‘The Twilight Zone’ Season 3 Episode 4 ‘The Passersby’ Recap and Review

Directed by: Elliot Silverstein

Written by: Rod Serling

Mrs. Lavinia Godwin sits on her porch in an old rocking chair, watching as broken soldiers of the Civil War pass in the street, just yards from her home. A few are friendly, or intrigued enough to stop, and each time there’s an expressed desire to make it to the end of the road. And then things get even stranger, when her husband, who was killed in the war, arrives one morning. He too is bound for the end of the road.

All the strange behavior has Mrs. Godwin confused and frightened, as well she should be. Her sadness is also justified. See, Mrs. Godwin is a ghost, just like all the others who pass on the road. They’re bodies are no longer realities, their spirits are all that truly remain, marching in the same direction.

Finality beckons, even to those determined to avoid a definitive conclusion.

This is a rather chilling episode. It has no jump scares, and it moves at a slow pace, but there are shots that will send a chill shooting down your spine. There’re some excellent lighting designs in the episode that are particularly effective. And while it is an eerie episode, it doesn’t lose that feeling of humanity. The thought of mortality and the potential emptiness that may or may not wait.

I’m not quick to call this one a seasonal favorite, but it’s a good story that tugs at the heart strings and ends with the coolest cameo the show produced. Worth a look? Absolutely!

Rating: 3.5/5