The Twilight Zone: A Game of Pool

Don’t worry, I’m not starting another retrospective. This will just be something for special occasions. With that said, welcome my friends, to, The Twilight Zone. I’m sure most of you have at least heard of the Twilight Zone, but just in case, here’s the rundown. The Twilight Zone was an anthology series that showcased several interesting and captivating science fiction stories that ran from 1959 to 1964. Despite being over half a century old, the show is still praised for it’s original story telling and referenced in popular culture. I personally love the show, but for me, what sets it apart from other shows of its type is its creator who also serves as the narrator for each episode, the incomparable Rod Serling, or as I like to call him, the coolest man who ever lived. While many jokingly wish their lives to be narrated by Morgan Freeman, I say forget that, I want my life narrated by Rod Serling because literally anything that comes out of that man’s mouth just sounds cool and mysterious. Serling would typically appear at the beginning and end of every episode to introduce and subsequently wrap-up the story with his iconic voice.

Today’s outing is actually my personal favorite episode, entitled A Game of Pool. We open in a dusty pool hall in Chicago where Jesse Cardiff is practicing and we can see that he has a great deal of skill when it comes to the game. However, as Jesse rants to himself, we learn that just being good at pool isn’t enough for him, as no matter how good he gets, everyone tells him he’ll never be as good as a legendary pool player named Fats Brown. Jesse claims that he can beat Fats Brown and prove to everyone that he’s the best. The only problem with that however is that Fats Brown has been dead for some time now. In his frustration, Jesse says that he’d give anything to play one game against Fats Brown.

Meanwhile, at what appears to be a pool table floating on a cloud, a voice similar to that of a telephone operator calls for Fats Brown to report to Lister’s Pool Room, Randolf Street Chicago.

Back with Jesse, his rantings are interrupted when Fats Brown himself makes his presence known. This prompts Serling to enter and give his introduction.

Jesse Cardiff, pool shark, the best on Randolph Street, who will soon learn that trying to be the best at anything carries its own special risk, in or out, of the Twilight Zone.

The man who appeared to Jesse introduces himself as James Howard Brown, known to his friends as “Fats.” At first, Jesse is skeptical since, as we’ve established, Fats Brown is dead. Fats responds by saying that while he may be dead, as long as your legend lives on, you can never really die, as long as people speak your name, you continue. Convinced that Fats is the real deal and Jesse immediately starts backpedaling, saying he didn’t mean anything by what he said earlier. Fats turns this against Jesse by saying that he’s all talk and can’t back it up, that he’s someone who thinks that just because they have a little skill that they’re invincible but folds under pressure. This sets Jesse off, and he fires back at fats saying that his record can’t last forever. Fats asks Jesse to put his money where his mouth is and challenges him to a game, but on one condition, Jesse’s own life will be at stake. Jesse wins, he gets to live, he loses, and he dies. Jesse scoffs at this offer, but Fats continues to taunt him, saying that Jesse doesn’t want it bad enough. Once again, this sets Jesse off. Jesse explains that he’s dedicated his entire life to the game, to the point where he hasn’t gone on a date or been to a movie in years. His only focus in life is being the best. After more taunting from Fats, Jesse finally agrees to the terms. Before the game begins, Fats offers Jesse one last chance to change his mind with a decidedly ominous tone in his voice.

The game begins and it’s clear that Fats is just as good as his reputation suggests but Jesse’s boasts weren’t exactly unfounded either. As Jesse takes the early lead, he tells Fats that when he was a kid, he had no talent for music or sports and developed an inferiority complex because of it. Jesse vowed that one day he’d find something he was good at. One day, when he was about sixteen, he wandered into Lister’s Pool Room and challenged an old man to a game. The first time Jesse ever played and he won. It was then he knew he had an eye for pool. However, Jesse’s ranting breaks his concentration and he scratches, giving Fats the table. Still, Jesse continues to hold his own. After a while, Jesse has managed to keep a commanding lead, but that’s when Fats really starts showing his stuff, sinking ball after ball, causing Jesse to sweat. Before long, Jesse and Fats are nearly tied. As the game goes on, Fats starts suggesting to Jesse that there’s more to life than this old pool hall. Jesse answers by saying that Fats didn’t get to be the best by sitting on a park bench. While it’s true, Fats did dedicate a great deal of time to the game, he also took time out live his life as well, and when he thinks of all the wonderful things life has to offer it makes him sad to see Jesse rotting away in some miserable dark hall. Jesse dismisses this as Fats attempting to distract him and misses a critical shot in his frustration. However, Fats misses his shot as well, setting Jesse up for a perfect shot to win the game. Seeing this, Jesse starts gloating as if he’s already won. He also berates Fats for putting the life or death stipulation on the game, saying that his reputation means so much to him, even as a dead man, that it couldn’t have just been a nice friendly game. Fats answers back by saying to Jesse, pool is not a nice friendly game but a win at any price affair so he acted accordingly. However, amidst all this, Fats can’t help but notice that there’s still one ball on the table and it’s taking Jesse an awfully long time to sink it. Fats then says that there’s a part of him that would actually like to see Jesse win. After all, Fats has on only been doing his job. As a champion, someone who is truly “the best,” the responsibility falls on him to serve as a challenge and an incentive to those trying to live up to or surpass their legends. Fats may only be a pool player, but he’s the best. Jesse looks Fats dead in the eye and tells him that he was the best. However, before shooting, Fats gives Jesse a cryptic warning that if he sinks that ball, he may get more than he bargained for, but Jesse is undeterred. As Jesse sinks the ball, a smile crosses Fats’ face and Jesse is overcome with triumph. Fats thanks Jesse, but doesn’t say for what. Fats only says that Jesse will find out one day before disappearing. Alone once again, Jesse rants to himself once again saying that no one will ever take his title away from him. Our episode ends with Jesse at the same pool table in the clouds where we saw Fats at the beginning of the episode with the same phone operator voice telling him to report to another pool hall as Rod Serling gives his outro.

Mr. Jesse Cardiff, who became a legend by beating one, but who has found out after his funeral that being the best of anything carries with it a special obligation to keep on proving it. Mr. Fats Brown, on the other hand, having relinquished the champion's mantle, has gone fishing. These are the ground rules, in the Twilight Zone.

This episode is just great. I’m admittedly a sucker for two person plays such as this in which it’s simply two actors playing off one another and relying on their chemistry to carry the story. Deep Space Nine’s Waltz springs immediately to mind as another such example. As for the story itself, I really enjoy the idea that being the best is not all it’s cracked up to be. Fats as a character is incredibly well written and well acted by Jonathan Winters. He’s portrayed as very wise and insightful, but also very cool and collected. You get a sense that his life or death stipulation was not made out of malice but rather to help illustrate a point to Jesse and perhaps convince him to step away from the pool table every once in a while, as the game may be important to him, but it should not consume him. Jesse, played by Jack Klugman, on the other hand is Fats’ opposite. He’s naïve, short-tempered and measures the worth of his own life solely upon his skill as a pool player, so much so that he was willing to die if he couldn’t defeat Fats Brown. Together, the two opposite personalities compliment one another and the end result is incredibly enjoyable. I’ll likely be revisiting the Twilight Zone sometime in the future, but for now, I think it’s high time we returned to our regularly scheduled programming.