The Passersby
"The Passersby" is the 69th episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.
| "The Passersby" | |
|---|---|
| The Twilight Zone episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Elliot Silverstein |
| Written by | Rod Serling |
| Featured music | Fred Steiner |
| Production code | 4817 |
| Original air date | October 6, 1961 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
| |
Opening narration
As the episode starts, a group of Civil War soldiers are walking down a road as Rod Serling does his narration:
This road is the afterwards of the Civil War. It began at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, and ended at a place called Appomattox. It's littered with the residue of broken battles and shattered dreams.
After some dialogue is exchanged by the Sergeant and Lavinia Godwin, Rod Serling resumes his opening narration:
In just a moment, you will enter a strange province that knows neither North nor South, a place we call—The Twilight Zone.
Plot
At the end of the Civil War, a Confederate Army Sergeant (James Gregory), apparently wounded in battle, walks down a road aided by a wooden crutch. He carries with him a dirty bed roll and a homemade guitar. The limping Sergeant comes across a ruined antebellum mansion which belongs to Lavinia Godwin (Joanne Linville), whose husband had gone off to fight in the war and whose bitterness towards the Union still survives.
The Sergeant receives permission from Lavinia to refresh himself at the well, and then to sit on a bench under a dead tree in her front yard. He plays his guitar, singing a song that Lavinia identifies as one that her husband used to sing. The two watch as a steady stream of soldiers, belonging to both the Union and the Confederacy, pass by the house and continue on down the road. The Sergeant learns that Lavinia has been very ill, and that her husband was killed in battle.
The Sergeant begins to realize that this is not a normal road, and these are not just wounded soldiers. He tells Lavinia that there is something at the end of the road, and that he has to find out what it is. As the Sergeant turns to leave, Lavinia moves in front of him and tries to persuade him to stay. Suddenly they hear a man's voice singing a familiar song. The man is Lavinia's husband, Jud.
Jud tells Lavinia that everyone on the road is indeed dead—including her. The Sergeant, understanding now, walks down the road, but Lavinia refuses to believe that it is true. Jud tells her that there is nothing left for him in that house. Insisting that she is alive, Lavinia pleads with Jud to stay. Jud refuses and continues his journey, disregarding her pleas. As he leaves, Jud tells Lavinia that he will be waiting for her at the end of the road.
Lavinia cries out to her husband, imploring him to stay. Then she hears a soft voice trying to comfort her. It is a lone passerby who turns out to be Abraham Lincoln, who, as the final casualty of the war, is the last man on the road. Frightened, Lavinia backs away from him, but finally accepts her fate and runs to join her husband, with Lincoln following behind her.
Closing narration
Incident on a dirt road during the month of April, the year 1865. As we've already pointed out, it's a road that won't be found on a map, but it's one of many that lead in and out of the Twilight Zone.
Cast
- James Gregory as The Sergeant
- Joanne Linville as Lavinia Godwin
- Warren Kemmerling as Jud Godwin
- Rex Holman as Charlie Constable
- David Garcia as Union Lieutenant
- Austin Green as Abraham Lincoln
Episode notes
The traditional folk song "Black Is the Color (Of My True Love's Hair)" is featured prominently throughout this episode.
Elements of the episode are re-made in an episode of the 2002 revival named, "Homecoming". In this episode, a soldier returns from Iraq to repair his relationship with his son. We find out that the soldier is dead.
The closing titles image is of the road upon which the eponymous passersby walk.
The radio adaptation of this episode starred Morgan Brittany as Lavinia.
References
- DeVoe, Bill. (2008). Trivia from The Twilight Zone. Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media. ISBN 978-1-59393-136-0
- Grams, Martin. (2008). The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic. Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9703310-9-0