Perhaps the most richly artistic of all the TZ episodes. Gig Young's harassed advertising executive is undergoing a mid-life crisis when he finds himself next to the town he grew up in. Naturally, he's drawn back to the boyhood innocence of long ago as relief from the fast-paced pressures of an empty adult life. I suspect Serling reached deep within himself for this one.The half-hour is a near-perfect blend of script, atmosphere, and direction, with a subtly moving music score to deepen the mood of days gone by. Notice how subtly Young is transported back in time and how expertly the camera moves in for close-ups at the right emotional moment. The nighttime encounter bringing Young together with his father (Frank Conroy) is one of the most poignant in a series not known for highlighting such sensitive passages. It's also a moment of wonderfully understated high drama that I would think touches a near universal chord. There was always something deeply melancholic about Gig Young the person that comes through on the screen. Here he's perfectly cast and as a result adds greatly to the compelling mood. This may not be the creepiest, scariest, or most suspenseful entry, but it may be the most touching and artistically complete.
Review of Walking Distance
