So many episodes of The Twilight Zone are remembered for their eerie tales of supernatural phenomena. During the anthology show’s original five-season run from 1959 to 1964, a dynamic blend of science fiction and horror cemented it as an outstanding work of television. Decades later, The Twilight Zone is still widely regarded as one of the greatest TV series of all time. From ghost stories to alien encounters, The Twilight Zone‘s creepy stories about the paranormal and unexplained have frightened and fascinated audiences for a long time. One episode in particular is memorable thanks to its excellent mix of genres and iconic lead actor.
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The Twilight Zone Season 3, Episode 7 aired on October 27, 1961. The episode, titled “The Grave,” stars Lee Marvin as Conny Miller, a gunslinger previously tasked with hunting down a notorious outlaw. “The Grave” combines the Western genre with The Twilight Zone‘s quintessential horror elements, delivering an exciting and unsettling narrative that dedicated fans of the show still haven’t forgotten.
“The Grave” Is a Thrilling Western Horror Story
“The Grave” opens with the shooting death of Pinto Sykes (Dick Geary) at the hands of several townspeople. Two days later, Miller arrives at the town’s saloon and, to his anger, discovers that others have killed his longtime target. The men in the saloon call Miller a coward and reveal that Sykes promised to reach from his grave and grab Miller if he ever comes by. Betting that Miller is too afraid to approach Sykes’s grave, the men challenge him to stick a knife where the dead man lies to disprove his cowardice. Miller approaches Sykes’s grave and plants the blade in the dirt, but is pulled back down when he tries to leave. The next morning, the townspeople notice that Miller hasn’t returned. They then find Miller’s deceased body at Sykes’s gravesite with the knife pinning his coat to the ground.
One of the men suspects that Miller accidentally plunged his knife into his coat and perished due to sudden fear. However, it’s determined that the wind could not have blown Miller’s coat in front of him. Thus, Miller’s cause of death is left unknown, and the strange series of events points toward Sykes following through on his promise. “The Grave” is far from the scariest episode of The Twilight Zone, but its ending elicits a lingering sense of uneasiness and dread. No ghosts or undead monsters appear, yet the mere implication of Sykes’s reanimated corpse catching and killing Miller is enough to send chills down one’s spine. The suspense leading up to the episode’s ominous conclusion impressively establishes the harsh and unnerving atmosphere one would expect from a Western horror.
Over Six Decades Later, “The Grave” Still Deserves Recognition
“The Grave” was generally well-received by audiences, though its legacy is even greater than most believe. Marvin’s appearance in The Twilight Zone precedes his famous roles in Westerns such as The Professionals and Paint Your Wagon. His performance in “The Grave” is fantastic, as the legendary Western star subtly expresses Miller’s fear of Sykes despite the character’s insistence that he’s not a coward. Before he became a well-respected performer known for playing hard-nosed characters like Major John Reisman in The Dirty Dozen, Marvin put his talent on display in The Twilight Zone. Marvin’s role in “The Grave” deserves appreciation because his portrayal of Miller is the highlight of this wonderfully haunting episode.
The Twilight Zone is currently available to stream on Paramount+, Prime Video, Pluto TV, and Tubi.
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