The Twilight Zone 1.14

Third from the Sun

starring Fritz Weaver, Edward Andrews, Joe Maross

written by Rod Serling, Richard Matheson

directed by Richard L. Bare

Scientist William Sturka (Fritz Weaver) and pilot Jerry Riden (Joe Maross) both work for the government. They learn that nuclear war is about to break out and make plans to escape with their families. They are under surveillance by Mr. Carling (Edward Andrews).

Carling keeps them on their toes but late one night they break into the base where they work. They, along with their wives and Sturka's teenage daughter, steal a spaceship and head for another planet where humans also live. A planet that is the third from the sun around which it orbits. A planet that is more similar to their own than they realize.

Thoughts

A heavy portion of this episode is shot with the camera tilted up or down. Maybe that was some kind of foreshadowing that not everything is as it seems. Of course there is usually a twist in episodes of this show so I'm not sure if that gave away much of anything.

I like this episode. I probably should have seen the twist coming but I didn't. I think it has aged fairly well. I'm not sure that I would describe it as a favorite but I would definitely consider it to belong in the upper tier of episodes of The Twilight Zone.

Notes

This is the first of two episodes of this show in which Fritz Weaver appeared. He also appeared in episodes of The Invaders, Wonder Woman, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

This is the first of two episodes of this show in which Edward Andrews appeared. He also appeared in one episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955). I have also seen him in three episodes of The Phil Silvers Show, the third of which was 3.15 Bilko and the Flying Saucers. He was also in an episode of The Invaders, 1.03 The Mutation.

This is the first of two episodes of this show in which Joe Maross appeared. He also appeared in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), The Outer Limits (1963), The Invaders, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Wonder Woman.

This is the second of 16 episodes of this show that Richard Matheson had a hand in writing. The first was 1.11 And When the Sky Was Opened. He wrote one episode of Star Trek (1966), 1.05 The Enemy Within. He also had a hand in writing The Night Stalker (1972) and The Night Strangler (1973).

This is the first of seven episodes of this show that Richard L. Bare directed. He also directed two episodes of Kraft Suspense Theatre.