Rod Serling’sThe Twilight Zonewas an innovative milestone in the world of television, setting the standard for future anthology series and the craft of storytelling on the small screen. Today, the series stands to be one of the most iconic shows of all time and is recognized for its memorable stories and outstanding performances by notable stars such asBurgess Meredith,Ida Lupino,William Shatner, andLee Marvin.
The Twilight Zoneran for five successful seasons, and while the stories themselves are exceptionally captivating and clever, the powerfully vivid dialogue also plays a crucial role in the show’s overall impact. Out of all the episodes ofThe Twilight Zone, including “The Obsolete Man” and “Walking Distance,” these are the ten best quotes from the Fifth Dimension.
The Twilight Zone
10"You get this idiotic notion that life goes on forever, and of course it doesn’t. Everyone has to go sometime."
Lew Bookman – Season 1, Episode 2 (1959)
Ed Wynn stars in “One for the Angels"as a beloved pitchman, Lew Bookman, who has an unexpected visit from a strange man who reveals himself to be Death (Murray Hamilton). Like any normal reaction, Bookman doesn’t believe that his time is up and tries to persuade Mr. Death to give him more time. Unfortunately, Mr. Death has had his fair share of people like Bookman and gives him some tough but accurate insight into his situation.
Mr. Death isn’t wrong that we all believe there’s always enough time (no pun intended) and while it seems like life continues to go on, it does come to an end for all of us at some time. This particular quote from the Fifth Dimension isone that sinks in on an emotional level for viewers, reminding us that time is a precious gift that we shouldn’t take for grantedbecause we never know when Mr. Death will be knocking on the front door.
9"Some people aren’t built for competition, Janie, or big pretentious houses they can’t afford, or rich communities they don’t feel comfortable in, or country clubs they wear around their necks like a badge of status.”
Gart Williams – Season 1, Episode 30 (1960)
“A Stop at Willoughby” is a bittersweet episode about an advertising executive, Gart Williams, played byJames Daly, who is slowly crumbling under the pressures of his demanding job and insufferable wife, essentially longing for a simpler and easier life. When he comes home from work, his wife is immediately nagging him about blowing up on his boss earlier that day. Eventually, Williams snaps and confesses what many viewers feel at times in this rat race known as life.
ThisTwilight Zonequote earns a place on the list for its depth and insightinto how someone’s definition of happiness may be someone else’s definition of a nightmare. People in our society have always been defined by wealth and social status and, while living a life of luxury and working a high-powered job might be some people’s idea of a fulfilled life, that isn’t the case for everyone. Of course, many people can achieve this, but it’s the concept of sustaining and climbing the corporate and social ladder that can take an immense toll on someone if their heart isn’t in it.
8"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
Walter Smith – Season 2, Episode 6 (1960)
“Eye of the Beholder” is one of themost famousTwilight Zoneepisodes, set in a futuristic society where a young woman, Janet Tyler (Donna Douglas), has undergone several surgeries to make her beautiful and is waiting for the results of the last attempt which the State will allow. When the bandages are removed, Ms. Tyler is revealed to be the epitome of beauty but is surrounded by people with deformed faces.
The quote in ‘Eye of the Beholder’ isone of the best and most important lines in anyTwilight Zoneepisodeand essentially states that, well, what is considered to be beautiful all depends on a specific person’s opinion. The line is spoken by a man, Walter Smith (Edson Stroll), who has come to take Ms. Tyler with him to a place where there are people like them. His words are a comfort to the distraught woman and leave audiences with a bit of food for thought about what genuinely defines beauty.
7"Well, I didn’t win the victories, Mrs. Landers, but I helped others to win them, so perhaps in some small measure they are victories that I can share."
Ellis Fowler – Season 3, Episode 37 (1962)
“The Changing of the Guard” is a sentimental and endearing episode starringDonald Pleasenceas an English professor, Ellis Fowler, who is being forced to retire and feels as though all of his hard work and lessons have been in vain. While the professor feels that he has failed his profession and students, he’s visited by several ghosts of his former students who make him realize that he is horribly mistaken.
“The Changing of the Guard” features a quote by Pleasence’s character, which basically summarizes the monumental and sometimes unknown impact one person can have on so many others. While Fowler may have felt he contributed nothing of value to the world,his efforts at teaching and inspiring his students to follow their dreams are just as much a victory for themas they are for him. Teachers and professors are often overlooked for their profound impact on those they teach, and this particular episode demonstrates how much we owe to the educators and dreamers of the world.
6"You’re caricatures. All of you. Without your masks, you’re caricatures."
Jason Foster – Season 5, Episode 25 (1964)
Robert Keithstars in “The Masks” as a terminally ill man, Jason Foster, who, on the eve of Mardi Gras, is visited by his family, who try to convince the dying man that they’re there to say their final goodbyes, but in reality, they’re interested to know if they will be inheriting his wealthy estate. While Foster is well aware of his family’s real reason for their visit, he makes a deal with them; if they are willing to wear a collection of masks until midnight, then they will inherit his fortune. If they refuse, they won’t receive a dime.
Ida Lupino’s “The Masks"is an ominous episode that ends with a thought-provoking lesson about the masks some wear throughout their lives in an effort to conceal their true colors. While Foster could see through his family’s facade, he refused to leave the world without ensuring that others could see them for exactly who they truly are.The quote deserves a spot on the list for the unsettling and uncertain impression it leaves on audienceswho, initially, are unsure what Foster means until his family removes their masks, revealing the macabre catch of Foster’s deal.
5"I’m a human being, I exist. And if I speak one thought aloud, that thought lives, even after I’m shoveled into my grave.”
Romney Wordsworth – Season 2, Episode 29 (1961)
Burgess Meredith stars as a librarian, Romney Wordsworth, who is deemed by a futuristic totalitarian state as someone who no longer has any value or purpose in society and is condemned to death. Despite the state’s ruling, Wordsworth refuses to accept their disregard for human life and stands by his conviction that he does indeed matter and even after he is dead and gone, his thoughts and opinions will continue to live on.
“The Obsolete Man” is a profoundTwilight Zoneepisode that features an array of memorable quotes specifically by Meredith’s character, but this isone of the best quotes which lingers in the back of viewers' minds forever. A state or government can physically hide or bury those who do not align with their opinions or beliefs, but it cannot destroy the thoughts and values they put out into the world, demonstrating the inevitable power of words and ideas.
4"It’s a story of all tyrants, General. They have but one real enemy, and this is the one they never recognize…until it’s too late."
Ramos Clemente – Season 3, Episode 6 (1961)
“The Mirror” starsPeter Falkas Ramos Celemente who, along with several of his lifelong confidants, successfully executed a revolution to overthrow their country’s regime which ruled with a cruel iron fist. When Celemente replaces the current general in charge, he learns that a mirror in the general’s office has the power to reveal his enemies to him through its reflection.
“The Mirror” is aningeniousTwilight Zoneepisodesurrounding the idea that every tyrant has the same single enemy; themselves. Like all tyrants of this world, Falk’s character becomes blinded by power, but as he tries to eliminate anyone who stands to be a threat to him, his ruthless actions only lead him closer to discovering that he is his own worst enemy.The quote from “The Mirror” earns a place on the list for the absorbing effect it has on audiences, leaving them to wonder about the tyrannical domino effect that comes in many different forms in society.
3"You were never a soldier. The uniform you wore cannot be stripped off, it was part of you. Part of your flesh, part of your body. It was a piece of your mind."
Alfred Becker – Season 3, Episode 9 (1961)
In “Deaths-Head Revisited,” a former S.S. captain, Gunther Lutze (Oscar Beregi, Jr.), returns to the former Dachau concentration camp where he once served during World War II. As he arrives, he intends to relive his glory days, but his plan to stroll down memory lane are interrupted by the ghosts of his past who have been anxiously waiting to deliver Lutze’s sentence which he has managed to evade for far too long.
“Deaths-Head Revisited” is a powerfulTwilight Zoneepisode with a gripping quoteabout those who use their position of power or authority as a way to justify their heinous actions. While Lutze believed he was nothing but a loyal soldier who was serving his country, his former prisoner, Alfred Becker (Joseph Schildkraut), informs him that it wasn’t the uniform that made him resort to such unspeakable acts, but it was his own sadistic nature which can never be removed or excused.
Robert Sloan – Season 1, Episode 5 (1959)
Gig Youngstars in “Walking Distance” as an overworked advertising executive, Martin Sloan, who daydreams about his past and a simpler time in his life. When he stops to have his car serviced, he realizes he isn’t too far from the town where he grew up and decides to visit his old stomping grounds. When he arrives, he notices that nothing has changed and soon discovers that he’s somehow gone back in time to when he was a kid.
The quote from Sloan’s father inthe time-travel episode “Walking Distance"isone of the series' best as its wisdom resonates with every viewer on some emotional level. It’s common for people to reminisce about the past and become paralyzed by the desire to go back and do things differently, but what many people do is spend so much time thinking about what they could have done to the point that it keeps them from seizing any current opportunity to better their situation and their future that lies ahead.
1"Logic is an enemy and truth is a menace.”
Rod Serling – Season 2, Episode 29 (1961)
The Twilight Zoneis widely recognized for its uncanny ability to hypothesize and imagine how advancements in technology and science have had both positive and negative effects on society today. “The Obsolete Man” is set in a futuristic society with advanced technology which the State uses to control and define “the truth” and exterminates anything and anyone who believes otherwise.
Today, the universal use of social media and the Internet has been beneficial, but it has also been just as detrimental, especially when it comes to what is genuinely the truth and what the media and others want people to believe is “the truth.” Serling was genuinely a man ahead of his time and while many of the episodes from the Fifth Dimension accurately predicted the future of society today,the creator’s quote in the opening of “The Obsolete Man” is not only the best but also one that hits incredibly close to homeregarding today’s society.NEXT:The Best Episodes of ‘The Twilight Zone’ Written By Rod Serling, Ranked
