"Two", Poll and discussion thread

Two opposing soldiers (Charles Bronson, Elizabeth Montgomery) meet after surviving a cataclysmic war.
Originally aired September 15, 1961.

Full video of the episode on CBS.com
List of musical cues

This is the preferred thread for any and all of your "Two" posts--facts, opinions, questions, speculations, and whatever else you can think of.* You can also give your opinion of the episode on a 1 to 10 scale, in the poll shown above.

Let the discussion begin!

*More specific instructions and suggestions about posting questions/comments related to this episode are located here.

This one is not especially popular, but personally I don't understand why. I thought Bronson and (especially) Montgomery were both great. Like "Walking Distance," this also feels more like a 30-minute movie to me than a TV show. Haven't decided yet whether to give this an 8 or a 9.

According to the Fox telecasts, Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo was named after Charles Bronson. Nothing has been said about whether Keith Foulke was named after Robert Keith.

Darn, I'd think that they'd want to put that question to rest one way or the other, wouldn't you?

This one has just never appealed to me "5" A lot of talent here though. If this one comes on I most likely would not watch it again.

Leen

" Two" is a great concept. The acting was fine. I gave it 7 zones.

I was wondering if anyone knows of a movie thats similar to this episode, I think made in the 60s,color, about two soldiers, an American and an Asian Soldier
( two enemies I believe) who both crash on the same deserted island, they have to work out there differences and make a raft to get off the island. I saw part of it on TV, when I was very young. This may be a popular movie,not sure,lol.

ZR

I gave it an 8 for the acting and premise. I used to not like this one a whole lot and even now when it comes on, I sort of grunt a little. I usually leave it on and find myself enjoying it. I love it when Elizabeth Montgomery smiles at the end and Rod's closing statement.

Pretty dull one for me.

Gave it an 8. A classic zone for me. Great story, well done, Bronson and Montgomery kept my attention the whole time. Just a really, really good episode for me.

I obviously like this one better than you all. It's one of my faves.

I like the actors, the whole storyline, and I like that there's hardly any dialogue.

It's not a bad episode. I like it. Interesting to see Bronson playing the peacemaker for a change.

Mr. Z, the movie you're describing sounds like one I've heard of one that starred Lee Marvin and a well-known Japanese actor (Toshiro Mifume?). I can't think of the title. Anybody?

And I remember there was a sci-fi variation of the Marvin movie in the 80's called Enemy Mine. Lou Gossett Jr. was one of the stars.

"Hell In The Pacific" starred Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune.
"Enemy Mine" starred Dennis Quaid and Lou Gossett, Jr.

"Two" might be the antithesis of "The Encounter."

Thanks for the info, Kanamit.

If this episode were on, I would probably watch, but I wouldn't set aside the time specifically for it (the way I do with Carnivale). I enjoy the minimal dialogue as well, it feeds into the mood of the episode. I think both actors did an excellent job with the roles; the story is interesting. Just an overall good episode, imho, thus receiving a 7 from me.

Good episode; good acting. Fairly cliched concept (at least now) , but that doesn't take away from the story much.

8/10

Bevis wrote..........

This one is not especially popular, but personally I don't understand why. I thought Bronson and (especially) Montgomery were both great. Like "Walking Distance," this also feels more like a 30-minute movie to me than a TV show. Haven't decided yet whether to give this an 8 or a 9.
=====================================================

I kinda think this one is underrated also Bevis.
Bronson was excellent with his nonchalant attitude. Montgomery plays off him
and that attitude well also. Good acting.
The fact of limited dialogue makes Mongomery even stronger in this one I think.

I was a little thrown off when she left the "recruiting office" and shot out at him.
They were just seeming to get along somewhat when this happened.
In retrospect, maybe it made the ending that much better.
Strong 8 from me.

Thank you and good night.
TZ DZ Fan

I was thinking that the reason that she shot at him was because she saw the enemy soldiers it made her think of her fallen friends, and she maybe wanted to try to take revenge. Then again maybe it's a plot hole!

Having never seen or heard much about this one, I didn't have very high expectations going into it. But I was surprised by how good it was. I sometimes think that 20 minutes isn't enough time in an episode to get to know the characters, but I was pulling for them to get together here.

I like the "Star Wars" effect of the rifles and Elizabeth Montgomery is sexy in a tough, tomboy-ish way.

Whitsbrain,

I didn't know what to make of the "Star Wars" type rifle fire. I DID like it but I
was thinking if it was in the past,(their uniforms as example) that the fire like
that didn't make sense.
I thought the lack of dialogue in this one helped soooo much. It just seemed to
work for me in this one.

TZFAN, at first I really thought this was why she fired at him as well. (the posters
in the draft/recruiting office) I just thought it was a little hurried for her to start
following him around and doing an about face just like that. Sometimes I just
forget we only have about 23 minutes for each ep though.

And yes, Montgomery was sexy to me as well.......
P.S. Whit, what did you give this...?

Thank you and good night.
TZ DZ Fan

It makes as much sense as space ships do in "Probe 7, Over and Out." (You probably haven't seen this yet, TZ DZ, but once you have you'll understand what I mean.)

I have one particular reason for believing that "Two" is set in the future (relative to 1961, that is), and in the United States at that. It's the calendar, with the February page displayed. Note that the 12 and the 22 are lighter in color, which if we saw the color would probably be red. Those are the February holidays of Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays, which were still held on their actual birthdays when "Two" was filmed. Now they're combined into Presidents Day on the third Monday, although some states still acknowledge Lincoln separately on the 12th.

Technicality: Washington was actually born on February 11, but this was converted to February 22 when the Julian (Old Style) calendar was superseded by the Gregorian (New Style) one during his lifetime. The calendar conversion eliminated eleven days to make up for leap years that shouldn't have been.

I gave it an 8.

im not sure i watch this episode

7
Good, but (contrary to popular belief) not great

very underrated episode in my opinion. i really like this one. i like the story and the acting is great.

to respond to this statement made by tz dz fan:
I was a little thrown off when she left the "recruiting office" and shot out at him.
They were just seeming to get along somewhat when this happened.
In retrospect, maybe it made the ending that much better.
Strong 8 from me.
and by tzfan:
I was thinking that the reason that she shot at him was because she saw the enemy soldiers it made her think of her fallen friends, and she maybe wanted to try to take revenge.

i agree with tzfan, in particular because of the last poster elizabeth montgomery's character looks at. it says something about the enemy meeting or visiting our troops. now, i'm not sure if she could read the poster, but it does show the two sides meeting. maybe she remembers when the two sides met and the war was fought anyway, and she was reminded that the man outside is her 'enemy'.

Not only that, I'm sure that if you had been at war for so long and was a patriotic person, seeing a propaganda poster or even a national flag (yours or theirs) would have provoked the same reaction from yourself.

In the "Words From The Twilight Zone" thread, LeenZone quoted the following trivia from tv.com:

"Episode Trivia

Elizabeth Montgomery spoke only one word in the episode: "Precrassny", Russian for "pretty".

Nitpick: The female is all alone and been isolated from any civilization for who knows how long, and yet her legs are still shaved.

When Elizabeth Montgomery is in the barbershop, her hair is wet, but when she runs out of the store and into the street because she thinks that Charles Bronson is chasing after her, her hair is dry."

Leen had this to add:

Some folks are so picky!!!

Thanks for sharing, Leen!

Two is called a love story, but it isn't very believable. Two people left on the earth, who just happen to end up in the same spot on this large planet, and who just happen to fall in love.

i am responding to comments made in the passage on the lady anne thread referring to two being a love story.

i do not think this episode is a love story at all. i can go with the fact that the characters do eventually have some marriage-like relationship, but to me, the episode is about two enemies finding a way to end their differences and to coexist with each other. if love is a byproduct of this mending of differences then it becomes a love story after the fact.

Thanks, adam. I'm glad the discussion found its way into this thread. (I also moved MBO's earlier post in here.)

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you both. Nothing in the episode that I remember suggests that these are the only two people left on earth. I'm open for correction on that, though. I'm firmer in my belief that love--or at least mutual attraction--is part of the process here as well as the product. Watch it again and see if you agree. I grant that you may still find the message about people learning to coexist more important and/or powerful.

Nobody noticed she speaks russian? It gives a lot of meaning to the story. It was beginning of the cold war.

The only word she says is prekrasnij, which means beautiful.

The only thing I can't figure is why americans can't even learn to pronounce a single word in a foreign language without awful accent

Thanks, Sal, but this has been noticed, and mentioned, before (see my own post from September 20 that quotes Leen's remarks, and possibly previous posts, too).

I was disappointed in Elizabeth Montgomery's pronunciation, too. The low point of an otherwise powerful performance.

I never knew that was Elizabeth Montgomery in that role. Dark hair threw me off.

Does that canned chicken legs look nasty or what? Was there ever such a thing?

Speaking of which Marcia what's that in your jar there. Can't quite make it out.

Thanks Jayo and Kanamit. I am guessing this is the movie. Thanks alot.
I love " Enemy Mine". A fine SciFi movie imho,

"Two" may even be loosely related to " AQOM" as well.

The contents of the jar in "Alfred Hitchcock Hour's" "The Jar" which is basically just a bunch of nothing. What ends up in the jar later is the twist.

Spoiler

I gave it a 10. I have always thought that this episode ranked #1 in terms of being underrated. I remember watching it on TV when Zone began its 3rd season. I had forgotten who the 2 stars were, but I never forgot this episode. I also remembered that this was the 1st episode of the 3rd season.

Semi-decent episode. Just boring and I didn't like the dude. He acted like was all that.



Paul Radin gives this: 3/10

Agreed. I thought it was fantastic.....could have done without the space laser gun sounds though.

There was a time when Charles Bronson was all that.