It's Still a Good Life

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“It's Still a Good Life”

The Twilight Zone episode

Episode no.

Season 01
Episode 31

Written by

Ira Steven Behr
Based on characters created by Jerome Bixby

Directed by

Allan Kroeker

Original airdate

February 19, 2003

Episode chronology
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"Into the Light"	"The Monsters Are on Maple Street"

List of The Twilight Zone episodes

"It's Still a Good Life" is an episode of the second revival of The Twilight Zone, and aired on February 19, 2003. It is a sequel to the original series episode "It's a Good Life".^[1] Bill Mumy and Cloris Leachman reprise their roles from the original episode.^[2] Anthony Fremont's daughter, Audrey, is played by actor Bill Mumy's real life daughter Liliana Mumy.^[2]^[3] It was written by Ira Steven Behr (based on characters created by Jerome Bixby), and directed by Allan Kroeker.^[4]

1 Opening narration
2 Plot
3 Closing narration
4 Cast
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Opening narration

"Forty years ago, Rod Serling introduced us to a monster, a monster so powerful he was able to make the world disappear just by using his mind. For the residents of Peaksville, Ohio, the nightmare had begun. The monster knew their every thought, could feel their every emotion; and when they made him angry, which was often, he would banish them into a cornfield from which there was no return. And the most frightening thing about this monster was that he was only six years old. Now it's forty years later, and the people of Peaksville are still in Hell. Oh, yes, there's one other thing: The monster now has a child of his own, and though she possesses none of her father's powers, he still loves her very, very much."

[edit] Plot

Anthony Fremont has been terrorizing the residents of the small town of Peaksville for forty years in this sequel to the 1961 episode.

Anthony is still using his telepathic powers to banish those he deems "bad", including his wife, to a mythical "cornfield." His mother, Agnes, is horrified to discover that Anthony’s young daughter, Audrey, has inherited identical powers.

Agnes soon tries to influence her granddaughter to use her powers in order to free Peaksville from Anthony’s tyrannical reign, rather than prolong his evil legacy. When Anthony learns of his mother’s plans, he seeks out each co-conspirator, one by one, sending them to the cornfield. Agnes finally confronts her son, letting go of all of the emotions that she has suppressed for forty years. She tries to convince Audrey to use her powers against her own father. Audrey is forced to choose between her grandmother (as well as all of her friends in Peaksville), and her father, whom she loves very much.

Caught between these two sides, Audrey ultimately aligns herself with her father, and empties the town of Peaksville. Anthony and Audrey are left alone, but after a short time, Anthony realizes that he misses having everyone else around and things are a bit lonely now. Audrey then brings the entire world back, not just Peaksville but everything beyond it. Audrey asks about visiting New York City, and her father replies that it's a big city with lots of people. Audrey says that they had all better be nice to her and her dad...

The episode ends with Anthony realizing that his daughter is more powerful than he is, and he seemingly accepts that it is a "real good thing" she has done by returning the world outside of Peaksville.

[edit] Closing narration

"No lesson to be learned here. No morals to be taught. Just an update from Peaksville, Ohio, where Anthony and Audrey Freemont want you to think happy thoughts, and you better do as you're told. Otherwise, you might wind up in that cornfield known as The Twilight Zone."