A story in the tradition of original series episodes like "A Passage for Trumpet", "The Trunk" presents the story of a nebbishy, but good-hearted clerk of a fleabag hotel (Cort) who recovers an empty old trunk in a vacated room. He inadvertently discovers that the trunk can grant him whatever he wishes; when he starts drawing on those wishes, some of the less reputable denizens of the hotel try to take advantage.
In addition to the traditional moralizing that accompanied many of the original series' episodes, one of its most powerful elements was its focus on people that most wouldn't look twice at, and giving them a shot at dignity or redemption. "The Trunk" is a light-hearted version of this genre, with Cort giving a wonderfully quirky performance: naive and seemingly oblivious, yet obviously possessed of a good heart. His wishes almost play as something along the lines of "The Monkey's Paw", seeking first the obvious rewards of wealth, then seeking other, unexpected rewards when he finds that wealth doesn't bring happiness. The script is cleverly written so as to take what might otherwise be an obvious resolution, and giving us enough of a twist (and an ingenious one, at that) to leave the viewer smiling at the end.
To the extent there is a downside, it lies in the shallowness of some of the supporting characters, especially the gang members. This flaw is a pretty small debit to the episode, however, and while "The Trunk" isn't necessarily the best "Twilight Zone" episode, it certainly holds its own.
In addition to the traditional moralizing that accompanied many of the original series' episodes, one of its most powerful elements was its focus on people that most wouldn't look twice at, and giving them a shot at dignity or redemption. "The Trunk" is a light-hearted version of this genre, with Cort giving a wonderfully quirky performance: naive and seemingly oblivious, yet obviously possessed of a good heart. His wishes almost play as something along the lines of "The Monkey's Paw", seeking first the obvious rewards of wealth, then seeking other, unexpected rewards when he finds that wealth doesn't bring happiness. The script is cleverly written so as to take what might otherwise be an obvious resolution, and giving us enough of a twist (and an ingenious one, at that) to leave the viewer smiling at the end.
To the extent there is a downside, it lies in the shallowness of some of the supporting characters, especially the gang members. This flaw is a pretty small debit to the episode, however, and while "The Trunk" isn't necessarily the best "Twilight Zone" episode, it certainly holds its own.
