Many reviewers have touched upon the idea of "the world is a stage". I view this episode a little bit differently in that I believe writer Richard Matheson was giving subtle commentary about the escapist mentality that the American culture was beginning to develop in the 1950's. With shows like "Ozzie and Harriet" or "Leave It To Beaver" which showed a clean-cut, white-picket fence, innocence, and a happy and fulfilling family life, "Twilight Zone" flashed light into the dark depths of humanity and social commentary. The world wasn't filled with friendly milk men, friendly talking horses, and polite well-behaved children as the television at the time would have you believe.
Gerry Reagan is an actor plagued with marital and financial problems. He plays a character with a happy and stable family life that was the prototypical image of a sitcom husband in the 50s. Something the American public was drawn to while watching the cookie cutter television programs of the 50s that weren't based in reality.
When his manager Brinkley insists to Gerry there are more serious things at hand this was Matheson's way of transposing the Cold War nuclear arms race, Civil Rights movement, and many of the other issues of the day to Gerry's situation. Gerry escaped into his role as a husband in a fantasy world where he escaped to and didn't want to face the troubling tribulations at hand in his personal life. Just as the American public escaped into the fantasy world of family sitcoms of the day, not wanting to be bothered by the troubles of the world around them. And continue more so to this day.
Gerry Reagan is an actor plagued with marital and financial problems. He plays a character with a happy and stable family life that was the prototypical image of a sitcom husband in the 50s. Something the American public was drawn to while watching the cookie cutter television programs of the 50s that weren't based in reality.
When his manager Brinkley insists to Gerry there are more serious things at hand this was Matheson's way of transposing the Cold War nuclear arms race, Civil Rights movement, and many of the other issues of the day to Gerry's situation. Gerry escaped into his role as a husband in a fantasy world where he escaped to and didn't want to face the troubling tribulations at hand in his personal life. Just as the American public escaped into the fantasy world of family sitcoms of the day, not wanting to be bothered by the troubles of the world around them. And continue more so to this day.