It’s hard to deny thatThe Twilight Zoneis one of the most influential sci-fi shows in the history of television.Rod Serling’s prime-time magnum opusnot only challenged network censorshipand redefined the kind of hard-hitting social commentary that could reach audiences, it alsocaptured the imagination of a generation and inspired a followingthat has lasted until the present day. In hindsight, the full impact of Serling’s writing is hard to quantify, a vast web of disparate threads that has filtered through decades of programming, butThe Twilight Zoneowesno small part of its storied legacy toits most iconic episodes.
Season 1, Episode 10, “Judgment Night,” is a classic tale of sociopolitical karma set in the fifth dimension. Exchanging the creepy dollsand sci-fi anticsfor a British cargo vessel in 1942, the episode centers on the perpetually beleaguered Carl Lanser (Nehemiah Persoff), a passengerwho somehow can’t remember ever boarding the ship in the first placeor the specifics of his past. What follows is a voyage of suspense that culminates inthe kind of bitter twist onlyThe Twilight Zonecan deliver. What many fans may not realize is thatthis episode also bears a striking resemblance to one of the most iconic episodesof a more contemporary anthology series,Black Mirror, ultimately highlighting the major impact Serling’s work has had onCharlie Brooker’s streaming hit.
“Judgment Night” Is a Time Loop of Endless Retribution in ‘The Twilight Zone’
In many ways, “Judgment Night” representsthe quintessential episode ofThe Twilight Zone, both in terms of story structure and messaging. Beginning with the mystery of Carl Lanser’s past and teasing the lingering threat of German U-boats in the water, the episode keeps viewers constantly on edge before culminating ina revelation that is both surprising and instantly thought-provoking, showcasing the best elements with whichThe Twilight Zonehas become synonymous. For those who need a refresher, the story’s big twist is that the captain of the U-boat hunting Lanser is, in fact, none other than a past version of Lanser himself, and thathis panicked premonitions about an impending U-boat attackare founded on personal experience.
In this case, a member of the German military receives divine punishment for his cruel actions during World War II, underscoringthe impact that Serling’s own servicehad on his creative career while also delivering a sense of long-overdue justice. For Lanser, “Judgment Night” forces himto relive the final moments of his victims alongside the passengers he originally killed, arguing that those who carelessly take lives should be doomed to experience their collective suffering. Lanser answers to the ultimate form of poetic justice duringhis brief stint inThe Twilight Zone,forced to confront the empathy he lacked in lifeby repeating the final moments of the SS Queen of Glasgow over and over again.
‘Black Mirror’ Picks Up the Theme of Repetitive Punishment in Season 2, Episode 2, “White Bear”
Lacking any U-boat captains or doomed cargo vessels, Season 2, Episode 2 of Brooker’sBlack Mirror, “White Bear,” neverthelessbears a striking resemblance to Serling’s tale of eternal punishment. The episode centers on an initially unnamed woman (Lenora Crichlow) waking up in a suburban neighborhood with no memory of who she is, though her confusion is quickly replaced by terrorwhen she is attacked by assailants wearing masks witha mysterious white symbolalso scattered throughout the woman’s surroundings. After surviving the most lethal of these assailants, Baxter (Michael Smiley), and escaping with the one person who has been kind towards her, the pair reach a transmission station that can supposedly cut the signal, causing the world to plunge into chaos.
Once again, however, the joke is on the episode’s protagonist. Rather than salvation, a wall in the station opens up to reveal a live studio audience, andtheBlack Mirrorepisode’s twistis that the woman, Victoria Skillane, is not navigating a nerve-wracking apocalypse. Instead, she is beingpunished by the state for the part she played in the murder of a six-year-old girl, and the mysterious mark she keeps seeing is actually a tattoo belonging to her former accomplice/fiancé, who died before he could be sentenced as well. Like “Judgment Night,““White Bear” creates a sense of eternal damnation, with Baxter—who is actually a staff member—wiping Victoria’s memory every night so she can be freshly tortured the following day. Coupled with the entry’s memory-loss premise and sense of moral comeuppance,this disturbingBlack Mirrorepisodesubsequently feels as much like a remake of “Judgment Night"as it does its own disturbing story.
10 Best ‘The Twilight Zone’ Quotes, Ranked
“I’m a human being, I exist.”
‘The Twilight Zone’ Set the Stage for ‘Black Mirror’s Exploration of Murky Social Justice
There’s good reason to make the comparison between one ofBlack Mirror’s most unsettling episodes and the early days ofThe Twilight Zone. While Brooker’s precise inspirations for “White Bear” can be traced back toa real crime spree committed in the 1960sanda last-minute spark of inspirationthat actually changed the episode’s original story into what we have today,the impact thatThe Twilight Zonehad onBlack Mirror’s creative development can’t be understated. Inan article for the Guardianwritten shortly before his series aired,Brooker cites Serling’s series as a major influence, creditingThe Twilight Zonefor being “far crueller than most TV drama today would dare to be” and acknowledging his predecessor’s habit of tackling relevant social issues plaguing society.
Given the fact that Brooker had never changed aBlack Mirrorscript so late in production until “White Bear,“some of Serling’s old narrative cruelty clearly crept its way into his creative process, delivering a spiritual follow-up toan already iconic episode of television. As someone who respected Serling and would have been more than aware of “Judgment Night,” Brooker’s work acknowledges his predecessor and represents a figurative passing of the torch. While “Judgment Night” struck a chord with audiences for its original depiction of eternal punishment, Brooker’s take on the concept imbues it with the kind of modern commentaryfor whichThe Twilight Zonewas also famous.
By contrasting Victoria’s panic with crowds of apathetic onlookers carelessly pointing their phones towards her suffering,Black Mirroradds a wrinkle to Serling’s premise of eternal damnation, forcing the audience to reconsider what it means to endure cruel punishment when those doling it out are just as equally human. The end result isa terrifying episode of televisionwhich interrogates the simple moral of Serling’s original tale, demonstrating that technology can enable self-righteous extensions of the law to resemble the very monsters they are trying to condemn. By expanding on the thematic groundwork Rod Serling put in place with “Judgment Night,“Charlie Brooker ultimately honors his inspiration by injecting Serling’s premise with his own voice, proving thatThe Twilight Zone’s impact continues to reverberate through culture in surprising new ways.
Episodes ofThe Twilight Zonecan be streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S.
