Reflecting on the Enduring Legacy of The Twilight Zone Episode In Praise of Pip After 63 Years

When people think of The Twilight Zone, their minds usually go to weird sci-fi creatures. Viewers might recall the miniature aliens featured in season 2’s “The Invaders” or the larger, hungrier aliens in “To Serve Man.” They may also think of horror-heavy episodes, such as the killer doll story “Living Doll” or the mannequin-filled horror show “After Hours.” However, The Twilight Zone could be far more grounded, and one of its very best episodes contains only the mildest of supernatural elements.

The first episode of season 5 — The Twilight Zone’s final season — was titled “In Praise of Pip,” and Rod Serling wrote it. In the 1963 episode, Jack Klugman stars as Max Phillips, an alcoholic small-time bookie whose son, Pip, is fighting in the early stages of the Vietnam War. Max decides to let a young kid slide on a debt despite spending much of his life as a reprobate. Max’s boss, Mr. Moran (S. John Launer), refuses to allow it, and an argument ensues between Max, Moran, and the kid.

During the dispute, Max receives a phone call informing him that his son has been injured in Vietnam and is dying. Max is already full of regret for his life, so he doubles down on his rare good deed by telling the young kid to run off. Mr. Moran’s enforcer then shoots Max, and Max stumbles into the street. He enters an empty amusement park after hours, a place he used to take his son when Pip was young. Once inside, Max sees his son (Billy Mumy), who is magically 10 years old again. Max is perplexed, but when all the lights in the park turn on, the two of them enjoy all the rides, snacks, and games they want. The fun ends abruptly when the boy stops being happy, suddenly seems scared, and runs off, prompting Max to chase after him.

The ending is incredibly emotional, just like the rest of the episode.

Why “In Praise of Pip” is so good

“In Praise of Pip” is deeply affecting for many reasons. The story is very basic, and the only supernatural element is Max seeing his young son, which is easily explained as a hallucination after getting shot. Because the plot is simple, the episode relies almost entirely on the performance. Jack Klugman is astoundingly good as a man consumed with regret about his dishonorable profession, heavy drinking, and failures as a father who could never live up to his promises. Jack Klugman had many great roles in his day, including the streetwise Juror #5 in 12 Angry Men, the brilliant forensic pathologist Dr. Quincy in Quincy, M.E., and the sloppy Oscar Madison in the 1970s sitcom The Odd Couple.

Jack Klugman proved throughout his career that he could handle comedy and drama with equal skill, and “In Praise of Pip” stands among his best dramatic roles. The performance moves viewers to tears, particularly the scene where Max pours his heart out to his 10-year-old son, apologizing for never giving up drinking or finding different work. The most profound part of the speech comes when Max reflects on his regret: “I dreamed instead of did. And I wished and hoped instead of tried. But as God is my witness, Pip, I loved you.”

The episode also features a brief but poignant anti-war message. When Max receives the call about Pip’s imminent demise, he hangs up and says to himself, “Pip is dying. My kid is dying in a place called South Vietnam. There isn’t even supposed to be a war going on there, but my son is dying.”

This broadcast occurred in 1963 while the Vietnam War was still relatively new under President Kennedy, who referred to it as a conflict rather than a war, which explains why Max says, “There isn’t even supposed to be a war going on there.” The timing is also notable because the war in Vietnam was publicly quite popular until about 1965. For Rod Serling to speak out against it on one of the biggest shows on television was especially brave.

In the decades since this episode aired, America has engaged in various other conflicts that were not officially declared wars, making the episode tragically timeless. “In Praise of Pip” may not be what people first imagine when they think of The Twilight Zone, but it remains perfect evidence of just how versatile and deeply moving the series could be.

The Twilight Zone is free to stream on Tubi.

Source: Polygon