The Collection (The Twilight Zone)
| "The Collection" | |
|---|---|
| The Twilight Zone (2nd revival) episode | |
| Episode no. |
Season 1 Episode 38 |
| Directed by | John T. Kretchmer |
| Written by |
Erin Maher Kay Reindl |
| Production code | 138 |
| Original air date | April 23, 2003 |
| Guest actors | |
|
Jessica Simpson as Miranda Evans | |
"The Collection" is the thirty-eighth episode of the television series 2002 revival of The Twilight Zone. The episode was first broadcast on April 23, 2003, on UPN.
Opening narration
| “ | Miranda Evans has a bond with children. She understands their problems, their fears. But tonight she will meet a special little girl with a very unique problem that will stretch Miranda's bond with reality itself. | ” |
Plot summary
Miranda is a babysitter who has been hired to care for a 10-year-old girl, Danielle. When Danielle's parents leave, Miranda asks Danielle if she can see her room, to which Danielle agrees. While in Danielle's room, a large collection of dolls in a glass case sealed tight with a lock catches Miranda's eye. When asked about them, Danielle quickly tells Miranda that the dolls are "not to play with" and changes the subject by bringing out all of the board games she owns.
While listing all of the board games she has, one of the dolls, falls in the case in a seemingly accidental matter. Miranda goes to the case to fix her but Danielle stops her and does it herself. In the process of standing the doll (which is later known to be named Shelley) back up, Danielle starts bleeding and claims that Shelley bit her. Miranda explains to her that Shelley is only a doll and they leave the room without locking the case to clean up Danielle's finger. The scene closes up on Shelley who has blood in the corner of her mouth.
Danielle explains to Miranda that Shelley bit her because she is mad at her and only wants her to play with her and "the other girls" (the dolls). Miranda decides to calm Danielle down and they go downstairs to make hot chocolate without locking the doll's case. While downstairs, Danielle tells Miranda the doll's names and all about their personalities (Katie loves chocolate; Angie is afraid of the water; Jenny and Danielle used to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer and wanted Buffy and Spike to "hook up"). When Miranda comments that Danielle's dolls sound like fun, she replies that sometimes they are and sometimes they are not, before going upstairs to get a board game. Miranda dismisses Danielle's odd behavior towards her dolls due to either neglect from her parents or being mentally gifted and thus having no friends her own age and fantasizing to have fun. Miranda is interrupted by Danielle who screams from upstairs and reveals that Shelley "got out of the case", insisting that the doll did it by herself and that it is Miranda's fault for leaving the key in.
They begin searching around the house for Shelley, finding a mug filled with hot chocolate broken on the floor. Miranda asks if Danielle is doing this because she feels that Miranda is not paying enough attention to her. Danielle says that it is not true and that the dolls need to be in the case so they are protected and do not cause trouble. Miranda does not believe her, so Danielle gets angry and storms off before falling over Shelley and hurting herself.
Once Danielle gets a bandage, they take Shelly back to the case only to find that all of the dolls are now gone. Danielle is visibly scared while Miranda still believes it to be a way for Danielle to get attention from her. Fed up, Miranda takes Danielle downstairs where they find all of the dolls in the living room sitting or standing in different places. A vase breaks from a shelf which Miranda is shocked to find Shelley laying on. Miranda finds a charm bracelet in the rubble of the broken vase to which Danielle hastily grabs, saying it is hers, though it is clear it is too big for her wrist. Miranda tries to phone Danielle's parents, but the phone line is cut and on the fridge, spelled out with magnets, it says "Leave" with a page attached to it, a section highlighted from Miranda's textbook saying that young children who play alone are more likely to have problems later on. Miranda, finally believing Danielle, runs upstairs, which is surrounded by dolls, to save her, but trips and is knocked unconscious. When she awakens, she is being dragged by her hair by the dolls toward the front door. She throws them away from her and proceeds up the stairs, throwing more dolls in the process.
When Miranda finds Danielle, she is in her closet, afraid. Miranda joins her and asks her how the dolls are doing this. Danielle explains that they are not just dolls and then grabs for a stuffed unicorn that Miranda found on the stairs. After a short tug of war, a wallet falls out revealing several drivers' licenses showing pictures of young women bearing striking resemblances to all of the dolls in the case. Shelley is wearing the very bracelet that was hidden in the vase. Danielle tearfully tells Miranda that all of the babysitters went home after her parents came back despite her begging them to stay and be her friend. Miranda, realizing that the dolls were actually trying to warn her about Danielle (and were trying just now with the rattling on the closet door, which started once it was closed), tries to escape, but Danielle grabs her shouting "Don't go!" and Miranda begins to transform.
Some time later in the night, when the parents are back at the house, the dad is complaining to Miranda's babysitting agency as he believes that Miranda abandoned Danielle in the middle of the job and that it's "the third time" a sitter from their agency has done this. Danielle is in bed and her mother is putting the last of the dolls in the case, scolding her for leaving them around the house. When she leaves, Danielle gets out of bed and tells the dolls that they are grounded forever because they were bad. She introduces a "new friend" to the dolls and tells them to "be nice to her". It is revealed that the new friend is Miranda, who has now been turned into a doll. The camera then pans out of the house, which is an exact replica of Danielle's doll house shown in the beginning of the episode.
Closing narration
| “ | Miranda Evans thought she could help a little girl overcome her fears. Now Miranda will be able to ponder the true meaning of fear from inside a glass prison known as the Twilight Zone. | ” |