Today's Heat and Yearning for The Twilight Zone

Sorry if this was posted already but I couldn't find it in the search engine. Did today's oppressive heat make anyone else think of or yearn for the depiction presented in the Twilight Zone episode, " The Midnight Sun"?

Here's the synopsis from TV Rage:

In her apartment, Norma is painting a picture of the sun and looks outside to see it burning bright in the sky… at midnight. Everything is hot although the air conditioner is running full blast. Norma checks the time and then pours herself a small glass of cool water from her rationed supply. A little girl knocks on the door and stares at Norma’s glass, and Norma offers her a sip. Suzy’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Shuster, are packed to leave and tell Suzy to leave Norma alone. Mrs. Bronson, the landlady, comes out and Mr. Shuster explains that they’re heading north to Canada to avoid the head. Mrs. Bronson warns that there are gas shortages and the highways are jammed up. He wishes them luck and leaves with his family, and Mrs. Bronson notes that she and Norma are the only two left. Norma doesn’t plan to leave and thinks that she’s dreaming and will wake up in a cool bed. She looks out on the street, which is deserted. Mrs. Bronson notes that for the last month the Earth is heading closer for the Sun but is unable to admit that they’re doomed.

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Later, Norma returns home with what groceries she could carry. They open a can of juice but a desperate Mrs. Bronson drops it. Norma admits that she was acting like n animal at the store, while other people panicked or went into hysterics. The radio announcer passes on a bulletin for citizens to keep their doors locked as the police force are dealing with the traffic jams, and residents will have to protect themselves. The temperature is at 110 degrees and tomorrow will be more of the same. The announcer departs from the script and breaks down on the air. Norma pours Mrs. Bronson a drink and explains they’re going to have to work together. They both drink… and the power goes out again. The outages have increased each day and Mrs. Bronson wonders what will happen if it never comes back on. Mrs. Bronson notices Norma’s painting of the sun and asks her to paint something cool. She throws Norma’s painting to the ground and pounds on it hysterically

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Norma rests in her apartment as the mercury on the thermometer rises ever upward and sunlit surfaces grow too hot to touch. Norma goes over to see Mrs. Bronson and they hear a noise upstairs from the roof. They hide in Norma’s apartment and hear a man call out, telling Norma to come out or he’ll come in. She cocks her revolver and warns him to leave. They hear him walk away but Norma doesn’t seem him leave. Mrs. Bronson opens the door and the man barges in. He advances on Norma and takes the gun away from her. He takes Norma’s water and drinks some and pours the rest over himself. He sees Norma’s paintings of the sun and talks about how his wife used to paint. He stares at the gun and then throws it away while talking about his wife and baby died of the heat. He apologizes to them and begs their forgiveness, then walks out.

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As the women recover, Mrs. Bronson sees a waterfall that Norma has painted and starts to hallucinate the sound of the water. She snaps from the strain and then collapses, dead. As Norma holds her, the sun grows ever hotter and the paint starts to melt as the thermometer bursts. Norma screams in horror and collapses…

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It’s snowing outside and Mrs. Bronson tries to seal the windows. A doctor is examining Norma, who wakes up. He informs her she’s been running a fever but she’s doing better now. The doctor warns that the medicine is gone and he won’t be able to come back: he’ll be moving his family south. Mrs. Bronson talks about how the scientists have realized that the Earth has shifted out of its orbit and is falling away from the sun, and they’ll all freeze to death in a few weeks. Norma talks about how she dreamed of how it was hot and the sun burned all the time with no night. Now she’s simply with all the darkness and coolness. Mrs. Bronson can only echo her words…

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It's nice to fantasize every once in a while, especially when you're sweltering in 115 degree heat. But then again ... the grass is always greener ...

Timidgal

Star and flag for you for posting this OP!



Netflix now has four out of five of the complete Twilight Zone seasons and I have been watching them with considerable relish! The writing, the music, the props and the history, the style, the actors and, (for boomers), the memories are without equal!

And the foreshadowing, or, dare I say, the prohecy of what is to come and what now has come to be.

It's the finest show ever to have been televised. Check it out people!

I saw the writing on the wall in about 1997 after reading some of the first serious treatises about Climate Change and the first IPCC reports. I studied the subject for a few years- and then I moved and am now in a relatively cool, (76 degrees today) low humidity, higher elevation area of the US.
Where I used to live for most of my life was over 100 today with humidity of over 80%.

But I do remember this show so well - I was a child when I first saw it and I never forgot it. As matter of fact I had been considering for the past few days looking to see if it were on Youtube. But I know that this is coming true for many and the suffering is vast - and will become worse, unfortunately. So I can't bring myself to sit through it.

The reasons are different - but the results of the first 90% of the show are now real for many. Thank you so much for posting it.

reply to post by antoinemarionette


What a great point you make, antoinemarionette. Prophecy is definitely the appropriate word and perhaps the impetus for a new thread...

Timidgal

reply to post by Stratus9


You were smart to read the writing on the wall, Stratus9. Stay cool and enjoy the comfortability that many of us are currently missing!!

Timidgal

And for those of you who may not have seen this masterpiece, here it is on YouTube:


www.youtube.com...