The Twilight Zone season 1, episode 3 recap: Replay
“Replay” — Pictured: Sanaa Lathan as Nina Harrison of THE TWILIGHT ZONE for CBS All Access available to steam on Thursday, April 11th. Photo Cr: Robert Falconer/CBS © 2018 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.
When the episode resumes, there’s a dreamlike sequence of Nina, a man and two children playing with bubbles outside. In the real world, Nina sits in a hallway, crying.
Someone comes up to her and says she needs to make a positive identification on her son. But first, Nina asks where the camera is, saying she needs it.
With the camcorder in hand, Nina is led in to see her son. She takes a moment alone, asks the camcorder to take her back and presses rewind. It works and she’s back in the diner. She’s crying she’s so happy to see Dorian alive.
Then, she looks around and notices the officer isn’t there yet. She hurriedly gathers her things and says they need to get back on the road. But as they reach the diner’s front door, there’s the officer. He hold the door open for them, but after they head to the car, he pauses and looks back at them.
On the road, Nina starts crying. Nina then says she needs Dorian to know something and needs his help (and according to Dorian, she never asks for help.)
The Twilight Zone then transitions to them parked by a barn off the road. Nina struggles to convince Dorian of what’s happening to her. He seems to believe her. He notes there’s one way they haven’t tried. He starts the navigation to Neil’s house. Nina takes a breath and seems to accept that she needs to go home.
They go that way and arrive at Neil’s house. As they get out of the car, Nina explains why she’s stayed away. Her older brother’s died around there, including one brother getting shot nearby.
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Just then, Neil comes out to greet them. He sends Dorian to the garage to check out a mint condition Black Panther comic so he can talk to Nina alone. He says that he wishes their dad was still alive so he could see Nina back at the house. Apparently, Nina didn’t even come home for their dad’s funeral.
Inside, the keep talking and Nina tries to explain what’s going on with her, the camera and the police officer to Neil. Neil says he believes her and the two hug.
Later, the three sit and talk. Together, they work out a plan to get Dorian to school safely. Neil has been working on a project that has given him a pretty thorough map of back alleys and side streets. The three head out.
The episode also shows the officer driving around the area.
Neil leads them to some underground tunnels that let out at the college. Parents and students stand around and the three head to join them.
Then, a siren goes off. The officer tells them to stop where they are. They keep going, trying to make it to the school. The officer draws his weapon. But this time, Neil stands between his gun and Dorian. Nina joins him and a crowd assembles, watching the events unfold.
More officers pull up and draw their weapons. It’s a group of black families faced with white officers with their guns drawn.
Nina pulls out the camera and starts recording. Other in the crowd pull out their cell phones. Dorian tells Nina to rewind and they’ll try again, but she tells him that she won’t do that this time.
The officer mocks her stoicism, saying that he can’t be intimidated by a camera and asking if she watches the news.
Nina says the officer crossed the line and tells the officer off, saying her son will go to college and he can’t stop him. He grips his gun more tightly, but looks around at all of the cell phones pointed and people watching him. One of the other officers tells the officer that it’s time to leave.
The other officers leave and, eventually, so does he.
Fast forward, 10 years later. Nina sits recording Dorian and his daughter, Trinity, on the couch. Dorian tells her to put the camera away, saying it’s been long enough that she doesn’t need to do it anymore.
Nina sets the camera down on the table and Trinity picks it up to look at it. Trinity drops it on the ground and it breaks. Nina scrambles to put it back together, but Dorian takes her hands and tells her to let it go. They tell each other they love one another and Dorian goes to get some ice cream for Trinity.
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This episode of The Twilight Zone ends with Dorian walking out of the house and Nina standing with her arm around Trinity.
This episode of The Twilight Zone heavily combines metaphor with real life situations. What do you think the ending is saying? Let us know your thoughts on The Twilight Zone in the comments.