In 1959, CBS struck television gold when it took a chance on Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone." To that point, there had never been an anthology series meditating on the weird, strange, and macabre.

Much of The Twilight Zone's distinct tone hinges on a dreamlike atmosphere, and "Twenty Two" is one of the few chapters that integrates dreams into its plot and theme. The episode opens with a surreal ...