The Mighty Casey
The Twilight Zone

Behind the satire of Damn Yankees is more satire in the postscript, which leaves behind the sentimental oblivious East for a “far West of desires”.

It’s precisely this unity of structure and surface that makes this episode pivotal. The merciless direction is played directly to Jack Warden, and Abraham Sofaer blooms in it with the utmost brilliance (all the cast are equally good, but these two share the limelight).

In short, a Rod Serling comedy in which, without any real need for reflection, all resources are turned to gags, showing the full force of the writing openhandedly (compare on this point Matheson’s “A World of His Own”, directed by Ralph Nelson).