Twilight Zone “To Serve Man”

AIRING DATE: 1962 RUNNING TIME: 25 Min. SEASON: 3 EPISODE: 24

Kanamit (played by Richard Kiel) and Michael Chambers (played by Lloyd Bochner)

As with so many, The Twilight Zone was a big influence on me in falling in love with the science fiction genre. Although this is part one of many episodes that I will be reviewing I felt that starting with this one was fitting. Based on a 1950 short story by Damon knight(1922-2002) of the same name.

Told in narration form by the coder Michael Chambers (although his “assistant”, first name Patty (played by Susan Cummings), seems to be doing all the work) confined to a room, we find to be a cell on a spaceship. His captors are attempting to get him to eat, which he refuses. He then begins to recount how he came to be there: The spaceships arrive and the Secretary General of the UN, gathers the nations delegates to discuss the implications of their arrival. At this gathering a Kanamit representative arrives to give reason to their arrival, to offer gifts: end famine through nitrates that are added to barren soil, cure diseases, economical power sources and to end war.

There is mild skepticism among the leaders and the Kanamit representative states that there is no ulterior motive for them being on our planet, proving it by the gifts they will witness.

And then the representative accidentally leaves the book that it has been holding during the whole time during this UN meeting. This book is in their language and this is where Michael Chambers, the cryptographer is brought in. As he is discussing the difficulty of deciphering this alien language his assistant Patty come in to announce that they have cracked the book title, which is “To Serve Man”. So, this is regarded as good.

The Kinamit are praised and trusted as the gifts transform the way of life. Embassy’s are created around the world. And eventually they offer humans a chance to visit their world on their ships. As humans are in lines awaiting to board you hear fanciful, appealing rumors of what their world is like. Before walking up the steps they are weighed. Even Michael Chambers decides to take a trip with a group.

And as he is on his way up the steps Patty appears and yells to him to not get in the ship. that she has deciphered the book and has figured out the real reason for them being there. And as he struggles to exit, he fails, as the door is closed.

What is glaring is what Rod Serling says in voice-over: “Brutality is much more a universal language to us, then charity”. A message of naivete, that we see the shiny things, so appealing and lose our judgement.

“To Serve Man” is an definitive episode of The Twilight Zone and is a much watch. The reveal at the end is one that is part of memorable, but I must say, not surprising. You can watch in here.

In Retrospect ★★★★★