Remembering The Twilight Zone Episode That Put a Sci-Fi Twist on the Old Testament

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Are you at all familiar with the term “shaggy god story”?

Introduced by author Brian Aldiss in the 1960s, this term is a humorous twist on the phrase “shaggy dog story” (a lengthy tale with an unsatisfying conclusion). It refers to a science fiction narrative trope similar to ancient aliens theories where biblical elements are reimagined. In the words of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, it can be described as a “loosely rationalized Biblical myth.” This type of story often gains its entire emotional resonance or lack thereof from the surprising disclosure that two experimental life forms set to populate an empty world turn out to be Adam and Eve.

A striking instance where the “shaggy god story” is played out can be seen in the fifth and concluding season of the original The Twilight Zone, often aired on SYFY. The specific episode to look out for? “Probe 7, Over and Out.” (Here’s the link for scheduling details.)

For More on The Twilight Zone

* In several instances, The Twilight Zone employed unrecognized writers to pen episodes because they needed additional creative input.
* Interestingly, the only woman to direct an episode of The Twilight Zone was also the sole actor who did so.
* During the filming of a classic episode of The Twilight Zone, the cast and crew mainly consumed salads throughout the shooting process.

The Twilight Zone episode “Probe 7, Over and Out” turned an iconic Bible story into a sci-fi yarn

Probe 7″

In this production, penned by the mastermind behind the series, Rod Serling, and skillfully directed by Ted Post, we find ourselves following Colonel Cook (portrayed by Richard Basehart), a solitary astronaut who finds himself on an unidentified planet, light-years distant from his home planet that’s relentlessly moving towards thermonuclear annihilation. His spaceship is damaged and his arm is broken, leaving him with no apparent means to mend it or return home. As a result, Colonel Cook accepts his fate and embraces a life of solitude on a habitable yet desolately lonely world.

Until he encounters another stranded traveler, a woman who introduces herself as Norda (Antoinette Bower), there is no sign of companionship for him. Despite difficulties with language and deep suspicion on Norda’s part, they decide to stay together and venture towards a verdant region near Cook’s crash site. In the climactic moments of the episode, several surprises unfold almost simultaneously. First, the planet covered in dirt is named “Earth” using Norda’s mother tongue. Then Colonel Cook reveals that he shares his first name with Norda, who goes by Eve as her given name suggests. As we watch, it becomes apparent that we are witnessing the beginning of the Book of Genesis, or at least a creative reinterpretation of it, without our prior knowledge!

On their journey toward what would later be called the Garden of Eden, Norda picks an apple from a nearby tree and gives it to Cook. There were no snakes, no temptation, no divine retribution – just a simple act of kindness between two people, unaware that they were starting the entire human lineage. The implicit irony is clear: although they had the opportunity for a fresh start, in a world free of malice and widespread slaughter, the descendants of Adam and Eve would eventually repeat the catastrophic errors that Cook’s home planet had experienced.

Talk about original sin!

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2025-05-07 21:41