To See the Invisible Man
| "To See the Invisible Man" | |
|---|---|
| The Twilight Zone episode | |
Scene from "To See the Invisible Man"
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 16b |
| Directed by | Noel Black |
| Written by | Steven Barnes |
| Production code | 45 |
| Original air date | January 31, 1986 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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Cotter Smith as Mitchell Chaplin |
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Cotter Smith as Mitchell Chaplin
Whit Hertford as Boy
Peter Hobbs as Bennett Gershe (Blind man)
Jack Gallagher as Comic
Dean Fortunato as Tough guy
Karlene Crockett as Invisible woman
Chris McCarty as Businessman
Bonnie Campbell-Britton as Woman
Steve Peterson as Server
Mary-Robin Redd as Margaret
Richard Jamison as Guard #1
Kenneth Danziger as Maitre d'
Terri Lynn Wood as Crying girl
"To See the Invisible Man" is the second segment of the sixteenth episode from the first season (1985–86) of the television series The Twilight Zone.
Mitchell Chaplin, a man living in a world parallel to ours, has been found guilty of the crime of "coldness"—of not being friendly or open enough with those around him. According to the State, his punishment is to be rendered "invisible", a social outcast, for one year. A scarring implant placed on his forehead warns others to ignore him on penalty of being sentenced to a similar fate. Chaplin laughs at the verdict and its so-called "punishment."
What seems like a welcome chance to be left alone becomes a lesson in humility, compassion, and empathy, as Chaplin begins to feel the consequences of social isolation. Under the omnipresent eye of floating security drones that monitor their society, people continually shun him. A blind man he meets, unable to see his mark, is refreshingly cordial, until a passing woman whispers the warning "invisible" to him. The blind man furiously curses Chaplin and turns away.
Misfortune after misfortune befalls Chaplin, with his lowest point reached when he is denied medical care after being hit by a car driven by bullies who pick on invisible people. Finally, on the last day of his sentence, two guards wordlessly enter his apartment, remove the implant...and address him by name, signifying his acceptance back into society.
Four months after completing his sentence, Chaplin is accosted in public by a young woman (whom he encountered during his term of invisibility) who wears the scar of an implant. Knowing the law, initially he ignores her, but her crying moves him to turn around and hug her. As they are surrounded by drones warning him of a new sentence of invisibility for his crime, he declares that he can see the woman, and that he cares.
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Wikipedia