Instead of crossing the expanse of time by supernatural means, as is so often the case in The Twilight Zone, four men - Farwell, Brooks, De Cruz and Erbie - escape the present by placing themselves in suspended animation in a cave in the desert for one hundred years, after which they intend to make the most of their ill-gotten gains: stolen gold bullion worth one million dollars.
Of the four, only three survive their century asleep, Erbie's sleep chamber crushed by a falling rock, and on waking, greed gets the most of De Cruz (Simon Oakland), who kills Brooks, and swindles mastermind Farwell out of his share in exchange for water during their long walk to civilisation. Farwell, pushed to the brink, eventually smashes De Cruz over the head with a gold bar, and staggers down the road where he collapses from dehydration. Dying from thirst, Farwell offers his last bar of gold to a passing stranger in exchange for water, but dies shortly after.
In this episode's twist, it is revealed that in the year 2061, gold is practically worthless, mankind having found a way to manufacture the metal, which makes the four men's hard work and sacrifice meaningless.
Despite this wonderfully ironic ending, there's a few too many plot holes and just a little too much stupidity on display from the criminals for it to be wholly satisfying: as others have pointed out, why not make a fortune selling the suspended animation technology instead of pulling off a heist? Just how heavy would a knapsack of gold be? Would a van remain operational after 100 years standing still? As for Farwell, supposedly the brains of the outfit, leaving his water canteen behind while walking through a desert... he deserves everything he gets.
5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for the futuristic car at the end - just think... a mere thirty-nine years from now and you could be driving one just like it (I expect I will have shuffled off by then).
Of the four, only three survive their century asleep, Erbie's sleep chamber crushed by a falling rock, and on waking, greed gets the most of De Cruz (Simon Oakland), who kills Brooks, and swindles mastermind Farwell out of his share in exchange for water during their long walk to civilisation. Farwell, pushed to the brink, eventually smashes De Cruz over the head with a gold bar, and staggers down the road where he collapses from dehydration. Dying from thirst, Farwell offers his last bar of gold to a passing stranger in exchange for water, but dies shortly after.
In this episode's twist, it is revealed that in the year 2061, gold is practically worthless, mankind having found a way to manufacture the metal, which makes the four men's hard work and sacrifice meaningless.
Despite this wonderfully ironic ending, there's a few too many plot holes and just a little too much stupidity on display from the criminals for it to be wholly satisfying: as others have pointed out, why not make a fortune selling the suspended animation technology instead of pulling off a heist? Just how heavy would a knapsack of gold be? Would a van remain operational after 100 years standing still? As for Farwell, supposedly the brains of the outfit, leaving his water canteen behind while walking through a desert... he deserves everything he gets.
5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for the futuristic car at the end - just think... a mere thirty-nine years from now and you could be driving one just like it (I expect I will have shuffled off by then).