Inspired by Sophie’s childhood question of “When do we get to the Twilight Zone?”, it even has Peele explaining why Serling’s host segments were so central to the show, keeping them grounded even as each episode seemed to create a universe of its own. She grew up loving The Twilight Zone, but she argues it’s great because the show, and creator Rod Serling, elevated genre material by layering social commentary on top of what she thinks of as “campfire tales.” Peele, however, seems to suggest that there’s no “either/or” between art and commerce, between meaningful art and “stupid sci-fi crap.” At this point, we’re looking at a mirror within a mirror within a mirror - a conversation about what The Twilight Zone means between fictionalized version of its new host and one of its writers in a reality within the reality of an episode of the show they’re discussing. Sophie sees a division there that Peele doesn’t. So, after some banter with Rogen and Gabriel playing themselves, he starts a conversation with the episode’s writer, Sophie (Zazie Beetz), leading to a long walk-and-talk in which he politely, but firmly, asks her to rewrite it and consider whether it’s “actually saying something we don’t want to be saying,” particularly in the line it draws between art and commerce. Cue Jordan Peele’s wry introductory narration, with the moral of the story embedded (it’s about “a writer who, up until tonight, has never paid much mind to an artist’s social responsibility”), then cut … Peele doesn’t really care for the narration he’s been given. Oh no! He’s blurred the line between fantasy and reality! Classic Twilight Zone stuff, really. Only - horrors! - by doing so, his wife (Betty Gabriel) reveals he’s caused a nuclear attack and soon the Reapers will be there. Ostensible star Seth Rogen appears to be dug into his character, a writer struggling with writer’s block, trying to talk himself out of frustration and saying what every writer has felt from time to time (or more often): “Why do we act like imposter syndrome means that you aren’t an imposter?” Fortunately, he has a breakthrough: Start the story with a nuclear attack.
That’s partly because it doesn’t feel like a fake-out. On the off chance you’re reading this before watching “Blurryman,” the season finale of The Twilight Zone, please stop, watch it, then come back to this piece, because you do not want to be spoiled on the first scene, a superb fake-out that’s also the single most delightful moment this season has produced.
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