6 Episodes of 'The Twilight Zone' That Still Have Something to Teach Us

The Twilight Zone begins by warning its viewers of where they're going: "the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition," "a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind."

It's easy to think that this dimension, the Twilight Zone, is defined by its sci-fi trappings—spaceships, futurism, Hollywood-style monsters, all which indicate that this world is not our own. In actuality, viewers are entering a carefully curated space, designed by Rod Serling to be just different enough from Earth as we know it. Because elsewhere, Serling couldn't say what he needed to.

"He felt that by escaping into outer space, so to speak, he could get these stories across—and he did," Serling's widow, Carol Serling, explained to the New York Times. In the Twilight Zone, he "get his points across—his social feelings that he wanted to talk about."

At its best, The Twilight Zone broadcasted parables about McCarthyism, nuclear war, social injustice, and human frailty. With a coat of other-worldly paint, people could digest otherwise unpalatable tales. And maybe, they'd learn.

Decades later, The Twilight Zone is back, and in the very capable hands of Jordan Peele. In honor of the new version's recently-debuted second season—which certainly contains its own messages—here are six episodes from the original that still have something to say.