Nothing in the Dark
Encyclopedia
"Nothing in the Dark" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone
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because she's afraid "Mr. Death"
is waiting for her outside. There is an altercation outside; Wanda peeks out fearfully. A young man at the door is lying on the ground, police officer Harold Beldon, and he has been shot. After much convincing, Wanda finally opens the door and brings him in. He talks to her about her fear, and she tells him she has seen Death before in the form of a man, and witnessed him taking away the life of a woman on a bus just by touching her. Wanda has been afraid of death ever since.
When there is a knock at the door, a man breaks into her apartment, and Wanda is knocked out. When she comes to consciousness, the man apologizes and explains he is a building contractor but that he is to demolish the building within one hour; he indicates that she has been given due notice and ample time to move, and if she will not leave he will call the police to escort her forcibly from the premises. She protests and asks Harold for help, but the contractor can't see Harold. Wanda looks in the mirror and sees only the bed where Harold is lying, but not Harold himself. She realizes that he is in fact Death, come to claim her.
After the contractor leaves, Death explains that he set up the elaborate ruse to get her to trust him, so she could understand that Death itself is nothing to be scared of. At first she is very angry, and claims it is not fair, as he had tricked her. But rather than being a monster, she eventually sees him as a gentle deliverer. He says, "Mother, give me your hand." She is finally convinced to touch him. "You see. No shock. No engulfment. No tearing asunder. What you feared would come like an explosion is like a whisper. What you thought was the end is the beginning."
Before she even realizes anything has changed, she finds herself standing beside her own dead body. Wanda and Death walk together hand in hand through the doorway, up the stairs, outside into the sunlight.
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
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Synopsis
A lonely old woman, Wanda Dunn, will not leave her seemingly abandoned, dark basement apartmentBasement apartment
A basement apartment is an apartment located below street level, underneath another structure—usually an apartment building, but possibly a house or a business. Rent in basement apartments is usually much lower than it is in above-ground units, due to a number of deficiencies common to basement...
because she's afraid "Mr. Death"
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
is waiting for her outside. There is an altercation outside; Wanda peeks out fearfully. A young man at the door is lying on the ground, police officer Harold Beldon, and he has been shot. After much convincing, Wanda finally opens the door and brings him in. He talks to her about her fear, and she tells him she has seen Death before in the form of a man, and witnessed him taking away the life of a woman on a bus just by touching her. Wanda has been afraid of death ever since.
When there is a knock at the door, a man breaks into her apartment, and Wanda is knocked out. When she comes to consciousness, the man apologizes and explains he is a building contractor but that he is to demolish the building within one hour; he indicates that she has been given due notice and ample time to move, and if she will not leave he will call the police to escort her forcibly from the premises. She protests and asks Harold for help, but the contractor can't see Harold. Wanda looks in the mirror and sees only the bed where Harold is lying, but not Harold himself. She realizes that he is in fact Death, come to claim her.
After the contractor leaves, Death explains that he set up the elaborate ruse to get her to trust him, so she could understand that Death itself is nothing to be scared of. At first she is very angry, and claims it is not fair, as he had tricked her. But rather than being a monster, she eventually sees him as a gentle deliverer. He says, "Mother, give me your hand." She is finally convinced to touch him. "You see. No shock. No engulfment. No tearing asunder. What you feared would come like an explosion is like a whisper. What you thought was the end is the beginning."
Before she even realizes anything has changed, she finds herself standing beside her own dead body. Wanda and Death walk together hand in hand through the doorway, up the stairs, outside into the sunlight.
External links
- TV.com episode page
- Nothing in the Dark review at The Twilight Zone Project
- Full video of the episode at CBS.com