Henry is a man who likes to read. That wouldn’t be a problem except that he’s surrounded himself with people who don’t like to read. His wife crosses out all the words in a book of poetry. His boss reprimands him for reading on the job. He even has really thick glasses. Henry Bemis just can’t catch a break.
Then, one day, he hides in the bank vault at work to read. Suddenly, the ground shakes. When Henry picks himself up and dusts himself off, he comes to realize that the bomb has been dropped -- and he seems to be the only survivor. Henry starts to bemoan his bad luck until he stumbles upon the library. That’s when it hits him: He now has nothing to stop him from reading. Alas, this is The Twilight Zone. Is it ever that simple?
Time Enough at Last is one of the better-known episodes. I remember the final scene being parodied in an episode of The Drew Carey Show. Why is this episode so widely viewed? I think that stems from simplicity and accessibility. Henry is a man that wants one thing: To read.
Even if you don’t like reading, you can relate to having something that you love doing, even if it’s not popular. I’ve noticed that bombs tend to be popular for wiping out populations. I’ve always found it odd when a small group survives. No one else happened to find shelter? Still, it’s what the story needs. Henry finally has time for what he wants.
This is what makes the ending so cruel. It’s as if there’s some conscious force that wants Henry to suffer. Why else would he be surrounded by so many people that hate reading? I can see taking a job at a bank as an act of necessity. You would think a job at a library would better suit him, but you can’t always get the job you want.
As for his wife, you’d think Henry would find someone with a similar love of reading. I get the impression that his love of reading isn’t anything new. How did he end up with someone who would actually deface a book of poetry to spite her husband?
The only major concern for younger viewers would be the annihilation of the surrounding population. No deaths are shown, nor are there any bodies shown. The actual act is only implied, but Henry still has to deal with some of the aftermath.
There’s also the running theme of life not being fair, but I’d say that’s a minor point that most children can handle. When I first saw the episode, it struck me that Henry was practically left with nothing at the end. Henry Bemis just can’t catch a break.
IMDb page
Then, one day, he hides in the bank vault at work to read. Suddenly, the ground shakes. When Henry picks himself up and dusts himself off, he comes to realize that the bomb has been dropped -- and he seems to be the only survivor. Henry starts to bemoan his bad luck until he stumbles upon the library. That’s when it hits him: He now has nothing to stop him from reading. Alas, this is The Twilight Zone. Is it ever that simple?
Time Enough at Last is one of the better-known episodes. I remember the final scene being parodied in an episode of The Drew Carey Show. Why is this episode so widely viewed? I think that stems from simplicity and accessibility. Henry is a man that wants one thing: To read.
Even if you don’t like reading, you can relate to having something that you love doing, even if it’s not popular. I’ve noticed that bombs tend to be popular for wiping out populations. I’ve always found it odd when a small group survives. No one else happened to find shelter? Still, it’s what the story needs. Henry finally has time for what he wants.
This is what makes the ending so cruel. It’s as if there’s some conscious force that wants Henry to suffer. Why else would he be surrounded by so many people that hate reading? I can see taking a job at a bank as an act of necessity. You would think a job at a library would better suit him, but you can’t always get the job you want.
As for his wife, you’d think Henry would find someone with a similar love of reading. I get the impression that his love of reading isn’t anything new. How did he end up with someone who would actually deface a book of poetry to spite her husband?
The only major concern for younger viewers would be the annihilation of the surrounding population. No deaths are shown, nor are there any bodies shown. The actual act is only implied, but Henry still has to deal with some of the aftermath.
There’s also the running theme of life not being fair, but I’d say that’s a minor point that most children can handle. When I first saw the episode, it struck me that Henry was practically left with nothing at the end. Henry Bemis just can’t catch a break.
IMDb page
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