'The Twilight Zone (2002)' Retro Recap: 'Sanctuary'

​Written by Scotty

Nowadays there is always something happening around us at all times. Even when you try to take a break from it, it always seems to find a way to drag you back. There may not be a way to keep everything away from you, but there are ways to keep it from finding you. Being able to turn off your devices for a day, week or month might sound impossible for many people, since these are the only things keeping you tied to the world, but when it gets to be too much, this might be the first thing that needs to go.

Scott Turner is having a problem in keeping his favorite client happy, but with a flat tire, he will not be going anywhere soon. Waiting for the tow truck to arrive, Scott backs into the woods to clear his mind, but he finds that he is not able to find his way back to the road. Seeing a house in the distance, Scott arrives and tries to get some information from Marisa who is staying there, but he comes to find out, she was lost in the woods as well. With none of their electronics working and no power in the house, the two are trapped in a little slice of paradise away from the world, but it might not be what they are really looking for.

Walking in the woods together, Scott and Marisa see that there is no way in leaving this place. Finding that they have feelings for each other, Marisa has become very happy with her new home and her new love, but Scott is still thinking about his past life and wants to get back to it. Burning her wallet, and her past, Marisa takes the next step in accepting that the two will be lost away from the world for a long while and would not change it for anything.  Scott reluctantly takes the same vow, but does not know if it is the right thing that he should be doing.

On a beautiful afternoon, Scott and Marisa receive a visitor who shows up from the woods. Ricki is lost as well, but her phone seems to keep her connected to the outside world and this raises questions between the new lovers. Marisa wants nothing to do with the technology and loves the life that the two have made for each other, but now with Ricki on the scene, she wants nothing more than to be left alone. As the days move on, Ricki voices her hatred for the solitude that the home offers as she wants to get back to the real world, but cannot find her way back to the highway no matter what she tries. Then strange things start to happen around the house that have never happened before as poisonous insects and snakes find their way into the formerly happy home. As Ricki continues to push the buttons of the two people that have taken her in, her true goal is to make one of them snap to lose the paradise that was created for them, the only question is who will succumb to their old life first.

The classic Adam and Eve scenario given a new twist as only The Twilight Zone can do. Watching as Scott and Marisa are able to change their lives to live in their new conditions then let it all go when the option of connecting back to their old lives arises, it is great to see who is the stronger of the two. I really liked Ricki in this storyline as she has the ability to manipulate her care givers into doing something that they would normally not want to do. With the promise of riches on the outside world, it would be difficult to say no to make it back, if even for a moment to say goodbye to everyone, but there is no perfect world, especially when you want the better of two different lives.

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