Ask anyone about William Shatner and The Twilight Zone, and they'll immediately think of the "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" episode. Who could blame them? It's arguably the most famous episode of The Twilight Zone out there and Shatner's go-to calling card (if omitting Star Trek fare, of course). More than that, the episode has become a cultural touchstone—referenced in everything from The Simpsons to Airplane!. But Shatner's best work in Rod Serling's anthology came earlier.

"Nick of Time" aired in 1960. It's a quieter episode than "Nightmare" is, less of a thrill ride and more in The Twilight Zone subcategory of contemplative, speculative sci-fi. Coming four years before Shatner took command of the Enterprise and three years before the better-known Shatner-headlining Twilight Zone episode, it's easy to see why the episode has been overlooked. But what it offers — slow-building dread, a study of how hard it is to surrender to one's own agency over superstition and blind faith—is whole and hearty. It's Shatner at his most restrained and human, all qualities that would later be overshadowed by his more famous roles, but indicative of the Hollywood legend's range.