Twilight Zone episode 3.15 — A Quality of Mercy
Episode 3.15 “A Quality of Mercy”
Original air date: December 29, 1961
Writer: Rod Serling (story by Sam Rolfe)
Director: Buzz Kulik
Rating: 6/10
“A Quality of Mercy” is a pretty unmemorable episode, despite starring two future sci-fi television legends: Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap) and Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek).
It’s a simplistic but well meaning story. Towards the end of World War II, an American Second Lieutenant (Stockwell) wants to push in and kill the Japanese soldiers they have trapped. His supperior officer orders him to wait, but he decides to go ahead anyways. Suddenly, he finds himself in the Japanese army in 1942, facing a similar opportunity to slaughter trapped American soldiers.
He tries to convince his felow Japanese soldiers to not attack, but they proceed without him anyways.
He finds himself back in 1945 as an American again. His company gets word that the atomic bomb has been dropped, and they plan to withdraw.
It’s an episode with a wholesome message, but not a challenging one. It’s pleasant enough, but nothing spectacular. It’s not the wonderful and unique storytelling we are used to on the show.
