The Twilight Zone: From Agnes With Love

Work Title: The Twilight Zone: From Agnes With Love
Medium: TV Episode
Episode Title: From Agnes With Love
Year: 1964
Writer(s): Bernard C. Shoenfeld
"Original" Writer: Yes Writer(s): Rod Serling
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

from imdb.com Author: Christopher Mulrooney from Los Angeles *** This comment may contain spoilers *** "The world's most advanced electronic computer" is called Agnes. It drives to the brink of madness a programmer named Fred. "Probably her subroutines need debugging," says his replacement, James Ellwood, who loves a secretary named Millie. Agnes engineers his courtship into disaster, because Agnes loves Ellwood. Millie is introduced to an "inferior male type" named Walter, who replaces Ellwood driven to the brink of madness.

  • Self-Written?:
  • Source Name: IMDB
  • Source URL:
Era/Year of Portrayal: present_day
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

Present Day 1964.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: Agnes
  • Description of the technology: Agnes is an extremely advanced computer - for 1964. She is about 10 feet across and 10 feet high, and her depth is unknown. Agnes is stationary. She has sort of a face: two TV screens where eyes would be, and a rectangular mouth with two doors that open, revealing her printed words - responses to questions. The user interacts with Agnes by asking questions and receiving answers. She can hear but not speak orally. At first, she merely answers math questions, but then offers love advice. She foils Jim's pursuit of Milly and then reveals she did it becuase she loves Jim. She is devious, jealous, and emotional.
  • Nature of task or activity: In a work context - conducting computations and then giving advice.
  • Performance of the Technology: Works well, until ruins Jim's love life.
  • Description of creator(s): unknown - but probably the corporation Jim and Milly work for.
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): to advance technology, increase knowledge.
  • Description of users of technology: All white, male, scientists wearing white lab coats.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: social_presence
  • Description of presence experience: At first, only a work experience. Then, Agnes gives seemingly good advice about dating, making it a pleasanr presence experience. However, she then gives bad advice because she loves Jim, making the experience unpleasant. She becomes very emotional, proclaiming her love, to which Jim reacts badly.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: yes.
  • Valence of experience: first pleasant and then unpleasant.
  • Specific responses: distorted memory and social judgments, more intense parasocial relationships, anger, confusion.
Long-term consequences:

Jim has an emotional meltdown when Agnes reveals her love - he cannot work with her anymore. She gets a new scientist to fall in love with, while Jim must interact with humans.

Other:

Coder name: Amanda Scheiner
Coder email: amandags@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University