The Obsolete Man

An episode with a theme near and dear to Serling's heart: intellectual freedom and the will and power of the "little" guy. It's an obvious tribute to novels like "1984", and while not as well executed as that novel, there is something to be said for the startling visuals presented on such a low budget that bring to life the horrors of a totalitarian regime. My only criticism is the ending -- not to give anything away, but did they run out of money for something better? Regardless, this is an episode that makes you wonder what today's political realities and quasi-religious governments would have inspired Serling to write.

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!

Save the best for last, Rod Serling must have thought! The second season of his magnificent TV-creation "The Twilight Zone" has seen a handful of truly terrific episodes (notably "The Howling Man", "Eye of the Beholder", "Twenty-Two" and "Shadow Play") but in the humble opinion of yours truly this "The Obsolete Man" is the most astounding of them all. And, although I've yet to review three entire seasons after this, I'm already fairly certain this episode will turn up again quite high in my ultimate series' top 10.

I'm a tremendous fanatic of dystopian Sci-Fi tales, especially if they are intelligent and realistic enough to downright petrify you. In the good old tradition of "1984", "Fahrenheit 451" and "Brave New World", "The Obsolete Man" creates a downright nightmarish vision of society in an undefined future. In the totalitarian regime, referred to only as The State, people who don't serve a supposedly useful purpose or contribute anything are quickly declared "obsolete" and sentenced to death. With books being forbidden and burned some years ago already, former librarian Romney Wordsworth also gets condemned by a merciless and avidly fanatic chancellor. But, from the moment you lay eyes upon him, you'll see that Mr. Wordsworth is a literate and very sophisticated person, and so the place and circumstances of the execution that he chooses for himself will hold some surprises in store.

"The Obsolete Man" has a brilliant plot, courtesy of Rod Serling himself, but many others contribute a great deal as well. Director Elliot Silverstein, in his first of four episodes for "The Twilight Zone", terrifically captures the stoic and nihilistic atmosphere of a dystopian sci-fi tale (especially during the courtroom sequences). The show's regular cinematographer George T. Clemens delivers some of his best work with the menacing positioning of the camera. Last but not least, the performances of both Burgess Meredith and Fritz Weaver are nothing short of staggering. Their characters are complete opposites, obviously, but their chemistry is practically burning holes in the screen.

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.

The Smoking man Rod Serling mastermind of "The Twilight Zone" using his logical mindset poke the totalitarian systems as Communism and Nazism as well, where the men are pure pawns at hands of the empowered class of blind politicians who ruled by unchanging dogmatic system and over the shadow of the fear, in this weird environment the humble librarian Romney Wordsworth (Burgess Meredith) is taken to Courthouse to be judge as obsolete man, useless to new society, where the books, philosophy and the religion is no longer make sense, all this were banned of this community , baffled Mr. Wordsworth tries by any means explain that his job is upmost importance, due all the books are the prestine knowledge that human race gathered through countless centuries by poets, philosophers, scientists, holly and wise men and all sort of writers giving to the mankind the background knowledge to the upcoming future at sight, however the cold and septic Chancellor (Fritz Weaver) disowns all statements gave by the wise Wordsworth, in 48 hours he must be executed on own choice, the old man claims that his execution must be aired by television broadcasting nationally, how it were routinely offered for the citizens, it is accepts on plenty, nonetheless Mr. Wordsworth planned something more, by far ones the greater episode of the whole series, at final Serling points out that without democracy there's no future to mankind, where every single person has the own right of choice whatsoever!!!

Thanks for reading.

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First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5