One of my favorite aspects of watching TZ episodes that dealt with the future is to see how close they came, if at all, to actually predicting future events, trends and/or shifts in the human condition. We're now a half-century past the original writings and broadcasting and I find it fascinating to evaluate these episodes in that light.
I'm not sure how prevalent plastic surgery was in the early 60's, but this episode - even if unintentionally - is spot on in terms of it's - albeit oversimplified - view of the future of human superficiality and vanity. Although not quite at the level at which they speculated, our technology now permits vanity to reach unchecked levels.
One look at a "housewives of so and so" show, where most of them seem to have been surgically and cosmetically altered into one prototype or another may convince you that the TZ, at least on occasion, really did have a uncanny gift for future insight.
The only disappointment and mystery, for me at least, is how quickly the girl, after being portrayed as some paragon independence and integrity, morphs into lock step conformity.
I'm not sure how prevalent plastic surgery was in the early 60's, but this episode - even if unintentionally - is spot on in terms of it's - albeit oversimplified - view of the future of human superficiality and vanity. Although not quite at the level at which they speculated, our technology now permits vanity to reach unchecked levels.
One look at a "housewives of so and so" show, where most of them seem to have been surgically and cosmetically altered into one prototype or another may convince you that the TZ, at least on occasion, really did have a uncanny gift for future insight.
The only disappointment and mystery, for me at least, is how quickly the girl, after being portrayed as some paragon independence and integrity, morphs into lock step conformity.