History Recap / TheTwilightZone1959S1E34TheAfterHours

* DarkIsNotEvil: While the mannequins are creepy and unsettling, they have no ill intentions at all.

* MurderousMannequin: Subverted. The mannequins of the department store aren't evil or malicious. They just want to remind Marsha that she is a mannequin herself.
* MissingFloor: The 9th floor of the department store.

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: The salesclerk is a mysterious variation. She has exactly what Marsha is looking for on the ninth floor (of course, it's the ''only'' merchandise on said floor), she knows Marsha's name without her giving it, she asks Marsha out of the blue if she's happy. When Marsha responds it's none of her business, the salesclerk lady [[SarcasmMode jokingly agrees]] as though it ''were'' her business.

The next day, Mr. Armbruster is making his morning rounds on the sales floor, and does a double-take upon passing the mannequin of Marsha White on display.

Marsha White (Creator/AnneFrancis) is browsing in a department store for a present for her mother, deciding on a gold thimble. The elevator man takes her up to the ninth floor, though only eight are listed. On the otherwise dark and deserted ninth floor, she finds an enigmatic salesclerk whose only item is exactly the gold thimble Marsha was looking for. She buys it, but is deeply disturbed by the mysterious elevator operator and by the aloof salesclerk who somehow seems to know all about her. It isn't until Marsha's back in the elevator, on her way down, that she notices that the thimble is damaged. The elevator operator directs her to the Complaints Department on the third floor.

Mr. Armbruster, the sales supervisor, and Mr. Sloan, the store manager, greet her story with some skepticism, pointing out that the store doesn't have a ninth floor. Marsha then thinks she's spotted the salesclerk who sold her the thimble, only to find it's one of the display mannequins. Sent to lie down after her shock, Marsha finds herself accidentally locked inside the closed store. Her panic is increased by eerie voices calling her name, then noticing that the mannequins are moving. She bumps into a male mannequin dressed as yachtsman who she recognizes as the elevator operator who took her to the nonexistent floor.

Now frantic, Marsha backs into the elevator, which takes her right back to the ninth floor. The door opens on the salesclerk, very much alive and human. Marsha screams and crumples to the floor, sobbing hysterical, only to be told not to be so silly. The salesclerk draws her to her feet and leads her out of the elevator into the dark room. As the living mannequins close around her Marsha stares at their faces. Slowly the memories come back to her; ''she herself'' is a mannequin. The ninth floor is her home, a storage area for the store, and the other mannequins are her friends. She has overstayed her annual month as a human to the point she forgot her former identity, much to the annoyance of the sales clerk, whose turn it now is. Marsha apologizes by explaining it 'seems so real' and the now-good-humored salesclerk forgives her before leaving for her own month vacation as a human. As the clerk is bid goodbye, Marsha is left alone with the yachtsman. He asks "Was it fun?". Sweetly and sadly, she replies, "Ever so much fun... Ever so much fun." as both harden back into mannequins.

[[quoteright:345:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tz_the_after_hours.jpeg]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tz_the_after_hours.jpeg]]

Marsha White (Creator/AnneFrancis) is browsing a department store for a gift for her mother, deciding on a gold thimble. The elevator man takes her up to the ninth floor, though only eight are listed. On the otherwise dark and empty ninth floor, she finds an enigmatic salesclerk whose only item is exactly the gold thimble Marsha was looking for. She buys it, but is deeply disturbed by the mysterious elevator operator and by the aloof salesclerk who somehow seems to know all about her. It isn't until Marsha's back in the elevator, on her way down, that she notices that the thimble is damaged. The elevator operator directs her to the Complaints Department on the third floor.

->'''Creator/RodSerling''': "Miss Marsha White on the ninth floor, specialties department, looking for a gold thimble. The odds are that she'll find it—but there are even better odds that she'll find something else, because this isn't just a department store. This happens to be the Twilight Zone."

Marsha White (played by Creator/AnneFrancis) is browsing a department store for a gift for her mother, deciding on a gold thimble. The elevator man takes her up to the ninth floor, though only eight are listed. On the otherwise dark and empty ninth floor, she finds an enigmatic salesclerk whose only item is exactly the gold thimble Marsha was looking for. She buys it, but is deeply disturbed by the mysterious elevator operator and by the aloof salesclerk who somehow seems to know all about her. It isn't until Marsha's back in the elevator, on her way down, that she notices that the thimble is damaged. The elevator operator directs her to the Complaints Department on the third floor.

* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Marsha keeps telling the staff of the store about the woman in the ninth floor, while they keep insisting they don't have a ninth floor.

->'''Creator/RodSerling''': "Marsha White, in her normal and natural state: a wooden lady with a painted face who, one month out of the year, takes on the characteristics of someone as normal and as flesh and blood as you and I. But it makes you wonder, doesn't it, just how normal are we? Just who are the people we nod our hellos to as we pass on the street? A rather good question to ask...particularly in the Twilight Zone."

* LossOfIdentity: Marsha has been pretending to be a regular person for so long, [[BecomingTheMask she forgotten that she's not one at all.]]

Marsha White (played by Creator/AnneFrancis), is browsing for a gift for her mother in a department store. She decides on a gold thimble. The elevator man takes her up to the ninth floor, though only eight are listed. On the otherwise dark and empty ninth floor she finds an enigmatic salesclerk whose only item is exactly the gold thimble Marsha is looking for. She buys it but she is deeply disturbed by the mysterious elevator operator and by the aloof salesclerk who somehow seems to know all about her. It isn't until Marsha's back in the elevator, on her way down, that she notices that the thimble is damaged. The elevator operator directs her to the Complaints Department on the third floor.

Mr. Armbruster, the sales supervisor, and Mr. Sloan, the store manager, greet her story with some skepticism, pointing out the store doesn't have a ninth floor. Then Marsha thinks she's spotted the salesclerk who sold her the thimble only to find it's one of the display mannequins. Sent to lie down after her shock, Marsha finds herself accidentally locked inside the closed store. Her panic is increased by the eerie voices calling her name and then she notices the mannequins are moving! She bumps into a male mannequin dressed as yachtsman who she recognizes as the elevator operator who took her to the nonexistent ninth floor.

Now frantic, she backs into the elevator, which takes her right back to the ninth floor. The door opens on the salesclerk, very much alive and human. Marsha screams and crumples sobbing to the floor, totally hysterical, only to be told not to be so silly. The salesclerk draws her to her feet and leads her out of the elevator into the dark 9th floor. As the living mannequins close around her Marsha stares at their faces. Slowly the truth comes to her; ''she'' is a mannequin! The ninth floor is her home, a storage area for the store, and these are her friends. There is nothing at all to be afraid of. But she has overstayed her annual month as a human, much to the annoyance of the sales clerk whose turn it now is. Marsha apologizes explaining it 'seems so real' and the now-good-humored salesclerk forgives her and leaves for her own month vacation as a human followed by a cheerful crowd bidding her goodbye. Marsha is left alone with her friend the Yachtsman. He asks "Was it fun?". Sweetly and sadly, she replies, "Ever so much fun. . . . Ever so much fun." as both harden back into mannequins.

The next day, Mr. Armbruster is making his morning rounds on the sales floor and does a double-take upon passing the mannequin of Marsha White on display.

->'''Creator/RodSerling''': "Marsha White, in her normal and natural state, a wooden lady with a painted face who, one month out of the year, takes on the characteristics of someone as normal and as flesh and blood as you and I. But it makes you wonder, doesn't it, just how normal are we? Just who are the people we nod our hellos to as we pass on the street? A rather good question to ask...particularly in the Twilight Zone."

* AnimateInanimateObject: The department store mannequins have the ability to come alive. Every month, one of them leaves the store and goes to live as a human.
* AsideGlance: As the Sales Supervisor Mr. Armbruster passes by Marsha's mannequin, he notices that it looks just like her and turns his head to look at it. He turns his head to face the audience and looks at them in astonishment. He turns back to look at the mannequin, turns back to the audience and gives them a bemused look, then walks away.
* BittersweetEnding: It's sad that Marsha becomes a mannequin again, and she's shaken to realize she's not a human being, but the other mannequins aren't harmful and are in fact her friends, and they're very understanding of the whole thing. Plus, it's revealed all the mannequins get a month out of every twelve to go on "vacation" and live among the humans -- so at least she'll get to go out and have fun again next year. (Though whether or not she'll be able to remember that it isn't permanent the next time around remains a mystery.)

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: The salesclerk is a mysterious variation of this. She has exactly what Marsha is looking for on the ninth floor (of course, it's the ''only'' merchandise on the ninth floor), she knows Marsha's name without her giving it, she asks Marsha out of the blue if she's happy, and when Marsha responds it's none of her business, the salesclerk lady [[SarcasmMode jokingly agrees]] as though it ''were'' her business.

* DarkIsNotEvil: While the Mannequins are creepy and unsettling, they have no ill intentions at all.

* LossOfIdentity: Marsha has been pretending to be a regular person for so long, [[BecomingTheMask she forgot she's not one.]]
* MurderousMannequin: Subverted. The Mannequins of the department store aren't evil or malicious. They just want to remind Marsha who she really is: a mannequin herself.
* MissingFloor: The 9th Floor.
* NothingIsScarier: The scenes in the third act when Marsha runs around the dark, abandoned department store with mysterious voices following her.

** Though the [[AllThereInTheScript script revealed]] that her "mother" was actually a kind old woman who took her in. The woman later died from an infection after accidentally poking her finger while sewing. Not understand the concept of death, Marsha went to buy her a thimble.

--> '''Salesclerk:''' (laughs) ''Really?'' Alright, Miss White, suit yourself: it's 'none of my business'.[[note]]A RewatchBonus will make it obvious she's ''really'' saying, "Uh, yes, it ''is'' my business!"[[/note]]
* TomatoInTheMirror: Marsha isn't who and what she thinks she is.
* TwistEnding: Of course, it's the ''Twilight Zone''!
* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Marsha keeps telling the managers about the woman in the ninth floor, while they keep insisting they don't have a ninth floor.

Marsha White (played by Anne Francis), is browsing for a gift for her mother in a department store. She decides on a gold thimble. The elevator man takes her up to the ninth floor, though only eight are listed. On the otherwise dark and empty ninth floor she finds an enigmatic salesclerk whose only item is exactly the gold thimble Marsha is looking for. She buys it but she is deeply disturbed by the mysterious elevator operator and by the aloof salesclerk who somehow seems to know all about her. It isn't until Marsha's back in the elevator, on her way down, that she notices that the thimble is damaged. The elevator operator directs her to the Complaints Department on the third floor.

Now frantic, she backs into the elevator, which takes her right back to the ninth floor. The door opens on the salesclerk, very much alive and human. Marsha screams and crumples sobbing to the floor, totally hysterical, only to be told not to be so silly. The salesclerk draws her to her feet and leads her out of the elevator into the dark 9th floor. As the living mannequins close around her Marsha stares at their faces. Slowly the truth comes to her; ''she'' is a mannequin! this ninth floor is her home and these are her friends. There is nothing at all to be afraid of. But she has overstayed her annual month as a human, much to the annoyance of the salesclerk whose turn it now is. Marsha apologizes explaining it 'seems so real' and the now good humored salesclerk forgives her and leaves for her own month vacation as a human followed by a cheerful crowd bidding her good-bye. Marsha is left alone with her friend the Yachtsman. He asks "Was it fun?". Sweetly and sadly, she replies, "Ever so much fun. . . . Ever so much fun." as both harden back into mannequins.

** Though the [[AllThereInTheScript script revealed]] that her "mother" was actually a kind old woman who took her in. The woman later died from accidentally poking her finger while sewing. Not understand the concept of death, Marsha went to buy her a thimble.