Voices from The Twilight Zone: Kentucky Rye
By Pat Brennan
Previous ⬅ Voices from the Twilight Zone: Nightmare as a Child
Author’s Note
In an attempt to switch things up a bit here at VTZ, I’ve decided to branch out and examine stories that fall under The Twilight Zone banner but weren’t necessarily released during its original five-year run. Every once in a while, tales that were featured in one of the show’s many revivals or in iterations from other mediums like comics or short story anthologies will now be highlighted in this series. I hope you enjoy this first excursion into the outer reaches of The Twilight Zone!
We all have a dark half, a worst version of ourselves whose existence we try not to acknowledge.
Most of us strive to be the opposite of that person, choosing to hear the better of our angels rather than the whispers and sneers that inhabit the murkier corners of our consciousness. Others, for various reasons, find the latter has drowned out the former and seem to know of no other way to carry themselves other than poorly. Sometimes these folks experience a moment that reflects back to them an image of who they’ve allowed themselves to become. The smart ones take that opportunity to change while others are faced with the harsh realization that the ramifications of their actions are now unavoidable.
Such is the case for Bob Spindler (Jeffery DeMunn), the protagonist of the 80s Twilight Zone segment, “Kentucky Rye.” He’s a man who has let his drinking overpower whatever sense of decency or humility he might have had, giving in to the selfish sense of machismo that emerges when he is deep within his cups. As it is for most alcoholics, his decisions eventually lead to a rock-bottom moment that has devastating consequences for both him and those unlucky enough to cross his path.
We first meet Spindler as he’s driving down a highway late one night. It quickly becomes obvious that he’s drunk, and, during the course of a quick flashback sequence, we see how he got himself in this situation. After landing a particularly large client for the business he works for, the salesman decides to take his boss and coworkers out for drinks to celebrate. Spindler then proceeds to guzzle far too many adult beverages, makes a complete ass out of himself in front of his peers, then lies to them when asked if he’ll take a taxi home instead of getting behind the wheel of his car.
Flash forward to the present as Spindler causes an accident on the highway, running a car off the road while sending his own vehicle sailing into some trees and underbrush. When a dazed and bloodied Spindler eventually comes to, he sees a neon sign glowing in the darkness outside. It belongs to a roadside dive bar called the “Kentucky Rye” and, itching to do some more boozing, he goes inside. What Spindler finds amongst the establishment’s loud music and ruckus patrons is what he believes to be the business chance of a lifetime; turns out, the owner of the fine establishment he’s stumbled upon is looking to sell the joint. Spurred by that special variety of hubris that’s fueled alcoholics since time began, Spindler buys the bar. Unfortunately for him, the price he’s about to pay is far steeper than he could have ever imagined.
Now Entering The Spoiler Zone…
Addiction is so much more than a physical dependence — it’s a corruption of the person you are or could be. By robbing you of your will, it brings out the worst in your personality and transforms you into someone you grow to hate more and more with every passing day. We don’t know for sure if Spindler is an alcoholic or not but watching him walk into a bar to grab a drink minutes after drunkenly causing a car accident certainly makes that assumption feel justified. We also don’t know what kind of a person he is when he’s not on the sauce, but we can tell by the regret he shows during the episode’s climatic moments that Spindler at least has enough decency in him to be appalled by his choices once he’s trapped in the unforgiving spotlight that is the morning after’s sobriety.
Combined, these conclusions form a picture of a man who has lost himself amongst his demons. But what works so well with the segment, which was penned by the team of Richard Krzemien (The Incredible Hulk, Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Chip Duncan, is the way it chooses not to romanticize or dwell on that tragedy but instead holds Spindler accountable for what he has done. Nobody’s put the bottles in his hand, or made him lie to his wife and friends, or placed him behind the wheel of his car when he should be in the backseat of a taxi. Every decision Spindler has made, both that night and in the years leading up to it, has brought him to the doorstep of the Kentucky Rye.
When he wakes up the next morning and finds himself alone in the dust and gloom of a place that resembles a long abandoned haunted house more than it does a bar, Spindler is just a tiny bit confused. How could the previous evening’s excitement have morphed into the mausoleum he finds himself in now? Then, as he stares through a dirt-encrusted window and sees an emergency crew tending to the aftermath of his car accident, it all becomes clear. “I never wanted this,” Spindler says tearfully, as if this would somehow lead to any kind of forgiveness for his now damned soul. And as he sobs in a heap on the floor, the now former owner of the Kentucky Rye watches on in delight, raising a glass to this newly minted proprietor.
While “Kentucky Rye” is ultimately a satisfying and memorable installment of its era’s dimension of sound, sight, and mind, it certainly isn’t without its blemishes. One of the problems that plagued the 1980s iteration of The Twilight Zone was the show’s episode structure. Rather than have each installment focus on a single story, they were spread amongst two, sometimes three pieces. “Kentucky Rye” rounded out the trilogy of tales that made up the series’ third episode, and its truncated runtime (barely 18 minutes) definitely doesn’t do the story any favors. In particular, we don’t spend nearly enough time with Spindler before he’s gone through his Mr. Hyde-like transformation thanks to the drink. To see what the man’s like beforehand would have given the character a depth that could have added even more impact to the story’s final moments.
Despite this shortcoming, “Kentucky Rye” still hits hard. For folks who happen to have a Spindler of their own (be they a parent, sibling, or friend), this is especially true. And for those unlucky enough to find themselves seeing one when they look in the mirror, the episode offers some valuable advice: don’t let that shadow take over completely. It will cost you so much more than you could ever imagine. 🩸
About
Pat Brennan is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Fangoria, Bloody Disgusting, Dread Central, and Rue Morgue. He lives in New Brunswick with his wife, son, and very needy cat. Follow him on Instagram @ horrordad87.
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