"The Twilight Zone" Teacher's Aide/Paladin of the Lost Hour (1985)

Directors:

Gilbert Cates
Bill L. Norton

Writers:

Steven Barnes (writer) (segment)
Harlan Ellison (short story "Paladin") (segment)

TV Series:

"The Twilight Zone" (1985)

Original Air Date:

8 November 1985 (Season 1, Episode 7)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller | Horror

Plot:

"Teacher's Aide": A teacher at a tough inner-city school is possessed by a malevolent spirit. "Paladin of the Lost Hour": An old man with a special watch bonds with a tormented veteran. |

Plot Keywords:

Water | Electric Shock | Temptation | Demonic Possession | Lightning

Cast

Adrienne Barbeau	...	Miss Peters (segment "Teacher's Aide")
Adam Postil	...	Wizard (segment "Teacher's Aide")
Miguel A. Núñez Jr.	...	Trojan (segment "Teacher's Aide") (as Miguel Nunez)
Josh Richman	...	Fury (segment "Teacher's Aide")
Fred Morsell	...	Hugh Costin (segment "Teacher's Aide")
Brian Robbins	...	12th Grader (segment "Teacher's Aide")
Sarah Partridge	...	Student Teacher (segment "Teacher's Aide")
Richard Brainard	...	Younger Brother (segment "Teacher's Aide")
Al Christy	...	Security Guard (segment "Teacher's Aide")
Noelle Harling	...	Amanda (segment "Teacher's Aide")
Danny Kaye	...	Gaspar (segment "Paladin of the Lost Hour")
Glynn Turman	...	Billy Kinetta (segment "Paladin of the Lost Hour")
Corkey Ford	...	Punk #2 (segment "Paladin of the Lost Hour") (as Corky Ford)
John Bryant	...	Punk #1 (segment "Paladin of the Lost Hour")
Mike Reynolds	...	Cigar-Smoking Driver (segment "Paladin of the Lost Hour")

Trivia:

Harlan Ellison's short story "Paladin of the Lost Hour" won him the 1986 Hugo for Best Novelette.

This wasn't funny...then it turned touching.

I actually know someone who is unfortunate enough to teach at a school with gangs (admittedly a junior high school, but same difference; some students there are high-school age and many are just as ill-characterized) who I think on one level would be amused by this yet on another would find it not close enough to home to be amusing and just an exaggerated or underplayed view of a dark reality. I can't say - for me, I find this to be yet another too-short segment that could've been better with some depth involved, but as it was it was just an episode with a rushed plot and an unamusing concept. A calm, level-headed instructor whose first name is never known, "Ms. Peters" (Adrianne Barbeau) attacks one of a pair of rival gang members in a typical 1st-thing-in-the-morning fight, and, baffled at her sudden rush of fury, witnesses the eyes of the gargoyle in the school architecture's eyes glowing red. Later that day she attacks more students who antagonize classmates and eventually her, and in the hall finds enough strength to lift a student causing trouble. It's stupid how few of these instances actually occur when something other than verbal lewdness occurs. I'd love to draw on some horror stories I hear about from a teacher who deals with real gang-members and other trouble-makers...but then again, I'm not sure what exactly the difference is between trouble in 1985 and 2008. Stil, no character development is shown - at night the teacher tries to place her limbs in water as if to stop the claws that occasionally spring out from returning, and in her sleep rakes the sheet as she did with the mirror during the day, but that's really it aside from the main storyline. The ending is unremarkable - we don't know whether the reaction of the attacker is genuine. We don't know why the gargoyle chose to "awaken" and possess a human when it did, if had ever before, and why it chose Miss Peters - we don't even see her true character beforehand; my statement that she's level-headed in based on the 30 seconds I saw her attempting to teach before trouble hit. And why is she teaching basic English? I know my relative teaches 5th-grade English to some 7th-graders, but conjugating "to be" in high school? Somehow I doubt PURE stupidity was common for gangs then since they're more malicious now. "Palain of the Lost Hour" is better, and even though that's not saying much, it's very good in its own right. A young single man (Glynn Turman) stops an older man (Danny Kaye) in a graveyard he's visiting also (though we don't really see him) being attacked by a pair of robbers. During the fight, the rescuer Billy doesn't notice but one thief does that the watch they steal floats from the thief's hand back into the victim's. The man, Gaspar, is grateful and wants to spend time with Billy, so Billy takes him home and eventually learns that he isn't homeless but wants company before his death, which he believes is soon. He expects Gaspar to leave before he gets back from his night job, but he actually waits up for him and serves him dinner, proving to be a good friend, and the two open right up to each other. While watching the news about the usual international problems of the day, he mysteriously assures Billy that there'll never be a nuclear war since "It's only 11", as according to his broken watch. They grow close - Gaspar is the first to reveal whom he was visiting in the cemetery: his wife. Billy later goes into detail about how he also lost someone - he is very troubled by the death of a fellow soldier during the Vietnam War, still haunted by the fact that he instantly died when saving Billy during an attack. One of the most touching Twilight Zone scenes was Gaspar's comforting him here. And a little later things really get interesting - Gaspar has an unusual job he's interested in giving to his new friend, full of mystery and possibility. Both actors did really well in their roles of gentle men who're different but very alike in not really having anyone around to connect to, except their companions of two days. The remarks on life and death were beautiful and well-written. Harlan Ellison did a great job with this and I love the conclusion of the story, explaining what was going on, why, and giving an idea of what will. "Teacher's Aide" is a 5 and "Paladin of the Lost Hour" is a 7, so this is a 6.