Not vintage enough to be a throwback and not bold enough to be cutting-edge peak TV, CBS’s The Twilight Zone wades in sleepy ambivalence. Producer and narrator Jordan Peele, fresh off his horror hit Us, takes Rod Serling’s place and leads a star-studded cast in the reboot, but the show’s languid narratives and glib messaging get in its own way. This review encompasses the first two episodes of the new anthology, which are now streaming on CBS All Access. Minor spoilers ahead…

Us, writer and director Jordan Peele’s followup to 2017’s Oscar-winning Get Out, cements the filmmaker’s well-deserved reputation as horror’s “next big thing.” A whirlwind of humor, thrills, and creepy imagery, the film is a living denial of the sophomore slump, even if it never reaches the airtight highs of his debut. Along with cinematographer Mike Gioulakis (It Follows) and a tour de force cast, Peele supplies a gorgeously crafted narrative and bracing social commentary, but also falls short of true greatness with his penchant for hand-holding and blunt-force messaging. Mild spoilers ahead…