The Trade-Ins

For a brief moment, I hoped this would to be a dystopian Sci-Fi tale about rich elderly folks paying huge sums of money to transfer their selfish personalities into the bodies of young people, and then these young people turn out to be captured slaves from poor ghettos, or something. Alas, the tone of the episode turned towards the other direction, more specifically a sentimental direction with a dull "accept your fate" message. The sentimental "Twilight Zone" episodes are my least favorite ones; I prefer the grim and disturbing stories, but "The Trade-Ins" still deserves credit for the distant-future rejuvenation theme and the strong performances by Schildkraut, Platt and Marcuse (as the gentlest illegal gambler in history). The rudimentary premise by Rod Serling is similar to a brilliant novel by David Ely, and also got turned into one of the most dazzling but underrated Sci-Fi movies of all times; namely "Seconds" (1966)

Joseph Schildkraut and Alma Platt play John & Marie Holt, who have been married for 50 years, but now need some help, since John suffers from frequent pain, and they plan to visit the New Life Corporation where they can have their minds transferred into younger, fit bodies. Unfortunately, they only have enough money for one, so Marie insists it be John, though he still tries to get the money by either gambling, or receiving sympathy, with little practical success... Nicely acted and touching episode rings all the right bells, though I always found it odd that the company couldn't have given poor Marie a two-for one break on her operation, which would have been fantastic public relations! Oh well...

An elderly couple (Schildkraut and Platt) visit a company that specializes in substituting their elderly bodies for younger ones, but find they only have the money needed to substitute one of their bodies.

Serling's tender, beautifully written story of love and the sacrifices we make for it relies less on the sci-fi gimmick than on the exquisite relationship developed between the couple. The husband is wracked with pain, but possessed of a quiet, unflailing dignity and deep, rich love of his wife; Schildkraut's touching work does the part full justice, his gentle personality serving as the perfect defense against the ravages against his body. The wife, incredibly patient and possessed of the same dignity and love, is beautifully played by Platt -- the two do not seem like actors playing a long-married couple, but a couple that really have lived with and loved each other for half a century. The final twist is less a twist, than a wholly believable act growing out of the love these two people share for one another.

Additional mention must made of Theodore Marcuse's performance as a gambler that Schildkraut's character goes to, hoping to win enough money to pay for both substitutions. Rather than play the character as a cipher or a venal shark, Marcuse adds subtle strokes to the performance that make him far more interesting; his idle humming and expression at the end of the card game gives more insight into his character than pages of dialogue ever could.

All in all, one of the series' most charming and beautifully played episodes.

The acting is very believable, perhaps the best in the series, with convincing character decisions. And it's extremely touching.

Schildkraut expertly plays the old man, who's in severe chronic pain. He's actually an actor playing the old man who himself is an actor- acting at pretending he's not in, and not always succeeding.

Really, all four main characters do excellent work here. The gambler is played as well as a top actor in an Oscar level movie, and it's a fairly small role.

I'm also very happy that it didn't have some very sad twists that you expect in this show.

Slender, sentimental tale courtesy TZ. A devoted elderly couple learn of a youth restoration clinic, and since their 50-year marriage has been so happy, at the same time he is in some pain, they consult. Trouble is the clinic charges $10,000 each for a new youthful body, but the couple has only enough for one replacement. So what will they do since separation from one another seems unthinkable.

The episode resembles John Frankenheimer's movie Seconds (1966) that came out about the same time. Here, it's hard to know where the plot is going—will they get the extra money, is the clinic on the level, will something unexpected happen. We're really rooting for them since the oldsters seem genuinely devoted. Apparently (IMDB), Schildkraut's real life wife died during production, which no doubt deepened an already moving performance. And, oh yes, baldy Theo Marcuse had a different look at a time when only he and Yul Brynner sported slickened pates. Here he turns in an unusually nuanced card dealer in a brief supporting role.

All in all, it's a different type entry that may not appeal much to the younger crowd, but is not without its subtle virtues.