Lee Harvey Oswald is a minor antagonist in "Profile in Silver", the first segment of the 20th episode of the first season of the 1985-1989 iteration of The Twilight Zone, the episode airing in 1986. He is a fictionalized version of the infamous assassin and ex-marine who assassinated president John F. Kennedy on 11/22/1963.
The actor for Lee Harvey Oswald was uncredited.
Biography[]
Lee Harvey Oswald's life was presumably identical to his real-world counterpart, up until the day he sought to assassinate Kennedy. On 11/22/1963, as Kennedy's motorcade drove through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, Oswald positioned himself in the window of the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, giving him a clear sightline to the president. However, Joseph Fitzgerald, a time-traveling historian from 2172, and descendant of John F. Kennedy, had traveled to the scene to record the assassination. Overcome by the knowledge of what was going to happen, Fitzgerald looked at the Book Depository with his holographic recorder, which allowed him to zoom in, and saw Oswald take aim at Kennedy. With that, Fitzgerald screamed for Kennedy to get down, and the president heard him and listened, ducking down just in time, making Oswald miss his shot and several subsequent shots, Kennedy's car quickly driving to safety as the crowds scattered. Oswald himself was caught and arrested shortly after the failed assassination. President Kennedy thanked Fitzgerald by saying he will have Air Force One return him home, but before doing so it would be his honor to invite him to dinner with Mrs. Kennedy and spend a night in the Lincoln Bedroom. Kennedy notices a resemblance between Fitzgerald and himself, but dismisses it.
However, saving Kennedy caused massive damage to the time-stream, sending the timeline hurtling towards nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Shortly after his return to D.C., President Kennedy is informed the Soviets and East Germans are marching on West Germany. Kennedy does not believe Kruschev would be so bold, only to be told Kruschev died earlier that day, having been killed in a military coup. Fitzgerald privately uses his wrist computer to analyze what may happen, which will culminate in biological warfare that will cause crop failures and mass starvation in Europe at the least, and the Cold War getting hot at the worst. Either way, the 20th Century will conclude with many more deaths. The computer says the only way to rectify this: "The Kennedy presidency must end, as it did in the original timeline". Swallowing his pride, Fitzgerald admits this to Kennedy, as well as that he is 21st Century descendant, hence the earlier family resemblance remark. Fitzgerald's crazy story is backed up by a Secret Service agent who found a 1964 Kennedy half-dollar that had fallen out his pocket. The Secret Service agent at first dismissed it as a gewgaw as part of Kennedy's relection campaign, akin to people putting their own faces on Mount Rushmore, but metallugists confirmed it was genuine American money. As it is illegal to put living people on American money, Kennedy accepts this, albeit wryly remarking if he has become so successful the people wish to crown him a king.
With no other options, Fitzgerald had to fix the timeline by letting Kennedy die, but instead opted to send the alternate living Kennedy to 2172, going back to the time of the assassination himself and somehow fusing with Kennedy during the motorcade. As Kennedy, Fitzgerald did not duck, allowing Lee Harvey Oswald to shoot and kill him, restoring the timeline to its proper path.
In the restored timeline, Oswald then fled the scene of the assassination. After killing police officer J.D. Tippit, Oswald was later arrested at the Texas Theatre, but was shot to death two days later during a jail transfer by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby.
