The Twilight Zone season 1 finale recap: Blurryman
“Blurryman” — Pictured: Zazie Beetz as Sophie Gelson of the CBS All Access series THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Photo Cr: Robert Falconer/CBS © 2018 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.
What does it want?
She makes it out to their street set, where she trips, falls and hurts her leg. As she calls out for anyone to help her, tv sets in a nearby shop window flicker on. They’re static at first, but then they show moments from every episode this season where the blurryman was in the background of a shot.
Finally it shows her, back in the library, being approached by the blurryman. Then, the tvs cut out and Gelson is left facing the blurryman in the street.
She tries to talk to the figure, thinking maybe it’s someone paid by Peele to scare her and show her that a genre like horror can have just as much merit as something that makes a deep statement about society.
Of course, the figure doesn’t answer and the shadow surrounds her as she closes her eyes and screams.
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Next thing we see is her opening her eyes, still in the streets, but now we can hear her thoughts. She argues with herself, trying to figure out what is real and what isn’t. Is she having a psychotic break? Is this a prank? Is something supernaturally horrifying actually happening to her?
Trick is, things can be a nightmare and still be real.
As she wanders, she winds up back in the library, but this time it’s covered in dust and dirt, like a bomb went off somewhere. And, of course, there he is—the blurryman. As he starts to approach her, Gelson goes on the run again.
She makes it back to the set where everything began, everyone is back and preparing to do another take of the scene. However, no one is able to see her. She desperately shouts for people to see her and, more importantly, see the blurryman. No luck, so she keeps running. The blurryman stays steadily right behind her.
Eventually, the voice in her head tells her to stop running, explaining that reason isn’t going to get her through this.
Finally, Gelson faces the blurryman. (Note: this ending takes quite a few turns, I’ll try to be clear, but, uh…it’s easily one of the weirdest endings this season.)
Ok, she tells the blurryman she’s ready to see whatever he’s trying to show her. Emitting a black smoke, he takes her back to a moment in her childhood where she’s watching the classic episode of The Twilight Zone, “Time Enough At Last.” Her dad wants her to go outside and socialize with real people, but her mom says that Gelson can enjoy the fantasy of her shows and the reality of the outside world. She doesn’t have to pick and choose.
It’s a really short scene.