The After Hours (The Twilight Zone, 1985)
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (May 2018) |
| "The After Hours" | |
|---|---|
| The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series) episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 28a |
| Directed by | Bruce Malmuth |
| Written by | Rod Serling Rockne S. O'Bannon |
| Original air date | October 18, 1986 |
| Guest appearances | |
| Terry Farrell: Marsha Ned Bellamy: Man Ann Wedgeworth: Saleswoman | |
"The After Hours" is the first segment of the twenty-eighth episode of the second season (1986–87) of the revival of The Twilight Zone.
This episode is a remake of The Twilight Zone classic episode that originally starred Anne Francis. It differs from the original in that the characters Marsha meets are more menacing, and the tone of the episode is much heavier on suspense. The episode also differs in that rather than remembering what she is and accepting her fate as Marsha did in the original, the other mannequins force Marsha back into her true form so that another mannequin can take her place.
Opening narration
How fortunate for Marsha Cole to squeeze into the mall even though it's closing. Someone should remind her though: Doors that keep others out, can also seal you in...the Twilight Zone
Note: This opening narration is only found in the original airing and not on the DVD-release of the episode.[1]
Plot
A sweet, naive young woman named Marsha frantically travels to the mall hoping it will still be open. A worker takes pity on her and lets her inside. As Marsha enters, a man begins following her but keeps his distance. She enters the only open store and asks for help. A female clerk pops up at the counter and Marsha tells her she is looking for a doll. After a moment, the clerk leaves to find it. Meanwhile, a little boy in a tuxedo with a toy spider then pops up, scares Marsha, and calls her by name. A lady in an evening gown joins the boy and apologizes for his rude behavior. She acts dismissively when Marsha asks how he knew her name. He, in turn, begs Marsha to take him with her when she goes.
The clerk pops back up with the doll and Marsha pays for it. She then explains that she bought it out of gratitude for her landlord's kid, as her landlord found her a job, and let her rent her apartment for free even though she was broke. Suddenly, the man following her appears outside and the clerk starts aggressively asking for identification. Marsha tells the clerk her name and that she works for a local company. The clerk tells her that her history only goes back one month so inquires as to a longer timeline and asks where she was before then. Marsha runs away before giving an answer and the clerk follows. After getting on the elevator, Marsha discovers the same man from earlier following her. He raises his arms to reveal that his hands are those of a mannequin's.
Marsha then runs out of the elevator followed by the lamentations of the mannequins. They find her and inform her that she is in fact a mannequin just like them. She runs away regardless but then slowly begins to transform: first her leg turns to plastic, then her arm. She still attempts to run but is frozen by the transformation as her other appendages turn to plastic as well. The mannequins tell her she has had her month to be a human and now it's someone else's turn. The next day, Marsha the mannequin is on display, while the mannequin she ran past the night before moves forward on her way to enjoy her turn as a human.
Closing narration
Imagine standing forever still, unable to act, to speak, to touch a reassuring hand. If you were released from such a fate, even for a while, wouldn't you hope to forget that in reality, you're only on a short leave of absence...from the Twilight Zone?