Ep 8. Time Enough at Last

In the eighth episode of The Twilight Zone's first season, titled "Time Enough at Last," we follow the story of a man named Henry Bemis who works at a bank but has a great love for reading. Despite many people around him dismissing his hobby as a waste of time, Henry continues to read whenever he gets the chance. One day, during his lunch break, he sneaks off to the bank's vault to read in peace, but as he's reading, an extremely loud noise interrupts him. When he goes outside, he discovers that there's been a nuclear attack and he's the only survivor.

After the initial shock wears off, Henry realizes that he has all the time in the world to read now that there's nobody left to tell him otherwise. He starts to make plans for his new life and decides to gather as many books as possible before he has to start worrying about survival. He finds the local library and is ecstatic to discover that it's completely intact and full of books. He spends his days reading, eating canned food, and even starting to plan his own written works.

However, over time, Henry realizes that even all the time in the world can't fulfill a fundamental human need: companionship. He starts to yearn for someone to share his life with and regrets never having had the chance to marry his former co-worker, Helen. One day as he's dreaming about her, he stumbles and accidentally steps on his glasses, breaking them. Suddenly, he realizes that he's doomed to spend the rest of his life unable to read anything, unable to learn, and unable to escape his own thoughts. The episode ends with Henry crying and repeating the phrase "that's not fair" as the camera pans out to show him alone among the rubble.

"Time Enough at Last" is a classic episode of The Twilight Zone that explores the concept of what happens when one's deepest desire becomes a curse. The episode plays on themes of isolation, loneliness, and the danger of single-mindedness, as well as the fear of nuclear war that was prevalent during the time the show was conceived. It's a bittersweet story that challenges viewers to consider what they truly value in life and what it means to lose it all. With its iconic twist ending, "Time Enough at Last" remains a fan favorite and a testament to the enduring legacy of The Twilight Zone.