Annie Mitchell (The Twilight Zone)

**Annie Mitchell** (Gillian Jacobs) is the plot-twist main villainess from *The Twilight Zone*'s second season opener, "Meet in the Middle" (airdate June 25, 2020).

## Introduction

Annie Mitchell was introduced as a voice in the mind of main protagonist Phillip Hayes, with Annie speaking to Phil and calling out to him during a blind date in the episode's opening. Phil later began talking to Annie in his mind, which led to Phil seeing his therapist on the following day and detailing his experience. The therapist's advice was drowned out by Annie, who engaged in small talk with Phil and stated that neither of their shrinks know what they're talking about, after which Phil suddenly walked out of the middle of his session.

As the episode progressed, Phil and Annie continued their mental conversations, almost like they were dating, with Phil wanting to get to know more about Annie. At that point, however, Annie ended their conversation; though Phil decided to do an online search for Annie, which led him to discover that Annie was actually married. After Phil confronted Annie about his discovery, Annie stated that things were "complicated" and that her marriage wasn't a happy one.

Phil became despondent when he hadn't heard from Annie in a long while, but during another blind date, Annie resurfaced, leaving Phil immensely elated. Annie stated that she was done in her marriage and wanted her life to begin, adding that it couldn't happen without Phil. The pair agreed to "meet in the middle"; a meeting at the midpoint of their hometowns, after which Phil got dressed and got on a train, with a bouquet of flowers. However, Annie began screaming in distress, as she was being attacked by a mysterious assailant.

## Climax/Heel Turn

   After Phil got off the train, he continued to call to Annie, who gave him clues and directions to where she was. With Annie's help, Phil arrived at a house in the woods and knocked on the door, after which a man appeared and responded to Phil's questions about Annie by threatening to call the police. Phil asked Annie if her abductor had a beard, and after Annie stated that he did and had a plaid shirt, Phil entered and beat up the man while demanding to know Annie's whereabouts. After spotting a candlestick holder, Phil bludgeoned the man to death with the object, but later on, he was encountered by Audra, who was revealed as the man's daughter.

It was during this point that Annie finally made a physical appearance and expressed bewilderment over seeing Phil, as well as apparent shock over seeing her husband's body. She ignored Phil's statements about their connection to each other by wielding a spatula and stating that she didn't know Phil, and afterwards, police appeared, with Annie informing them that Phil broke into their house and killed her husband. Phil was handcuffed and arrested, and as he sat in the back of the police car, he realized that his therapist was right and that he heard voices, which led him to travel halfway across the country and kill a man for a woman who apparently didn't know him.

However, Annie turned heel while speaking psychically to Phil after his breakdown, doing so by revealing that she arranged her husband's murder--using Phil to do so. The manipulative villainess stated that she had waited for "this day" for a long time and thanked Phil, referring to him as her "escape hatch" and her life can begin again because of Phil, who denounced Annie as a monster who lied to him, In response, the evil Annie informed Phil that she told him what he wanted to hear and that he was willing to kill for it, adding that she told him that he had a purpose. The villainess said her goodbye to Phil, and while cradling Audra in her arms, Annie gave an evil and deranged gaze, establishing her sinister demeanor.

## Trivia

* Gillian Jacobs also appeared as the evil Sadie in *Visions*, as well as villainess Becky Bunker on *Angie Tribeca*.