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We Found Blurryman in Every Episode of Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone
Here are the sightings you probably missed
[Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Twilight Zone's season finale, "Blurryman."]
The first season finale of Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone reboot has arrived on CBS All Access, and it's a meta surprise that features a basket full of new Easter eggs and a lot of fun payoff for viewers of the first nine episodes.
"Blurryman" centers on a woman named Sophie (Zazie Beetz), whose personal and professional interests have aligned in a major way: She's writing the newest episode of Peele's Twilight Zone reboot. Her obsession with the series dates back to her childhood, when her father argued it was a hindrance to her socialization and even to her grip on reality. As production progresses on her episode and she's made to rewrite Peele's monologue on the fly, Sophie sinks deeper and deeper into her very own Twilight Zone.
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In the process, she discovers that a mysterious blurry figure has been lurking in the background of scenes from earlier episodes. When we find out who the Blurryman really is -- none other than a CGI version of original Twilight Zone creator and host Rod Serling -- it's clear why his presence looms in those installments.
The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 10: "Blurryman"
Robert Falconer/CBS
After Sophie and audiences were treated to visions of Blurryman throughout the season, we decided to hunt down those scenes ourselves and see if we could spot the guy. And lo, just as Sophie's friend in the finale said, "Once you notice it, you can't unnotice it."
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Of course, this figure does look a bit different in each of these episodes -- instead of a ghostly apparition, he appears as a suit-adorned man whose face (which admittedly doesn't look much like Serling's) is never fully in view. But in spirit, this is definitely Blurryman. Here's a closer look at how The Twilight Zone managed to slip its biggest Easter egg of all right under audiences' noses in every episode of the season.
1. "The Comedian"
In the first episode, Blurling appears behind Samir (Kumail Nanjiani) outside Eddie's Comedy Club after his nephew goes missing as a result of his set. Unlike in "Blurryman," this figure is crisp and clear, even if we can't see his face.
Blurryman in The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 1: "The Comedian"
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2. "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet"
In the second episode, we spotted our suit-sporting Easter egg at the newsstand behind Justin (Adam Scott) in the airport, just before his fateful trip on Flight 1015 (a recurring number we still haven't been able to decipher the exact significance of). As with the prior appearance, his face is not discernible, but he isn't a smoky monster like the one Sophie sees in her visions from "Blurryman," either.
Blurryman in The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 2: "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet"
CBS All Access3. "Replay"
The third episode actually zooms in on this figure for a spell, and we see him standing still and holding up a cigarette, posing just as Rod Serling often did. The moment happens when Nina (Sanaa Lathan) and Dorian (Damson Idris) finally reach the safety of Dorian's college campus, and upon review, he certainly does stick out from the younger crowd here.
Blurryman in The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 3: "Replay"
CBS All Access4. "A Traveler"
We also see this Blurryman figure in the quirky holiday-themed alien invasion episode, hanging out in the background of the party crowd as A. Traveler (Steven Yeun) treats everyone to a Christmas karaoke melody. Unlike the others, he doesn't seem to be socializing or dancing along, but we don't get a close enough look at him to know for sure.
Blurryman in The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 4: "A Traveler"
CBS All Access5. "Wunderkind"
The show comes closest to revealing his face in its fifth episode. When he's spotted among campaign workers who are busy organizing posters for Oliver Foley (Jacob Tremblay), almost half of his face can be see in the background. It's a less ominous presence than some of Blurryman's other cameos, but it still matches the images Sophie saw on the broken screens in the finale.
Blurryman in The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 5: "The Wunderkind"
CBS All Access6. "Six Degrees of Freedom"
The figure can also be spotted just a touch out of focus in Alexa's (DeWanda Wise) graduation picture during a sentimental scene onboard their spacecraft. As with the other appearances, he's concealed enough by the magic of photography to keep us from getting a clean look at his face.
Blurryman in The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 6: "Six Degrees of Freedom"
CBS All Access7. "Not All Men"
It takes a lot of pausing and squinting, but BlurrySterling can also be spotted in the crowd of men roaming the street in Episode 7. Unlike the rest of the men, who've been consumed by their rage, he maintains a stoic and nonviolent pose amid all the mayhem as he watches the fracas by the lamppost.
Blurryman in The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 7: "Not All Men"
CBS All Access8. "Point of Origin"
He's also spotted on the move in the eighth installment as he pushes past Eve (Ginnifer Goodwin) at the grocery store, just as things are starting to go badly for her. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, but he's there all right.
Blurryman in The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 8: "Point of Origin"
CBS All Access9. "The Blue Scorpion"
The last appearance by Blurryman ahead of the finale is in the ninth episode, as Jeff (Chris O'Dowd) walks through the hall of his university, newly infatuated with his father's strange weapon. Even getting a simple screen grab of him in motion is difficult, so in this instance, he really is a blurry man.
Blurryman in The Twilight Zone Season 1, Episode 9: "The Blue Scorpion"
CBS All AccessClearly, Peele was playing the long game when it came to this intricate tribute to Serling, and it paid off in a big way in "Blurryman." Now we'll know who to look for when Season 2 comes along.
All 10 episodes of The Twilight Zone Season 1 are now available for streaming on CBS All Access.
(Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of CBS Corporation.)
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Robert Falconer, CBS