The Twilight Zone review: Season 2 Episode 2, “Downtime”

Morena Baccarin stars in a tense episode of The Twilight Zone where her character must come to terms with the fact that her reality is just a dream.

Michelle has been working hard her entire life and has finally become the manager of a very prominent hotel. As she begins this new chapter, something strange happens, and her world is about to change forever.

A large, red, sphere-like object in the sky shines a flashing light and makes a noise. Everyone around it becomes utterly enamored by the mysterious object, unable to move, respond, or take their eyes off of it. Michelle somehow is not affected and frantically runs through the streets looking for answers.

She rushes home to find her husband, who is now speaking differently. He tells her she should wake up, but she doesn’t know what that means. He also asks if she knows who she really is and mentions something about Downtime, just as a woman on the street did when the object first appeared. Later, two skateboarders enter her house and claim to be customer service, again asking if she remembers who she is.

They play a video on her television that reveals she exists in a dream simulation, something she apparently bought for herself in the waking world. The software generates a realistic experience in a dream, allowing users to select their own avatars. Michelle is the avatar of a man named Phineas who had a heart attack when he was connected to the system, which is why everything is going sideways.

At first, Michelle doesn’t believe it, but after talking with the avatar of Phineas’s emergency contact, his wife Ellen, she starts to come around. But she doesn’t want to give up her existence, so she runs back to the hotel to hide. On the roof, just as Downtime is ending, she is told by another customer service person named Tony that Phineas has died, by suicide. She can stay and continue as the manager of the hotel, but she must do so with the knowledge that none of it is real. She signs an agreement to stay in character. Downtime ends, and Michelle’s life continues within the game.

“Downtime” — Pictured (l-r): Serinda Swan as Ellen; Morena Baccarin (right) as Michelle Weaver of the the CBS All Access series THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Photo Cr: Shane Harvey/CBS 2020 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

While this wasn’t an edge-of-your-seat affair, there were enough tension-filled moments to make the final act pretty pulse-pounding. We’ve seen other takes on this same concept that have been more effective, but “Downtime” distinguishes itself by focusing on the more personal elements of the situation. There were some odd choices that felt a little out of place, though, like the skateboarders being the ambassadors from the waking world.

On the acting side, Morena Baccarin and Serinda Swan were nothing short of exceptional. It was also refreshing to see Tony Hale, known for parts on Veep and Arrested Development, do a serious role and knock it out of the park.

As far as visuals go, The Twilight Zone’s minimalist approach is very much in effect. The giant ball in the sky and the people in a trance add to the uneasy feeling.

We all work hard to make our dreams come true, and when it pays off, it feels wonderful, regardless of whether what you’re experiencing is real. “Downtime” is an intriguing look at the lengths one would go to live the lie they’ve worked hard to achieve.

Episode Grade: B

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