History Recap / TheTwilightZone1959S3E5AGameOfPool

* {{Expy}}: Jesse is quite similar to Henry Bemis from "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS1E8TimeEnoughAtLast Time Enough at Last]]": both are obsessed with their hobbies (pool for Jesse, books for Henry) but the main difference is that Bemis just wants to be left alone, whereas Jesse wants to prove his worth as the best pool player ever.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Downplayed with Fats' repeated discussion with Jesse throughout the game. He points out that Jesse's obsession with being the best has completely consumed his life and reduced him to a shell of a person, pointing out that he at least took the time to experience the other wonderful things about the world. It's somewhat harsh, but not nessecarily cruel, as Fats genuinely wants to help Jesse and seems legitimately concerned for him. Unfortunately, the other man shrugs it off as trash talk and [[IgnoredEpiphany doesn't listen]].

* WrongGenreSavvy: Fats starts sweating when Jesse is on the verge of winning. Jesse thinks it's because Fats is worried about losing his title, but it's actually because Fats is worried that Jesse ''won't'' win. Jesse also assumes that Fats' warnings about how he's wasted his whole life in a pool hall are designed to throw him off his game. They're not: Fats is genuinely attempting to alert Jesse to what he's done and break his bad habits, not trying disturb his concentration.

* WrongGenreSavvy: Fats starts sweating when Jesse is on the verge of winning. Jesse thinks it's because Fats is worried about losing his title, but it's actually because Fats is worried that Jesse ''won't'' win. Jesse also assumes that Fats' warnings about how he's wasted his whole life in a pool hall are designed to throw him off his game. They're not-: Fats is genuinely attempting to alert Jesse to what he's done and break his bad habits, not trying disturb his concentration.

It's after hours in Lister's Pool Room in Chicago, and pool shark Jesse Cardiff (Creator/JackKlugman) is alone, polishing his game. He considers himself the best pool player around, but is haunted by the memory of late pool legend James Howard "Fats" Brown, whose skill continues to overshadow him. Jesse muses that he would give ''anything'' to play Fats for one game and firmly prove that he is the best, even though Fats has been dead for 15 years.

** In a smaller example, he also seems obligated to warn his opponent about the price of victory, though the warning itself is admittedly vague. When Jesse blows him off, Fats remarks that he's required to say tell that to every challenger he faces.

* RelievedFailure: The episode ends with Jesse winning a hard-won game against the ghost of Fats and becoming the newest pool champion... and yet, Fats is smiling in relief. It turns out he'd long grown tired of having to defend his title from beyond the grave, though his professional dignity forbade him from just throwing matches. He genuinely needed someone to beat him fair and square, and Jesse simply obliged him. The epilogue reveals that Jesse is now trapped in the role of pool champion long after his death, while Fats is finally free to spend his afterlife doing other things like fishing.

It's after hours in Lister's Pool Room in Chicago, and pool shark Jesse Cardiff (Creator/JackKlugman) is alone, polishing his game. He considers himself the best pool player around, but is haunted by the memory of late pool legend James Howard "Fats" Brown, whose skill continues to overshadow him. Jesse muses that he would give ''anything'' to play Fats for one game and firmly prove that he is the best, even though Fats has been dead for 15 years.

* BittersweetEnding: Jesse finally beats beats Fats and become the greatest pool player to ever live, but after he dies, he is destined to spend eternity defending his title until a new champion comes, having nothing ''but'' the title to show for his life. Fats, meanwhile, has lost his title, but is now freed from holding onto his burden and is said to be enjoying a much happier afterlife.

* RelievedFailure: The episode ends with Jesse winning a hard-won game against the ghost of Fats and becoming the newest pool champion... and yet, Fats is smiling in relief. It turns out he'd long grown tired of having to defend his title from beyond the grave, though his professional dignity forbade him from just throwing matches. He genuinely needed someone to beat him fair and square, and Jesse simply obliged him. The epilogue reveals that Jesse is now trapped in the role of pool champion long after his death, while Fats is finally free to spend his afterlife doing other things like fishing.

It's after hours in Lister's Pool Room in Chicago, and pool shark Jesse Cardiff (Creator/JackKlugman) is alone, polishing his game. He considers himself the best pool player around, but is haunted by the memory of late pool legend James Howard "Fats" Brown, whose skill continues to overshadow him. Jesse muses that he would give ''anything'' to play Fats for one game and firmly prove that he is the best, even though Fats has been dead for 15 years.

Years later, the now-dead Jesse has wound up in Fats' former situation, routinely forced to travel from the afterlife back to Earth to be challenger by one opponent after another until someone beats him. Meanwhile, Fats has gone fishing, relieved of his burden of being the best.

* RelievedFailure: The episode ends with Jesse winning a hard-won game against the ghost of Fats and becoming the newest pool champion... and yet, Fats is smiling in relief. It turns out he'd long grown tired of having to defend his title from beyond the grave, though his professional dignity forbade him from just throwing matches. He genuinely needed someone to beat him fair and square, and Jesse simply obliged him. The epilogue reveals that Jesse is now trapped in the role of pool champion long after his death, while Fats is finally free to spend his afterlife doing other things like fishing.

It is after hours in Lister's Pool Room in Chicago, and pool shark Jesse Cardiff (Creator/JackKlugman) is alone and polishing his game. He considers himself the best pool player around, but is bitter over the memory of late pool legend James Howard "Fats" Brown continuing to overshadow him. Jesse muses he would give ''anything'' to play Fats for one game and prove he is the best, even though Fats has been dead for 15 years.

"At your service!" says a voice, seemingly from nowhere. Jesse turns around to find Fats himself (Creator/JonathanWinters) standing in the room with him. Fats has returned from the afterlife to answer Jesse's challenge and play one game against him. If Jesse wins, he'll become the greatest pool player ever; if he loses, he dies. Jesse accepts the wager.

As the game progresses, Fats criticizes Jesse for spending all his time on nothing but pool, commenting that he himself lived a full life. The game comes down to one ball that both men need to sink in order to win. Fats misses his shot, leaving Jesse with an easy approach to the pocket. Ignoring Fats' warning that he may get more than he bargained for, Jesse sinks the ball and wins. Fats thanks Jesse for beating him and vanishes, while Jesse angrily calls him a sore loser.

Years later, the now-dead Jesse has wound up in Fats' former situation, having to travel from the afterlife back to Earth and meet challenges by one opponent after another until someone beats him. Meanwhile, Fats has gone fishing since he doesn't have to put up with it anymore.

* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: Jesse bets his life against Fats' reputation as the greatest pool player ever.

** You may be the very best at what you do, but [[ThePerilsOfBeingTheBest the journey and challenges will never end.]]
** Also, spending your whole life perfecting one particular skill isn't worth it, even if you are the best.
** Work and hobbies shouldn't take complete control over your life: remember, TheWorldIsJustAwesome.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Jesse Cardiff is overshadowed by Fats Brown, but actually becomes this to Fats once he defeats him, as well as [[IronicHell the many other challengers waiting in his path]].

-->'''Fats:''' Now, I'm just a pool-player: there’s probably no less important thing on the face of the Earth. But mark this in your pocketbook: I'm the best. It's a proud thing to be the best at anything.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Jesse wishes to play Fats Brown for one game. He actually gets the chance, but at a price he may not like. Furthermore, even when he wins, as he's been wanting to, there are unexpected consequences. Lampshaded by Fats when it comes down to a final shot for Jesse to win the game:
-->'''Fats''': Wait a minute, Jesse. Before you shoot, think of this. Shoot that ball, and you may win more than what you bargained for.
* BadGuysPlayPool: Subverted. Neither Jesse nor Fats are "bad guys" but rather cocky and slightly arrogant pool sharks who are just playing to see who the best pool player is. The Game of Pool itself is 14:1/Straight Pool where you must announce the ball you want to sink and in which pocket. Straight Pool is considered the most popular game in the USA and has been popularized by movies like ''Film/TheHustler1961''.
* BittersweetEnding: Jesse has beaten Fats and become the greatest but is now destined to spend eternity defending his title until a new champion comes, while having nothing ''but'' the title to show for his life. Fats has lost the title but is now free to enjoy a much happier afterlife.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: After Fats leaves after Jesse beats him, Jesse asks the audience if they saw him win.

* CassandraTruth: Just before the final shot, Fats admits he hopes Jesse wins and warns him he'll get more than he bargained for if he does. Jesse doesn't heed either statement.
* ChekhovsSkill: An interesting variation. Fats's casual approach to pool and ability to enjoy life beyond the game are implied to have kept him from crossing the DespairEventHorizon in the afterlife--yes, he was unhappy being stuck with the title of champion, but he knew that other hobbies and pursuits were waiting for him if he ever lost. As such, he's seen cheerfully practicing his shots in Heaven and doesn't mind the summons to Earth. Jesse, by contrast, has ''nothing'' going for him besides pool, and is shown utterly broken in the final scene, not even bothering to practice: even if someone does eventually beat him, he'll have nothing else to do. As such, he's slumped over the heavenly pool table, miserable and exhausted, as the episode ends.
* CompetitionFreak: PlayedWith. While Jesse was obsessed about beating Fats Brown, he wasn't very keen on playing in a life-of-death game of pool. Nevertheless, Fats has bluntly called Jesse out on it:
-->'''Fats''': I take them as I find them. To you pool is not a nice, friendly game. It's a win at any price affair. I acted accordingly.
* CruelTwistEnding: After he dies, Jesse Cardiff has to spend his afterlife in an IronicHell. TheRemake/original script plays it differently: Cardiff loses but is still allowed to live, and Fats makes clear that Cardiff will be known (if he's actually known) as a second-rate has-been.
* CynicalMentor: Mixed with StealthMentor. Fats is Jesse's opponent in the game, but he does give Jesse warnings about how boring being a pool champion will become.

* DutchAngle: Two are used during tense moments in the pool game.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Fats Brown carried the pool legend title in the afterlife for years, and is finally free of his burden.
* {{Expy}}: Jesse is quite similar to Henry Bemis (Creator/BurgessMeredith) from "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS1E8TimeEnoughAtLast Time Enough at Last]]": both are obsessed with their hobbies (pool for Jesse and books for Henry) but the main difference is that Bemis just wants to be left alone and Jesse want to prove his worth as the best pool player.
* FridgeHorror: In one sentence, Fats says at Jesse's age, he would jump at the challenge which implies that Fats is older than Jesse. If Fats is still the same age when he died, how long has Jesse lived when we find him in the afterlife?
* FreudianExcuse: Jesse says he often had people lording their superiority at various things over him, which gave him a chip on his shoulder about being the best at something. He took to pool in part because he won the first time he ever played against someone.

** It's heavily implied that Fats is under one. He longs to be released from his role as history's greatest pool player, which can only happen if someone beats him in a game. But Fats can't ''deliberately'' lose--he has to be defeated fair and square, or it won't count. Ergo, he has to play to the best of his ability every time, regardless of how badly he wants to be free.
** In a smaller example, Fats also seems obligated to warn his opponents about the price of victory, though the warning is admittedly vague. When Jesse blows him off, Fats remarks "Sorry, I'm required to say that."
* GracefulLoser: Fats as he's finally free of having to defend his title.
* HumbleHero: Fats. He knows he's the best at pool there is and takes pride in that fact but he also doesn't let it go to his head too much or believe being a great pool player is anything more than it is, even saying "there's probably no less important thing on the face of the earth" and saying he always made time to enjoy life away from the game.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Jesse boasts of his skill at the game, but Fats points out that he's secretly afraid he isn't as good as he claims to be.
* IronicHell: Jesse defeats Fats and is the best pool player ever. Now he has to spend his afterlife defending his title. Fats implies at one point that it's ''because'' Jesse treats pool as a life or death, no-mercy competition to the point of sacrificing having a life outside the game.
* LetsGetDangerous: Jesse takes early command of the game, and seems to be wiping the floor with Fats. He even gloats to the bigger man as he racks up his point total. Then Fats whips out his cue, and, in about three shots, demonstrates exactly ''why'' he's the best pool player in history. Jesse can only stare in stunned silence as Fats evens the score without breaking a sweat.
* MinimalistCast: Aside from Rod Sterling himself, Jack Klugman and Jonathan Winters are the only actors seen on screen. An uncredited female actress has a brief voice over role in the two scenes set in the afterlife.
* MortonsFork: Jesse ends up trapped on one after he beats Fats and passes into the afterlife, where he's stuck defending his title as the best pool player ever for eternity. Every match he wins is just an extension of his current broken state, and he can't do anything beyond practice his shots. But even if Jesse does eventually lose, it's heavily implied that he'll then spend eternity just as unhappy: he never developed any interests or hobbies beyond pool, so he won't have anywhere to go or anything to do once he's free. Win or lose, he's going to be miserable.
* MundaneAfterlife: Jesse's afterlife will be spent defending his title until he's defeated, just as Fats had to. It's implied that, once he is, he'll be free to enjoy a much happier eternity as Fats is (though as he never developed any interests ''besides'' pool that's very much up for doubt).
* NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction: Part of the drawback of being champion. When you're the person trying to outdo the best, you have something to inspire you to keep trying. When you ''are'' the best, you have to continually defend the title against those who usually aren't up to your level and thus make the given task a tedious chore instead of fun. Having to keep doing it well after ''dying'' doesn't help, either.
* OnOneCondition: Fats Brown will play Jesse for ''one'' game, at the cost of Jesse's life.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Fats Brown comes down from the afterlife as soon as Jesse inadvertently challenges him to a pool game. Jesse beats Fats and, after he dies, he has to return to Earth every time that he is challenged, having become trapped in a kind of IronicHell.
* ThePerilsOfBeingTheBest: Fats describes being champion in these kinds of terms. He says being the best certainly brings satisfaction and provides others the challenge that inspires them, but he also says it's basically a job at this point. He also mentions having to continually weed out potential challengers. It's not until Jesse dies himself that he realizes what a burden it really is.

'''Fats''': Everyone needs a challenge, Jesse. Someone great out of the past to say, "Match what I've done, boy, and make it better." That's true in all walks of life.
* PosthumousCharacter: James Howard "Fats" Brown. Dead for fifteen years, but comes back from the dead to play Jesse.
* {{Pride}}: Fats says pool may be the least important thing on the planet, but it's still a proud thing to be the best at it or anything else, for that matter. He cites a race car driver and a bullfighter he knew of that risked their lives daily just to maintain their reputations as the best. Jesse even notes the things he gave up in order to be able to say he's the best at something.
* PyrrhicVictory: Jesse Cardiff beats Fats Brown and he's officially the best pool player ever. Now he has to spend all eternity defending that title, having done nothing else with his life.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Downplayed with Fats's repeated discussion with Jesse throughout the game. He points out that Jesse's obsession with being the best has completely consumed his life and made him a shell of a person, pointing out that he at least took the time to experience the other wonderful things about the world. It's somewhat harsh, but not cruel--Fats genuinely wants to help Jesse and seems legitimately concerned for him. Unfortunately, the other man shrugs it off as trash talk and [[IgnoredEpiphany doesn't listen]].

* RelievedFailure: The episode ends with Jesse Cardiff winning a hard-won game against the ghost of Fats Brown and becoming the new pool champion... and yet, Fats is smiling in relief. It turns out he'd grown tired of having to defend his title from beyond the grave, though his professional dignity forbade him from just throwing the match; he genuinely wanted someone to beat him fair and square, and Jesse has obliged him. The epilogue reveals that Jesse is now trapped in the role of pool champion long after his death, while Fats is finally free to spend his afterlife fishing.
* SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining: Jesse is so obsessed with being the best at pool that he's given up having a steady job, friends, and even sex. Fats calls him out on this, saying that even he didn't take a game so seriously.
* SecondPlaceIsForWinners: Played With. Being second place really isn't so bad when you don't have to spend eternity in an IronicHell. Fats Brown came out as the ''true'' winner of the two. The original script [[SecondPlaceIsForLosers inverts it]], though: Cardiff loses and Fats makes clear that Cardiff will pass into pool gamer history as a loser.
* SeriousBusiness: Deconstructed with Jesse and pool. He has devoted his entire life to getting better at the cost of everything else. Fats is shocked at just how much he's allowed his desire to be great take over his life and he tries to get Jesse to understand that there's more to life than the game but to no avail.
* ShadowArchetype: Jesse to Fats. Both focused their lives on pool and are driven to always win. However, Fats says that even he took time out to enjoy life; Jesse pushed everything out to be the best.

* TitleDrop: After Fats has insulted Jesse about his unwillingness to accept his challenge:

* ThrowingTheFight: Averted. Fats does want to lose, but he has to play to the best of his ability. Otherwise, it wouldn't count.
* {{Troll}}: Fats plays a prank by making noise when Jesse goes to shoot, making him miss. When Jesse calls him out, Fats claims that part of the fun is being a little bit trollish to opponents. It's another emphasis on their different approaches to pool: Fats, though extremely skilled, still realizes it's just a game and meant to be a good time, while Jesse looks at as life-and-death and thus takes no pleasure in it.
* VictoryIsBoring: Jesse is the best pool player ever so what does he get? Spending eternity defending his title against an endless series of challengers until he loses. It's solidified further by Fats' relief by losing and by Jesse's tired and exasperated expression at the end of the episode, as he is called to another pool room to face another challenger.
* WantingIsBetterThanHaving: Jesse's drive to be the best is what brought him joy. When he defeats Fats, he becomes bored and miserable.
* WrongGenreSavvy: Fats starts sweating, as Jesse is on the verge of winning. Jesse thinks it's because Fats is worried about losing his title, but you later realize it's because Fats is worried that Jesse won't actually win. Jesse also assumes that Fats's warnings about how he's wasted his whole life in a pool hall are a form of BreakingSpeech designed to throw him off his game. They're not--Fats is genuinely attempting to alert Jesse to what he's done and break his bad habits, not disturb his concentration.

* ChekhovsSkill: An interesting variation. Fats's casual approach to pool and ability to enjoy life beyond the game is implied to have kept him from crossing the DespairEventHorizon in the afterlife--yes, he was unhappy being stuck with the title of champion, but he knew that other hobbies and pursuits were waiting for him if he ever lost. As such, he's seen cheerfully practicing his shots in Heaven and doesn't mind the summons to Earth. Jesse, by contrast, has ''nothing'' going for him besides pool, and is shown utterly broken in the final scene, not even bothering to practice: even if someone does eventually beat him, he'll have nothing else to do. As such, he's slumped over the heavenly pool table, miserable and exhausted, as the episode ends.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor:
** Jesse wishes to play Fats Brown for one game. He actually gets the chance, but at a price he may not like.
** Lampshaded by Fats when it comes down to a final shot for Jesse to win the game:
--->'''Fats''': Wait a minute, Jesse. Before you shoot, think of this. Shoot that ball, and you may win more than what you bargained for.
* BadGuysPlayPool: Subverted. Neither Jesse nor Fats are "bad guys" but rather cocky and bit arrogant pool sharks who are just playing to see who is the best pool player. The Game of Pool itself is 14:1/Straight Pool where you must announce the ball you want to sink and in which pocket. Straight Pool is considered the most popular game in the USA and has been popularized by movies like ''Film/TheHustler1961''.

It is after hours in Lister's Pool Room in Chicago, and pool shark Jesse Cardiff (Jack Klugman) is alone and polishing his game. He considers himself the best pool player around, but is bitter over the memory of late pool legend James Howard "Fats" Brown continuing to overshadow him. Jesse muses he would give ''anything'' to play Fats for one game and prove he is the best, even though Fats has been dead for 15 years.

* BadGuysPlayPool: Subverted. Neither Jesse nor Fats are "bad guys" but rather cocky and bit arrogant pool sharks who are just playing to see who is the best pool player. The Game of Pool itself is 14:1/Straight Pool where you must announce the ball you want to sink and in which pocket. Straight Pool is considered the most popular game in the USA and has been popularized by movies like ''Film/TheHustler''.

It is after hours in Lister's Pool Room in Chicago, and pool shark Jesse Cardiff (Creator/JackKlugman) is alone and polishing his game. He considers himself the best pool player around, but is bitter over the memory of late pool legend James Howard "Fats" Brown continuing to overshadow him. Jesse muses he would give ''anything'' to play Fats for one game and prove he is the best, even though Fats has been dead for 15 years.

This episode was remade for ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'' with George Clayton Johnson's originally intended ending in which Jesse loses to Fats.

It is after hours in Lister's Pool Room in Chicago, and pool shark Jesse Cardiff (Creator/JackKlugman) is alone and polishing his game. He considers himself the best pool player around, but is bitter over the memory of late pool legend James Howard "Fats" Brown continuing to overshadow him. Jesse muses he would give ''anything'' to play Fats Brown for one game and prove he is the best, even though Fats has been dead for 15 years.

It is after hours in Lister's Pool Room in Chicago, and pool shark Jesse Cardiff (Creator/JackKlugman) is alone and polishing his game. He considers himself the best pool player around, but is bitter over the memory of late pool legend James Howard "Fats" Brown continuing to overshadow him. Jesse muses he would give ''anything'' to play Fats Brown for one game and prove he is the best...

"At your service" says a voice, seemingly from nowhere. Jesse Cardiff turns around to find Fats Brown himself (Creator/JonathanWinters) standing in the room with him.

Fats Brown, legendary pool player and dead for fifteen years, has returned from the afterlife to answer Jesse's challenge. He agrees to take on Jesse in a winner-take-on match but on one condition: If Jesse wins, he becomes the best pool player ever. If he loses, it means his life.

* MundaneAfterlife: Jesse's afterlife will be spent defending his title until he's defeated. It's implied that, once he is, he'll be free to enjoy a much happier eternity as Fats is (though as he never developed any interests ''besides'' pool that's very much up for doubt).

[[caption-width-right:350: What proceeds is an [[Theatre/TheOddCouple odd couple]] of games. Some [[Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld mad, mad, mad, mad]] games.]]

* TheChainsOfCommanding: Fats describes being champion in these kinds of terms. He says being the best certainly brings satisfaction and provides others the challenge that inspires them, but he also says it's basically a job at this point. He also mentions having to continually weed out potential challengers. It's not until Jesse dies himself that he realizes what a burden it really is.
-->'''Fats''': Someone has to keep the flame. Someone has to weed out those who haven't got what it takes. Y'see, the champions, the legends... they serve as a purpose, a challenge, an incentive.\\
'''Jesse''': I don't need a challenge!\\
'''Fats''': Everyone needs a challenge, Jesse. Someone great out of the past to say, "Match what I've done, boy, and make it better." That's true in all walks of life.

* CruelTwistEnding: After he dies, Jesse Cardiff has to spend his afterlife in an IronicHell. TheRemake/original script plays it differently: Cardiff loses and Fats makes clear that Cardiff will be known (if he's actually known) as a second-rate has-been.

* MinimalistCast: Jack Klugman and Jonathan Winters are the only actors seen on screen. An uncredited female actress has a brief voice over role in the two scenes set in the afterlife.