The Twilight Zone 2019 #3 "Replay"

In "Replay" Sanaa Lathan (Nina) and Damson Idris (Dorian) are a mother and son who are repeatedly harassed by a racist cop (Glenn Fleshler). Nina is driving Damson to college for freshman orientation and discovers her old camcorder can turn back time. "Replay" is in the tradition of Rod Serling who never shied away from controversial topics, in this case racial profiling and the abuse of power from law enforcement.

The episode begins in a typical American diner on a lonely highway. Nina feels apprehension about Dorian starting college so she's documenting every part of the trip. Alienated from her family for unspecified reasons, she passes up on an opportunity visit her estranged brother Neil (Steve Harris). In the diner an ominous cop appears to be eyeing them, reminiscent of the policeman tracking Janet Leigh in Psycho. 

On their first encounter the officer pulls them over and immediately gets belligerent and things don't end well. Nina accidentally hits the rewind button on the camcorder and she's back at the diner. What follows is a variation on the Groundhog Day situation of knowing what's coming and changing your actions to avoid negative outcomes.

Fleshler plays the stock villain of trump era to a tee: the aggrieved middle aged white man who feels emboldened to harass and even hurt groups he resents. You imagine him stocking on ammo and consuming a steady diet of Fox News and trump tweets. In one of the scenarios Nina attempts to make a human connection with him to absolutely no avail. As Nina tries to decipher way out of her deadly time loop, she must confront her own past.

An understated episode with some quiet and powerful moments, "Replay" taps into the more hopeful side of The Twilight Zone.