“Scariest” Twilight Zone episode

[Funky]

I’ve got the classic Twilight Zone marathon that comes on every New Year’s Eve. The wife and I are discussing which episode “scared” us the most. Keep in mind, we are huge fans so we have seen every episode multiple times thus making our decisions very difficult.
As adults, maybe the word “scariest” isn’t quite right because let’s face it. Do we REALLY get scared by television shows anymore? So how about, “which TZ episode disturbed you the most”?
A quick Google search claims that The Dummy is considered by most the “scariest”.

Seriously?
Granted, the twist at the end is weird to be sure, but scariest?

How about “Nightmare at 20,000 feet“ or “Its a good life“ or even ”How to serve man”.

Just for fun, what’s YOUR “scariest” TZ episode.

 

[Trooper_trent]

I know this doesn't count but I first saw the TZ movie as a kid while staying with a babysitter (parents would've never let me watch it at that age) and the seen where the kid removed his sister's mouth scared the **** out of me HAHA

I really like the Living Doll Talky Tina episode. My grandmother had tons of dolls in a room that scared me to death as a kid.

 

[Funky]

Trent, you need to watch the Star Trek original series episode “Charlie X”. There is a scene where Charlie wills away a woman’s entire face! VERY reminiscent of the scene you’re talking about!

 

[Richard Baker]

Agnes Moorehead in "The Invaders".
Until the very end not a word is spoken- just her reactions to these small beings tormenting her relentlessly.
For me the twist ending did nothing to change the story- I still felt her fear and frustration.
Sometime the simple stories work best

 

[Usagi Pilgrim]

Hands down-NIGHT CALL!

 

[Borjis]

Ya that creeped me out as a kid for sure! (faceless woman on Charlie X).

That one with Billy Mummy when he turns the guy into the jack in the box scared me as well, as a kid.

Nightmare at 20K feet probably the worst one. Especially the scene where the window shade is down
and the shat is starting to doubt if he saw it, then lifts the window shade and it's right there staring at him.
I found myself closing eyes or looking away whenever it aired. Not anymore of course.

 

[JoeG]

Living Doll scared me as a kid and still does. Seeing the little girl and her mom having to deal with a cruel, heartless person just gives me the kind of scare that really disturbs me because its so realistic.

Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up also freaked me out as a kid. Oh and Howling Man! Watching it now, its pretty silly, but as a kid that howl and the devil guy were scary!

 

[el toro]

For me, Button Button from the 1980s series is one of the scariest. It was also loosely remade into a poorly reviewed movie named The Box with Cameron Diaz from the director of Donnie Darko.

otherwise my list includes:
The Howling Man
The hitch-hiker (“going my way?”)
The Masks
Mirror Image (doeppleganger)
To serve Man
And when the Sky was opened (disappearing astronauts)
Nightmare at 20,000 feet (although the SNL parody with Pearl Jam now makes me laugh at the original)

 

[robn1]

The first episode "Where is Everybody?", did a great job setting the tone for the whole series.
Also "I Shot an Arrow Into the Air" and "The Silence".

 

[edge10]

How about 'Twenty Two'.

'Room for one more, honey.'

 

[Funky]

How about 'Twenty Two'.

'Room for one more, honey.'

Nice!!!

 

[Lost in Trek]

Season 4 - Death Ship

 

[AJK001]

I would have to go with "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet". That scared the heck out of me when I saw it as a kid and even as an adult I didn't want to look at the window when flying at night.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I remember when the movie came out, the part with the Gremlin on the airplane wing scared the hell out of me! I didn't see much of the series until I was older.

 

[modelcitizen]

"room for one more".
that's the one that truly scared me as a kid watching late at night in the dark....

 

[Funky]

"room for one more".
that's the one that truly scared me as a kid watching late at night in the dark....

Good one!

 

[dascoyne]

I used to watch these episodes late at night before going to bed - which is the best way to watch them
"To Serve Man" - the most horrifying plot twist of my childhood
"Nightmare at 20,000 feet" - the gremlin on the wing was so weird-looking it freaked me out
"Eye of the Beholder" - the suspense over her "deformity" just built and built
"The Invaders" - maybe the second most horrifying plot twist of my childhood
"Night Call" - creepy, creepy ending

 

[dascoyne]

Agnes Moorehead in "The Invaders".
Until the very end not a word is spoken- just her reactions to these small beings tormenting her relentlessly.
For me the twist ending did nothing to change the story- I still felt her fear and frustration.
Sometime the simple stories work best

Up until the very end I saw it through the eyes of the woman. I wasn't certain if the "aliens" weren't robots. The ending for me was especially disturbing because then I thought about all the ways she smashed and mutilated that crew.

 

[el toro]

Not a twilight zone episode, but there’s also the British movie, Dead of Night, which is tonally similar to the twilight zone. Dead of night and several twilight zone episodes (such as twenty-two and the ventriloquist) share the same roots - ie short stories from pulp mags.

 

[sbaxter]

I'm not sure which classic episode would get that for me, although the first one that came to mind was "The Invaders." However, I think I got the biggest "jolt" from the opening sequence of Twilight Zone: The Movie -- "You wanna see something really scary?" I just wasn't expecting that from Dan Aykroyd, especially when it was preceded by that ridiculous goofy face he makes.

SSB