Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E04: A Kind of Stopwatch

Revisiting The Twilight Zone: S05E04: A Kind of Stopwatch

This really should have been so much better than it turned out, because the idea itself is a good one. To be honest, I think it tries too hard for laughs (which it doesn't succeed in) than to make a good story from a good idea.

The first half of the episode is bogged down too much in introducing us to our protagonist, who as it turns out is an antagonist to everyone around him. It sets up his character too long, and essentially too hard. OK, we get the idea that he talks a lot, is a know-it-all in a harmless kind of way. The problem being that once we get to the actual idea of the story - about a stopwatch that can stop time for anyone who holds the watch - two-thirds of the episode has gone! Which leaves almost no time to allow our protagonist to discover what the watch can do, and what he can do with it. Instead of being able to watch him walk through the episode discovering this, all we are left with is an instant realisation, which he begins to put into effect, before the inevitable conclusion comes, and the episode is over.

What are we left with? A great story idea, a main character that is overplayed, and a story that leans to heavily in showing us the characters foibles rather than letting us enjoy what could be achieved with such a remarkable watch. This was remade and re-written for the 1985 revivl series, and that episode did it a lot better than this.

Rating:  Time stands still.  3.5/5