This yields one of the most famous black-comedy punchlines in the history of television: “It’s… It’s a cookbook!”Ĭhances are you’ve probably heard of this devilish twist ending even if you haven’t seen ‘To Serve Man’. Well, a pair of cryptologists (Susan Cummings and Lloyd Bochner) are dubious and decide to decipher their manual, only realise too late that the word “serve” can have multiple meanings. The apparently disinterested visitors, who carry the titular book, even invite members of the human race to travel with them to their home planet. A seemingly benevolent (and definitely big-headed) alien civilization descends from the heavens and, contrary to all expectations, they are delightful. The 9-foor-tall telepathic Kanamits want to solve all our woes and wish to “serve” us. Fear of change and fear of the unknowns outside of our past.
But ultimately, it keeps us stuck in fear. There can be a strange comfort in believing this, as though it gives us control over our fate. Like intrusive thoughts, its answers slip into your mind then tangle your thoughts up in terror, convincing you they hold some sort of power. Meanwhile, a distressed elderly couple enter and sit at the same booth, becoming more and more upset with every penny slotted.įor me, the fortune teller machine is the perfect metaphor for anxiety. Ultimately, Don takes courage from Pat and the two head back out into the world, a future of uncertainty ahead but trust in their togetherness. What matters is whether you believe more in luck and in fortune than you do in yourself.” While Don sits in fear and indecisiveness, worrying about the possibility the machine could be right, Pat argues for reality and faith in one’s self: "It doesn't matter whether it can foretell the future. It is the machine’s prediction that the couple should not leave the diner until 3pm that forces them to contemplate the power of their beliefs. This sets in motion a swell of superstition, as the questions and answers become increasingly eerie. Asking whether he will get a promotion at work, the machine responds: “It has been decided in your favour.” Immediately calling his office, Don finds out that he has indeed been promoted. It’s the perfect location for ‘Nick of Time’, as we once again venture to the edge of the Twilight Zone with a very young William Shatner and Patricia Breslin playing Don and Pat Carter, two newlyweds who arrive at the Busy Bee Café after their car breaks down en route to New York City.ĭon is instantly intrigued by the fortune machine, which answers any yes or no question for a penny.
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