Roddy McDowall's character utters the line in my summary above upon seeing his new Martian home, but the sentiment only lasts as long as the episode. In one of those classic last minute ending twists the Twilight Zone is noted for, astronaut Sam Conrad (McDowall) learns he's to remain a specimen on display rather than a welcome guest. I can't quite reconcile to the idea that the Martians would actually do that to him, even if he was an alien. He posed no apparent threat and for all intents and purposes, lived up to the premise of the title - people are alike all over. I hadn't noticed before in Rod Serling's voice over narration how disdainful he could be about this species called Man, almost to the point of contempt here. Not that he didn't often have good reason when making the point, it just seemed a bit out of character the way it came across - those "flimsy little two-legged animals with extremely small heads". If that's the standard, then the Martians depicted here would be of the same DNA. Science fiction writers have often theorized about how far advanced alien civilizations might be compared to our own, but the tragedy would be that they're just like us after all.
Review of People Are Alike All Over
