Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Damon Wayans Jr., David Krumholtz, Natalie Martinez, Paula Newsome, Keegan Connor Tracy, Andrew Alvarez, Jordan Peele, Steel Bey, Jason Asuncion, Marc Gaudet, Peter New, Michael P. Northley, Linda Darlow, Patrick Keating, Christina Jastrzembska, Tim Zhang, Krish Lohtia, Kelly Richard Nelson, Jeremy Arnold, Kristina Arnold.
If we could look down on creation and find a way to change all that is bad, all that is annoying, bothersome and frustratingly simple to fix, if we could do this, would we do it in full glare of the watchful eye of all who have their own agendas, or would we solve the problems anonymously, in quiet contemplation and never take a single word of praise for doing the right thing.
Such is the way of the world that although miracles never truly happen, if they did and you were able to solve a problem without revealing your part in it, there is no doubt that someone else would take credit for it, for that is the truth of the world, that no good deed goes unpunished by the act of someone else’s appropriation of it.
Perhaps a miracle in A Small Town can be explained away, the minor, almost insignificant act of kindness that sees a pothole filled in, a shrub cut back, a fence painted, without anyone knowing, however the same problem will still exist, someone with an agenda, the prospect of running for mayor, of wanting the local populace to like them, will take credit for your actions.
Tananarive Due’s episode of A Small Town for The Twilight Zone is one such exploration that fits perfectly into this equation, not so much of suspense, but of the choice we make when the area we live in, be it a so called backwater village or a large vibrant city, needs care and attention.
For anyone who played the original Sim City games, A Small Town is a reminder of the fun that can be had when you look down from a distance, when you can play God, with your creation, but it is also the cost that never gets seen until the understanding that you have to own up to what you have done, becomes too much for the mind to cope with.
For devout church goer, and widower, Jason Grant, played with humility by Damon Wayans Jr., the chance to do good is overwhelming when he stumbles across a scale model of his town in the attic of the church he attends. At first the discovery is a beautiful reminder of his recently dead wife, the sheer love she placed into the town in her role of Mayor, but then, as with all things that seem to be a gift, his creativity takes a sudden turn when someone else takes credit for his good deeds.
It is in the final humility of the man that perhaps we are granted the vision to understand that a good deed done requires no name, it is enough to know that you were the one who paid for someone’s shopping when they couldn’t afford to eat, that you were the one who painted or mended a fence when nobody else had time; and so it is with any model, it is only a replica of what might be, and that for Jason Grant the job done was proof enough that his small town would thank him or his God without ever saying his name.
Rarely does a television series fill you with inspiration to be selfless in the face of overwhelming need, the chance to put your ego aside and enjoy someone else being happy and having the smile of relief on their face rather than taking praise for putting it there; it is to the credit of The Twilight Zone and writer Tananarive Due that A Small Town will be seen as a highlight of the second series under the auspicious eyes of Jordan Peele’s tenure at the helm of the classic show.
Ian D. Hall