The Lateness of the Hour

"The Lateness of the Hour" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone that was originally broadcast in the United States on the December 2, 1960. At the foot of the staircase in the Loren mansion—as Dr. Loren and the servants walk out of camera range, Rod Serling moves into view behind them: Jana, the sensitive daughter of a creative genius, Dr. Loren, is distraught over her parents' reliance on her father's five ... more

"The Lateness of the Hour" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone that was originally broadcast in the United States on the December 2, 1960. At the foot of the staircase in the Loren mansion—as Dr. Loren and the servants walk out of camera range, Rod Serling moves into view behind them: Jana, the sensitive daughter of a creative genius, Dr. Loren, is distraught over her parents' reliance on her father's five seemingly perfect robot servants. She implores her father to dismantle the robots before he and her mother become completely dependent on them. After he complies, she reveals to her parents that she plans to start a new life by leaving the stifling confines of the house, getting married and having children. Seeing their dismayed expressions, she comes to the shocking realization that she, too, is a robot, albeit much more emotionally sophisticated than the ones that were dismantled. The discovery causes Jana such anguish that her "father" is... less