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Almost two decades after The Twilight Zone’s most surprising episode aired, it quietly got a secret sequel that might be better than its actual sequel. When viewers first watched the twist ending of «To Serve Man,» jaws dropped, trust in aliens evaporated, and dinner plans were canceled. The dark comedy disguised as a sci-fi morality tale became one of Rod Serling’s most iconic entries, but its so-called official follow-up felt less like a second course and more like a half-baked mistake. Meanwhile, The Twilight Zone’s spiritual sequel, a sharp, sly, and hilariously bleak riff on the same themes, remained largely forgotten.
Debuting in 1959, Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone remains one of the best sci-fi anthology series ever televised. With razor-sharp writing, eerie atmosphere, and a revolving door of top-tier talent, the show transported audiences into a dimension not only of sight and sound but of clever metaphors and existential dread hosted by Serling. Although revived in 1985, 2002, and again in 2019, few episodes from the later incarnations had the same cultural impact as the original. But one short segment from the 1985 reboot might just be the exception, and it serves up its own brand of satirical bite.
The Evolution of Sci-Fi's Darkest Punchline
The Twilight Zone Delivered Existential Dread With Extraterrestrials
«To Serve Man» remains the most iconic episode of The Twilight Zone, and the one that exemplifies the series the most. The Twilight Zone delivered humor, horror, and a surrealness that made humanity think twice about whether they would be lucky to discover they were alone in the universe. However, what few people realize is that Serling’s beloved adaptation was part of a three-course meal served cold in the most disturbing depths of The Twilight Zone.
Based on a short story of the same name by Damon Knight, «To Serve Man» premiered in 1962. The deliciously dark comedy explored the day Earth made contact with the Kanamits, a benevolent alien race who ended war, famine, and most of Earth’s problems in what seemed to be a kind gesture from beyond the stars. However, when translators get their hands on their book, To Serve Man, they realize they should’ve stopped to look the gift horse in the mouth, because the tome was a cookbook, and now humanity was on the menu.
While not a direct sequel, the 1986 Twilight Zone episode «A Small Talent for War» mirrors «To Serve Man» in narrative and spirit. This time, aliens arrive at the UN amidst the Cold War and reveal they created humanity, but are disappointed in its progress, citing a «small talent for war.» In a panic, world leaders scramble to draft a blueprint for peace, believing it will spare them from annihilation. But when the aliens return, they laugh in disbelief. The title’s wordplay becomes the final twist, Earth’s crude weapons, clumsy tactics, and baffling desire for peace make them the butt of a galactic joke, proving once again that in The Twilight Zone, the real punchline is humankind.
Mr. Chambers! Don’t get on that ship! The rest of the book, To Serve Man—it’s… it’s a cookbook! —Patty, The Twilight Zone, “To Serve Man” (1962)
Finally, in 2020, Jordan Peele’s baffling «You Might Also Like» aired. The story follows a housewife who mostly dreams of commercials, floats in her sleep, and questions a mysterious new product called «The Egg» that everyone suddenly wants. After wandering through customer service purgatory to cancel her order, she eventually discovers the Kanamits again, who explain how humanity is so obsessed with choice that it willingly consumes anything. Turns out, the Egg is a parasitic creature, and the Kanamits have landed to launch a very soft-spoken, marketing-based invasion that ends in bloodshed.
All three Twilight Zone stories feature familiar ingredients: an alien presence, some real-world commentary, and a generous helping of cosmic irony, all hoping to hold up a mirror to humanity and have a dark chuckle about its aspirations. While they each take a stab at humankind’s hubris and flawed nature, they also reflect the anxieties of their respective eras. Whether it is the utopian optimism of the Space Age, the Cold War’s paranoia-drenched pragmatism, or the existential dread of late-stage capitalism disguised as self-care, each episode serves up a different flavor of discomfort. Some bites from The Twilight Zone go down smooth, while others are harder to swallow.
A Sequel, A Successor, A Classic Sci-Fi Satire
One Follow-Up Got the Joke, The Other Just Left a Bad Aftertaste
Considered “the greatest twist of all time,” it is hard to understate just how iconic “To Serve Man” is and what The Twilight Zone accomplished in bringing it to life. However, there is a big difference between paying homage to a classic Twilight Zone story and hijacking it for a nostalgia-fueled name-drop. «A Small Talent For War» may not have featured the Kanamits, but their spirit was alive, well, and laughing from an unseen flying saucer, which is more than can be said for Peele’s attempt at continuing their invasion of Earth.
«A Small Talent for War» was a short, sharp, and mean-spirited joke, its punchline hinging on clever wordplay and a healthy dose of nihilism. While not a true sequel, the 1985 sci-fi satire acted as a spiritual successor, turning the Cold War’s obsession with peace through strength on its head. The episode played like a grim counterpoint to Ronald Reagan’s famous speech about how humanity would unite in the face of an alien threat; here, humanity does just that, and the aliens aren’t impressed. In less than 10 minutes, the ’80s Twilight Zone mocks diplomacy, disarmament, and mankind’s ego with a grin that could have been beamed straight from Serling’s grave.
«You Might Also Like» wasn’t the only sequel to a classic Twilight Zone episode. «It’s a Good Life» was horrifyingly reimagined in 1983’s Twilight Zone: The Movie, but it also received a direct follow-up in 2003’s «It’s Still a Good Life,» in which Bill Mumy and Cloris Leachman reprised their original roles, this time joined by Mumy’s real-life daughter, Liliana Mumy.
Meanwhile, «You Might Also Like» might have nailed The Twilight Zone’s weirdness, but its reveal of the Kanamits felt hollow and tacked on. There was no continuity with «To Serve Man,» no clever twist of language, and no witty commentary. Instead of laughing with the audience, it lectures them about democracy, consumerism, and the illusion of choice. Peele’s episode felt less like a sequel and more like a desperate attempt to save a fading series by utilizing nostalgia. Swap the Kanamits out for the Venutians from «Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up?» or even something as absurd as Jim Carrey’s Grinch, and the message would land the same, only slightly greener.
«You Might Also Like» sums up Jordan Peele’s view of The Twilight Zone, and why his version only lasted two seasons. He saw it as a surreal soapbox, which is not inherently a bad thing; some of Rod Serling’s best episodes were born from bold commentary on timeless issues. But if «To Serve Man» and «A Small Talent for War» proved anything, it’s that satire, irony, and sharp delivery matter just as much as message. Peele’s story had no real twist, no clever setup, and little intrigue beyond the reappearance of the Kanamits, and if it needed them to hold viewers’ attention, then it was never a worthy successor.
The Twilight Zone’s Greatest Joke Reveals Humanity's Deepest Truth
To Serve Man And Roast Humanity
«To Serve Man» remains one of the best episodes of any show in TV history, and its influence can still be felt in everything from The Simpsons to The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear. But what makes it truly remarkable is that, even 63 years later, it still resonates. The questions it raises about trust, survival, and how easily humanity can be led astray are just as relevant today, if not more so. Its longevity is not just about the twist ending; it is about the timeless discomfort The Twilight Zone leaves behind.
In the end, stories like «To Serve Man» and «A Small Talent for War» reminds everyone why The Twilight Zone still matters. They force people to take a step back, laugh at humankind’s own self-importance, and recognize that for all their ambition and invention, they’re still just a curious little species floating in an endless ocean of stars. Humanity’s problems might feel colossal, but from a galactic point of view, they’re barely a blip, and that kind of perspective demands humility, especially if stories of alien contact are to be believed.
I thank you for a most amusing day. You people have a delightful sense of the absurd. You might take some comfort in that. After all, one of your fine Earth actors, Edmund Gwenn, once said: “Dying is easy, comedy is hard.” — The Alien Embassador, The Twilight Zone, «A Small Talent For War» (1986)
But maybe that is exactly what makes these sci-fi stories so powerful. They show that laughter, especially the kind laced with irony and cosmic indifference, might be one of humanity’s greatest strengths. Earthlings may not be the fiercest warriors or the wisest beings in the universe, but if they can laugh at themselves, learn from their mistakes, and see the absurdity in their own reflection, then perhaps they’re not such a lost cause after all. After all, as «A Small Talent for War» suggests, sometimes the joke is on humanity, and sometimes, that joke might just be what saves them.
