'The Twilight Zone (2002)' Retro Recap: 'Mr. Motivation'

​Written by Scotty

It is difficult for many people to stay motivated at work and even more so at life. With so many detractors bringing people down, I can see why the outlook seems to be so bleak for some people, and I have tried my hardest to make sure they know there is something good on the horizon. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not, but either way I am happy to see a rare smile on people’s faces when all is said and done. I may not be the most motivated all of the time while at work with all of the other issues that are going on, but I do try and make sure that my other co-workers understand how much they mean to me and my success, so they should keep up the good work as well.

Charlie Stickney is loved by everyone at work, especially his boss because he will not stand up for himself. Needing to find a file by three o’clock, Charlie is under a time crunch, but has a new motivational doll to help him stay on task. But there is something different about this doll as it starts to talk like it is answering what Charlie has previously said, and Charlie is not the only one that hears it, as the HR rep Linda hears that she has ‘nice buns’ while walking away.

Keeping Charlie in line, his boss Rick lets his employee in on what the situation is. A batch of birth control pills were mislabeled and expired before they hit the shelf. Needing the cover-up to prevent a massive recall that would have cost the company money and lawsuits, Rick needs to re-date the manifest before the board of directors finds out. Offering Charlie a promotion if he is able to locate the file before the meeting, Rick has his employee right where he wants him. But the Mr. Motivation doll is not having it and tries to make Charlie come clean about what is going on.

As Charlie and the doll go head to head, Charlie decides that the promotion will be better for him and stops listening to the doll and throws it down the trash chute. Getting called into Rick’s office immediately, the doll is standing on his boss’s desk with a note attached.  Thinking that Charlie might try to blackmail him for the birth control scandal, Rick brings his own bread to the table by not allowing the pushover to go on a date with the woman of his dreams. When Linda shows she is displeased with her date not having a backbone and Mr. Motivation stops talking to him, Charlie knows that it is time to act. Rushing into Rick’s office to find the documents he was helping to cover-up, Charlie is now in the driver’s seat and ready to go. Rick will not allow anything to happen to his job and makes sure that the office sees what happens if somebody crosses him. Thank goodness for Mr. Motivation when all is said and done as he will not let the evil in the office prevail. 

This is a great episode for anyone that has ever had to work for a boss that made them do something that seemed a little seedy. Although it might not be the best advice to stand up to them and say no all of the time, if they are asking you to do something that is not right by your ethics, it is worth voicing your concern. It was great seeing Charlie change in a matter of seconds when everything he fought so hard to get was quickly taken away from him. Mr. Motivation would have a great home in anyone’s office, keeping the folks in line with some good sayings and when they are getting pushed around, a quick slap to the face to make sure that they stand up for themselves. I wish this doll was available for everyone, then it would not be so exhausting to try and keep the positive attitude flowing all of the time.

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