‘The Twilight Zone’ (2019) Recap: ‘The Comedian’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

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​Each of us have a handful of television shows and movies that we hold near and dear to our hearts because they moved us in ways, we never thought possible. These are the stories that stayed in our minds long after they came to a close, for they took us on quite the roller coaster ride both emotionally and mentally and one such series that always did that for me when I was growing up, was The Twilight Zone. For Rod Serling’s classic is that rare story that truly managed to encapsulate and examine the human condition in every single way imaginable, and its legacy has been felt for decades in pop culture since its powerful and dynamic stories have influenced countless artists and viewers. 
 
In fact, the draw of this particular series, and the sheer power that it exudes prompted two revivals of the series after the original went off the air in 1964, with mixed results. For while the mid 1980s revival of the series offered up some unique stories here and there, and had some incredible names attached to it, these tales lacked the punch and intellectual potency of its predecessor, making it nothing more than mere entertainment and the 2002 revival, while a touch more daring in its storytelling commentary wise, never found the right formula to say what it needed to say and draw in an audience at the same time, and the end result was a single season order. But, after languishing about, the series has finally found a new creative mind to resurrect it from the void of creative stagnancy and cancellation. For Jordan Peele’s iteration of the series arrived on CBS All Access last night with a two-episode premiere and well, I have to admit that I was blown away by the sheer genius that came forth from the first tale in this series, ‘The Comedian’.
 
For this particular tale wasted no time in immersing us in a parable about the power and the dangers of fame and we were introduced to these concepts by way of an awful comedian named Samir Wassan, who receives some fascinating advice from a legendary comic in that, in order for him to be successful, he needs to be more open with his audience so they too can enjoy ownership of the joke. But of course, there’s one catch when it comes to said advice in that, what he offers up to the crowd, disappears forever. But the incredible success he enjoys motivates him to continue on this path, and he removes bad people from the world by incorporating them into his act, but it doesn’t take long before the fame goes right to his head, prompting Samir to use his comedy to exact revenge when necessary and therein lies the lesson when it comes to fame since this story reminds us that it can be quite the intoxicating ride, one that is oft abused when a person feels invincible.
 
However, let’s be honest. That would be too easy a message to send when it comes to a series such as this, and it is one we’ve seen time and time again. Which is why this particular premiere had more to offer us than just that. For in many ways this particular tale also served as a powerful commentary on social media, and how it can propel us to fame and notoriety when we say the right inflammatory things upon it, and that was expressed by way of Samir’s salty act since he dragged people through the mud before sacrificing them to whatever void awaited them and as is the case on social media, the more vitriol and rhetoric that poured into his act, the more the audience reacted to it, hungry to hear what he had to say next, and of course Samir was more than happy to continue to stoke the flames in order to enjoy the sheer thrill and rush of being the hottest comic around.
 
Yet, the story’s ending is what truly made this tale worthwhile, because it perhaps offered up a solution to the world’s conundrum when it comes to rhetoric related matters in that, it took a touch of self-awareness and conscience on Samir’s part to put an end to the madness, and while that’s easier said than done, it’s an answer none the less. But, all thoughtful plotlines aside, let’s be honest, this is a hell of way to bring The Twilight Zone back to life. For this featured the kind of commentary we’ve come to know and love when it comes to this series, and it featured grounded and dynamic characters and incredible performances. In fact, we need to take a moment and recognize Kumail Nanjiani for his breathtaking portrayal of Samir since he gave this character stunning depth and really, when all is said and done, I’m hooked. This was just a wonderful premiere to this new revival, and I cannot wait to see what brilliant wonders await us in the weeks to come. Until next time. 

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