The Obsolete Man

"The Obsolete Man" is episode 65 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone, starring Burgess Meredith as Romney Wordsworth, the accused, and Fritz Weaver as the Chancellor (and prosecutor). It originally aired on June 2, 1961, on CBS.<ref>Doran, Thomas M., "Human Liberty and 'The Obsolete Man'", The Catholic World Report, March 18, 2016</ref> The story was later adapted for The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas starring Jason Alexander as Wordsworth.

Plot

In a future totalitarian state, Romney Wordsworth is put on trial for being obsolete. His professed occupation as a librarian is punishable by death, as the state has eliminated books. His faith in God is taken as further proof of obsolescence, as the atheist state claims to have proven God does not exist. Following a bitter exchange, the Chancellor finds Wordsworth guilty and sentences him to death within 48 hours, allowing him to choose his method and exact time and place of execution. Wordsworth requests that he be granted a personal assassin, who will be the only one who knows the method of his death, and that his execution be televised nationwide from his room at midnight on the following day. Although Wordsworth's demand is unprecedented, the Chancellor grants both requests.

At 11:15 the following night, the Chancellor visits Wordsworth in his now-monitored room, responding to the latter's invitation out of curiosity. Wordsworth reveals that he has chosen to die in a bomb explosion at midnight. The Chancellor expresses approval until Wordsworth further states that he has locked the door, and the Chancellor will die with him. He also points out that, as the events are being broadcast live, the State would risk losing its status in the people's eyes if it chose to rescue the Chancellor. Wordsworth brings out an illegal, long-hidden copy of the Bible, reading Psalm 23 and portions of several other psalms aloud to express his trust in God.

In the final minute before midnight, the Chancellor breaks down and begs to be let go "in the name of God". Wordsworth agrees to do so and gives him the key to unlock the door. The Chancellor flees from the room just before the bomb explodes, killing Wordsworth. Due to his cowardly display in Wordsworth's room and invocation of God, the Chancellor is replaced by his own subaltern and declared obsolete. He protests against this verdict and tries to escape, but the tribunal's attendants overwhelm him and beat him to death.

Closing narration

Unusually, Serling appears on camera to deliver the closing narration.

Cast

• Burgess Meredith as Romney Wordsworth
• Fritz Weaver as the Chancellor
• Josip Elic as the Subaltern
• Harry Fleer as Guard
• Harold Innocent as Man in Crowd

Original epilogue

Usually Serling delivered his closing narration off-camera. But for the earlier episode ("A World of His Own"), Serling delivered the closing narration of that episode on-camera, as he would for "The Obsolete Man" and season three's "The Fugitive". Serling's original narration was longer, but the middle section was cut for broadcast. As scripted, the original narration reads as follows (with the cut section in italics):Template:Cquote

In popular culture

Serling's opening narration is sampled in the song "Axle Grinder" by Australian drum and bass band Pendulum as well as "Thieves! (Screamed the Ghost)" by American hip-hop duo Run the Jewels on their 2016 album, Run the Jewels 3.

Sources

• DeVoe, Bill. (2008). Trivia from The Twilight Zone. Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media. Template:ISBN
• Grams, Martin. (2008). The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic. Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. Template:ISBN
• Peak, Alexander S. (2006). "The Obsolete Man." LewRockwell.com.

External links

• Template:IMDb episode