As Saturday comes, I bring you what is considered to be the best Segment from...
Brought to you by Harlan Ellison, this is possibly the most revered tale there- a man, a pocket watch and...Danny Kaye.
An old man in a Cemetery is attacked by Muggers, so a stranger intervenes.
There's something about this old man though, which we will eventually learn.
In the meantime, the two become friends, as the younger man is extremely open and helpful to the other. How sweet.
Their friendly talk and banter turns serious in time as the young man reveals a tragic tale from Vietnam that he has kept hidden for years!
The next day, they take a final trip to the Cemetery- since the old man knows that he will die soon. He tells an odd tale of how when the system of measuring time changed in 1600s, an hour was lost 'to eternity.'
The key thing is that the old man must pass on the watch, lest his watch count down this final hour of man and end existence. The young man passes the test and is given the watch.
The young man sees a vision of the Marine from Vietnam and finds peace. He is now the Paladin of the Lost Hour. The End.
A good Segment, although I'm not as in love with it as everyone else is. There's nothing wrong here. I can definitely see why it is so beloved. Harlan Ellison has a strong, reliable fan-base and it is easy to see why with stuff like this. I think my problem is that I just didn't connect to it. It is like looking at a beautiful painting. Oftentimes, you look at it and think 'Wow- this is well made.' Sometimes it connects with you, sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't, you look at it and go 'It's nice' and looks somewhere else. That's basically what happened with me here. Sorry, Harlan Ellison. If you aren't me, your reaction to this may be completely different. Regardless, this is where I close a Chapter on The Twilight Zone and cover something that will surely be big next year. As for this Show, well...
Next week, I begin a new trip by switching to a bigger Show. I think you can figure it out, but, if not, enjoy the mystery. See you then...
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