A boy who lives in a heavily rural area with his mother likes to go exploring in the woods. One day he encounters a weird stranger who goes by the name of Scout. He is odd in that he seems out of place. He appears to be collections specimens. He also has some strange power to make things disappear. When the boy brings the guy home, his widowed mother is attracted to the guy. His responses are simple but he seems to be kind and the boy has no father. There is a odd dinner scene. While the boy is forbidden to be distracted coming home from school, he goes to Scout and something very strange transpires. It's a decent story.
5 Reviews
"But mum!"
nebmac24 April 2021
"Stranger in Possum Meadows" feels like it was made by a bunch of people phoning it in on their last day before retirement. The main character is a 10ish-year-old boy named Danny, who can't seem to decide if his accent is American or Canadian. He lives with his mom/mum in what is supposed to be a remote rural area, despite the nearby high-rise building clearly seen in the establishing shot of their home. While wandering alone through the woods one day, Danny meets an unusual middle-aged man, and does pretty much the opposite of what his mother taught him. To Danny's credit, the man is not offering candy or a ride in a windowless van.
The rest of the story falls somewhere between a soap opera and an after-school special, with some perfunctory sci-fi thrown in. Steve Kanaly's performance as the mystery man makes this episode just barely watchable.
The rest of the story falls somewhere between a soap opera and an after-school special, with some perfunctory sci-fi thrown in. Steve Kanaly's performance as the mystery man makes this episode just barely watchable.
The Twilight Zone - Stranger in Possum Meadows
Scarecrow-8817 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Alien from another planet (Steve Kanaly; "Dallas") arrives in Possum Meadows to collect specimens to transport back home, encountering a boy (Benjamin Barrett) perusing the creek near his trailer home. This alien, calling himself Scout, befriends the boy, is asked to dinner to meet his single, overworking mom (Laura Press), and continues to confiscate animals located in Possum Meadows. Soon Scout decides to confiscate the boy and his dog! The mom soon cannot find her son, scared for his well-being, but quite fond of Scout after the dinner night together. She learns the value of her son despite the numerous complications that come with raising him alone. Scout's change of heart might just come from a communication to his home world after his family sends love back to him, awaiting his return. Kanaly is so creepy, I have a hard time imagining any mom would want him around their son. An inquisitive nature and a face that holds this rather disconcerting smile, it would be easy for some viewers to consider him a potential pedo, especially considering how he creeps about in the bushes and talks in this inanimate fashion. It looks like someone trying to adapt into a part, rather unable to hide his unfamiliarity to a world not his own yet the mother and son fail to recognize his strange behavior. The mom even seems smitten with him! I guess it is his manners
maybe she's just used to the louse. Her previous relationship produced a stepdad who left her because of the boy and she is unable to hide her disappointment from the son. The son tells Scout about it when the two converse near the creek in Possum Meadows. Kanaly does convince as a stranger from outer space, and it was probably wise of his alien to land his vessel in rural nowhere
his behavior might be seen by others as suspect. The hand of Scout is how he is able to cause animals to be held in trance and "removed" from their location to his ship. Would I be comfortable with Scout roaming around the woods behind my home, meeting up with my kid in secret? Umm, no. But at least Scout realizes the mistake he makes about taking a kid from his mother, understanding that it wouldn't be nice if that happened to him. Wisely, considering the show's budget, the alien ship is not shown, using a light show to establish liftoff.
Strange is the word
sol-kay9 August 2011
***SPOILERS*** Very strange "New Twilight Zone" episode involving this weirdo who calls himself Scout wondering around in the woods of Possum Meadows looking as if he were the man who fell to earth and landed squarely on his head causing him sever brain damage.
It's little Danny Wilkins, Benji Barrett, who runs into this guy and in having a brief conversation with him about the difference between a tadpole and frog invites him over for dinner at his place a trailer home that he lives with his single parent and hard working mom, Laura Press. Showing up at the Watkins's house Scout after pacifying the family dog, who smelled something very fishy about the guy, with some kind of paralyzing ray that he emitted from his stretch out,like a fascist salute, arm Scout then goes on to stuff himself with a couple portions of roast chicken that Danny's Mom cooked up for him. Winning mom over like he did her son Danny and the family dog we soon get to see what this Scout is really up to and it ain't at all kosher! In fact it's as un-kosher as a plate of pork-chops and buttered whipped potato's!
As it soon turned out Scout is really an alien from outer space who landed with his spaceship at Possum Meadows in an effort to trap and send back live specimens,animal plants & humans, to his home planet to be examined and studied! This should have been obvious to Danny and his mom in that the guy himself didn't seem to be human at all but some kind of smiling android who's robotic like movements and facial expressions, he never could keep that silly looking smile off his face throughout the entire episode, should have risen red flags as soon as both Danny & his mom laid eyes on him.
***SPOILERS*** With little Danny as one of his kidnap victims to be sent home, to Scout's home planet, to be studied examined and possibly dissected by his fellow aliens or robots Scout gets a change of heart and allows Danny to go back home to his mom, Danny's dog also kidnapped by Scout wasn't so lucky, and forget about this whole strange incident. You see Scout who didn't know it at the time did have a heart and when he asked Danny what he wanted most in life and was told telepathically he wanted to go home Scout complied with his wish!
It's little Danny Wilkins, Benji Barrett, who runs into this guy and in having a brief conversation with him about the difference between a tadpole and frog invites him over for dinner at his place a trailer home that he lives with his single parent and hard working mom, Laura Press. Showing up at the Watkins's house Scout after pacifying the family dog, who smelled something very fishy about the guy, with some kind of paralyzing ray that he emitted from his stretch out,like a fascist salute, arm Scout then goes on to stuff himself with a couple portions of roast chicken that Danny's Mom cooked up for him. Winning mom over like he did her son Danny and the family dog we soon get to see what this Scout is really up to and it ain't at all kosher! In fact it's as un-kosher as a plate of pork-chops and buttered whipped potato's!
As it soon turned out Scout is really an alien from outer space who landed with his spaceship at Possum Meadows in an effort to trap and send back live specimens,animal plants & humans, to his home planet to be examined and studied! This should have been obvious to Danny and his mom in that the guy himself didn't seem to be human at all but some kind of smiling android who's robotic like movements and facial expressions, he never could keep that silly looking smile off his face throughout the entire episode, should have risen red flags as soon as both Danny & his mom laid eyes on him.
***SPOILERS*** With little Danny as one of his kidnap victims to be sent home, to Scout's home planet, to be studied examined and possibly dissected by his fellow aliens or robots Scout gets a change of heart and allows Danny to go back home to his mom, Danny's dog also kidnapped by Scout wasn't so lucky, and forget about this whole strange incident. You see Scout who didn't know it at the time did have a heart and when he asked Danny what he wanted most in life and was told telepathically he wanted to go home Scout complied with his wish!
I guess I'm odd.
blake-363986 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of my favorites. Okay, it is a gentle story, but there is an element of Sci-fi to it, which makes it a Twilight Zone episode. I'm not one to enjoy some of the creepy shows they call entertainment that showcase outrageous special effects. I would like to think that aliens would be curious about our planet, without being menacing. Don't we have enough of our own home-grown terrors? Watching programs, I want to escape reality and perhaps see something to make me forget what is going on all over the world.
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