Directed by veteran Robert Florey and written by Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling, "The Long Morrow" is one of the better last season entries in the series and features a very young Mariette Hartley in one of her earliest roles. The plot evolves around an astronaut (Robert Lansing at his subtle best) who is about to take a long journey through space, mostly in a suspended state of animation where his body and mind will not age like a normal person. To complicate his mission (and only a few weeks before takeoff), he meets the very attractive Ms. Hartley and immediately falls in love with her. She feels the same way about him, so Lansing decides on a highly unusual course of action. Instead of walking away from the mission (which would have been the logical thing to do) he takes a far different approach to his dilemma. He decides to let himself age inside the animation chamber so that he'll be forty years older when he returns (like his newfound lover). Since this is the Twilight Zone, something is bound to go wrong, and does with the usual disastrous effects.
The late Robert Lansing was one of those under-stated actors who never had to raise his voice nor so much as lift an eyebrow to make his feelings known on screen. He also never took roles that were beyond his range and this one suited him perfectly. Of course, Mariette Hartley went on to a long and distinguished career in television and is still a working actress to this day. Rounding out the cast are George Macready, best known for his ruthless French general in Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory," and veteran character actor Edward Binns. Binns is well-remembered for playing the beleaguered Boston diocese cardinal in "The Verdict" who tries to buy off Paul Newman. The entire cast of "The Long Morrow" all contribute excellent work in making it one of the more riveting and powerful entries in Serling's great series.
The late Robert Lansing was one of those under-stated actors who never had to raise his voice nor so much as lift an eyebrow to make his feelings known on screen. He also never took roles that were beyond his range and this one suited him perfectly. Of course, Mariette Hartley went on to a long and distinguished career in television and is still a working actress to this day. Rounding out the cast are George Macready, best known for his ruthless French general in Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory," and veteran character actor Edward Binns. Binns is well-remembered for playing the beleaguered Boston diocese cardinal in "The Verdict" who tries to buy off Paul Newman. The entire cast of "The Long Morrow" all contribute excellent work in making it one of the more riveting and powerful entries in Serling's great series.