# Why "Its a Good Life" is so....good **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [October 29, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236 "2020-10-29T19:33:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/1 "2020-10-29T19:33:47Z")
The Twilight Zone episode The cast plays it so straight. Not a bit of ham. Just sheer internalized terror and despair. I only got yesterday that Anthony made it snow in response to his Aunts complaining about the heat. And noticed all the missing pictures around the house. (as evidenced by the outlines on the walls.) ---
**Author:** ![Pazu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pazu/32/15522_2.png) [@Pazu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pazu)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/2 "2020-10-29T19:37:16Z")
> [@Pavelb1](#): > > I only got yesterday that Anthony made it snow in response to his Aunts complaining about the heat. “The next day it snowed and killed off half the crops…but it was a _good_ day.” ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/3 "2020-10-29T19:46:25Z")
I hate that episode. Hate it. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/4 "2020-10-29T19:52:18Z")
That’s good that you hate it. That’s real good, Anthony. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/5 "2020-10-29T22:04:34Z")
I think it’s a _good_ episode because it shows a horrible situation that is completely impossible to escape. Everyone is dependent on Anthony’s whims for everything. There’s no reasoning with him, no disciplining him. He has absolute control over their fate, and is untouchable. Even if they could kill him, somehow, then what? They don’t know where they are, or if they are even anywhere. There might be absolutley nothing outside of their small existance. And if you’re one to eschew suicide, then you’re well and truly fucked. Forever. In that respect, it’s probably the scariest of all the TZ episodes. It’s in the “I have no mouth, and I must scream” level of horror. ---
**Author:** ![CoconutPete](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coconutpete/32/5294_2.png) [@CoconutPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoconutPete)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/6 "2020-10-29T22:19:09Z")
Great episode, there is nothing so pure and cruel as a child. An interesting dynamic too when the woman visitor comes into the works. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/7 "2020-10-29T22:31:18Z")
What’s really amazing is that Rod Serling gives away the entire premise in his introduction. No surprises. No twists. Just 20+ minutes of pure terror. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/8 "2020-10-29T23:50:18Z")
FWIW, in the original story, the town got isolated (?) when the doctor who delivered Anthony tried to kill him, so I think he was supposed to be monstrous in appearance, not like cute little Bill Mumi. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2020, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/9 "2020-10-29T23:53:11Z")
Yes. In the story, the doctor recognized something wrong with Anthony immediately - possibly related to the fact that he was described as having **crawled** out of his mother. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/10 "2020-10-30T00:21:02Z")
He has “soft purple eyes” (?) and “casts a weird shadow” He’s also three and not six. Supposedly in the story (and the episode) he’s not really evil… and sometimes wants to help, but they fear his help more than anything. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/11 "2020-10-30T01:16:30Z")
Is that episode (or the book on which it’s based) the orign of the SDMB term _cornfielded_? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/12 "2020-10-30T01:18:56Z")
> [@Pavelb1](#): > > and sometimes wants to help, but they fear his help more than anything. That reminds me of one part of _Methusalah’s Children_ by Heinein. The Families had landed on a seemingly paradisiacal world and the native inhabitants felt the need to “improve” the next human child to be born. Scared the daylights out of the Families. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2020, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-its-a-good-life-is-so-good/924236/13 "2020-10-30T02:02:51Z")
I believe so.