The Twilight Zone: A Stop at Willoughby was Rod Serling's favorite season one episode

The opening monologue

The following was Rod Serling's opening statement before A Stop at Willoughby the 30th episode of season one of The Twilight Zone.

This is Gart Williams, age 38, a man protected by a suit of armor all held together by one bolt. Just a moment ago, someone removed the bolt, and Mr. Williams' protection fell away from him, and left him a naked target. He's been cannonaded this afternoon by all the enemies of his life. His insecurity has shelled him, his sensitivity has straddled him with humiliation, his deep-rooted disquiet about his own worth has zeroed in on him, landed on target, and blown him apart. Mr. Gart Williams, ad agency exec, who in just a moment, will move into the Twilight Zone—in a desperate search for survival.

A favorite Twilight Zone episode

According to biographies on Serling said that A Stop at Willoughby, which aired on May 30, 1960, was his favorite season one episode. Wikipedia reveals that RL Stine, who wrote the Goosebumps books, said this was his favorite episode of all time for The Twilight Zone. Many fans agree, and I am one of them.

What is it about hearing "Next stop is Willoughby" that mesmerizes TZ lovers to the point we watch it over and over, year after year? Something is enticing about this episode, which has no monsters, out-of-space adventures, witchcraft, otherworldly, or supernatural events.

Next stop Willoughby

In this episode, James Daily portrayed Garth Williams, who is tired of the grind of corporate America. Patricia Donahue played his wife, Jane, who is enjoying the good life in a home they cannot afford, while her husband struggles with work demands of a job he no longer enjoys.

Jason Wingreen was the train conductor, and James Maloney had the role of the eerie conductor from 1888. He had a look about him as he beckoned Garth to leave the train as if he were sending him to his doom.

On two occasions, Williams falls asleep on his train ride home from work. He dreams he is on a train where the conductor says the next stop will be Willoughby, a small town that is straight out of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer adventures.

When he is finally fed up with his job but not supported by his wife, Garth Williams decides that the next time he dreams of Willoughby, he will get off the train.

Dreams come true in The Twilight Zone

During his third dream, Garth gets off the train and is welcomed by the townspeople. Fans initially probably believed he would live happily ever after in the town of his dreams.

There have been several episodes of Serling's sci-fi series where characters literally end up in their dream world in the Twilight Zone. Let's take a look at four of them.

1. The Sixteen-Milimeter Shrine (season 1 episode 4) Barbara Jean Trenton (Ida Lupino) walks into a movie screen where one of her films is taking place to live her life in the past with the man she loves.

2. The Night of the Meek (Season 2 episode 11), Corwin (Art Carney) received his heart's desire and became Santa Claus. Seated by an elf on a sleigh, he drove a team of reindeer to the North Pole.

3. Minature (season 4 episode 8) Charley Parks (Robert Duvall) ends up living inside a dollhouse with a carved wooden female doll.

4. The Bewitchin Pool (Season 5, episode 36), two children jump into their swimming pool and come out, where an older woman takes in boys and girls whose parents mistreat them.

A Twilight Zone ending with a twist

Unlike the above characters, Garth Williams does not obtain his heart's desire. While dreaming, he actually jumped off the train in real time and died when he fell in the snow.

Those watching A Stop at Willoughby notice that the name on the hearse that picked up Garth's body was Willoughby & Son Funeral Home. This twist ending took away the mystique that James Daily's character lived on in The Twilight Zone and was somewhat disappointing.

The Twilight Zone bubble is burst

Garth's dream and being summoned by the conductor only led to his death. Still, many fans of the series continue to enjoy watching this episode. I have wondered why Rod Serling did not end this episode as he did the others, with a ray of hope.

Seeing Williams lying dead in the snow sort of bursts the bubble of illusion that has fueled the series. The Twilight Zone can be viewed on Paramount+, MeTV, and at times on Roku and Tubi.