Rod Serling’s original Twilight Zone is one of the most beloved TV shows of all-time, and for good reason. Serling’s creepy and thought-provoking stories are absolutely timeless. I would say that a revival was inevitable, but this isn’t the first time.

Now, I will admit that I haven’t seen much of the 1980s version (and I’ve never seen the early 2000s version). But if the little I’ve seen is anything to go by, this new series from Oscar-winner Jordan Peele looks like the one to beat.

The series premiere is “The Comedian,” starring real-life acclaimed comedian Kumail Nanjiani as Samir, a struggling stand-up whom one night after another failed gig meets a famous comedian named J.C. Wheeler (Tracy Morgan, giving an impressive dramatic performance).

Wheeler suggests that Samir change his act and talk more about his personal life, specifically, that he talks about the people in it. Little did Samir know, at the end of their meeting, Wheeler gave him a special power. Let’s just say that if he does it the right way, he could now use his stand up routine to play God.

Now, this episode is not the first time a TV series has tackled a premise like this, and this does admittedly hold the episode back a bit. Not to mention the fact that a number of the story beats are ones that you can sometimes predict before they happen. Having said that, there’s a lot to recommend here.

In addition to Morgan, Nanjiani does good work in the lead role as an ordinary man who gets in over in his head. Nanjiani doesn’t have a ton of acting experience yet. But like his role in the 2017 film The Big Sick, he appears to essentially be playing himself here.

Is he going to become the next Tom Hanks? Probably not. But he’s pretty much perfect for this role. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Emmy-nominee Alex Rubens wrote the part with him in mind.

Speaking of fitting the role, Jordan Peele does a great job filling Serling’s shoes as the narrator. He has a good speaking voice and captures the mystery and dread of the narrator as he introduces us to the episode’s premise and themes.

And honestly, this really does feel like something Serling would have written if he were alive today. Everyone involved here clearly knows the original series quite well.

Even the episode’s director Owen Harris does a great job capturing the look of the original classic, while still giving it more of a modern feel. You might not think The Twilight Zone would work in color. But you’d be wrong. Getting a director who previously worked on Black Mirror was a smart move on their part.

This version of the series has a ton of respect for the original. One fear going into to this was that it would just be cashing on the original name without feeling like the same thing.

But with Peele as the narrator, an updated take on the classic opening title sequence and even bringing back the classic end credits style and music, when watching this re-imagining, there’s no doubt you’ve entered The Twilight Zone.

Watch the episode for free on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19GO8-Rrn0g

Rate this: Share this: Twitter

Facebook

Email

LinkedIn

Tumblr

Print

Reddit

Pinterest

Like this: Like Loading... Related

This entry was posted on April 5, 2019 at 12:00 pm and is filed under TV Review. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

Tags: the twilight zone, the twilight zone 2019, the twilight zone 2019 review, the twilight zone comedian, the twilight zone jordan peele review, the twilight zone the comedian, the twilight zone the comedian review

You can comment below , or link to this permanent URL from your own site.