Written by Tom Moore
Episode 1: The Comedian
Back in 1959, audiences were sucked into their small screens to witness anthology series full of mystery, suspense, and eerie tales as they entered The Twilight Zone. The original series lasted for six years with over 150 episodes in its filmography and has come and gone with different iterations through the years, including a film adaptation in 1983. However, once news broke that the series would see another revival with Jordan Peele both producing and hosting, I was already hook, line, and sinker for another trip into the Twilight Zone.
In its premiere episode, The Comedian, fans will be fully satisfied with a familiar story and freshly fun performance from Kumail Nanjiani that’s reminiscent of a classic Twilight Zone tale.
The episode follows Samir (Nanjiani), a struggling stand-up comic who has strong desires for fame and respect from his peers. Upon meeting a famous comedian (Tracy Morgan), Samir’s act begins to change once he talks about people in his personal life on-stage. However, things take a strange turn as those who Samir talks about on-stage begin to vanish and be completely wiped from existence.
The Comedian literally feels like a trip down memory lane with a story that’s familiar and, albeit, a little too predictable. The messages of the episode aren’t really anything new, with the episode touching on themes of greed and desire of fame being the downfall of Samir. This leads to the episode being kind of predictable and hits on familiar beats that remind me of films like Death Note. Samir even keeps a book of people’s names that made me immediately think of Light’s Death Note.
However, this familiar tale is given a modern treatment with Samir scouring through social media to find information about people he wanted to talk about and has a visual look to it that I really dug. There’re some nice moments where Samir’s actions lead to the world around him changing as other people’s memories get erased and even accidents that change people’s lives can be completely wiped from existence. It’s also worth noting that I dug the new look of The Twilight Zone and the dark tinted lighting plays into the mysterious and suspenseful tone of the episode really well.
Seeing this kind of story through the eyes of a comedian is also very interesting and plays into the strengths of Nanjiani and helps Morgan sport a fun and creepy supporting performance. Nanjiani plays Samir perfectly as he brings Samir’s more reserved personality and desire for fame to create a relatable and intriguing protagonist. All of this builds excellently throughout the episode as Samir’s sanity starts to dwindle, leading to an ending that, again, is predictable but still eerie in its own right. Even Morgan, for the short time he is in the episode, makes a great, creepy impression with dialogue that’s fun and dominating.
Honestly, the episode made me feel incredibly nostalgic and even the updates to it felt right. Seeing Peele as the host felt incredibly comfortable and he brings confidently, well-spoken dialogue that made me feel like I was truly watching The Twilight Zone again. Even hearing the theme song and opening really brings you back and the score throughout the episode, while a little over-powering at times, definitely sets the tone.
Even in its familiarity and predictability, The Comedian starts The Twilight Zone off on the right foot. It has everything people would expect with the series and is actually a perfect starter as it defines what the series is all about. Mystery, suspense, and a little bit of fun are all the ingredients found in The Comedian and hopefully something that will continue with the rest of the series.
Review Score: 7 out of 10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19GO8-Rrn0g
