The Obsolete Man

I watch this episode, "The Obsolete Man" last week on MeTV and it has to be just about the best episode of any series I watched so far! It has highly thought provoking themes to it! It takes stabs at totalitarianism in Government and also has a good religious theme to it as well (which is the thing I enjoyed most about it)! It was very well acted by Burgess Meredith (an actor who's films I almost always enjoy),the shows hero, and by Fritz Weaver, playing the shows villain! Now I know why the series "The Twilight Zone has ratings over 9 out of 10! It's because of intelligent episodes like this! I challenge anyone to show me any mindless, violence and special effects filled action film that can stand up to this "Twilight Zone" masterpiece!

In a totalitarian and atheistic society in the future where books are destroyed, the librarian Romney Wordsworth is declared obsolete and sentenced to death by the Chancellor. The librarian believes in God and has a discussion with the Chancellor that allows him to choose how he would be executed. Romney requests a personal assassin that will be the only person to know how he would choose to die and his execution broadcast live to the nation. Near the scheduled hour, Rommey summons the Chancellor to his apartment and discloses that there is a hidden bomb to kill him. He gets his forbidden Bible to read and when the Chancellor tries to leave the place, he finds that the door is locked. What will be his attitude?

"The Obsolete Man" is the last and best episode of the Second Season of "The Twilight Zone". The plot makes the viewer immediately recalls George Orwell dystopic society in "1984", Ray Bradbury´s "Fahrenheit 451" and Franz Kafka´s "The Trial". Burgess Meredith has a great performance in the role of the librarian Romney Wordsworth that uses his knowledge and experience to lure and give a lesson to the notorious and arrogant Chancellor. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "O Homem Obsoleto" ("The Obsolete Man")

This is a top ten pick for me. It's not so much the Orwellian culture it depicts. It's about our humanity; what we are. The shadow of the huge lectern where Fritz Weaver lords it over the accused. His incredibly emotive speech method. It's Burgess Meredith, seemingly cowering at first and then realizing that if his life is to have worth, he needs to make a final statement. While there is a bit of religion thrown in there, I like to think that it is the wish of this man to simply live out the last moment of his life on his own terms. Meredith, as I've said before, is a great actor. His calmness and grace in this role make this otherwise simplistic tale sing. The meek shall inherit the earth I guess.

This episode was written by Rod Serling, and in my opinion it ranks as one of the best of the series. The theme of a totalitarian possible future is not merely well produced entertainment, but is a recurring theme in Serling's work that serves as a warning we should not easily dismiss. This nightmare future seems even more relevant today then perhaps when it was written over 50 years ago. Burgess Meredith's performance is outstanding as he carries the single ray of hope in a very dark world.

Another of Rod Serling's cautionary tales of the rise of the totalitarian state.

Rodney Wordsworth is declared "obsolete" by a tribunal of the state in the not too distant future. The sentence is. of course, death, but some surprises await the State at the humble hands of Mr. Wordsworth.

Anyone seeing this episode today will be shocked at it's relevance. A society which has "proven" that there is no God; a state which enforces a mind-numbing conformity; a state which refuses to respect or acknowledge the rights of the individual or the sanctity of life.

Watch this episode and reflect long and hard.