Anthology - The Twilight Zone, Science Fiction Theatre, and Sci-Fi Podcast · Obsessive Viewer Podcasts

100 - Cavender Is Coming (The Twilight Zone S03E36) + Who is this Man? (Science Fiction Theatre S02E03)

·1 hr 19 min·5 clips

Rod Serling called this Twilight Zone episode 'lousy' and blamed the direction in a letter to Carol Burnett.

This episode of Anthology reviews the Twilight Zone episode "Cavender Is Coming," hosted by Matt Hurt, a first-time viewer of the classic series. The episode marks the 100th main installment of the podcast, which also covers other science fiction anthology shows. Matt Hurt shares that he is recording while sick and discusses recent sci-fi media, including playing Mass Effect and seeing *Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania*. He mentions upcoming podcast crossovers with *The Outer Limits Podcast* and *Submitted for Your Approval*, and notes Sam Esmail's planned *Metropolis* adaptation for Apple TV+. The review centers on "Cavender Is Coming," the 36th episode of *The Twilight Zone*'s third season, starring Jesse White as the angel Harmon Cavender and Carol Burnett as Agnes Grep. The plot follows Cavender, an apprentice angel given 24 hours to improve the life of Agnes, a perpetually unemployed but cheerful woman. Cavender uses magic to grant Agnes wealth, a mansion, and high society status, but she ultimately misses her old life and friends. The episode was written by Rod Serling and directed by Christian Nyby, who also directed *The Thing from Another World*. Serling later wrote a letter to Carol Burnett calling the episode "lousy" and criticizing the script and direction. Matt notes this episode is a comedic rehash of the earlier *Twilight Zone* episode "Mr. Bevis" and heavily inspired by *It's a Wonderful Life*. He points out that this is the first time Rod Serling says "Submitted for your approval" in the series' opening narration. Specific scenes include Agnes clumsily working as an usherette, Cavender magically transforming a bus, and a bus driver diving through a window in reaction. A surprising insight is that "Cavender Is Coming" was intended as a backdoor pilot for a series where Cavender would help a new person each week. Carol Burnett was cast at Serling's request, yet she has limited comedic moments in the episode. Matt finds it frustrating that Agnes shows little reaction to Cavender's magical demonstrations, which undermines potential comedy. He also observes that Agnes's contentedness with her simple life contrasts with the angels' assumption she needs improvement. The podcast has a conversational and reflective tone, blending personal anecdotes with structured episode analysis. Matt's style is educational and review-focused, offering both production context and his subjective viewing experience. This episode would appeal to *Twilight Zone* enthusiasts and fans of deep-dive reviews of classic television. Listeners seeking a highly critical or analytical breakdown might appreciate it, while those preferring purely celebratory retrospectives might skip it.

As heard by us

A patient, fan-forward take that prefers lived-in judgment over a neat recap.

Matt Hurt comes at The Twilight Zone with a first-time listener's patience, and that shows in the way he works through Anthology as someone still figuring out what lands.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A guardian angel detour in a first-time Twilight Zone companion listen.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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