The Thornes keep their distance from the zombified Lamont in this publicity still.
An alien-possessed tumbleweed gets up close and personal with Andy.
The Control Voice: In the not-distant future, the sound of Man will invade those unknown depths of space which as yet we cannot even imagine. In his own world there are no places left beyond the reach of his voice. His neighbor is no longer just next door, but anywhere at the end of a wire. And it all began when prehistoric man discovered the art of communication...
A couple gets trapped on a farm where an alien intelligence tries to communicate.
The Control Voice: "And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." The sound of Man probes the dimensionless range of space, seeking an answer. But if it comes, will he hear? Will he listen? Will he comprehend?
Tropes of Silence:
- All for Nothing: From the alien's perspective. It learns that we exist, but nothing else about us.
- Apocalyptic Log: Andy finds that Lamont has kept a journal documenting his encounters with the alien and his resulting Sanity Slippage.
- Cool Car: The Thornes drive a Mercury Monterey convertible.
- Drives Like Crazy: Lamont's wife does this while escaping the farm.
- First Contact Faux Pas: The alien's attempt to learn more about humanity goes pretty badly.
- Minimalist Cast: There are five characters, only three of which (the Thornes and Lamont) get significant screen time. Lamont's wife appears for just a few seconds and isn't clearly shown, while the bodiless alien entity remains unseen throughout the episode.
- Poor Communication Kills: The theme of the story. Lamont's fate provides a literal example.
- Screaming Woman: Karen basically shrieks her way through the episode.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: The alien comes all the way to Earth and goes to a lot of trouble to communicate with the lifeforms it senses — but just as it seems to be on the verge of success, it gives up and heads home.
