Hello my lovely Tifflighters! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in these...Twilight Zone-esque times we find ourselves in. I did this one a bit differently than my other posts, I'm writing a synopsis after watching the episode instead of a stream of conscious while watching. Let me know which you like better!
Ok, I wish I were kidding when I said this one was very heavily based on isolation. Rod would have loved the coincidence in that.
We meet a man, Corey, that has been sentenced for murder and is serving out his sentence on an asteroid where he is the only inhabitant. His only visitors are the flight crew of the rocket that bring him supplies every 3 months, his favorite being Allenby as he treats Corey like a person and will bring him extra things. Previously, he brought Corey car parts to rebuild an old car just to pass the time. Corey maintains the murder was in self defense, and Allenby believes him. It seems he is also trying to get him a pardon.
Allenby arrives and says they only have 15 minutes until their window is closed to depart back to Earth, if they miss it they have to stay another 15 days. Honestly, I thought he was going to kidnap them for 20 minutes just to have company - I was wrong. That would be too obvious for Rod. Allenby sends the other 2 crew members back to the rocket to get the last box for Corey, a large box. As they go, he asks Corey not to open it until they're out of sight as the others don't know what's in it and that when he opens it the instructions will be clear.
As he's getting on the ship, another crew member asks Allenby "Say, what's in the box?" Allenby replies, "To be honest, I'm not sure. Maybe nothing, maybe salvation." He makes another comment hinting it may just all be in Corey's mind.
As soon as they are gone, Corey opens the box and find it to contain a robot woman that according to the instructions is "In every way a human woman." Her name is Alicia.
Side note: Robots were such a novel idea then that "ro-BOT" is pronounced "ro-BIT". It throws me everytime they say it.
Contrary to my original assumption (I'm two for two here), he is NOT thrilled. The days pass and he continues questioning her "Can you feel X? How would you know that, you're not human!" and so on until he grabs her arm. At which point she tells him he hurt her.
That sets him off and he yells at her telling her she isn't real, etc. Basically, being a jerk. She turns to look at him and... she's crying. "I can feel loneliness too."
Excuse me while I grab tissues.
This is a turning point in their relationship and over the next few years, they fall in love.
*awwww*
One day, Allenby comes back and is SPRINTING towards Corey's house. Corey greets them as Allenby excitedly tells him... he got pardoned!! He's taking all the prisoners that were on the surrounding asteroids back to Earth and he's the last stop! He has 20 minutes to get 15lbs maximum of his things together and get on the ship.
Corey, obviously thrilled says he doesn't even have 15lbs of stuff. He'll just get Alicia and they can go!
*record scratch*
Allenby, "Oh dear God I forgot about her."
He tells Corey she can't come. They have stripped the ship to bare minimum already and that is the only room they have - him and an extra 15lbs.
Corey, of course, loses it. He is screaming for Alicia telling them "She's a woman! You don't understand!" She comes out and he begs her to show them she's real. She just looks at him questiongly, repeating his name.
Allenby says they don't have time for this, and he's only doing this for Corey's on good. Then he... SHOOTS ALICIA.
Yup. Literally shoots her face off. We hear her saying Corey's name as it warps into a robot voice that is running low on batteries. The camera pans up and we see her... but he face is all sparks and wires.
(Again epic effects for this time)
Corey is shaken and slowly goes towards the ship as Rod closes.
"On a microscopic piece of sand that floats through space is a fragment of a man's life. Left to rust is the place he lived in and the machines he used. Without use, they will disintegrate from the wind and the sand and the years that act upon them. All of Mr. Corey's machines, including the one made in his image, kept alive by love by now obsolete - in the Twilight Zone."
Closing thoughts: I won't spend a lot of time on the relevancy of being isolated, but I'm definitely going to point it out. Also, quick PSA: If you aren't isolating yourself and think you can do whatever you want because "I feel fine." I personally want to send you on an asteroid like Corey. I don't care how YOU feel I care about the people that can't fight off this stuff and the fact you are probably carrying it. I'm one of the high risk people so stay the hell inside or I promise I will haunt you.
Moving on...
I thought this was a depressing episode at first. Man finds love in a hopeless place (cue the song), then has to choose between her and the one thing he's wanted more than anything. Only to have her literally killed in front of him. Super depressing right?
But then, I thought a little more about it and it got creepy. Remember at the beginning when Allenby hinted that Alicia may be more in Corey's imagination than real? And up until she met the crew, Alicia was very talkative. It was very out of character for her to not speak other than one word, and especially with so much at stake. Also, Allenby is a kind man - bringing Corey extra things, helping to get him pardoned, and so on. He wouldn't just outright kill someone.
What if Alicia was no more than a talking doll that was programmed to walk, and say basic phrases? Corey is a smart guy, he rebuilt a car on an asteroid, it wouldn't take much to program her to say things like his name would it?
What if Alicia was no more human than the car Corey rebuilt and Allenby knew he was on the edge of losing his mind, so he gave him something to project companionship on to?
I'm thinking that's the more likely case. But as with most things, we'll never know the true answer - in the Twilight Zone.
