When a failed campaign manager gets an 11-year-old into the White House, everything looks like it’s going his way, but the young president has different ideas.

Sometimes The Twilight Zone disguises its allegory, and other times it’s so on the nose that it might as well have a flashing sign that shouts ‘See what we did here?’ suspended over the action. The Wunderkind falls into this latter category, as John Cho’s (Star Trek) Raff Hanks, political spin doctor, takes on the challenge of getting YouTube sensation Oliver Foley (Jacob Tremblay – The Predator) into the Oval Office. A brattish child as President, who overly relies on social media to throw his toys out of the pram? Yep, we know who you’re talking about here.

Make no mistake, Foley is a real brat. He isn’t just 11-year-old naughty, he acts like a petulant toddler, and all the way through we’re seeing a flashforward to Hanks about to undergo surgery. What is that all about? Foley, is to all intents and purposes a modern day Anthony Fremont from Rod Serling’s adaptation of Jerome Bixby’s It’s a Good Life, but instead of sending adults to the field, this little monster uses the all-reaching powers available to America’s Commander in Chief.

The final twist, while not expected, seems removed from the main story, and we have to rely on a mention of something from earlier in the episode to justify it. Does Hanks deserve his ultimate fate, and do we really believe that a child could become President (the Constitution requires you to be at least 35) because he’s a better option than the previous

Verdict: A satire with a very clear target, the sad reality is that US politics already feel like they’re in the Twilight Zone and that no further exaggeration is required. Not even a cautionary ‘what if?’ it feels like this already all too possible. I liked the mention of Whipple though (from original series episode The Brain Center at Whipples). 7/10

Nick Joy