Three astronauts (Jeff Morrow, Don Dubbins, and Kevin Hagen) on a "routine geological mission" getting lost in a meteorite storm, find an asteroid to land on as fuel runs out. The atmosphere is surprisingly breathable, but what the astronauts find is a place similar to earth for the exception that the humans and animals don't move! Rightfully, the astronauts are concerned. What they encounter is a rather unusual fellow named Wickwire who serves as "caretaker" on this asteroid—what does he take care of you might ask? The asteroid is in actuality a cemetery! Absurd as the plot might be, it has a comment on how peace cannot exist as long as mankind is present. Through the astronauts, we understand that the Earth was decimated by atomic war; 200 years of reconstruction has took place since. This fear that such trouble awaits the asteroid will leave Wickwire (Cecil Kellaway; Beast from 20000 Fathoms) with no alternative but to keep his cemetery safe from intrusion. I was as much focused on how hard it must've been for the extras to keep totally still (one poor fellow couldn't help but blink since he had to remain in his pose for long periods in the background as the astronauts discussed their calamity on this asteroid that presents events frozen in time) as I was the plight of the astronauts. I give them credit, these actors/actresses hold still as long as they can, some with wide smiles. Except for the fate of the astronauts, this episode plays as a farce, well even with the grim result, there's a bit of black humor involved. "Elegy" I don't figure will ever be featured prominently on the top lists of Twilight Zone fans like myself, but any plot that has astronauts walking around a city with humans caught in frozen expressions should appeal to the base.
"So this is a dream come true once you stop dreaming?"
"So this is a dream come true once you stop dreaming?"