"The Twilight Zone (2002)" Retro Recap: "Upgrade"

Written by Scotty

New beginnings are far from a bad thing, why else would people always makes toasts to them? Changing your life by getting married, moving or even getting a new job can make all the difference. But what if you asked for everything to change and it cost you your family that you knew inside and out, only to have them replaced by a better model?  Would you be able to join them on their new path, even though you have not really been a part of it?  An interesting question to ask yourself when you want to make a new start for you and your loved ones and it pays to be careful when making that kind of a wish.

Annie MacIntosh and her family have just moved into their new home and she could not be happier.  When hanging her family portrait, she wants to have the family that was in that picture for her new home as well.  But the kids are always fighting and she is the only one that tries to control it while her husband is moving in the rest of their boxes.  When the dog comes in and christens the fireplace, Annie has had enough but when she goes to get the cleaning supplies to clean up the mess, she is greeted by a new dog that is not hers. When her husband Phillip tries to explain that it is her dog, Annie will not believe him, but when she looks at the family portrait, she sees that it is her dog and her life is starting to change.

Not being able to get her mind off of the dog, Annie has to shut down her husband for the night, but when she wakes up she sees a new person in the house. Getting a kiss before he heads off to school, Annie asks her daughter Tess who the individual is.  When Tess answers that the boy is her son Sean, Annie starts to freak out and is calling for her husband to come and help her.  Looking back and seeing another stranger in the house, Tess has changed as well and Annie tries to escape whatever madness that is going on.  Falling down the stairs and bumping her head, Annie sees that the kid’s pictures have changed in the portrait as well and when Phillip promises her that she will be all right and gives her a kiss, she sees another new addition to the family, a new Phillip who she does not know.

Trying to cope with what is happening to her, Annie calls her friend Yasmine to come and see who her new family is.  Although Yasmine does not see anyone different, she listens to her friend's rant and tries to console her.  But Annie is on an island all by herself and with her new family trying to make sure that she is all right, they take notice that the bump on her head may have taken away her memories. While at dinner, Annie realizes that she has gotten her wish, the perfect family, even with dog that she always dreamed about, but when she hears her new family talking about what they need to do to protect her, Annie has to find a way to escape before she is sent to the looney bin.

A pretty dark look at what could happen if your dreams actually came true.  Annie wants the perfect family, but when it costs her her children and husband, she is beside herself.  Not believing what is happening to her, Annie is forced to come to terms that the perfect family cannot be her old one and is being replaced by others, but will she be next to go?  Starring Susanna Thompson as Annie, Timothy Carhart as Phillip, Robert Wisden as New Phillip, Alexandra Purvis as Tess, Heather McEwen as New Tess, Jaren Brandt Bartlett as Sean, Sam MacMillan as New Sean and Laara Sadiq as Yasmine.  It would be hard to believe that two different sets of actors could encompass the screen in this episode, but they do it flawlessly as a night a day difference.  It is always good advice to be careful what you wish for, because if you get it, you might find out you never wanted it.  Happy Viewing.

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