Nightmare as a Child

This is a little more human episode. Are we dealing with the memories, repressed at childhood, or are we seeing the supernatural at work. Whether the young woman is actually experiencing this or thinking it doesn't matter. It is in her psyche and she must try to come to grips with it. The little girl's presence is certainly eerie, but this is about loneliness and fear and reclamation. The acting performances are quite good and the little girl is better than most. Serling loved to work the the ghosts of people's pasts, but usually it was some thing that they had done and they are now being punished for. This has a little of the lady caught in the bus station. Those observing would say she was on the brink of insanity. The difference comes in; the understanding. A good episode.

Only a classic television series could have a story that's totally predictable and still be a decent watch that's not a time waster. Rod Serling certainly succeeded on achieving creepiness and intensity. Me personally I prefer more of an unexpected surprise ending. Perfect casting and strong performances by Helen Foley (Janice Rule), Peter Selden (Sheppherd Strudwick), and Markie (Terry Burnham). The most clever aspect of the writing was young Markie appearing to warn Helen of the coming danger. At the end we see Morgan Brittany replacing Markie on the stairs. Who "The Andy Griffith Show" fans will remember as Mary Alice Carter who dumped Opie (Ron Howard) after she accepted a dance invitation.

Were I giving out TZ Oscars, I'd give one to Janice Rule for her compelling turn as the troubled Helen Foley. And while I'm at it, I'd give a junior-sized one to little Terry Burnham as the sinister 10-year old girl, Markie. Between them, they really grab viewers though nothing much happens except the subtle dialog. Just who is this kid, and how is it she knows so much about the adult Helen and her mother's mysterious death. Overall, it's psychological drama at TZ's most insidious, and more dependent on good acting than most.

I really like that initial staging where little Markie sits on the stairs as if she's just stepped down from above, like from Helen's brain or maybe the Twilight Zone itself. Plus, she's so angelic looking. Could she be Serling's version of the Bad Seed (1956) despite her innocent looks. All in all, it's another first-rate installment from the series's magical first year.

Janice Rule plays school teacher Helen Foley, who, after returning home from work, is confronted by a talkative little girl named Markie(played by Terry Burnham) who looks strangely familiar, but Helen just can't place her, despite Markie's constant prompting. Then a man from Helen's past returns into her life when he knocks on her door, reminding Helen that he knew her deceased mother and her many years ago, and that now he has come back for a most sinister reason... Interesting episode has a quite sophisticated idea at its heart, even if it is now rather obvious. Certainly a unique tale in the series canon, if not that well remembered.

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.