YMMV / The Twilight Zone (1959) S3E37: "The Changing of the Guard"

• Crowning Moment of Heartwarming: When Ellis says "Merry Christmas" to some of his students when he learns that he's sent to mandatory retirment, they notice that he's crying, so they gather at his house near the end of the episode to cheer him up by singing Christmas carols.
  • The appearance of the ghosts in the classroom, saving Prof. Ellis from suicide by reminding him of everything he taught them in life.
• Values Dissonance: At the time of production, inspiring students to join the military was considered honored and noble. Even the most patriotic teachers now, however, might react with horror at the thought they inadvertently talked their students into volunteering to die in a war.
• Values Resonance:
  • At the time of production, blatantly forcing older workers into retirement against their will was still common practice. Watching this episode today emphasizes how inhumane and wasteful this was, and makes it clear that it's a good thing the law has changed even if the practice still exists, just more subtly.

---