‘The Night of the Meek’ Season 2, Episode 11
Published June 17, 2026
Warning: this post contains spoilers. Watch the episode here before proceeding if that is what you desire.
There is an ever so campy tradition I admittedly lean into from time to time called “Christmas in July.” Before you stop reading, I want you to take a moment, put aside your preconceived notions, and read about my experiences with this tradition below:
Some years, I have leaned into Christmas in July purposefully and others by pure coincidence.
During my late teens and early twenties, I regularly walked to the library to borrow DVDs of television shows and movies from eras as early as the 1920s. Typically, I would only look at the cover art and read who was starring in it before borrowing it. I really let destiny lead the way and as ridiculous my system was, it brought me to some of my favorite films and television shows today…some of which are of the Christmas variety.
See how Christmas in July was not always purposeful? The cover of “The Preacher's Wife” for instance is not really Christmasy!
One of the things I borrowed was seasons 1 and 2 of the Twilight Zone. I watched every episode of those seasons in order, which naturally led me to one of the two Christmas Twilight Zone episodes ever created (see the other here).
When I discovered the Christmasy nature of the films and episodes, it was a pleasant surprise! I shed many happy tears as I was reminded of the core reasons for the season. I remembered that like Ebenezer Scrooge, “I [could] honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
Can you imagine what it would be like if every person chose to embrace love, peace, and generosity all the year?
I invite you to carry that sentiment in your heart as we get into the zone.
Setting the Stage
We enter a department store on Christmas Eve. There are festive decorations that hang on the walls as we observe chaotic last minute shoppers. Families stand in line to meet Santa Claus who should be returning at 6pm. Almost immediately, it cuts to a shot of a drunken man named Henry Corwin in a Santa costume at the bar who ends up being an hour late to his shift. Two young, strangely angelic, children knock on the door and wave Corwin. Talking to the bartender, Corwin asks:
Corwin: “Why isn’t there a real Santa Claus…for kids like that?”
Bartender: “What am I supposed to be, some kind of a philosopher? You know what your trouble is Corwin? You let that dopey red suit go to your head. What are you, some kind of a nut?”
Perhaps it is because I grew up with whimsical parents who allowed me to believe in Santa Claus that I find the bartender's response to be extreme. Why is it bad to ask why Santa Claus cannot exist, especially for the kind and innocent children? Santa Claus is such a nice idea, the spirit of which my parents continued to teach me to embrace even after telling me the real condition of his existence. Why is it bad to wish for that sort of magic and fairytale to be real? The bartender is grim reality. He is all the efforts in this world that try to wipe away our wildest daydreams and hopes.
Two eager children spot Corwin as he walks to his job. Jumping with excitement, the children approach him and share their Christmas wishes with him! Normally, parents would say “hey, wait children, don’t approach the drunk man! He could be dangerous!” Let’s keep in mind this was a simpler time and that Corwin proves to be a kind, sentimental, and loving sweetheart who through his tears and hugs tells us that he wishes he could make these children’s wishes come true.
We cut to Rod Serling:
Serling: “This is Mr. Henry Corwin, normally unemployed, who once a year takes the lead role in the uniquely popular American institution, that of a department store Santa Claus in a road company version of 'The Night Before Christmas.' But in just a moment, Mr. Henry Corwin, ersatz Santa Claus, will enter a strange kind of North Pole, which is one part the wondrous spirit of Christmas and one part the magic that can only be found in - The Twilight Zone.”
Before we continue, I would like to make a shout out to the fact that there is a black kid up close to the camera with white people in the distance, who Corwin takes a moment to play trains with before getting to his position. This episode aired Dec 23, 1960, so this was decently progressive for the era.
What is the Christmas Spirit?
The store manager, Mr. Dundee gives Corwin a “don’t screw this up for this kids” speech before Corwin stumbles his way to his seat. A cranky mom pushes her child to go see Santa Claus, the kid (a sarcastic brat) asks for a new name for Christmas (his is Percival Smithers), Corwin drunkenly stumbles, and the manager gets angry. Happy Christmas America — seriously, how many times have we seen a scene like this depicted in film? How is it that “Christmas Crankiness,” spoiled attitudes, and drunkenness are so traditional for us? This can’t be what the Christmas spirit really is…right? Watch what happens in this exchange:
Percival: “Woah mom, Santa Claus is loaded!”
Mom: “Oh, you’ve got some nerve! You ought to be ashamed!”
Corwin: “Madam, I am ashamed.”
I can’t help it, I just feel so bad for Corwin. Alcoholism is a disease. Corwin has a good heart.
Dundee says some mean words as he fires Corwin.
Corwin [drunkenly as all the children and moms look on]: “As to my drinking, this is indefensible and you have my abject apologies. I find of late that I have very little choice in the matter of expressing emotions.”
Dundee: “Please, lower your voice...”
Corwin: “I can either drink, or I can weep, and drinking is so much more subtle. But as for my insubordination, I was not rude to that woman. Someone should remind her that Christmas is more than barging up and down department store aisles and pushing people out of the way. Someone has to tell her that Christmas is another thing finer than that. Richer, finer, truer, and it should come with patience and love, charity, compassion. That's what I would have told her if you'd given me the chance.”
Dundee: “Well how philosophical of you, Mr. Corwin. Now perhaps as your parting words, you can tell us about how we can go about living up to these wondrous yule standards, which you have so graciously laid down for us.”
Corwin: “I don't know how to tell you, Mr. Dundee. I don't know at all. All I know is that I'm an aging, purposeless, relic of another time, and I live in a dirty rooming house on a street filled with hungry kids and shabby people, where the only thing that comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve is more poverty!”
Dundee: “Will you keep your voice down?”
Corwin: “Do you know another reason why I drink, Mr. Dundee? So that when I walk down the tenements, I can really think it's the North Pole, and the children are elves, and that I'm really Santa Claus bringing a bag of wondrous gifts for all of them. I just wish, Mr. Dundee, on one Christmas, only one, that I could see some of the hopeless ones and the dreamless ones. Just on one Christmas, I'd like to see the meek inherit the Earth. And that's why I drink, Mr. Dundee, and that's why I weep.”
I ask you, who is good, who is wicked? Who really understands the meaning of Christmas in this case? Either way, we need to look beyond appearances, into each other's hearts, and pay attention to each other. Christmas is not easy for everyone, we need to look out for each other, keep each other safe.
Christmas Magic
Twinkly Christmas music begins playing as Corwin walks home. As he walks down an alley, a cat knocks down a full garbage sack which lands on Corwin’s feet. He walks over it and only takes a few steps when he suddenly hears sleigh bells that encourage him to turn around. The sack that was once filled with empty cans and garbage now is filled with wrapped Christmas presents.
Corwin spends the remainder of the episode magically sober and giving out gifts to everybody. Each gift is what each person asked for. Humanity being what it is naturally becomes skeptical and wonders if Corwin stole the presents from the store. The police bring him to the station, and Corwin testifies in front of the authorities and Dundee. When they go to investigate the bag, the presents turn back into cans. Corwin shares how he believes the bag to be magic and has Dundee make a gift request, which the bag ends up fulfilling. Corwin leaves the police station as the cop and Dundee become friends in the midst of this awe.
The episode ends with Corwin holding the empty bag. Walking down the alley once more, Corwin finds a sleigh and reindeer in place of the garbage cans. The one of the children who waved to him at the bar turned out to be an elf. She says, “We’ve been waiting quite a while for you Santa Claus! We’ve got a year of hard work ahead of us to get ready for next Christmas! Come on, are you ready?”
Corwin lightly touches her arm to make sure she is real and not a figment of his drunken imagination.
The two get in the sleigh and begin their journey to the North Pole! The cop and Dundee see him fly in the sky as they walk by, confirming that this isn’t some figment of imagination or entrance into heaven (as “The Little Match Girl” would say)…this is real! Christmas magic is real!
Serling closes us out with this:
Serling: “A word to the wise, to all the children of the twentieth century, whether their concern be pediatrics or geriatrics, whether they crawl on hands and knees and wear diapers or walk with a cane and comb their beards. There's a wondrous magic to Christmas, and there's a special power reserved for little people. In short, there's nothing mightier than the meek. A Merry Christmas to each and all.”
Maybe the Twilight Zone is not a bad place to live. If believing in the possibilities of this life is considered “Twilight Zone” behavior, well then you know where my heart takes residence.
So Happy Christmas in July! May we honour Christmas in our hearts all the year long!
Watch the Episode
Yes I guided you through the episode, but just as is customary with Christmas magic, there is something about witnessing it for yourself first hand that is truly awe inspiring.
Watch the episode here.