was suspicious of Communists; this episode demonstrates how people can get carried away with their fears; also entertaining because humans are portrayed as significantly less intelligent than aliens (they can overtake us simply by letting us destroy ourselves)


Stopover in a Quiet Town - Again, theme that humans are not the [only] ones with power; in the end, the man and woman are simply pawns to be played with; as a Christian, this makes me think that we are sort of like God's pawns, except we have free will and aren't simply his toys


Summary and [possible] lessons to be learned from today's episodes:
To Serve Man - If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be careful who you trust! The Kanamits might also be likened to gods (religious undertone perhaps?). They had humanity's best interests at heart and were willing to help alleviate earth's problems. However, UNLIKE our God, they had a secret, selfish motive.


Third from the Sun - I believe the main point was not that the characters were from a strange planet far away (that was just another one of TZ's ironic twists). Third From the Sun spoke to people's fears about nuclear war, and maybe even Communism. Carling was a shady character with a hidden motive. The main characters were somewhat afraid of him; Sturka seemed to suspect something fishy about him. Maybe this was a portrayal of McCarthyism?


The Invaders - First of all, this episode really annoyed me. I really disliked the actress's strange grunting and moaning, and also the lack of dialog (of course this makes sense in hindsight, but it was frustrating while watching the episode for the first time). However, The Invaders is a statement on the fears of space travel. We didn't know what was "out there." Giant creatures? Powerful aliens? People just like us? I did find this ending quite entertaining. Once we learned the astronauts were humans, I found them and their costumes much cuter and also empathized with them more than with the giant.


Mirror Image - Supposedly speaks to Christian theme of betrayal and belief (ex. Judas and Paul), however, I didn't see much of a point to the episode. However, I am a person who always sees people who I think look like other people, so it was funny to watch that portrayed on screen and also to consider the fact that I have an evil twin/alter-ego out there somewhere (completely ridiculous thought, but funny to think about nonetheless). This episode does play on people's fears of being "taken over," though. It highlights the idea that there are people out there who want control (Communists? Aliens who look like us?).


Look out...you could be next!