Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Twilight Zone (Again)

I am still watching and enjoying this series (including episodes I either never saw or have forgotten).  It is a curious and engaging mixture of science fiction, social commentary, and what at first glance seems like fantasy.

In my book My Brother Ron, I describe schizophrenia (depression and hallucinations often leading to delusions) as a Twilight Zone episode that never ends.  The episode that I just watched (The Dummy) is clear: the ventriloquist is suffering hallucinations that his dummy is alive, leading to delusions and drunkenness.  Schizophrenia as a cause of his problems is discussed with his agent.  Even when far removed from the trunk in which the ventriloquist has locked Willie, he can hear Willie's voice, and see his shadow.  Even the ending sequence where the faces of dummy and ventriloquist have switched can be read as reality as seen by the ventriloquist.

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