Lost In The Twilight Zone Pilot Episode

Prelude To Season V

As promised, this summer we are going to discuss the correlation between Rod Serling’s science fiction television program, The Twilight Zone, (1959-1964) and the current ABC network hit, Lost. I will start with season one of the Twilight Zone comparing episodes with scenario’s that happened on Lost.

I think once you see a few comparisons, you will quickly realize that Lost is a modern day Twilight Zone. BTW, Twilight Zone aired for six seasons and the Lost writers announced that Lost would also run for six seasons.

Let’s begin with the pilot episode of the Twilight Zone, aptly named,

The Time Element.

In the Time Element, a man (Peter Jensen) believes he is traveling back in forth in time. He visits a psychologist and explains that he keeps having the same recurring dream. He travels back in time to 1941, to Honolulu, Hawaii, and he realizes the Japanese are ready to attack Pearl Harbor. Jensen insists they are not dreams, but in fact, traveling back in time. The doctor he is seeing tries to reassure him that time travel is impossible and he is hallucinating.

Jensen tells the doctor that when he is back in time, he bets on the sporting events and always wins. After a few more dreams, he attempts to warn people of the impending Japanese attack but no one listens or cares. He is deemed a crazy man. Jensen’s dream always ends with the Japanese planes flying overhead and him screaming “I told you so!”

The doctor finds the story incredible and while they are talking, Jensen falls asleep. At that moment, the planes fly overhead and shoot inside the doctors office and kills him.

The camera pans out revealing the entire office, and the doctor is alone, no evidence of Jensen ever being there. The doctor winds up at the bar and there on the wall is a picture of Jensen and he finds out that he tended bar there but was killed in the Pearl Harbor attack.

This is the only Twilight Zone episode without the Prologue, Monologue, and epilogue format. (You will see the format in the next update) In fact, this episode was rejected by the TV executives as not their cup of tea. It was aired a year later to the delight of the viewing audience and the Twilight Zone was born.

Lost Tie In:
Desmond is a modern day Peter Jensen, a man traveling back and forth in time. Both men know what was going to happen, but no matter what they did, who they tried to warn, could not stop the events from unfolding.

We also see the twist, famous in the Twilight Zone. Jensen died in the Pearl Harbor attack in the past. As for Desmond, while he was in the past, calls Penny on the telephone and tells her to wait for his call years ahead in the future on a specific day. Christmas Eve.

Back To Lost Theories Archives

LURKING ON THE GRASSY KNOLL