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Before I clicked the video, I thought this was the one about the guy who comes back to life at his funeral. As for this episode, I remember liking it but all the details about it, including the ending where he thinks he's in Time Enough At Last didn't stick in my memory.
Sounds like Raiden was just a conceited jerk. He blamed the other three for ruining his life when he actually did it to himself. Like Mrs. Langston I would rather spend my last hours with a stray cat than with that guy!
I thiiink you missed the point here. Radin didn't become pathetic by the end, he was already being portrayed as pathetic from the beginning. What other word would you use to describe someone who set all that up just for the satisfaction of watching 3 people beg for his forgiveness because he felt wronged by them? As soon as his plan is made clear, it's also made clear that this is an incredibly insecure and fragile character. It didn't surprise me at all that the 3 other characters didn't fall for his scheme or take his bait because it was obvious that they were confident in their actions, strong-willed, and full of conviction: something Radin couldn't stand up to because he himself was weak and afraid.
Pointing that now makes me reflect that the reality is that those three did end up ruining him (though of course it was his own dishonerable actions that were truly responsible) and he is still blaming them.
Thank you so much for this! The content creator definitely missed the point. The reason Radin wasn't much of a villain was because he was so obviously weak and petty. They weren't fooled by him because he wasn't that hard to see through, so of course his little pathetic ruse to intimidate them didn't work.
Yes, agree with you. Radin was weak and afraid and too insecure with himself. But then, so what? Does this episode make it into a top ten TZ list? Not for me. It just falls into the usual tropisms of Serling who was a modern day Aesop but he covered many of the same subjects in many of the TZ episodes and there was too much repetition.
One thing I think would have made this episode even better was if when he called all his "enemies" to confront him, if they didn't remember him at first. It would have added an extra layer to him being delusional in thinking everything revolves around him.
That might've been believable for the teacher, but not the other two, given how their encounters with him were closer to the present, and his crimes with them more impactful.
@@RegfifeThe point of the teacher is that she genuinely and wholeheartedly cares for every single one of her pupils and always remembers them. Her forgetting him would defeat the meaning. The point is that she gave him every aspect of analysis she had and *still* came to the conclusion he was unworthy of sympathy.
I actually like the concept of a self-righeous man utterly lacking self-reflection who thinks other people have wronged him and wants to make them grovel, only for them to throw it right at his face on how he had been in the wrong.
Theres a character like that in the second season of a show called “Dirk Gently” the show overall is really nice but if you want to see this specific scene I can let you know which episode and minute to go to (it’s on Netflix) since you don’t need much context to understand if
It also throws in how heavily he can deceive himself, at the end, having viewed himself as grievously slighted his entire life, when in fact there were very valid reasons for these actions against him. He had no care for life, in either the military or social sense He cheated and tried to blame it on another student- _convinced_ himself that the other student cheated to feel his teacher wronged him. It's his ability to lie to himself creating a perfect prison out of his revenge. One that he'll need someone to convince him out of, and good luck with that.......
This was the one episode which I actually gone back and watched multiple times. The dialogue which borders on soliloquy is so erudite and eloquent, the likes of which we never see today. Also, the character of Raden is so delightfully slimy, petty and pathetic. He is so utterly lacking in self-reflection that his mind has to manufacture a nuclear war rather than confront the possibility that he may in fact, be wrong. That's where the titular pallbearer comes from: he's the pallbearer of a funeral he manufactured himself. He dug his own grave.
I always felt that the fact that the three guests weren’t intimidated by him in the least and ironically the fact that they weren’t going to bend to his whims. Was precisely the reason why he tried to do this ruse in the first place. They they didn’t need to be intimidated by him because then that defeated the purpose for why he wanted them specifically to be tricked.
It's an interesting idea where the audience might sympathize with the person seeking revenge as who hasn't wanted to do that in their life? But as it turns out he was already a bad seed who deluded himself into thinking himself the victim. We often have bad characters in fiction who know they are evil and revel in it but in real life very few evil people actually think they are evil but that they are right which is far more frightening.
Once knew a guy in school in my class who was an utter self-absorbed mean spirited arsehole, yet he thought he was the brighest and everyone else was just after him. Kind a the guy who just defiantly grins when people call him out because he thinks he is the victim here.
@@wjzav1971 I worked for a guy who was like that. If anyone was after him it was because he was a crap person. Kind of ironic I met him in the free world after working corrections for 12 years.
I don't think the point was ever to sympathize with Radin, but with his intended victims. Radin used his money to set up this elaborate ruse because he couldn't let go of perceived slights from his past; and when the scenario doesn't play out as he intended, his sense of control and superiority crumble, culminating in his delusional state. It's likely, given what we know of his character, that he was already experiencing a sense of detachment from other people, as he probably made his fortune through shady and unscrupulous means. We're not supposed to feel sorry for him, except perhaps in a tangential sense, but rather be satisfied that he gets a long overdue comeuppance.
i liked this episode. he was actually lonely and tried to force people that dislike him to stay with him, but they preferred dying than spending 1 more minute in his company. he couldn’t even make people stay, driving him over the edge at the end.
This wasn't a bad episode. But I agree that the teacher, preacher, and Colonel shouldn't owe Raiden any apology. Raiden is the type of person who doesn't own up to his bad decisions.
But that’s the point. That’s literally the point of the episode. That’s why they don’t give him an apology at the end. Radin was never supposed to be a sympathetic character.
Good to see this series again! Last year, I binged the entire playlist while I was hospitalised, kept my mind off my illness. 😊 I love the stories this show tells, it’s utterly fascinating. Thank you for making this series, it’s a refreshing look into an iconic show.
I really like this concept. I think it would have been stronger if the twist were reversed: we start the episode believing that there is a real nuclear attack about to happen and that Raiden was at some point an innocent man who was truly wronged by three terrible authoritarian people, and he now has the opportunity to make them beg for their lives. However, not only do they not beg, but throughout the dialogue we learn that these three souls had reasons to do what they did, and how pathetic Raiden really is. This is cemented when we learn that it was all a ruse by Raiden and there is no attack happening. His supervillain life plan failed, his own subordinates saw him fall from grace, and he is now forced to confront shame for the first time, becoming insane.
To have had an actual attack happening at the end would have been a tad predictable - still, I reckon there's a far better story somewhere in here, trying desperately to get out but alas, it's lost, somewhere in the Twilight Zone....
I think, that this story would have been better if he were the least but likable. Imagine if they would have been intimidated by him, like, truly intimidated. Lets say he plays pretend a while longer and torments those people who actually ruined his life (like the teacher making his school life hell and hurting him because she is in love with his dad but he doesn't want to cheat on his wife, or the preacher having touched him when ge was a choir boy or the colonel blaming all his military failures on him). Imagine if he kept tormenting them from his big building but after a time, he goes so far, that he becomes unlikable and just cruel. Like, he forces the teacher to have sex with him, humiliates the colonel by having him scrub the floor naked with a toothbrush and makes the priest mutilate himself - something truly fucked up. I think this would have been an interesting setup. And then imagine as the twist, that they get behind the ruse, but then there is a nuclear desaster happening and he has to flee inside the bunker with people who think he still plays pretend, tearing him to bits only to die themselves after leaving the safe bunker. Maybe not the best idea, but this is my take. My problem with this episode is, that none of those people are likable characters and he doesn't even get revenge, it somewhat feels unsatisfying. His plan also kinda seems shit and nobody actually faces consequences. The priest is a dick, but he actually did something horrible, the teacher, while being quite petty and unforgiving, did quite the minor thing and the colonel rightfully got him punished for indirectly killing hundreds of people. He kinda has no leg to stand on, but those people are also just so unlikable, that you cant even root for them. They simply show no respect for the man and that is what makes this so unrealistic. I mean, lets say you believe his ruse, why aren't they scared? Having little to no respect? Fine, but then why aren't they scared of the disaster? It simply doesn't make much sense. He is in fact coming off as quite unsettling and they never really feel scared of the rich millionaire who basicly has their life in his hands.
Honestly that’s why I love the episode. I always try and predict the ending of the episode and being able to puts the episode lower on the list. Why the double twist may seem tacked on, it makes the episode far less predictable. The first twist on its own would have just been one of the most predictable endings in the series, up there with The Old Man in the Cave. Plus it’s thematically relevant because while the world at large didn’t crumble, HIS world did.
@@Baalslegion07 they aren’t scared of the disaster because there isn’t much for them to do. If what Radin was saying is true, they don’t exactly have shelters of their own to hold up in. Their deaths are inevitable unless they stay with Radin. But to them a full life with Radin is worse than any possible afterlife. That’s how despicable of a person he is, and the other characters know that.
Radin acts like a Wannabe James Bond villain, but is about as threatening as a schoolyard bully. Funnily enough, Joseph Wiseman would play "Dr No", a REAL Bond Villain, later on that same year.
my absolute favorite episode . this one taught me more about life tha any other . my understanding of the ending was that Radin was really a homeless bum hallucinating all of it
I think raiden is meant to be a narcissist, going through all that just to get validation that the slights against him were unjustified and when he cant get it he creates his own reality where he dosnt have to justify himself to anyone else
@@jeremycrockett2692 I apologize. I thought you were referring to Dr. Paul Bearer (maybe the Dr. was to avoid confusing the two like I just did) to the Creature Features horror show host from Florida. My Mom like I said loved his show. She grew up in Tampa, Florida and watched it a lot with my Grandpa. She even got his autograph once (again horror host not wrestler).
@@julieporter7805 Ok, I for one never heard of the ``horror host" version of Pall Bearer. I thought you were talking about the Pall Bearer who managed wrestlers like Kane, Mankind, and The Undertaker. I should point out that PB was not a wrestler, he was a manager.
Oh I am so eager to talk about this episode for a specific reason. Now I love the Twilight Zone Companion book. It is the definitive book for the Twilight Zone enthusiast. Marc Zircee's coverage is extensive and insightful. The coverage on Rod Serling, Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson and others cannot be beaten. The reviews are brilliant. I love that he shouts put the '80's version and believed that the quality of many episodes were as good as or better than the original (including one of my favorites from that era, "Dead Run.") However, I don't always agree with his opinion on some episodes and this is one of them. He believed that Radin was portrayed more sympathetically than his captives and that he felt that they were so cold and self righteous that he rooted for Radin. I however disagree with him wholeheartedly. For many reasons: 1) Radin's crimes were hardly victimless. The boy could have been suspended even expelled. Hundreds of men died because of his refusal. What about the girl? While it's left ambiguous what he did (probably to appease censors, I'm thinking rape or she lost her virginity) but whatever it was certainly damaged her. 2) He is punishing them for doing their jobs as a CO, teacher, and a pastor. He was the one who did the acts and he expected them to look the other way? He said that he wanted them to apologize but did he ever apologize for the people that he actually wronged? In the long run, it didn't seem to do any lasting damage. He's a multimillionaire. What does he have to complain about? 3) He is not very sympathetic in his portrayal. (Though to his credit, Joseph Wiseman does a great job playing a hateful character). In fact he is petulant, spoiled, and whiny. He seems like the kind of person who always got what he wanted and was never told no, except by those three. He is a complete Narcissist who actually thinks people would spend their last moments playing his twisted game rather than be with their loved ones. 4) Zircee hated Mrs. Langford's speech but I thought it was badass. The first thing she says is "Pretty please with sugar on top that's what children say" is a subtle way of telling him to grow up. Yes, frankly if I were in her shoes I would say the same thing, especially about being with a stray cat or people that I will never know over him. He accuses them of being judgemental when he doesn't care about their welfare or the people that he wronged.
Agreed, Zircee's book is excellent, but I totally disagree with his take on this one. Even rewatched this specifically to see if I could understand his take, but I couldn't.
I'd like to add just one thing to this fine write-up; I believe that he assumed they'd all ask to stay to save themselves because he probably would have done the same.
Allow me to disagree. That he was a pathetic man that needed a gigantic lie to try and intimidate others for petty reasons is exactly the point. He is the man that sees himself as Dr No but is really just Newnan from Seinfeld.
It's crazy that he went mad and thought he was in a nuclear wasteland in his imagination. It's only getting worse for him when he loses his imaginary contact lenses so he can't read his imaginary books in his mind.
Radin possibly suffers from Sociopathic/Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or PTSD, given that he used to be a soldier. It's also likely that he has dementia, given that he ends up trapped in his own fantasy.
His 'flat effect' while speaking backs up your observation of sociopath. Here's a guy 'getting even' but he can't seem to muster any genuine facial expressions. He was in his own little world long before inviting his 'guests'.
Yes, you and 11 others it seems (so far, as I write this). That is… unexpected, but it proves that we are all different. My favorite is Shadow Play, which, if I commented as being my favorite, probably wouldn’t get 11 likes! 😀
It's around the 4:00-4:20 mark that it becomes clear that you've missed the point. You say that if he was an effective villain he would threaten their families. But he's not, an never was, an effective villain. That's why they're not afraid of him. He's the antagonist but he's too pathetic to be a real threat. They always understood that he's just a smug, petty, mean mean-spirited jerk and their dealings with him were fair. For his part, Radin needs to confront them directly, to try to break them down personally, to get his revenge. That he fails makes him, at best, pitiable but never sympathetic.
I get what you’re saying and I’ll definitely say that the ending is messy, but I think it’s pretty obvious that they were trying to portray him as pathetic and petty, and the other three as unwavering BECAUSE of his pettiness. Like one could understand a Preacher and Colonel, even when they did the right thing, but a school teacher??? And an early one at that meaning he held that grudge for many years, that should show how petty he is when he threatens their lives. Again this definitely could have been written better had it taken some notes from the The Midnight Sun and focused more on how he internalize his guilt with manifestation of those who “ruined” his life. But all in all you did a fantastic job of reviewing this one 👏
Serling often repeated themes to keep us entertained. This episode, along Four O'clock remind us that gossip and vindictiveness are venomous to the soul and drive a man mad if he does not stop poisoning himself with hate.
The shot of a nuclear wasteland was probably more impactful back then. People weren't exposed to wholesale destruction in every movie they saw like today.
I like this episode, actually. It turned the idea of a revenge plot on its head. I expected Raiden to merely be an eccentric that did well for himself. But when I realized he was just a horrible person for most of his life, you side with his authority figures. Even the ending is more like a retreat into fantasy than a descent into madness. He feels alone and he wants to believe that a nuclear attack actually happened. The fact that he picks authority figures as opposed to rivals is really telling and raises a lot of questions of how lonely he really is.
I think that was the intended point. This narcissist spends thousands and sets up an entire scenario where he has these three people who slighted him be forced to beg and apologize to him. But in the end his "masterfully brilliant scheme" means less than nothing to these people. Saying that to his face and leaving has the double twist play out. He literally cannot fathom any way for himself to fail so when they leave he wins on the only way his mind can think of, them dying in a real attack. That final yell is not his 'reality check' it is him frozen between a cry of victory and as if God smites his enemies and horror that all of his worldly success is gone. Showing not sympathy but exactly how shallow and short sighted he really was.
While not one of the greatest episodes of the series I still really like it. I found it very memorable. Paul Radin is the kind of villain Vincent Price would have been a perfect actor for due to being a role similar to the ones he would usually play. Still, Joseph Wiseman was pretty great as well. The thing I dislike is that the viewers are immediately told that he is trying to fake the apocalypse, while I feel like having both the viewer and the 3 characters unaware of the bomb being a scam would have been better.
I always thought the idea with the ending was that it was a rich evil person finally getting punished. That no matter how much wealth and power he has, those he wronged will never forgive him. I think Rod Sterling made it so that the nuke was an illusion so that the main character is trapped in his own hell. Because the teacher, sergeant, and priest refused to let a man get away with harming others, their reward is having that said man be trapped in his own living hell.
That’s Raiden, not Raiden. Raiden’s the guy who was god of Thunder and Lightning. Who gave his powers to Liu Kang. I can see how you could confuse the two however.
I'm reminded of those times you have a cringey thought when you remember something stupid you said or did back in high school or watever, it proves that you've matured as a person over the years. This guy however, did not, he went through great effort to claim "revenge" on 3 people who were mean to him when he was younger, but they all had valid reasons for doing what they did, he cheated, hurt others, disobeyed orders, and the fact that he chose to hold onto those grudges instead of improve as a person shows what a petty, small man he really was. In reality he should have been thanking them, since he's a millionaire now clearly their calling him out back then forced him to make some better decisions. That's probably the symbolism of his final delusion, since he can't admit to himself he was wrong even though he KNOWS he lost, all he can do is retreat to a world where there is no one else to contradict him.
Agreed I think that was the intended point. This narcissist spends thousands and sets up an entire scenario where he has these three people who slighted him be forced to beg and apologize to him. But in the end his "masterfully brilliant scheme" means less than nothing to these people. Saying that to his face and leaving has the double twist play out. He literally cannot fathom any way for himself to fail so when they leave he wins on the only way his mind can think of, them dying in a real attack. That final yell is not his 'reality check' it is him frozen between a cry of victory and as if God smites his enemies and horror that all of his worldly success is gone. Showing not sympathy but exactly how shallow and short sighted he really was.
Revenge is utterly pointless. You waste your time and energy focusing on the past when you could be doing so much more with your time. After you get your revenge, you feel empty because nothing is left for you. Besides, Rayden already got his revenge. He succeeded in life. He's richer than those who he claims did him wrong. Success is the ultimate revenge. You show them that you're happier without them in your life and are capable of so much (possibly more than they). It's what I did. Even if some of my former bullies seem more successful financially, they're miserable. Meanwhile I'm living the bachelor life, stress free, debt free, and happy.
Believe a lie long enough, it becomes your only truth. Rayden was so convinced by his own ruse, he was like the boy who cried wolf. Except the "wolf" in this case was the threat of eminent nuclear annihilation, and so he was consumed by the delusion of being the only survivor.
Just like all other TZ episodes that were directed by Lamont Johnson, this one also feels more like a stage play then a TV series episode. No wonder since Johnson was well known stage actor and director at the time.
I don't see where the confusion is coming from. Are you really so disappointed that the main character wasn't a cool badass? Why? He literally set up a whole bond-villain-esque parlor trick to force groveling for forgiveness from the 3 people who held him accountable for his actions in the past. You say he became pathetic at the end, but ... wasn't he always? This seems pretty straightforward.
I think what could have made it stronger for me is if the reveal was all these people were him talking to himself. Showing subconsciously he knew he was the villain. Then how him come to terms with out. As it is, it's a terrible guy who did terrible things, got called out for it, shows no remorse, and then for some reason has a mental break down. Maybe it would have helped if his bad deeds were more in the gray as opposed to being so black and white.
I've always liked this episode. Radin was a bad guy all his life and the other three people rightly called him out on it. This episode wouldn't have been nearly as compelling if the others had caved in and Radin would have had his "gotcha" revenge moment.
I think he was too much of a sociopath to consider threatening their families, so selfish that the idea that those people cared about others besides themselves didn't occur to him. I haven't watched this show since I was a teenager but I do vividly remember some parts of a lot of episodes. I think this may be a good episode for me to watch again because it relates in some ways to my real life. I was disciplined in a way that I felt was unjust and afterwards I became primed to always feel I was being disciplined unjustly til eventually I gradually got my sense of accountability back and realize things were complicated. The interesting thing to me about this episode is we have a villain who thinks he is right and views himself as a victim of injustice and thinks he is right in demanding an apology, but we find out throughout the episode that he was completely in the wrong and completely deserved the punishments that he views as injustices.
I thought the nuclear war theme seemed kinda telling that it was Serlings writing. also the sirens and TV footage were prerecorded by raydon to trick his enemies when they decided to stay. I also prefer the current twist over him being the only survivor because that would be undeserving for the other 3 enemies
I really liked this episode. The main character got what he deserved, and he was pathetic from the start--he didn't become pathetic. All his life, he has believed that the world revolves around him, and hurt others without remorse. And he resented facing the consequences of his actions. He couldn't stand that he failed at his grand scheme of manipulation, and it broke him when he was faced with the idea that the world DOESN'T revolve around him. I didn't feel sorry for him at all. Actually, It reminded me of "The Obsolete Man," except...in reverse, if that makes sense. Also, is it just me, or did his whimper sound like a fly or mosquito buzzing? I wonder if that was intentional.
Sounds like it would have worked better if: 1. The fact that it was all a trick by the billionaire was kept a secret. 2. The episode had slowly reveal why the 3 authorities wronged him. 3. They had left it at him being the last man on earth. Do it this way, and the Billionaire feels both more threatening and sympathetic at the same time but the story ends with him pathetic and vilified. That's a better twist, that the guy who seems like is taking revenge on people who deserved it was just a vindictive asshole lashing out against people who used their authority to do the right thing, and that his punishment for his terrible acts was a life of complete isolation. It feels like the episode blew its load too early and went "Oh shit, there is no twist....eh....Fuck it, it was all a dream!".
Most of the comments here, AND the TZ Companion book, seem to agree on what's "off" about this episode: We're so sympathetic with Wiseman's performance that the three "good" characters come off as harsh, resentful cold fish. And it turns into a sort of nuclear version of "On Thursday We Leave For Home", where the three would rather die of stubborn Pride, than humanize themselves enough to make peace with their enemy.
All the talk of Wiseman's character enacting do many Bond villain tropes makes me headcanon that he actually *was* a potential Bond villain. A council member of SPECTRE ir at least an associate if their's perhaps? A twisted part of me wants it so that Radin as a result gets his revenge indirectly as SPECTRE investigates his mental breakdown, liquidating his 3 "enemies" one by one as they hunt for answers Rosebud-style.
I thought that thin little noise he made was brilliant: scary and pathetic, not funny. Maybe it's because I've seen real people succumb to madness and serious injury, and they make sounds and expressions that would be funny if they weren't real. I saw a guy get smacked over the head with a pool cue in a bar fight once. He pulled a beautiful goon-face as he went down: eyes crossed, tongue sticking out. It was HILARIOUS... except he was DOA at the hospital.
This one always reminds me of that saying "Success is the best revenge." In a lot of ways, Radin has ALREADY gotten even with these people, so why does he need to do this? Maybe it's meant to be "closure" for him, but that still bothers me.
That's an interesting phrase, proving a scoffer wrong by succeeding! Here though, I think the situation is a little different. He seems to be a twisted man, doing cruel or harmful things and then not taking responsibility. The "revenge" he's taking is against people who were justly punishing him, and maybe there's the remains of a conscience buried deep inside him that keeps him from letting go.
I gotta disagree with cha. This is one of my favorite episodes. It perfectly highlights the warped mind and fragile feelings of a rich man-child narcissist !
We have seen people start fires out of nothing and then pretend to put the fire out. We have seen people who missed the message of morality and empathy again and again, and use money or power to demand fealty. Sometimes justice takes time but the self own is worth it.
Not the best episode but I don’t think it’s far fetched to think someone like Radin who would build an elaborate prank just to scare three people would fall for his own delusions. In the twlight zone 😎
I think you are kind of off on this one because of the association of the villain here with a Bond villain. He was never meant to be that. Bond villains are all fantasy anyway, this went for a more grounded character. He’s a Trump like millionaire who’s always gotten his way and can’t conceive of people not willing to do anything to stay alive because that’s what he would do. Also, I don’t think the sounds and pictures he hears in the bunker are in his head. Remember at the beginning when the workman talked about what an elaborate and convincing hoax it was. What he hears and sees in the bunker is real, it’s the illusion he set up to convince the others a nuclear war is really happening. So when we see him emerge into a real wasteland it’s jarring, at least it was for me the first time I saw it And I think that makes the ending very compelling He’s been duped by his own illusion
I kind of get how you interpreted this ending but I disagree. I think your lack of sympathy for the character was the intended point. like a satirical warning to others. This narcissist spends thousands and sets up an entire scenario where he has these three people who slighted him be forced to beg and apologize to him. But in the end his "masterfully brilliant scheme" means less than nothing to these people. Saying that to his face and leaving; resulting in the double twist playing out. He literally cannot fathom any way for himself to fail so when they leave he wins on the only way his mind can think of, them dying in a real attack. That final yell is not his 'reality check' it is him frozen between a cry of victory and as if God smites his enemies and horror that all of his worldly success is gone. Showing not sympathy but exactly how shallow and short sighted he really was.
Tom Nichols at The Atlantic has drawn parallels between Paul Radin to both Elon Musk and Donald Trump as successful men who feel they've not been lauded and given the respect they feel they deserve.
I'd say there wouldn't be much of a bite to the story if there wasn't the double twist! The man is so egocentric that he wanted revenge against those people after so many years! And they didn't try to ruin his life, they just didn't let him get away with doing bad things! All three were clearly good people who were trying to do right all along, and had true courage! On the other hand, our Dr. NO, was so obsessed with getting back at them and making them all cry and beg that when his idea didn't work, he had a mental break down! His world might as well be destroyed by an atomic bomb, because so much of his energy and efforts went into it!
Just an interesting observation, but I wonder if the guy who wrote old boy had seen this episode. It's an old manga, the original movie is about 20 years old, and the American remake is about 5 to 10 years old. Essentially a man is kidnapped and held hostage in a special prison for about 10 years. Eventually he is let loose and he goes on a quest to find who did it to him, who would spend millions of dollars to hold him hostage for a decade. You come to find out that it's someone he went to school with as a kid, the guy keeps playing mind games with him and even meets him, and the motivation behind everything done is bonkers. I will only spoil one thing, which is in the original movie adaptation, and maybe in the American one I'm not sure, the girl he meets after being freed, and whom he sleeps with, turns out to be his daughter.
Also, for all you triggered conservatives noting the "hypocricy" in Walter not criticizing the actor's yellowface in Dr. No, there's a simple explanation for that: The villain is half-white. He's not a full-blooded Chinese person, and I'm pretty sure you couldn't find any biracial actor back in the '60s. The actor's portrayal perfectly fits as someone with both white and Chinese features.
I don't know, from what I've seen this episode seems to be a pretty good one to me. Yeah, he vener gets a one up on them, but that is the point. He *is* a pathetic whimp, and this episode gets that across perfectly. I would definetly not skip this episode.
I still haven't seen Dr. No (reading a comic adaption being the closest I've come), so this was when the lead 1st popped onto my radar and is what I still thought/think of whenever I saw/see him. The twist ending was completely unexpected, which was nice. But its not enough of a good build up for a second viewing for me. It's 1st viewing was at least enjoyable for all the potential and for all the predicted twists that went through my head at the time. Not bad, just not the usual TW craftsmanship or charm for me.
A higly underrated episode. Like Gunther Lutze("Deaths-Head Revisited "), Radin is an evil person who is punished for his misdeeds by being deprived of his sanity. Like Lutze, Radin fails to learn anything from his past mistakes. Maybe if Oscar Beregi or Fritz Weaver had played Radin and Everett Sloane had played the Colonel, the episode might have turned out much better, but that we shall never know. On the other hand, Mrs. Langsford comes across as a far more sympathetic character than Helen Bemis.
The one crime that Radin committed that I wanted to hear more about is the scandal that the reverend mentioned. It was vaguely mentioned expecting thorough two We don’t know exactly what he did, but it had to have been so reprehensible that it drove a young woman to su*c*de (maybe Paul committed SAnkr an assault). Here are some clues: In the beginning, Paul acts smarmy yet somewhat charming when welcoming the three people into his lair. But the moment the reverend brings up the woman who died, mentioning that Paul held no honor in any regard, Paul’s mask immediately slipped: “You can go to the devil, Reverend.” Also, some of Paul’s harshest insults are hurled at the reverend, giving weight to his crime out of the other wrongdoings he committed as a school boy and a soldier. He doesn’t hurl as harsh of insults at Hawthorne because the colonel even admitted that, for Paul’s disobedience, he would’ve shot him if he was permitted. For this reason, Paul spends the least amount of time talking to the esteemed colonel because he knows he’s not one to be messed with. He also doesn’t verbally attack Mrs. Langford, maybe because she’s a woman (or maybe her “wrongdoing” to him wasn’t as severe as the others).
As someone else has already pointed out, I think you missed the point. Why would they be intimidated by him and why would we need to see that? In the beginning we think of him as a victim of cruel authority figures, but we learn that he’s actually a narcissistic asshole. Why would they be frightened by a man when they know his true nature? They know who he is behind the mask, but he doesn’t. When they left, they shattered his world view and image. The bomb going off could either symbolize their speeches having destroyed him, or merely a warning of what’s to come when they realize that he “pranked” them and they will make sure he will feel the consequences of that. I would definitely recommend this as for me it’s super satisfying to see them put him in his place
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What did you think of "One More Pallbearer"?
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I liked it, it's twisty in all of the best ways, and I didn't see the ending coming! 🤯
Before I clicked the video, I thought this was the one about the guy who comes back to life at his funeral. As for this episode, I remember liking it but all the details about it, including the ending where he thinks he's in Time Enough At Last didn't stick in my memory.
Sounds like Raiden was just a conceited jerk. He blamed the other three for ruining his life when he actually did it to himself. Like Mrs. Langston I would rather spend my last hours with a stray cat than with that guy!
@@ThePkmnYPerson That's The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank.
Ggggggggggggggggg
I thiiink you missed the point here. Radin didn't become pathetic by the end, he was already being portrayed as pathetic from the beginning. What other word would you use to describe someone who set all that up just for the satisfaction of watching 3 people beg for his forgiveness because he felt wronged by them? As soon as his plan is made clear, it's also made clear that this is an incredibly insecure and fragile character. It didn't surprise me at all that the 3 other characters didn't fall for his scheme or take his bait because it was obvious that they were confident in their actions, strong-willed, and full of conviction: something Radin couldn't stand up to because he himself was weak and afraid.
Pointing that now makes me reflect that the reality is that those three did end up ruining him (though of course it was his own dishonerable actions that were truly responsible) and he is still blaming them.
Thank you so much for this! The content creator definitely missed the point. The reason Radin wasn't much of a villain was because he was so obviously weak and petty. They weren't fooled by him because he wasn't that hard to see through, so of course his little pathetic ruse to intimidate them didn't work.
Yes, agree with you. Radin was weak and afraid and too insecure with himself. But then, so what? Does this episode make it into a top ten TZ list? Not for me. It just falls into the usual tropisms of Serling who was a modern day Aesop but he covered many of the same subjects in many of the TZ episodes and there was too much repetition.
Incel
this is an old favorite for me
One thing I think would have made this episode even better was if when he called all his "enemies" to confront him, if they didn't remember him at first. It would have added an extra layer to him being delusional in thinking everything revolves around him.
That might've been believable for the teacher, but not the other two, given how their encounters with him were closer to the present, and his crimes with them more impactful.
@@Regfife I don't know. You'd be surprised how many students teachers can remember. Even years later.
@@RegfifeThe point of the teacher is that she genuinely and wholeheartedly cares for every single one of her pupils and always remembers them. Her forgetting him would defeat the meaning. The point is that she gave him every aspect of analysis she had and *still* came to the conclusion he was unworthy of sympathy.
I actually like the concept of a self-righeous man utterly lacking self-reflection who thinks other people have wronged him and wants to make them grovel, only for them to throw it right at his face on how he had been in the wrong.
Most of us have met or dealt with a Radin at some point in our lives, it would be satisfying to laugh at them.
It's like the episode of 30 Rock where Liz goes to her reunion.
Theres a character like that in the second season of a show called “Dirk Gently” the show overall is really nice but if you want to see this specific scene I can let you know which episode and minute to go to (it’s on Netflix) since you don’t need much context to understand if
It also throws in how heavily he can deceive himself, at the end, having viewed himself as grievously slighted his entire life, when in fact there were very valid reasons for these actions against him.
He had no care for life, in either the military or social sense
He cheated and tried to blame it on another student- _convinced_ himself that the other student cheated to feel his teacher wronged him.
It's his ability to lie to himself creating a perfect prison out of his revenge. One that he'll need someone to convince him out of, and good luck with that.......
Yeah, it seems like the dude who made this didn't seem to understand the episode or something. I quite liked the ep
This was the one episode which I actually gone back and watched multiple times. The dialogue which borders on soliloquy is so erudite and eloquent, the likes of which we never see today. Also, the character of Raden is so delightfully slimy, petty and pathetic. He is so utterly lacking in self-reflection that his mind has to manufacture a nuclear war rather than confront the possibility that he may in fact, be wrong. That's where the titular pallbearer comes from: he's the pallbearer of a funeral he manufactured himself. He dug his own grave.
Ohhhhh That's where that comes from! I was trying to think how the title connected to the story and it just didn't click with me at first. Thanks!
Thank you! This is one of my favorite episodes. The host here has no idea what he's talking about
I always felt that the fact that the three guests weren’t intimidated by him in the least and ironically the fact that they weren’t going to bend to his whims.
Was precisely the reason why he tried to do this ruse in the first place.
They they didn’t need to be intimidated by him because then that defeated the purpose for why he wanted them specifically to be tricked.
THANK YOU
It's an interesting idea where the audience might sympathize with the person seeking revenge as who hasn't wanted to do that in their life? But as it turns out he was already a bad seed who deluded himself into thinking himself the victim. We often have bad characters in fiction who know they are evil and revel in it but in real life very few evil people actually think they are evil but that they are right which is far more frightening.
Once knew a guy in school in my class who was an utter self-absorbed mean spirited arsehole, yet he thought he was the brighest and everyone else was just after him. Kind a the guy who just defiantly grins when people call him out because he thinks he is the victim here.
@@wjzav1971 I worked for a guy who was like that. If anyone was after him it was because he was a crap person. Kind of ironic I met him in the free world after working corrections for 12 years.
This is the moment Dr No truly became a Bond villain. Its The Dr No prequel we never knew we had.
Agreed. Wiseman's cocky, yet quiet menace here was the perfect setup for his turn as Dr. No.
I don't think the point was ever to sympathize with Radin, but with his intended victims. Radin used his money to set up this elaborate ruse because he couldn't let go of perceived slights from his past; and when the scenario doesn't play out as he intended, his sense of control and superiority crumble, culminating in his delusional state. It's likely, given what we know of his character, that he was already experiencing a sense of detachment from other people, as he probably made his fortune through shady and unscrupulous means. We're not supposed to feel sorry for him, except perhaps in a tangential sense, but rather be satisfied that he gets a long overdue comeuppance.
i liked this episode. he was actually lonely and tried to force people that dislike him to stay with him, but they preferred dying than spending 1 more minute in his company. he couldn’t even make people stay, driving him over the edge at the end.
This wasn't a bad episode. But I agree that the teacher, preacher, and Colonel shouldn't owe Raiden any apology. Raiden is the type of person who doesn't own up to his bad decisions.
But that’s the point. That’s literally the point of the episode. That’s why they don’t give him an apology at the end. Radin was never supposed to be a sympathetic character.
@@travisshumway289 Uhh yeah? That's what he's saying. It's the guy who made this video that doesn't seem to understand the point of the episode
Extreme narcissist
Good to see this series again! Last year, I binged the entire playlist while I was hospitalised, kept my mind off my illness. 😊 I love the stories this show tells, it’s utterly fascinating.
Thank you for making this series, it’s a refreshing look into an iconic show.
This was one of my favorite episodes.A petty ,small , insecure man takes his grievances to the extreme and learns a lesson
I really like this concept. I think it would have been stronger if the twist were reversed: we start the episode believing that there is a real nuclear attack about to happen and that Raiden was at some point an innocent man who was truly wronged by three terrible authoritarian people, and he now has the opportunity to make them beg for their lives. However, not only do they not beg, but throughout the dialogue we learn that these three souls had reasons to do what they did, and how pathetic Raiden really is. This is cemented when we learn that it was all a ruse by Raiden and there is no attack happening. His supervillain life plan failed, his own subordinates saw him fall from grace, and he is now forced to confront shame for the first time, becoming insane.
I think us knowing it’s false in the beginning adds to it
As we see his plan go not even close to happening
His yell sounds like he’s trying to do the Tarzan yell but has to keep his voice down because his parents are sleeping.
To have had an actual attack happening at the end would have been a tad predictable - still, I reckon there's a far better story somewhere in here, trying desperately to get out but alas, it's lost, somewhere in the Twilight Zone....
I think, that this story would have been better if he were the least but likable. Imagine if they would have been intimidated by him, like, truly intimidated. Lets say he plays pretend a while longer and torments those people who actually ruined his life (like the teacher making his school life hell and hurting him because she is in love with his dad but he doesn't want to cheat on his wife, or the preacher having touched him when ge was a choir boy or the colonel blaming all his military failures on him). Imagine if he kept tormenting them from his big building but after a time, he goes so far, that he becomes unlikable and just cruel. Like, he forces the teacher to have sex with him, humiliates the colonel by having him scrub the floor naked with a toothbrush and makes the priest mutilate himself - something truly fucked up.
I think this would have been an interesting setup. And then imagine as the twist, that they get behind the ruse, but then there is a nuclear desaster happening and he has to flee inside the bunker with people who think he still plays pretend, tearing him to bits only to die themselves after leaving the safe bunker.
Maybe not the best idea, but this is my take. My problem with this episode is, that none of those people are likable characters and he doesn't even get revenge, it somewhat feels unsatisfying. His plan also kinda seems shit and nobody actually faces consequences. The priest is a dick, but he actually did something horrible, the teacher, while being quite petty and unforgiving, did quite the minor thing and the colonel rightfully got him punished for indirectly killing hundreds of people. He kinda has no leg to stand on, but those people are also just so unlikable, that you cant even root for them. They simply show no respect for the man and that is what makes this so unrealistic. I mean, lets say you believe his ruse, why aren't they scared? Having little to no respect? Fine, but then why aren't they scared of the disaster? It simply doesn't make much sense. He is in fact coming off as quite unsettling and they never really feel scared of the rich millionaire who basicly has their life in his hands.
Honestly that’s why I love the episode. I always try and predict the ending of the episode and being able to puts the episode lower on the list. Why the double twist may seem tacked on, it makes the episode far less predictable. The first twist on its own would have just been one of the most predictable endings in the series, up there with The Old Man in the Cave. Plus it’s thematically relevant because while the world at large didn’t crumble, HIS world did.
@@Baalslegion07 they aren’t scared of the disaster because there isn’t much for them to do. If what Radin was saying is true, they don’t exactly have shelters of their own to hold up in. Their deaths are inevitable unless they stay with Radin. But to them a full life with Radin is worse than any possible afterlife. That’s how despicable of a person he is, and the other characters know that.
Radin acts like a Wannabe James Bond villain, but is about as threatening as a schoolyard bully. Funnily enough, Joseph Wiseman would play "Dr No", a REAL Bond Villain, later on that same year.
my absolute favorite episode . this one taught me more about life tha any other . my understanding of the ending was that Radin was really a homeless bum hallucinating all of it
I think raiden is meant to be a narcissist, going through all that just to get validation that the slights against him were unjustified and when he cant get it he creates his own reality where he dosnt have to justify himself to anyone else
In the words of one Paul Bearer, "Oh Yes!"
He summons the Phenom to the Twilight Zone.
Rest In Peace!
What a way to pay tribute to the WWE version of Paul Bearer
@@jeremycrockett2692 I apologize. I thought you were referring to Dr. Paul Bearer (maybe the Dr. was to avoid confusing the two like I just did)
to the Creature Features horror show host from Florida. My Mom like I said loved his show. She grew up in Tampa, Florida and watched it a lot with my Grandpa. She even got his autograph once (again horror host not wrestler).
@@julieporter7805 Ok, I for one never heard of the ``horror host" version of Pall Bearer. I thought you were talking about the Pall Bearer who managed wrestlers like Kane, Mankind, and The Undertaker. I should point out that PB was not a wrestler, he was a manager.
James Bond exists in the twilight zone? did not see that coming XD
Agreed, what a twist!
Actually, wouldn't it be great to have a sort of Twilight Zone-ish Bond story?
Oh I am so eager to talk about this episode for a specific reason.
Now I love the Twilight Zone Companion book. It is the definitive book for the Twilight Zone enthusiast. Marc Zircee's coverage is extensive and insightful. The coverage on Rod Serling, Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson and others cannot be beaten. The reviews are brilliant.
I love that he shouts put the '80's version and believed that the quality of many episodes were as good as or better than the original (including one of my favorites from that era, "Dead Run.")
However, I don't always agree with his opinion on some episodes and this is one of them. He believed that Radin was portrayed more sympathetically than his captives and that he felt that they were so cold and self righteous that he rooted for Radin.
I however disagree with him wholeheartedly. For many reasons:
1) Radin's crimes were hardly victimless. The boy could have been suspended even expelled. Hundreds of men died because of his refusal. What about the girl? While it's left ambiguous what he did (probably to appease censors, I'm thinking rape or she lost her virginity) but whatever it was certainly damaged her.
2) He is punishing them for doing their jobs as a CO, teacher, and a pastor. He was the one who did the acts and he expected them to look the other way? He said that he wanted them to apologize but did he ever apologize for the people that he actually wronged?
In the long run, it didn't seem to do any lasting damage. He's a multimillionaire. What does he have to complain about?
3) He is not very sympathetic in his portrayal. (Though to his credit, Joseph Wiseman does a great job playing a hateful character). In fact he is petulant, spoiled, and whiny. He seems like the kind of person who always got what he wanted and was never told no, except by those three. He is a complete Narcissist who actually thinks people would spend their last moments playing his twisted game rather than be with their loved ones.
4) Zircee hated Mrs. Langford's speech but I thought it was badass. The first thing she says is "Pretty please with sugar on top that's what children say" is a subtle way of telling him to grow up. Yes, frankly if I were in her shoes I would say the same thing, especially about being with a stray cat or people that I will never know over him. He accuses them of being judgemental when he doesn't care about their welfare or the people that he wronged.
Agreed, Zircee's book is excellent, but I totally disagree with his take on this one. Even rewatched this specifically to see if I could understand his take, but I couldn't.
I'd like to add just one thing to this fine write-up; I believe that he assumed they'd all ask to stay to save themselves because he probably would have done the same.
Allow me to disagree. That he was a pathetic man that needed a gigantic lie to try and intimidate others for petty reasons is exactly the point. He is the man that sees himself as Dr No but is really just Newnan from Seinfeld.
It's crazy that he went mad and thought he was in a nuclear wasteland in his imagination. It's only getting worse for him when he loses his imaginary contact lenses so he can't read his imaginary books in his mind.
Eh, it'll get better once he meets an imaginary female soldier who wants to kill him, but is mollified by an imaginary dress.
A brilliant revenge themed episode where a millionaire gets back at those that "wronged' him years ago by faking a nuclear strike.
Not to be a grammar Nazi, but you should put quotation marks on "wronged" considering the man was deluding himself and blaming his faults on others.
Radin possibly suffers from Sociopathic/Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or PTSD, given that he used to be a soldier. It's also likely that he has dementia, given that he ends up trapped in his own fantasy.
He has the same personality traits as Trump.
His 'flat effect' while speaking backs up your observation of sociopath.
Here's a guy 'getting even' but he can't seem to muster any genuine facial expressions.
He was in his own little world long before inviting his 'guests'.
This is one of my favorite episodes
Even you Walter, can misinterpret the point of a twilight episode.
Great episode
Its GUILT..
This is my all time favorite episode of Twilight Zone
Yes, you and 11 others it seems (so far, as I write this). That is… unexpected, but it proves that we are all different. My favorite is Shadow Play, which, if I commented as being my favorite, probably wouldn’t get 11 likes! 😀
@@mudvalve shadow play is super solid!!!
It's around the 4:00-4:20 mark that it becomes clear that you've missed the point. You say that if he was an effective villain he would threaten their families. But he's not, an never was, an effective villain. That's why they're not afraid of him. He's the antagonist but he's too pathetic to be a real threat. They always understood that he's just a smug, petty, mean mean-spirited jerk and their dealings with him were fair. For his part, Radin needs to confront them directly, to try to break them down personally, to get his revenge. That he fails makes him, at best, pitiable but never sympathetic.
I get what you’re saying and I’ll definitely say that the ending is messy, but I think it’s pretty obvious that they were trying to portray him as pathetic and petty, and the other three as unwavering BECAUSE of his pettiness.
Like one could understand a Preacher and Colonel, even when they did the right thing, but a school teacher??? And an early one at that meaning he held that grudge for many years, that should show how petty he is when he threatens their lives.
Again this definitely could have been written better had it taken some notes from the The Midnight Sun and focused more on how he internalize his guilt with manifestation of those who “ruined” his life. But all in all you did a fantastic job of reviewing this one 👏
Serling often repeated themes to keep us entertained. This episode, along Four O'clock remind us that gossip and vindictiveness are venomous to the soul and drive a man mad if he does not stop poisoning himself with hate.
For me, this was a thoroughly enjoyable episode. Near the top of my list.
The shot of a nuclear wasteland was probably more impactful back then. People weren't exposed to wholesale destruction in every movie they saw like today.
I like this episode, actually. It turned the idea of a revenge plot on its head. I expected Raiden to merely be an eccentric that did well for himself. But when I realized he was just a horrible person for most of his life, you side with his authority figures. Even the ending is more like a retreat into fantasy than a descent into madness. He feels alone and he wants to believe that a nuclear attack actually happened. The fact that he picks authority figures as opposed to rivals is really telling and raises a lot of questions of how lonely he really is.
I think that was the intended point. This narcissist spends thousands and sets up an entire scenario where he has these three people who slighted him be forced to beg and apologize to him. But in the end his "masterfully brilliant scheme" means less than nothing to these people. Saying that to his face and leaving has the double twist play out. He literally cannot fathom any way for himself to fail so when they leave he wins on the only way his mind can think of, them dying in a real attack. That final yell is not his 'reality check' it is him frozen between a cry of victory and as if God smites his enemies and horror that all of his worldly success is gone. Showing not sympathy but exactly how shallow and short sighted he really was.
Love the series! keep it up!
"You did all this to fool three of your friends?
...
Must be kinda OB SO LETE friends.."
Say what you want about the episode, but I think everyone can agree this was one of, if not Serling’s best narrator entrance
While not one of the greatest episodes of the series I still really like it. I found it very memorable.
Paul Radin is the kind of villain Vincent Price would have been a perfect actor for due to being a role similar to the ones he would usually play.
Still, Joseph Wiseman was pretty great as well.
The thing I dislike is that the viewers are immediately told that he is trying to fake the apocalypse, while I feel like having both the viewer and the 3 characters unaware of the bomb being a scam would have been better.
But that would make it three twists to be revealed at the end of the episode which for less than a half hour runtime could be difficult to pull off.
A cautionary tale of unforgiveness.
I always thought the idea with the ending was that it was a rich evil person finally getting punished. That no matter how much wealth and power he has, those he wronged will never forgive him. I think Rod Sterling made it so that the nuke was an illusion so that the main character is trapped in his own hell. Because the teacher, sergeant, and priest refused to let a man get away with harming others, their reward is having that said man be trapped in his own living hell.
Video: *plays Mortal Kombat theme at the very end*
Me: ...😳. ...Did anyone else just see that or did I imagine it?
Holy crap, I wouldn’t have known! Thank you for this comment! 🤣
One of The Best ! ………. Wiseman was Electrifying !!!!
The mentally broken Raiden then became Jack, pulled his sword and fought a senator.
That’s Raiden, not Raiden. Raiden’s the guy who was god of Thunder and Lightning. Who gave his powers to Liu Kang. I can see how you could confuse the two however.
I'm reminded of those times you have a cringey thought when you remember something stupid you said or did back in high school or watever, it proves that you've matured as a person over the years. This guy however, did not, he went through great effort to claim "revenge" on 3 people who were mean to him when he was younger, but they all had valid reasons for doing what they did, he cheated, hurt others, disobeyed orders, and the fact that he chose to hold onto those grudges instead of improve as a person shows what a petty, small man he really was. In reality he should have been thanking them, since he's a millionaire now clearly their calling him out back then forced him to make some better decisions. That's probably the symbolism of his final delusion, since he can't admit to himself he was wrong even though he KNOWS he lost, all he can do is retreat to a world where there is no one else to contradict him.
Agreed I think that was the intended point. This narcissist spends thousands and sets up an entire scenario where he has these three people who slighted him be forced to beg and apologize to him. But in the end his "masterfully brilliant scheme" means less than nothing to these people. Saying that to his face and leaving has the double twist play out. He literally cannot fathom any way for himself to fail so when they leave he wins on the only way his mind can think of, them dying in a real attack. That final yell is not his 'reality check' it is him frozen between a cry of victory and as if God smites his enemies and horror that all of his worldly success is gone. Showing not sympathy but exactly how shallow and short sighted he really was.
Revenge is utterly pointless. You waste your time and energy focusing on the past when you could be doing so much more with your time. After you get your revenge, you feel empty because nothing is left for you. Besides, Rayden already got his revenge. He succeeded in life. He's richer than those who he claims did him wrong. Success is the ultimate revenge. You show them that you're happier without them in your life and are capable of so much (possibly more than they). It's what I did. Even if some of my former bullies seem more successful financially, they're miserable. Meanwhile I'm living the bachelor life, stress free, debt free, and happy.
The design of the outside of the building gave me MIB Universal Studios Ride vibes.
Believe a lie long enough, it becomes your only truth. Rayden was so convinced by his own ruse, he was like the boy who cried wolf. Except the "wolf" in this case was the threat of eminent nuclear annihilation, and so he was consumed by the delusion of being the only survivor.
Walter, I love ya man, but you kinda dropped the ball on this one. Do not skip this episode.
Looks like Dr. No was a pall bearer before being hired by SPECTRE.
Just like all other TZ episodes that were directed by Lamont Johnson, this one also feels more like a stage play then a TV series episode. No wonder since Johnson was well known stage actor and director at the time.
Now we know where Dr.No came from. 😁
The ending with him in the ruins (of his mind) is horrifying and tragic...
True
Listening to the teacher talk I know what the actress's other appearance was and it is really something. In one of my favorite episodes too.
I actually found this amazing
Same
I don't see where the confusion is coming from. Are you really so disappointed that the main character wasn't a cool badass? Why? He literally set up a whole bond-villain-esque parlor trick to force groveling for forgiveness from the 3 people who held him accountable for his actions in the past. You say he became pathetic at the end, but ... wasn't he always? This seems pretty straightforward.
I think what could have made it stronger for me is if the reveal was all these people were him talking to himself. Showing subconsciously he knew he was the villain. Then how him come to terms with out. As it is, it's a terrible guy who did terrible things, got called out for it, shows no remorse, and then for some reason has a mental break down.
Maybe it would have helped if his bad deeds were more in the gray as opposed to being so black and white.
I've always liked this episode. Radin was a bad guy all his life and the other three people rightly called him out on it. This episode wouldn't have been nearly as compelling if the others had caved in and Radin would have had his "gotcha" revenge moment.
I think he was too much of a sociopath to consider threatening their families, so selfish that the idea that those people cared about others besides themselves didn't occur to him. I haven't watched this show since I was a teenager but I do vividly remember some parts of a lot of episodes. I think this may be a good episode for me to watch again because it relates in some ways to my real life. I was disciplined in a way that I felt was unjust and afterwards I became primed to always feel I was being disciplined unjustly til eventually I gradually got my sense of accountability back and realize things were complicated. The interesting thing to me about this episode is we have a villain who thinks he is right and views himself as a victim of injustice and thinks he is right in demanding an apology, but we find out throughout the episode that he was completely in the wrong and completely deserved the punishments that he views as injustices.
I thought the nuclear war theme seemed kinda telling that it was Serlings writing. also the sirens and TV footage were prerecorded by raydon to trick his enemies when they decided to stay. I also prefer the current twist over him being the only survivor because that would be undeserving for the other 3 enemies
Is it just me, or does Dr No kind of look like a young Patrick Stewart?
Nice Mortal Kombat touch at the end
I actually quite like this episode
What a great episode
"Only his name.... Doctor No."
the concept for battle royale might of came from this style of story telling. I could definitely see it.
I really liked this episode. The main character got what he deserved, and he was pathetic from the start--he didn't become pathetic. All his life, he has believed that the world revolves around him, and hurt others without remorse. And he resented facing the consequences of his actions. He couldn't stand that he failed at his grand scheme of manipulation, and it broke him when he was faced with the idea that the world DOESN'T revolve around him. I didn't feel sorry for him at all.
Actually, It reminded me of "The Obsolete Man," except...in reverse, if that makes sense.
Also, is it just me, or did his whimper sound like a fly or mosquito buzzing? I wonder if that was intentional.
Sounds like it would have worked better if:
1. The fact that it was all a trick by the billionaire was kept a secret.
2. The episode had slowly reveal why the 3 authorities wronged him.
3. They had left it at him being the last man on earth.
Do it this way, and the Billionaire feels both more threatening and sympathetic at the same time but the story ends with him pathetic and vilified. That's a better twist, that the guy who seems like is taking revenge on people who deserved it was just a vindictive asshole lashing out against people who used their authority to do the right thing, and that his punishment for his terrible acts was a life of complete isolation.
It feels like the episode blew its load too early and went "Oh shit, there is no twist....eh....Fuck it, it was all a dream!".
Mean, insecure pettiness causes wars.
Most of the comments here, AND the TZ Companion book, seem to agree on what's "off" about this episode: We're so sympathetic with Wiseman's performance that the three "good" characters come off as harsh, resentful cold fish.
And it turns into a sort of nuclear version of "On Thursday We Leave For Home", where the three would rather die of stubborn Pride, than humanize themselves enough to make peace with their enemy.
That last two seconds of this video - I see what you did there.
All the talk of Wiseman's character enacting do many Bond villain tropes makes me headcanon that he actually *was* a potential Bond villain. A council member of SPECTRE ir at least an associate if their's perhaps? A twisted part of me wants it so that Radin as a result gets his revenge indirectly as SPECTRE investigates his mental breakdown, liquidating his 3 "enemies" one by one as they hunt for answers Rosebud-style.
I kind of like it.
I thought that thin little noise he made was brilliant: scary and pathetic, not funny. Maybe it's because I've seen real people succumb to madness and serious injury, and they make sounds and expressions that would be funny if they weren't real. I saw a guy get smacked over the head with a pool cue in a bar fight once. He pulled a beautiful goon-face as he went down: eyes crossed, tongue sticking out. It was HILARIOUS... except he was DOA at the hospital.
This one always reminds me of that saying "Success is the best revenge."
In a lot of ways, Radin has ALREADY gotten even with these people, so why does he need to do this? Maybe it's meant to be "closure" for him, but that still bothers me.
That's an interesting phrase, proving a scoffer wrong by succeeding! Here though, I think the situation is a little different. He seems to be a twisted man, doing cruel or harmful things and then not taking responsibility. The "revenge" he's taking is against people who were justly punishing him, and maybe there's the remains of a conscience buried deep inside him that keeps him from letting go.
I gotta disagree with cha. This is one of my favorite episodes. It perfectly highlights the warped mind and fragile feelings of a rich man-child narcissist !
The episode ended as it began.
He would rather believe his lie than their truth.
💯💯
We have seen people start fires out of nothing and then pretend to put the fire out. We have seen people who missed the message of morality and empathy again and again, and use money or power to demand fealty. Sometimes justice takes time but the self own is worth it.
*LISTENS TO RADIO DRAMA OF EPISODE* Episode works for me.
Not the best episode but I don’t think it’s far fetched to think someone like Radin who would build an elaborate prank just to scare three people would fall for his own delusions. In the twlight zone 😎
I think you are kind of off on this one because of the association of the villain here with a Bond villain. He was never meant to be that. Bond villains are all fantasy anyway, this went for a more grounded character. He’s a Trump like millionaire who’s always gotten his way and can’t conceive of people not willing to do anything to stay alive because that’s what he would do. Also, I don’t think the sounds and pictures he hears in the bunker are in his head. Remember at the beginning when the workman talked about what an elaborate and convincing hoax it was. What he hears and sees in the bunker is real, it’s the illusion he set up to convince the others a nuclear war is really happening. So when we see him emerge into a real wasteland it’s jarring, at least it was for me the first time I saw it And I think that makes the ending very compelling He’s been duped by his own illusion
I kind of get how you interpreted this ending but I disagree. I think your lack of sympathy for the character was the intended point. like a satirical warning to others.
This narcissist spends thousands and sets up an entire scenario where he has these three people who slighted him be forced to beg and apologize to him. But in the end his "masterfully brilliant scheme" means less than nothing to these people. Saying that to his face and leaving; resulting in the double twist playing out. He literally cannot fathom any way for himself to fail so when they leave he wins on the only way his mind can think of, them dying in a real attack. That final yell is not his 'reality check' it is him frozen between a cry of victory and as if God smites his enemies and horror that all of his worldly success is gone. Showing not sympathy but exactly how shallow and short sighted he really was.
Always thought this was a weird episode like I dreamt it myself lol
Tom Nichols at The Atlantic has drawn parallels between Paul Radin to both Elon Musk and Donald Trump as successful men who feel they've not been lauded and given the respect they feel they deserve.
Really disappointed this will end soon.
I thought this one was just ok. I definitely see what they were trying to do. I do agree that it feels different than many other episodes.
This sounds like a plot from a Fallout Vault.
The Authority Figures came off more cold and unfeeling. There was more sympathy for the Wissman Character (Radin).
I'd say there wouldn't be much of a bite to the story if there wasn't the double twist! The man is so egocentric that he wanted revenge against those people after so many years! And they didn't try to ruin his life, they just didn't let him get away with doing bad things! All three were clearly good people who were trying to do right all along, and had true courage! On the other hand, our Dr. NO, was so obsessed with getting back at them and making them all cry and beg that when his idea didn't work, he had a mental break down! His world might as well be destroyed by an atomic bomb, because so much of his energy and efforts went into it!
Just an interesting observation, but I wonder if the guy who wrote old boy had seen this episode. It's an old manga, the original movie is about 20 years old, and the American remake is about 5 to 10 years old. Essentially a man is kidnapped and held hostage in a special prison for about 10 years. Eventually he is let loose and he goes on a quest to find who did it to him, who would spend millions of dollars to hold him hostage for a decade. You come to find out that it's someone he went to school with as a kid, the guy keeps playing mind games with him and even meets him, and the motivation behind everything done is bonkers. I will only spoil one thing, which is in the original movie adaptation, and maybe in the American one I'm not sure, the girl he meets after being freed, and whom he sleeps with, turns out to be his daughter.
Nice
Also, for all you triggered conservatives noting the "hypocricy" in Walter not criticizing the actor's yellowface in Dr. No, there's a simple explanation for that: The villain is half-white. He's not a full-blooded Chinese person, and I'm pretty sure you couldn't find any biracial actor back in the '60s. The actor's portrayal perfectly fits as someone with both white and Chinese features.
I don't know, from what I've seen this episode seems to be a pretty good one to me. Yeah, he vener gets a one up on them, but that is the point. He *is* a pathetic whimp, and this episode gets that across perfectly. I would definetly not skip this episode.
Awesome and cool! ^_^
I still haven't seen Dr. No (reading a comic adaption being the closest I've come), so this was when the lead 1st popped onto my radar and is what I still thought/think of whenever I saw/see him. The twist ending was completely unexpected, which was nice. But its not enough of a good build up for a second viewing for me. It's 1st viewing was at least enjoyable for all the potential and for all the predicted twists that went through my head at the time. Not bad, just not the usual TW craftsmanship or charm for me.
Yay!!!!
A higly underrated episode. Like Gunther Lutze("Deaths-Head Revisited "), Radin is an evil person who is punished for his misdeeds by being deprived of his sanity. Like Lutze, Radin fails to learn anything from his past mistakes. Maybe if Oscar Beregi or Fritz Weaver had played Radin and Everett Sloane had played the Colonel, the episode might have turned out much better, but that we shall never know. On the other hand, Mrs. Langsford comes across as a far more sympathetic character than Helen Bemis.
You have eyes but do not see
The one crime that Radin committed that I wanted to hear more about is the scandal that the reverend mentioned. It was vaguely mentioned expecting thorough two We don’t know exactly what he did, but it had to have been so reprehensible that it drove a young woman to su*c*de (maybe Paul committed SAnkr an assault). Here are some clues:
In the beginning, Paul acts smarmy yet somewhat charming when welcoming the three people into his lair. But the moment the reverend brings up the woman who died, mentioning that Paul held no honor in any regard, Paul’s mask immediately slipped: “You can go to the devil, Reverend.” Also, some of Paul’s harshest insults are hurled at the reverend, giving weight to his crime out of the other wrongdoings he committed as a school boy and a soldier. He doesn’t hurl as harsh of insults at Hawthorne because the colonel even admitted that, for Paul’s disobedience, he would’ve shot him if he was permitted. For this reason, Paul spends the least amount of time talking to the esteemed colonel because he knows he’s not one to be messed with. He also doesn’t verbally attack Mrs. Langford, maybe because she’s a woman (or maybe her “wrongdoing” to him wasn’t as severe as the others).
As someone else has already pointed out, I think you missed the point. Why would they be intimidated by him and why would we need to see that? In the beginning we think of him as a victim of cruel authority figures, but we learn that he’s actually a narcissistic asshole. Why would they be frightened by a man when they know his true nature? They know who he is behind the mask, but he doesn’t. When they left, they shattered his world view and image. The bomb going off could either symbolize their speeches having destroyed him, or merely a warning of what’s to come when they realize that he “pranked” them and they will make sure he will feel the consequences of that. I would definitely recommend this as for me it’s super satisfying to see them put him in his place