'The Twilight Zone' reboot: Is the monster-face doll in 'Nightmare at 20,000 Feet' a revamped 'Talky Tina' from the original?

'The Twilight Zone' reboot: Is the monster-face doll in 'Nightmare at 20,000 Feet' a revamped 'Talky Tina' from the original?

Ever since the official trailer of 'The Twilight Zone's upcoming reboot was released, the biggest hype about the Jordan Peele remake was the classic elements of horror and several references it borrowed from the Rod Serling original from the '50s. Clearly, the name of the show and the iconic, catchy title track aren't the only things the reboot has in common with the original because Adam Scott is onboard to star in one of the most horrifying episodes from the original, called 'Nightmare at 20,000 Feet'. But the biggest takeaway from the reboot is a shot of a disturbing looking doll washing up ashore — which could be the terrifying doll Talky Tina from the original.



 

In the upcoming episode featuring Scott, we see the actor filling the role of William Shatner from the original. Apart from the spook factor, one of the main reasons why this episode is regarded as one of the scariest 'Twilight Zone' episodes ever is that it was about the fear of more than just one thing. There is, of course, the fear of flying that the episode addresses — as is clear from the title — but there is also the twist in the script by Richard Matheson (a frequent writer on the original) that we have to watch out for. The twist being a monster on the wing of the craft that only one man (Scott) is able to see. Talk about intense! 

But when it comes to the reboot, a clip from the trailer shows the same monster that Shatner's character saw in the original, washing up ashore in the form of a terrifying doll. Now we all know about the classic scary doll trope in most horrors, but could it be that Peele's version is actually paying homage to two classic elements of horror from the original in a single episode in the reboot? Because this monster resembling doll is also a clear reminder of the ever so terrifying Talky Tina from the original episode, 'The Living Doll'.



 

Not only does Tina talk, but she is also insidious enough to wreck the hero's life. With a voice ever so sweet, Tina's threats to the hero keep getting darker and more twisted, until she finally destroys him in what has been labeled as one of the most disturbing endings on any 'Twilight Zone' episode ever. 

Imagine that monster from the plane's wing manifesting itself as a doll, and suddenly things are not as simple as they seem. The titular nightmare is not just 20,000 feet up in the air anymore. If it is really capable of manifesting as a doll, the amount of havoc it could wreak on the life of whoever comes across it is beyond just horrifying!

'The Twilight Zone' reboot arrives on April 7, only on CBS All Access.

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