There was a twist, at the end when he doesn't save her she survives and he clearly knew that would happen so he just saved her on purpose to make himself look good, the twist is that he most likely also pictured it all in his head or that when he does just ignore he things go back to normal. It's open for interpretation.
27 Reviews
Took a classic idea and did nothing new with it
klperkins0726 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
So most modern tv shows, especially in the last 10 years borrows concepts and themes from previous shows decades earlier. The "Groundhog Day" approach is something we've seen many times, there's at least 4 movies recently added on Netflix which does this same concept. But here, was a chance to make it a cool, sleek Sci-fi thriller and tormented with a cool twist. That fell a little flat. I do like the actors and how they started to set things up, the beginning had a lot of promise, but once the reveal is made it fails to stick the landing. And Topher Grace's character wouldn't have ended the episode the way he did, as demented as he got at the end, he wouldn't have just let her go. It would have been cool to relate his stop-watch further some how with why his day repeating itself or show that after she took the watch the day didn't start over and he would get locked up and lose any more chance. Or if they really wanted to be twisted, and continue to start the day over again with him saving her but we as the audience know how he can play it out and him give a nod to us. He's been obsessed with her and dedicated years to stalking and getting to know her, he wouldn't give up after one time of a fight, he'd use that to his advantage towards the next go round. Take a more subtle approach that does t draw attention to him seeming magical.
One thing that gives Black Mirror the edge, is the length they sometimes are willing to go to push the limits and be twisted and entertaining, even sometime uncomfortable, while at the same time not ending every episode on some positive note. So many episodes of BM ended with the main characters worse off: Playtest, Shut Up and Dance, The National Anthem to name a few. This episode would have been the perfect one to end with something twisted in my opinion, ending it with him saving her again or fade to black with them in bed together or eating dinner or with him not starting over and seen in prison and her having moved on and dating someone.
One thing that gives Black Mirror the edge, is the length they sometimes are willing to go to push the limits and be twisted and entertaining, even sometime uncomfortable, while at the same time not ending every episode on some positive note. So many episodes of BM ended with the main characters worse off: Playtest, Shut Up and Dance, The National Anthem to name a few. This episode would have been the perfect one to end with something twisted in my opinion, ending it with him saving her again or fade to black with them in bed together or eating dinner or with him not starting over and seen in prison and her having moved on and dating someone.
Knight at the museum ?
southdavid3 February 2021
This season of "Twilight Zone" appears to have taken some of the criticism for being heavy handed in their social commentary to heart. So much so that most haven't even approached it. So, kudos to Alex Rubens, responsible for two weeks ago' s awful "A Human Face" to bounce back with a much stronger episode that takes a sci fi trope and gives it a darker spin.
Claudia King (Kylie Bunbury) and Marc Wheeler (Topher Grace) have a nice meetcute scene before going to a museum together. Their chemistry is palpable, and the day becomes an impromptu date with Marc showing an uncanny understanding of both Claudia and the routines of the museum. When it develops into almost precognition, Marc confesses that he is stuck reliving the same day over and over and has been using his repetitive life to win Claudia over.
Where the episode drifts away from "Groundhog Day" is that it explores the idea that Marc tricking her is not some charming expression of love, but more a deceitful lie, to trick her into accepting that he's someone he isn't and falling for him. The episode, and Marc is a facsimile for every "good guy" that pretended to be a girl's friend before making a pass at her, or worse. There is an added darkness to this episode though that Marc can make any choice he wants, or carry out any action, knowing that everything will reset when he wakes up the next morning. Topher Grace is great at playing both sides of the Marc character, the charmer and then the menacer. Kylie Bunbury is excellent too, I haven't seen any of the other shows she's been in yet and was interested to learn she's the daughter of former footballer Alex Bunbury, but I'll definitely try and catch her again.
I'd accept that the ending was slightly anticlimactical. I was hoping for more of a visceral comeuppance but in many ways this resolution is worse for Marc. In a series of more lows than highs, this was a good story and one of the better episodes.
Claudia King (Kylie Bunbury) and Marc Wheeler (Topher Grace) have a nice meetcute scene before going to a museum together. Their chemistry is palpable, and the day becomes an impromptu date with Marc showing an uncanny understanding of both Claudia and the routines of the museum. When it develops into almost precognition, Marc confesses that he is stuck reliving the same day over and over and has been using his repetitive life to win Claudia over.
Where the episode drifts away from "Groundhog Day" is that it explores the idea that Marc tricking her is not some charming expression of love, but more a deceitful lie, to trick her into accepting that he's someone he isn't and falling for him. The episode, and Marc is a facsimile for every "good guy" that pretended to be a girl's friend before making a pass at her, or worse. There is an added darkness to this episode though that Marc can make any choice he wants, or carry out any action, knowing that everything will reset when he wakes up the next morning. Topher Grace is great at playing both sides of the Marc character, the charmer and then the menacer. Kylie Bunbury is excellent too, I haven't seen any of the other shows she's been in yet and was interested to learn she's the daughter of former footballer Alex Bunbury, but I'll definitely try and catch her again.
I'd accept that the ending was slightly anticlimactical. I was hoping for more of a visceral comeuppance but in many ways this resolution is worse for Marc. In a series of more lows than highs, this was a good story and one of the better episodes.
Groundhog day, but not.
vincentdeseers9 October 2020
If are watching this expecting a groundhog day type story arc, then you better throw that idea out.
This episode is about the toxic "nice guy", but with no resolution, story arc, or twist for either of the main characters.
This episode is about the toxic "nice guy", but with no resolution, story arc, or twist for either of the main characters.
Not What You Think It's About
tasonegative30 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
While I did thoroughly enjoy this episode (probably one of my favorite in this season) I'm upvoting it to a 10/10 because it's getting downvoted by people who are assuming it's about race or are just missing the point entirely. It's clearly a metaphor for the fake nice guy and his treatment of women. Ya'll are just mad that it happens to be a black woman too.
It's obvious in the way he has been obsessively rehearsing his performance to win her over, and he assumes she needs him to save her from the bus when she clearly didn't. He deceives her into believing he is "perfect" and doesn't see the problem with that. He thinks being nice is a performance because he really isn't a good person at all. He could've spent his repeating day doing anything he wanted, and instead he spent it trying to manipulate her, getting angry at the rejection, and revealing his true self. This plot will be obvious to anyone who has ever been treated this way. Please, watch it again.
Best of the Season!
kevinjloria2 July 2020
Brilliant take on the concept, maybe even the most believable take I've seen. Great casting really lends to the scenes with characters connecting and the juxtaposition of those characters completely disconnecting. Addressing concepts like entitlement, consent, morality and immortality.
Weird...
felixcantona7729 August 2020
Has Potential, Bad Ending
dgdxfilmsinc7 September 2020
Has a intriguing beginning, a fascinating middle when the twist comes in, but the ending is not satisfying. Without getting into spoilers, if you didn't like the episode "Not All Men" from Season 1, you won't like this episode. Although it's better written than "Not All Men" but it shares a similar ideology. I will say Topher Grace pulls off some impressive acting in this episode.
I wish this show could move forward with their interesting ideas without forcing illogical ideology. Whereas Rod Serling's original show felt like it was made by a mature adult with life experience, this reboot feels like it was made by a teenager who thinks they know it all.
I wish this show could move forward with their interesting ideas without forcing illogical ideology. Whereas Rod Serling's original show felt like it was made by a mature adult with life experience, this reboot feels like it was made by a teenager who thinks they know it all.
Another winner!
RikerDonegal29 August 2020
Season 1 tried hard with the message-heavy episodes, but sometimes spectacularly failed to deliver a good story, too. Season 2 seems to have mastered the art, and pretty much all the episodes have had really good stories. This one certainly did.
It takes a much-loved sci-fi trope and conceals it perfectly, so that it's quite far into the tale before you're clued in to what is really happening. And then the script goes on to make some points very relevant to the world we live in today. Exactly what The Twilight Zone should do.
There was almost a twist. Almost
carey-941-75569229 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
There was almost an opportunity for this episode to have a real twist, at least for this version of the Twilight Zone, but it was not to be.
As soon as we saw the two main characters, it was obvious that Topher Grace's character would be exposed as an evil, twisted psycho who would end up threatening the noble, innocent, female lead. It was only a question of when and how, not if.
I have no issue with the discussion of race in this show. But the lack of subtlety or surprise has become a predictable motif in every episode. It makes watching this version of the great original show a chore, rather than a pleasure.
As soon as we saw the two main characters, it was obvious that Topher Grace's character would be exposed as an evil, twisted psycho who would end up threatening the noble, innocent, female lead. It was only a question of when and how, not if.
I have no issue with the discussion of race in this show. But the lack of subtlety or surprise has become a predictable motif in every episode. It makes watching this version of the great original show a chore, rather than a pleasure.
It's not the destination. It's the journey.
GenXer27 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
On the surface, this episode is an interesting twist: Groundhog Day from the girl's point of view. Oh, and to those of you who were astute enough to recognize the obvious: congratulations!
The fundamental premise of this episode is the alternative perspective that it offers on the nature of life experiences and their impact on our growth and development.
In Groundhog Day as well as in this Twilight Zone episode, the daily repetitions represent the cyclicality of life experiences. We are all moving toward the eventual end. But we are not doing it in a straight line. In fact, most of what we do is circular and repetitious in form. With each cycle, we learn a bit more that we apply to the next cycle. With each cycle, we are a slightly different person from who we were in the last.
We get into multiple relationships. We hold multiple jobs. We make multiple deals and ventures, etc. Each one of these experiences becomes a building block for who we will eventually be at the end of our lives.
The message of Groundhog Day is that, eventually, we will learn and grow enough to not only be a happier and more graceful human being, but to also get the girl as a bonus. Precisely the type of hopeful and optimistic message one would expect from a feel-good romantic comedy.
But what if, instead of growing and maturing, we just learn more and more meaningless facts? What if we strive toward a singular goal (winning over a girl) for so long, that it becomes all that life will mean to us? What if by the time we fail to reach our goal for the millionth time, we are so bitter and desperate that we lose our very soul?
Welcome to The Twilight Zone!
If you put both material (GH Day and TZ) together, the collective moral of the story could be that it is not the destination that matters, but the journey. Phil Connors was after the girl to be sure, but he was also open to the broader human experience and learned to care about and help others (and himself) through the cycles of repetition. In contrast, Marc (or whatever his real name was) never took his eye off the prize, until in the end, all he saw was the prize, his failure to attain it, and nothing else.
This is powerful stuff guys. Think about it. Or not. I really can't tell you what to do!
The fundamental premise of this episode is the alternative perspective that it offers on the nature of life experiences and their impact on our growth and development.
In Groundhog Day as well as in this Twilight Zone episode, the daily repetitions represent the cyclicality of life experiences. We are all moving toward the eventual end. But we are not doing it in a straight line. In fact, most of what we do is circular and repetitious in form. With each cycle, we learn a bit more that we apply to the next cycle. With each cycle, we are a slightly different person from who we were in the last.
We get into multiple relationships. We hold multiple jobs. We make multiple deals and ventures, etc. Each one of these experiences becomes a building block for who we will eventually be at the end of our lives.
The message of Groundhog Day is that, eventually, we will learn and grow enough to not only be a happier and more graceful human being, but to also get the girl as a bonus. Precisely the type of hopeful and optimistic message one would expect from a feel-good romantic comedy.
But what if, instead of growing and maturing, we just learn more and more meaningless facts? What if we strive toward a singular goal (winning over a girl) for so long, that it becomes all that life will mean to us? What if by the time we fail to reach our goal for the millionth time, we are so bitter and desperate that we lose our very soul?
Welcome to The Twilight Zone!
If you put both material (GH Day and TZ) together, the collective moral of the story could be that it is not the destination that matters, but the journey. Phil Connors was after the girl to be sure, but he was also open to the broader human experience and learned to care about and help others (and himself) through the cycles of repetition. In contrast, Marc (or whatever his real name was) never took his eye off the prize, until in the end, all he saw was the prize, his failure to attain it, and nothing else.
This is powerful stuff guys. Think about it. Or not. I really can't tell you what to do!
Gave me chills
MaerlynRainbow14 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
After watching a couple episodes of Season 1, I was kind of disappointed and ready to give up. I am so glad I checked out this episode from Season 2. I LOVED the premise of this episode; it is the first time I have seen the "Groundhog Day" situation twisted into something scary.
When I first watched the 1993 film, I always thought Phil (Bill Murray's character) was incredibly creepy and seeing it play out gave me chills. The 'nice guy' trope fits in so well. Watching Claudia come to the realisation of Mark's true intentions is very unsettling and uncomfortable, due to how real it feels.
Topher Grace plays the 'nice guy' so well. Kylie Bunbury also does a fantastic job. I hope that the rest of the episodes in this Season reach this level of quality!
When I first watched the 1993 film, I always thought Phil (Bill Murray's character) was incredibly creepy and seeing it play out gave me chills. The 'nice guy' trope fits in so well. Watching Claudia come to the realisation of Mark's true intentions is very unsettling and uncomfortable, due to how real it feels.
Topher Grace plays the 'nice guy' so well. Kylie Bunbury also does a fantastic job. I hope that the rest of the episodes in this Season reach this level of quality!
Takes a classic sci-fi trope and does absolutely nothing with it
valentin_rad12 July 2020
I don't believe the writers of this New TTZ have any grasp of the subjects they're trying to portray. It's pretty clear that they're only paying lip service to today's social issues when in S1 you have a character berating herself for using the word "crazy" when referring to a life or death situation but then in S2 when it comes to portraying characters with mental health issues, they can't go past monochrome morality that was outdated even in Rod Serling's time.
A deconstruction of the classic Groundhog Day story where the main character goes down a rabbit hole of obsession and unrequited love can be interesting if it's delivered effectively onscreen. Sadly, Topher Grace's character is neither empathetic nor menacing enough to have any impact on the viewer and the time loop is there only as window dressing.
This whole episode plays out like a date gone wrong or a SNL sketch about male feminists and the takeaway message is that if you gave something a fair shot and it didn't work out for you, it's ok to move on. That's a lesson that all of us "Classic TTZ" fans should heed.
A deconstruction of the classic Groundhog Day story where the main character goes down a rabbit hole of obsession and unrequited love can be interesting if it's delivered effectively onscreen. Sadly, Topher Grace's character is neither empathetic nor menacing enough to have any impact on the viewer and the time loop is there only as window dressing.
This whole episode plays out like a date gone wrong or a SNL sketch about male feminists and the takeaway message is that if you gave something a fair shot and it didn't work out for you, it's ok to move on. That's a lesson that all of us "Classic TTZ" fans should heed.
Brilliant episode, clever execution
hnt_dnl18 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This rebooted TZ series has been uneven to say the least, but ever so often, a gem of an episode arises and this one is most definitely a gem. TRY, TRY is an extremely original take on a familiar theme. Somehow the writers took an oft used and abused idea and made it feel original. The great and eternally underrated Topher Grace superbly carries this episode. Grace plays a charming stranger who approaches a beautiful young woman (excellently played by Kylie Bunbury) on a rainy day on a public street. The duo start chatting and immediately make a connection and decide to take a pleasant stroll through the museum across the street. Things go smoothly for a while, but very subtly as the episode progresses, the stranger slowly unravels and the woman begins to realize this man is not all he appears to be. This episode is arguably the most clever one of the series thus far and the acting by the 2 leads was exceptional. I might even say this is contender for best episode of the entire show. Much like Season 1, unfortunately Season 2 has been hit or miss. But this episode is most definitely a huge hit.
Episode subverts expectations
bgaiv27 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This started so well, you start to think this new Twilight Zone pulled off a really good episode.
Alas, 'tis not to be.
The chemistry is great, the acting is great. Topher Grace pulls off a creepy character different than I've ever seen.
The Groundhog's Day time loop has been used quite a lot, but I was ok with that especially since it was from a different point of view.
Unfortunately, it was obvious where this was going about 20 minutes before the end.
Claudia kicks Marc's butt so bad he'll never mess with her again in future loops. Of course you WANT her to kick his butt in this situation, but it's hardly a satisfying conclusion to the overall scenario.
There's absolutely NO reason to believe he won't continue to try to get in bed with her in future loops.
It's also kind of annoying that the narrator reassures us that Claudia continues on into the future while Marc is stuck forever in his loop. Essentially it's a "happy" ending for her.
Well great, but I don't think TZ episodes should invite such scrutiny of the workings of their premise. Is there a copy of Marc in Claudia's normal future where he's put on trial for assault but remembers all the loops?
Which, oddly enough, could have been an interesting story in itself.
Editing wise, hello? Need some major trimming. The assault scene goes on far too long for starters.
Alas, 'tis not to be.
The chemistry is great, the acting is great. Topher Grace pulls off a creepy character different than I've ever seen.
The Groundhog's Day time loop has been used quite a lot, but I was ok with that especially since it was from a different point of view.
Unfortunately, it was obvious where this was going about 20 minutes before the end.
Claudia kicks Marc's butt so bad he'll never mess with her again in future loops. Of course you WANT her to kick his butt in this situation, but it's hardly a satisfying conclusion to the overall scenario.
There's absolutely NO reason to believe he won't continue to try to get in bed with her in future loops.
It's also kind of annoying that the narrator reassures us that Claudia continues on into the future while Marc is stuck forever in his loop. Essentially it's a "happy" ending for her.
Well great, but I don't think TZ episodes should invite such scrutiny of the workings of their premise. Is there a copy of Marc in Claudia's normal future where he's put on trial for assault but remembers all the loops?
Which, oddly enough, could have been an interesting story in itself.
Editing wise, hello? Need some major trimming. The assault scene goes on far too long for starters.
"You haven't met me, but I've met you."
classicsoncall7 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The viewer takes on this episode vary considerably. I thought it was brilliantly written and is the only one of this series that I would give a rating of '10', all the others in a middling range of '5' to '6'. The Groundhog Day concept is evident early on when Marc Wheeler (Topher Grace) attempts to explain his seemingly supernatural gift of knowing what's going to happen next. For her part, Claudia King (Kylie Bunbury) is initially skeptical, and then becomes horrified when it becomes evident Marc is manipulating his repeated encounters with her to achieve a desired outcome. Learning his lesson by getting his butt kicked, the final scene seems to confirm that when Marc first 'saved' Claudia from getting hit by the bus, it was actually him simulating a push and pull contrivance in order to get her to spend time with him while he played out his scheme to ensnare her. This could have been written in so many different ways, but the final result might have been just enough to convince Marc to start a new time loop and not be such a jerk about it.
This episode is incredible. I go a long way into the history of horror and SciFi here to convey why this episode is PERFECT TZ.
lhasa-jack16 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
And it was perfect.
I was immediately teetering on the edge of a skyscraper. Excitement. Curiosity. Fascination. Then the turn. Where Delight and Delirium coexist for a fraction of a second before delirium gets dark. Anxiety. Terror. Hope. Doom. Astonishment.
Richard Matheson wrote most of the original series episodes that hit that mark so perfectly. He also wrote 'I Am Legend,' 'What Dreams May Come,' 'A Stir of Echoes,' 'The Shrinking Man,' 'Hell House.'
His 1952 novella, 'I Am Legend,' still defines horror as a genre. The first 'pandemic' story. 15 years after its publication, it inspired'Night of the Living Dead.' Over the next 6 decades it was licensed as 3 feature films, each cast with top tier talent as the protagonist, Neville. Vincent Price(1964),Charlton Heston(1971), and Will Smith(2007). Stephen King often mentions it when talking about the horror stories he grew up with.
The novella received below average reviews from critics on its release. But, it became more influential than any of those critics ever were. Years later, it found an audience that realized it was special because Matheson possessed the ability to portray loneliness, depression, isolation, fear, anger, these raw, guttural, feelings in a way that left the reader clenching the book because the protagonist was so incredibly relatable. He was real inside each reader. Few are capable of creating it. Even fewer actually get it done, and in the hands of millions.
I've gone way off in tangent here, the point being that writing like this is rare. Getting it across via cinema nearly impossible. It's what made the original Twilight Zone so gripping. Each reboot has hit close to that high water mark of conveying human emotion in a way that is uniquely bizarre, chilling, fascinating, with at least one of two episodes.
This episode will be what defines the 2019-2020 Twilight Zone in television history, even if it's the only of the 20 episodes to hit that incredibly high mark that Matheson set.
Bravo.
I was immediately teetering on the edge of a skyscraper. Excitement. Curiosity. Fascination. Then the turn. Where Delight and Delirium coexist for a fraction of a second before delirium gets dark. Anxiety. Terror. Hope. Doom. Astonishment.
Richard Matheson wrote most of the original series episodes that hit that mark so perfectly. He also wrote 'I Am Legend,' 'What Dreams May Come,' 'A Stir of Echoes,' 'The Shrinking Man,' 'Hell House.'
His 1952 novella, 'I Am Legend,' still defines horror as a genre. The first 'pandemic' story. 15 years after its publication, it inspired'Night of the Living Dead.' Over the next 6 decades it was licensed as 3 feature films, each cast with top tier talent as the protagonist, Neville. Vincent Price(1964),Charlton Heston(1971), and Will Smith(2007). Stephen King often mentions it when talking about the horror stories he grew up with.
The novella received below average reviews from critics on its release. But, it became more influential than any of those critics ever were. Years later, it found an audience that realized it was special because Matheson possessed the ability to portray loneliness, depression, isolation, fear, anger, these raw, guttural, feelings in a way that left the reader clenching the book because the protagonist was so incredibly relatable. He was real inside each reader. Few are capable of creating it. Even fewer actually get it done, and in the hands of millions.
I've gone way off in tangent here, the point being that writing like this is rare. Getting it across via cinema nearly impossible. It's what made the original Twilight Zone so gripping. Each reboot has hit close to that high water mark of conveying human emotion in a way that is uniquely bizarre, chilling, fascinating, with at least one of two episodes.
This episode will be what defines the 2019-2020 Twilight Zone in television history, even if it's the only of the 20 episodes to hit that incredibly high mark that Matheson set.
Bravo.
Disappointing. Groundhog Day Ripoff
jennya-0564211 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I don't like blatant rip-offs which the first twist is revealed to be. As others have already stated, it's the exact same premise as the film 'Groundhog Day' man is reliving same day, uses it memorize information about girl and what she does/doesn't like, and how to woo her. At one point she loses her purse and camera zooms in to show this as if it's going to matter to the plot later, but it never does.
The ending isn't satisfying because it went nowhere. She got her revenge for his daily manipulation, and it either continues or I guess it is implied doesn't because he got his ass kicked once.
The ending isn't satisfying because it went nowhere. She got her revenge for his daily manipulation, and it either continues or I guess it is implied doesn't because he got his ass kicked once.
They did it again....
andretfernandes10 March 2021
This is one of those episodes that makes you missi the original series or the one from the '80s.
It's just one more politiced episode. "Men are pigs and mistreat women".
If I want to see something like this, I go watch a drama.
They are raping and distorting the twlight zone.
Would have been better if the first twist was less cliche
italianpride1721 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode could gave been great had they kept us guessing if he had psychic powers or something else...instead we get crappy ass "groundhog day" esque explanation that goes nowhere.
Dude gets beat up by a girl and it's hilarious. What a pathetic beta male no wonder he was single.
Dude gets beat up by a girl and it's hilarious. What a pathetic beta male no wonder he was single.
Another Incel story? Yikes
rosethornton2 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I feel like they read the reviews on 'Not all men' and realised they were too ham fisted with that simplistic take on incels, so they refined it and really tried to capture it with this. And although it is an accurate portrayal in exploring how an incel thinks, and what the responses are to one, it's a point you can see they're making about halfway through. At which point you're just waiting to see if there is some other unforeseen payoff or unique viewpoint, but it ends pretty predictably and mundanely.
Upside was that Topher Grace's performance keeps you entertained, he portrays Marc with an insidious and ominous energy. It was satisfying to see him get his butt kicked. Another unique thing is that this is from the perspective of someone in the time loop who isn't the main person in the loop, but in the reality that gets repeated.
But overall idk it just felt like it was already explored once and sort of lazy to write another one with the same underlying message.
Upside was that Topher Grace's performance keeps you entertained, he portrays Marc with an insidious and ominous energy. It was satisfying to see him get his butt kicked. Another unique thing is that this is from the perspective of someone in the time loop who isn't the main person in the loop, but in the reality that gets repeated.
But overall idk it just felt like it was already explored once and sort of lazy to write another one with the same underlying message.
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