"What's in the Box" is episode 144 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone''. It originally aired on March 13, 1964 on CBS. In this episode, a man's television set displays his past, present, and future, revealing to him that he will kill his wife.

Opening narration



Plot

Joe and Phyllis Britt are an old married couple in New York City who do not get along. Joe gets home from his job as a cab driver late one night, and Phyllis accuses him of seeing another woman. In the meantime, a television repairman is in the next room fixing their broken set. Irritated, Joe harasses the repairman about the inconvenience and cost. The repairman abruptly closes the open TV panel and announces the TV is fixed. After stating the job is free, he leaves, and the TV starts getting channel 10—a station showing the past, present, and future of Joe and Phyllis' lives. Joe refuses to let Phyllis watch the TV and faints when he sees himself and a mistress talking. The TV shows Joe seeing another woman, and when he tunes in again later, it shows him killing Phyllis in a fight. Joe breaks down at the sight and tells Phyllis what is happening. Phyllis seeks help from the family doctor, who gives Joe a sedative and says that seeing oneself on television is one of several common delusions manifested by the struggle to adjust to the new technology of television. Profoundly disturbed by the sight of Phyllis' death, Joe tries to heal their relationship, telling her that he accepts the blame for their feuding and has realized that his extramarital affairs were only an escape from the stress of his job, that Phyllis is still the one he really loves. Embittered by years of Joe's coldness and philandering, Phyllis scorns his attempt at reconciliation. When he begins reacting to another channel 10 vision – this one showing his trial and conviction for Phyllis's murder and his execution in the electric chair – even as Phyllis sees only static, Phyllis is convinced that Joe has lost his mind and taunts him. Joe, angered, attacks her, and kills her in the same manner as he had seen on the television screen. As Joe is arrested by the police, he comes face-to-face with the TV repairman, who mockingly asks, "Fix your set okay, Mister? You ''will'' recommend my service, won't you?" The repairman smirks as Joe is taken away.

Closing narration



Cast

* Joan Blondell as Phyllis Britt * William Demarest as Joe Britt * Sterling Holloway as TV Repairman * Herbert Lytton as Dr. Saltman * Sandra Gould as Woman On T.V. * Howard Wright as Judge * Douglas Bank as Prosecutor * Ted Christy as The Wild Panther * Robert McCord as Electric Chair Guard * Tony Miller as Announcer * Mitchell Rhein as Neighbour * Rod Serling as Host / Narrator – Himself * Ron Stokes as Car Salesman * John L. Sullivan as The Russian Duke

References

*DeVoe, Bill. (2008). ''Trivia from The Twilight Zone''. Albany, Ga.: Bear Manor Media. *Grams, Martin. (2008). ''The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic''. Churchville, Md.: OTR Publishing.

External links

* * {{The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) episodes Category:1964 American television episodes Category:The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series season 5) episodes