For many of us, television shows can be the ultimate way to escape the harsh realities of life, procrastinate studying for that exam coming up in a few days or even cure that hangover that seems to keep lingering around. Pop culture is so huge these days that it successfully traps us into endless hours of binge-watching Netflix or other outlets to our favorite series. But what is it about these television series that seem to capture our minds years after the show even ended? Television series like "Sex and the City" and "The Sopranos" leave legacies that are hard acts to follow. I mean, will people really keep thinking about that last brain eaten or last sword thrown from the current top ranked shows on television now? These are shows that most likely will not go into television history simply because there will never be that element in the shows where it keeps their audiences thinking years after the show has passed. 

In my opinion, "The Twilight Zone" series completes an accurate list of what a good television series should do. Although this television series is totally different from most popular series we watch today, "The Twilight Zone" embeds into our pop culture consciousness without us even realizing it. Rod Serling, who is the producer and writer for these thirty-minute horror/fantasy episodes, was a product of his time nearing the early '60s. This was a time of war, social movement and emotions that we cannot begin to relate to as college students in the 21st century. But don’t let the fact that the show being in black and white scare you away because these episodes are compelling in a way that provide a twisted spin of entertainment while providing real life emotions and facts of history. Each of these episodes begin with the classic monologue explaining the main characters own parallel universe of insanity, then continues through with a dispassionate sci-fi view of what’s happening in the world and ends with the classic Twilight Zone plot twist that will leave you speechless. 

But really, the endings are total game changers and never what I expect. One of the most popular episodes is “The Living Doll,” which is the classic horror story of a little girl’s doll coming to life (creepy I know). Another extremely popular episode is “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” which is the story of a man who just gets released from a psychiatric ward and starts drifting into insanity on a plane ride back home topped with an ending that will leave you wanting a sequel. Although this series will not exemplify Oscar-worthy acting because of the age that it was filmed, it does create moral ambiguity in Americans that will not easily leave and have you feeling like this: 

"Twilight Zone" is fun, mysterious and not only for the pleasure of hipsters, but perfect to watch with your old man too! My advice, give this show a chance and I can almost guarantee that you’ll make it through all 156 episodes in two weeks.