Nightmare as a Child

This is one I like, it's not quite a favorite of mine but good all the same. It's another really different entry in the series (but then again that's part of what the show is about) it kinda feels more like an anthology tale for "Alfred Hichcock Presents" as it's more of a psychological suspense thriller, but I like tales like that for the show it's kinda a breather from the usual fare.

I really like the dynamic between both Helen and Markie. Markie is an interesting character as she seems to know about every exact single detail of Helen and her past, it made me wonder if the kid was psychic because no one could ever know those intimate details unless Helen disclosed them to the girl which she never did as she's never seen her in her life.

You can say in a way it's kinda the reverse in the dynamic between Councelor and Student because this time it's the kid that is Helen's Councelor. Like any councelor Markie is really trying to get Helen to open up, help her remember her lost childhood. It's a little tense as the kid is constantly challenging Helen and Helen is still blocking or in a state of denial which makes the interplay a bit realistic because most victims of a certain trama in their lives have trouble opening up but most of all dealing with their internal issue.

It's really suspenseful because I honestly felt Helen had to remember not just to save her sanity but her life. Though it got even more suspenseful when the guy came into her loft. I honestly felt uncomfortable and concerned for Helen's life when he came in, I honestly didn't trust the guy because of three things: 1. It's a little too coincidental that he would suddenly see her on the street one day, those kinds of coincidences don't exist. 2. If he knew a lot about Helen's past why wouldn't he disclose all the details? 3. His smile didn't like the look of it, it's a crocodile smile.

Time for Helen is not on her side and her only way out is though the past.

Rating: 3 stars

Janice Rule stars in this Twilight Zone story about a woman who has blocked out a memory of a terrible tragedy from her childhood. She went away after the murder of her mother, but now is back and is actually teaching grade school.

Outside her apartment she meets a most strange little girl played by Terry Burnham who keeps bringing up some repressed memories of what happened. Just in time as Sheppard Strudwick who knew her back as a child and exudes more and more menace as the episode goes on.

It's rather obvious what's going on here, still Rule, Burnham, and Strudwick deliver some fine performances.

I've seen just about every episode of the Twilight Zone, and I can say with relative confidence that this one scared me the most (and still does). Yes, it's pretty obvious what's really going on by the time it's revealed but people who say this is a detriment to the story misunderstand that this is really a suspense story not a mystery. The main source of anxiety on the viewer's part is the question of "when will Helen figure it out? Will it be in time?" The moment of realization for Helen is paired with the scariest cut in Twilight Zone history (in my opinion). The acting is really great and the casting was perfect.

The absolute best "Twilight Zone" episodes grab you by the throat straight from the beginning and practically drown you in a pool of mystery and ominousness… "Nightmare as a Child" is such a fantastic episode. Immediately from the very first sequence, when female protagonist Helen Foley comes home to her apartment and meets a little girl sitting on the staircase, you can genuinely sense that the atmosphere is tense and foreboding. There's something peculiar about the girl, who only refers to herself by her nickname Markie. Is she real or just a ghostly appearance? Is she good or bad? Those and other questions remain compellingly vague for a mere 5-10 fascinating. The more experienced thriller/Sci-Fi fanatic then obviously figures out what's going on, but the tale nevertheless remains incredibly tense. Little Markie overwhelms Helen with private observations about herself and asks whether or not she noticed someone earlier that day who looked familiar to her. Shen then receives another unexpected visitor and slowly realizes that Markie attempted to warn her for something. "Nightmare as a Child" is another magnificent TZ-episode, subtly dealing with difficult themes like unprocessed traumas and suppressed memories. Written by Rod Serling himself, the episode is intelligent and original, while the experienced TV-director Alvin Ganzer provides with a continuously sinister ambiance. Janice Rule gives an impressive performance as the insecure and vulnerable damsel-in-distress, but she also gets excellent support from young Terry Burnham as Markie and – especially – from Shepperd Strudwick as the smooth and inconspicuous but mischievous stranger.

Not the best of the show, not as exciting as other stories but cool to watch, agreeable enough to justify the twenty six minutes watch. It is question of nightmare, childhood trauma, the eerie and fantasy elements that could have made this story included in ONE STEP BEYOND tv anthology show, also dedicated to unexplained events, some kind of cousin anthology series to TWILIGHT ZONE. So, yes, this is a cute story, that you can easily show to your family. This plot could have been made for a long length movie. I love the woman lead character, her face, her eyes, she is vvery convincing in this role.