A Human Face

The best TZ episodes for me were always large sci-fi concepts seen from a smaller personal angle. They analysed what it meant to be flawed and human and how we respond to unusual situations. Set-wise the cast and setting were relatively small, so they felt like a 20-25 min stage play.

This episode is all of the above and I enjoyed it.

So much for the 'good alternate episode' theory that I expounded in the last review - as this was another terrible addition to the show.

As a grieving couple is preparing to move to a new house and sever another connection with their late daughter, they discover a form of extra-terrestrial life form in the basement. Though scared, Barbara (Jenna Elfman) says she sees some of her daughter in the strange creature which is baffling to Robert (Christopher Meloni) who patently does not. As the creature begins to further adopt the look of their daughter (Tavi Gevinson) Barbara becomes more and more convinced that they should interact with her, but Robert remains sceptical.

Another episode where the failings are all in the writing which desperately confuses a serious subject matter, for profundity about the situation. I accept there's a tiny granule of a discussion about rejecting reality for less pain in here, but the exploration and execution are terrible. Writer Alex Rubens has provided funny episodes of TV in the past, but this is his third "Twilight Zone" of this run and only his first "The Comedian" has been anything like acceptable. In this one, almost nothing happens except an endless circular conversation between the central pair; "that's not our daughter", "but what if it is", "But it's not", "but what if it is". Mercifully, the episode is strikingly short, clocking in at just over 30 minutes - but again, it's the first act - dragged out as if it's the complete story. Is the alien benevolent or evil? Is there one in every home? What does all the people walking outside at the end mean? All these questions remain unanswered.

The effect is quite good for the original alien form and the transformation into Maggie, and the performances from the central pair are OK (nice to see Jenna Elfman again) but those are slim pickings from another terrible episode.

Re-make Twilight Zone was a sad failure that didn't get anywhere and not worth to even think about. But this episode stands out alone amidst the dead fish tank full of time, thoughts, and efforts.

A Human Face would not be seen much on the first inadequate look. But it has its certain depth of intellectual to be a thought provoking one felt with feelings, and it is honest, interesting enough to its own telling of a story about loss and grief, and aliens.

This "TZ" episode called "A Human Face" deals with the themes of loss, grief, and tragedy yet it opens and take a look at the afterlife and life in the form of an alien. It involves a hurt and grieving married couple Robert(Chris Meloni) and Barbara("Dharma and Greg's" Jenna Elfman) who have apparently lost a daughter and they clearly feel the guilt and pain as she's not around. Only upon a move they notice something downstairs in a basement like room at first it's a very different form it's like something strange from another planet, only slowly but surely the shape and form takes on a new body and a new face! Overall interesting and touching as this is an episode that stays true to science fiction form taking a viewer away from reality and the norm as the central characters are touched with a past loved one in strange and other world like ways.

Unfortunately Tavi Gevinson still has a lot of development she needs as far as acting skills go and I am not sure why she was cast alongside two other actors who did so remarkably well in their roles. Sometimes casting can make or break a show and in this case, casting her was a poor choice. This is a well written episode and I feel like it probably reads well on the page. The ending is interesting as well. But there are better episodes in this second season of The Twilight Zone.