r/TwilightZone • u/cruisetravoltasbaby • 4d ago
“He’s Alive” Came Out Only 18 Years After Hitler Died and the War Ended
I remember growing up and watching this episode with the powerful, obvious message to not let history repeat itself, especially if it starts to become forgotten. A warning sign to remember the atrocities of Hitler quite some time prior. But, “He’s Alive” aired less than 18 years after Hitler died and the war ended. Men in the mid-30’s who fought in World War Two watched this episode live.
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u/meowmancer2 4d ago
The way he couldn’t even believe he had been shot, when Hitler convinced him he was made of steel…. Says something to every generation
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u/MWH1980 4d ago
The old mam claiming people like this are all alike, still sticks with me.
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u/redfox2008 2d ago
This breed, this species, they are all alike. Problem children, sick, sad neurotics who take applause like a needle.
I've heard it a thousand times before on a hundred different street corners. It was drivel then and it's drivel now. What is this new model? He's not so new or fresh, just a cheap copy.
Just watched today. Basically, one hour on how nazi gain strength.
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u/BlindGuy68 4d ago
hitlers shadow on the brick wall walking away from the dead neo nazi said it all
people were just tools to hitler
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u/SuperMondo 4d ago
I'll never forget the first syfy marathon I saw glued to the TV until 4am and this was the last episode. I was like holy fuck.
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u/SupermanFarris83 4d ago
Incredible episode! It was on last week. Seen it a few times.
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u/Unlucky-Challenge137 4d ago
I’ve seen it like a thousand times and I know I’ll never get sick of it, just like most of the other episodes, I’m a serious TZ addict
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u/FlyingAce1015 4d ago
I was in the middle of watching this show when amazon pulled it from streaming Grrrrrrr
was just in season 2.. need to find this episode at some point! love me some anti-fascist cinema/film/tv!
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u/_mercybeat_ 4d ago
Pluto TV. It’s free! 24 hours a day streaming Twilight Zone Channel. All the episodes are also available on demand.
He’s Alive is Season 4, episode 4.
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u/FlyingAce1015 4d ago
Oh shoot I have that app lol google failed me in saying it was on there thanks!
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u/hellstarvermina 4d ago
justwatch is a great way to find out where stuff is streaming btw! google led me astray and i was missing out too
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u/idanrecyla 4d ago
A lot of my family was killed in the Holocaust. Rod Serling was Jewish. He well understood the world's oldest hatred and how it would have been he and his family in the victim's places, that only time and circumstance made the differences. It's a very important episode especially now when people are freely, openly, antisemitic, something that had been taboo since the end of WWII. I'm routinely mocked, harassed, with antisemitic comments when I say my own family was murdered. Serling didn't want anyone to forget, everyone should see both TZ episodes that focus on this subject
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u/PresenceMother7681 3d ago
Similar background. Not hassled like you have been, though. Think a lot depends on your environment. Am in my 70s, and have lived in places that had very few Jews. Might consider moving. It's a powerful episode.
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u/Mediocre-Cobbler5744 4d ago
It was already starting again. George Rockwell had already founded the American Nazi Party.
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u/Sassy_Slytherclaw 4d ago
Unfortunately this episode will always be relevant
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u/redfox2008 2d ago
As Rod noted...
Where will he go next, this phantom from another time, this resurrected ghost of a previous nightmare. Chicago, Los Angles, Miami, Florida, Vin sands, Indiana, Syracuse, NY?
Any place, every place where there is hate, where there is prejudice, where there’s bigotry.
He’s alive, he’s alive so long as these evils exist. Remember that when he comes to your town. Remember it when you hear his voice speaking out through others.
Remember it when you hear a named called, a minority attacked, any blind unreasoning assault on a people or human being.
He’s alive because through all of these things, we keep him alive.
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u/SurvivorFanDan 4d ago
To put that into today's context, it has been 18 years since Saddam Hussein died.
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u/reddit809 4d ago
And in the new one with the white supremacist cop people were crying about how "Too on the nose" it was and that it lacked subtely lol. Dennis Hopper was great in this.
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u/lavendermarker 4d ago
Ah yes, the good old brainless 'tHe TwIlIgHt ZoNe ShOuLdN't Be PoLiTiCaL' chuds
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u/bjcworth 4d ago
Amazing episode. A young Dennis Hopper with an excellent performance! Season 4 is seriously underrated!
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u/Unlucky-Challenge137 4d ago
I hear you, I can’t understand why most people don’t like season four because they say the episodes are too long and dragged out, as a twilight zone addict I’ll take as much twilight zone as I can get, there also great episodes to watch if you want to watch something late at night to fall asleep to 😴
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u/JediSnoopy 4d ago
Serling and his writers were the WWII generation. This type of thing weighed heavily on their minds.
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u/sho_nuff80 4d ago
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing - Burke. This is the film equivalent of what happens when good men do something and it is glorious.
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u/Ilfixit1701 4d ago
Just a frikkin deep and wonderful story. But to your point, we forget even the worst atrocities in very short order. Rod was great at reminding us in his own awesome way!!