THE TWILIGHT ZONE (S1E8) “Point of Origin”: Putting Privilege Into Perspective

There are plenty of people in the United States who believe they’re superior to immigrants, choosing to ignore the fact that their great grandparents were also immigrants. It’s those people who utter atrocious phrases like “go back to your country” or “this is America, learn to speak English” who look down on anyone who wasn’t born here. The eighth episode of The Twilight Zone seeks to give those self-righteous, privileged people a taste of their own medicine.

Immigrating To A Different Dimension

In “Point of Origin,” Ginnifer Goodwin stars as Eve Martin, an upper-class housewife who’s dishing up some major Stepford-wife vibes. Her housekeeper Anna Fuentes (Zabryna Guevara) asks if her grandson can use Eve’s address so he can register for the local charter school since he doesn’t live in the district. Eve wasn’t even aware that Anna has a grandson, but she says yes merrily. It’s quite clear that Eve said yes just so she could pat herself on the back and not because she actually cares about Anna or her grandson.

Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door and authorities take Anna away. Naturally, when Eve recounts the story to her friends, she lies and exaggerates about how she put up a fight to protect Anna. With Anna gone, Eve is left to make breakfast, buy groceries, and take care of other errands. Her twin daughters laugh as their mother stumbles through basic tasks that she obviously isn’t used to doing on her own.

At the grocery store, all of Eve’s credit cards inexplicably get declined. When she and her daughters leave the store, a black van pulls up and HSI agents haul them away. Eve’s told it’s “a matter of national security.” Her husband William (Toby Levins) joins them but is just as clueless as to why they’ve been taken into custody. The ominous Allendale (James Frain) informs them that the entire family is free to go except for Eve, who needs to stay for “further evaluation.”

After being fingerprinted, photographed, and given a jumpsuit to wear, she’s escorted to a large holding cell. There, she’s reunited with Anna. Eve apologizes, telling Anna she had no idea they’d bring her “to a place like this.” She ignorantly explains, “I assumed they would deport you back to Mexico.” Anna clarifies that she’s from Zacapa and calls Eve out for knowing so little about someone she claimed was a part of her family. But the big mystery remains, why is Eve here and how can she get back home?

More About Premise Than Plot

This season of The Twilight Zone has been riddled with heavy-handedness, and “Point of Origin” is no exception. But the simplicity of its allegory makes for a mostly solid episode. Its runtime works to its disadvantage because the story feels like it’s spread too thin while also being oddly underdeveloped. If its ideas were fully fleshed out and it delved deeper into its premise, then this could have been expanded into a feature-length film. But since “Point of Origin” offers little beyond its premise, it would have been much more impactful if it clocked in at around 30 minutes instead of 43.

Director Mathias Herndl’s cinematography parallels nicely with the narrative. At the start of the episode Eve’s demeanor feels very 1950s-esque, and the colorful cinematography intensifies that feeling. When the story becomes dark and bleak, the episode’s visual style does as well. Eve’s black-and-white nightmares feel like an entirely different world, which is another area where the cinematography succeeds.

Strong performances help make “Point of Origin” one of the better episodes of the season. Ginnifer Goodwin is convincing as such an unlikeable character. In the latter half of the episode, her fear and emotional distress feel genuine. James Frain excels at playing a character as menacing as Allendale. Zabryna Guevara is fantastic as Anna and the scene in which she chastises Eve is one of the highlights of the episode.

Conclusion

“Point of Origin” offers significant social commentary but is ultimately bogged down by overt storytelling. Like prior episodes, its lengthy runtime is detrimental. Thankfully, this episode is elevated by its timely themes and Ginnifer Goodwin’s performance. “Point of Origin” is a clumsy yet effective episode, making it one of the standouts in a relatively disappointing season of The Twilight Zone.