Twilight Zone episode review — 5.6 — Living Doll

Episode 5.6 “Living Doll”
Original air date: November 1, 1963
Writer: Charles Beaumont/Jerry Sohl
Director: Richard C. Sarafian

Rating: 10/10

“Living Doll” is vintage Twilight Zone. It’s very creepy, and it gets under your skin, and it’s acted very well. There is a level of justice being delivered, considering the main character, Erich (Telly Savalas), is a contemptible person, but there’s also a tragic element, and an unsettling ending.

Erich’s wife, Annabelle, buys her daughter and his step-daughter a talking doll named Talky Tina. Erich doesn’t like this, and it’s clear that he’s not big on his step-daughter, Christie, either.

Talky Tina says one thing: “My name is Talky Tina, and I like you.” But of course, it says something else to Erich, threatening him.

He tries to get rid of it, but it keeps ending up back in his step-daughter’s possession. He thinks his wife is playing some kind of prank on him, but she maintains her innocence, instead worrying about him and his sanity.

The doll eventually kills him when he gets up to investigate a noise he hears in the middle of the night. It trips him on the stairs and he breaks his neck. The doll makes one final threat to the mother, saying she better be nice to her.

It’s a really creepy ending. The episode succeeds as solid psychological horror. Of course by now we are all familiar with the killer doll story, through Chucky. This is obviously less humorous than Chucky, and it’s different, too, because the threats are directed at an adult rather than a kid.

It’s a satisfying domestic drama, as you can read the doll as Christie’s protector. Or you can just look at it without the allegory as just a creepy doll story. It works both ways.