The Twilight Zone Review: The Wunderkind (Season 1 Episode 5)
On The Twilight Zone Season 1 Episode 5, “The Wunderkind,” Jacob Tremblay becomes President with John Cho at his side.
The episode is a fairly straightforward affair, centered around a, “what if?” It’s beholden to a cautionary tale where a kid becoming President of the United States has so many pitfalls, taking it to a conclusion where the emotional strength does not quite hit as hard as it could have.
John Cho is fantastic on the episode, his Raff Hanks full of confidence that can be deflated in a heartbeat. Having Cho as the charismatic lead helps alleviate some of the episode’s peripheral issues, as it’s always riveting to watch Cho as his character’s work unravels.
His character’s arc is rather interesting, going from the height of his character to rock bottom, and then back again. It’s an Icarus type of analogy, to rise too high and to use any chance back into the limelight, even if it’s too ridiculous a proposal.
The concern Raff goes through after getting what he wanted is a powerful reminder of being careful what one wishes for, as it may come with unintended ramifications.
Jacob Tremblay, as well, is wonderful. How he can turn on a dime when he doesn’t get his way, and how he pull off a menacing side during the golf putting scene, shows some great range. He’s having a lot of fun with this role.
The ending, with no “old doctors” coming to fruition to Raff’s detriment, is certainly a bizarre way to end it all. If too much thought is put into the proclamations Oliver made as President, not many would survive this new world order. But again, if you put too much thought into the episode, it all unravels.
Kid doctors and calling out treason for simple questions are both rather fast and dubious moments that hurt the episode.
However, something larger does come from “The Wunderkind,” one that reflects back on the world we all currently live in. The politics of emotion shows how easily someone can ascend to the Oval Office, and the damage that can cause.
Playing to what the people want, and using it to get ahead is a unique theme of the episode, and while it’s only brushed upon, it’s enough to create some thought behind its actions. Plus, who wouldn’t want free video games?
The production continues to be one of The Twilight Zone’s main draws. The Oval Office set, the strange operating room surrounded by darkness, and the various campaign spots all add to an impressive use of location and design to bring detail to the strange story.
A unique transition is a lot of Raff’s moments of laughter used as the cutting points to the next scene, cutting the laugh short every time. The happiness of winning or seeing his success is short-lived, and little visual and audio cues cutting off those moments is a nice touch.
The Twilight Zone Season 1 Episode 5, “The Wunderkind,” is a strange episode, but one that does touch on something relevant to our times. While there may be some story and logic issues, it’s easy to forgive because of the allegory it all rests upon, what it’s trying to achieve.
Because of this, it’s a success, but with a lot of caveats.
Some stray thoughts on the episode:
- Of Oliver’s ten proposals mentioned early on the episode, one of them is, “less Star Wars movies.” This will definitely make my vote harder.
What did you think of this episode of The Twilight Zone? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Twilight Zone streams Thursdays on CBS All Access.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.
2 comments
Cool creepy episode
Cho is awesome
Definite allusions to TZ TOS’s ‘A Good Life’ and also made me think of the Trump campaign and the consequences of that.
I found it completely naive about American politics. The first major glaring flaw that I would point out is that unless this is an alternate universe, a candidate must be both American born and at least 35 years of age. A child could never run for president.
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