There are some TV series that just seem to bring out nostalgia in everyone. They may not be as good as we remember them to be, but there's nonetheless a reason to why these shows are classics in our hearts. The Twilight Zone is one of those series for many fans of science fiction as well as those of the macabre and the strange. The writing is usually solid (I do mean usually, since even Rod Serling himself has written a few duds), and the pacing is usually done quite well. Most episodes have an interesting premise, and usually deliver on utilizing the potential to intrigue with heir episodes, with well-written plot twists at the end of episodes that shock the audience into a love of the series. This will be a list of the episodes that did what Twilight Zone does best with nearly flawless execution, and a very short review for each, that may be 2 or 3 lines long giving the gist of why they are ranked where they are.

Before we start, let's go through the 6 Honorable Mentions (it was really hard to mention less than that) for this list: 

These are "On Thursday We Leave for Home", "The New Exhibit", "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", " The Masks", "Number 12 Looks Just Like You", and "The Invaders." These were all really good episodes, even if they couldn't make this list.  This wasn't listed in any particular order, but the closest to the list would probably be "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." The episode was written extremely well. Probably would have put it in the list if I didn't have a slight bit of a bias against William Shatner as am actor. 

THE TWENTY BEST EPISODES OF THE TWILIGHT ZONE

20. "Twenty-Two"- This episode is very creepy, and entertaining. It also has a clever way of hiding it's most major plot twist by throwing in a small twist a few times in a way that just works so well with the episode itself. I'm not going to spoil the ending, but that really made it for me. It's amazing, and well thought out, even as Twilight Zone episodes go. 

19. "People are Alike All Over"- This episode had an interesting way of sneaking in a premonition at the beginning, that sounded like it was meant positively, but, ironically, actually made for one of the most gripping, dark, and clever plot twists of the entire series. Of course, keeping this spoiler free yet again.

18. "Nothing in the Dark"- As like "Twenty-Two", another very creepy episode with some clever writing, as well as probably some of the better acting in the series. At first we think the old lady is completely crazy (she really seemed that way), but, in another one of the great classic Twilight Zone plot twists, it's actually so revealed she wasn't quite as we thought.

17. "Nick of Time"- Oh great, another good one with Shatner that would have been better if Jack Klugman or the like were in it instead. Nonetheless, the episode was intriguing to say the least, and it had almost perfect pacing and an extremely intriguing premise. But seriously, Shatner must have had an amazing agent to be in this many classics...

16. "The Hitchhiker"- I was really amazed (and sort of but not really creeped out) with this one when I initially watched this one as a kid, and it still is very interesting to this day. Really, I must have watched this one 20 times and the twist ending still gets me. Though it's presented in such a way it makes sense once it's revealed to you. Almost as well paced as "Nick of Time."

15. "It's a Good Life"- Classic and very creepy episode. But since I feel like I may get questions on why it's so low, I'll answer you this: the ending was in no way startling or surprising. I expected that sort of ending from the story considering the boy's powers as well as his narcissistic traits. Also, it was slightly too out there for me to like that much.

14. "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?"- Another classic. Absolutely amazing episode, and the real plot twist was completely unexpected. I would never have expected the way it ended. It would be top 5 though if it were harder to actually figure out who the martian was. I hadn't watched it in years and knew who it was by the 5 or 6 minute mark.

13. "The Midnight Sun"- Another intriguing Twiight Zone episode. Almost tired of using the word, but it's too much of a match for the episodes and Twilight Zone as a whole. Anyways, a big factor as to why this is above some of the classics everyone likes is how the ending actually turned out. I was legitimately SHOCKED by how it ended.

12. "Where is Everybody?"- An episode with an amazing premise, and amazing acting that really did quite the job of complementing the situation. The ending was like the ending "The Hitchhiker" sort of. It's a twist that still sort of gets me, and it actually makes perfect sense of the entire episode when you think about it.

11. "Eye of the Beholder"- This episode has certifiably the BEST ending of the entire series, that alone justifies it's placement here. But the seamless execution of the whole episode's premise reallt sealed the deal for its spot on this list. I'm actually having trouble not spoiling this one because the ending was so perfect...

10. "And the Sky Was Opened"- This is an odd one out, there's no real twist or shocking ending here. Just an episode that's well paced (it is a tad on the slow side), that's a thrill to watch every time. . It is completely unnerving to watch what happens to the main characters over the course of this episode. Very creepy and weird, but in a good way I promise.

09. "The Obsolete Man"- A cautionary tale against authoritarian government. A well-written masterpiece with an interesting premise, that Burgess Meredith executed almost flawlessly, as the librarian in this episode. What it ended up being is a classic that I've yet to see a bad word about, and after watching it, it's easy to see why.

08. "Living Doll"- An unnerving cautionary tale against bad stepfathers, that borders the line of macabre. The great thing about this episode is that this is one time where a seemingly evil doll is actually acting out of good faith, or so it could seem like. The piece was paced well, with acting that fit the story very well.

07. "Long Distance Call"- This was a weird one to say the least. No real twist at the end, but nonetheless satisfying. Sure it was one of the six episodes done in videotape, but quality scripting and the execution of the script in itself more than accounts for it. Won't spoil anything for you here, and considering there'd be spoilers very early on, can't say much more.

06. "Walking Distance"- A weird episode that involved some timey-wimey things, and a very strange visit of a 30-some year old man into the town of his childhood. The episode was presented fairly well, and the situation presented very well. Literally the only issue keeping it from trumping a similar episode later on is that the pacing could have been a little bit better.

05. "The After Hours"- One of the most creative  and properly paced episodes of the series, that has perhaps one of the best endings. I will not spoil it for you, here however. I will just say this: the woman you follow in the story is not exactly what she appears to be, and the 9th floor of that department store is, for all intents and purposes, the Twilight Zone. 

04. "To Serve Man"- An absolute classic, and it is not hard to see why. It is the best written episode in the entire series, bar none. The episode also has a very nice twist at the end (that at least SOMEBODY should have been suspicious of all along), that was nonetheless a little bit predictable (why it's only number 4 on this list).

03. "A Stop at Willoughby"- This was the episode I was talking about earlier on in the list. This is basically a better version of "The Walking Distance" with improved pacing, a miserable woman that never deserved the main character's affection, and an ever-so slightly improved premise. I debated where to position this one, I was initially going to put it second actually.

02. "Time Enough at Last"- This episode is considered one of the show's absolute best, for good reason. The plot flows extraordinarily well, and all of the several twists and turns feel highly impactful to the episode's progression. I'm also not spoiling the ending, but after the twist at the end, I feel particularly sorry for the main character of this episode.

01. "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street"- Bar none the best episode in he entire series, that is the best representation of Rod Serling's writing genius, and it has definitively the best acting in the show's entire 156 episode run. This episode is so close to flawless I might as well just say every facet is flawless and among the best in the series.

I will end on this note, that this series deserves all of the praise it has gotten over the years. Even with all of the duds in the show's run (JESS-BELLE), the show is in general an absolutely fantastic venture into the unknown that will likely leave you wanting more and wishing it hadn't ended so soon after watching all of the episodes. The show is just about as much of a masterpiece as I remember it being. An impressive show that's probably about a 9/10 in my book, because the stellar outnumber the terrible MASSIVELY. I would have a hard time making a list half this size talking about terrible episodes, and with this list, I had to take some greats out and not even mention them, episodes like "The Dummy" that was absolutely stellar (To be honest, if I had to rank it it would probably be somewhere between 27 and 30). More A+'s than D's or lower, surely. Absolutely wonderful series that I couldn't recommend enough to fans of 60's television, the macabre, or science-fiction.