The Old Man in the Cave

Do you put your faith in an unseen person who has kept you safe 10 years or do you put your faith in a authoritative person you can see, but is new to you?

We always put our faith in something whether it be science, religion, family, friends, political parties, government, etc. or ourselves. Unfortunately this is like trying to guess the future, sometimes we are correct, sometimes not.

In this case putting your faith in the wrong thing can have dire consequences, but who is to say it would have turned out differently if the choice of faith was different? Our target of faith may be fallible or our interpretation of directions may be incorrect.

First-rate TZ, combining both suspense and worthwhile subtext. A small group of townsfolk survive a nuclear holocaust, apparently because they follow directives from unseen old man in a cave. His instructions are delivered through an imperious townsman, Goldsmith (Anderson), who is the only one to have seen him. Mainly, the old man instructs the folks on what to eat and not eat because of contamination. The survivors have grown thin but are still managing. Then, into their midst arrives a rogue army detachment led by a seemingly power-mad Major (Coburn) who's intent on displacing Goldsmith and the old man. So which faction will prevail.

Suspense is really heightened by not just the premise, but by powerful turns from both Anderson's forceful dignity and Coburn's aggressive authority. Their clash is unusually riveting for series TV. That there's a subtext seems obvious. Should people have faith in an unseen authority on matters of life and death. Also, should they trust intermediary, Goldsmith, the apparent voice of authority. The parallels with certain varieties of organized religion and faith in the unseen appear embedded in the subtext, particularly as they compete with pleasure pursuit which also becomes a factor.

The eventual reveal of the old man surprised me and seems particularly applicable to our day and age. Usually by the fifth year, a series is running dry. Not TZ. Check out the many memorable episodes including this one that characterize year five. For sure, Mr. Serling belongs in some kind of TV hall of fame.

I realize that the other commentators took this episode pretty seriously. Indeed it is a political episode. It's about the baser elements of humanity. The soldiers representing the survivalist mentality, the townspeople the rabble, and the old man a manipulative, self righteous oracle. Everything plays out the way it should, with those who deserve it getting their just desserts. It is the forbidden fruit being put on the table in front of desperate men. I hope, in my heart of hearts, that this isn't what we would do, but, sadly, I don't think it's far from the truth. The whole business of these guys rolling into a weakened civilization is played out every day in parts of the world. As I speak, it continues in the Congo and other African nations and in Thailand. We can be our own worst enemies.

James Coburn stars as Major French, who leads his marauding band of soldiers in a post-apocalyptic world ten years after its decimation. John Anderson costars as Goldsmith, who leads his group of survivors who have made the best of things in their area by obeying an old man in a cave, who has given them unfailing advice for their survival, but whom French is most suspicious of, since no one has ever seen this old man, and his doubt and dissent spreads to the whole group, prompting them to eat reportedly irradiated cans of food that Goldsmith tries without success to stop them, as the old man is indeed not what they were expecting, though still wise... Intriguing episode poses many interesting parables with religious faith, though the outcome here may seem obvious, at least it is still interesting, with good performances.

It's always a treat to watch these iconic old TV series and recognize familiar old faces in odd roles, and to see how many of these one-shot guest stars had any idea that within a few years they'd be big stars. Such is the Life of Uncertainty in the arts.

Note in this episode:

--- James Coburn riding into town with his trademark swagger that later fueled his stardom in the "In Like Flint" movies.

--- John Marley, with that commanding voice he used to send Tom Hayden (Robert Duvall) packing in "The Godfather" the morning before he woke up next to his prized thoroughbred's head.

--- John Anderson, just a few years after the customer --- Janet Leigh --- pressured the car salesman (Anderson) in "Psycho".

--- Josie Lloyd, kind of a cutie who was cast 4 times as a homely wallflower on "The Andy Griffith Show". Josie died in 2020, 53 years after her last credited acting role.

This episode's theme is all about the power of faith and how it gets you through the night, regardless of its source or credibility. I've heard an atheist friend describe religion as a mere placebo, but any medical professional will tell you....sometimes believing that the placebo's the real thing gets you through the illness.

Interestingly, this episode was followed immediately during SyFy's 2025 New Year's Night TZ Marathon by an episode about a hypochondriac.