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Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. McCoy(DeForest Kelley) accompany a Federation ambassador (Elinor Donahue ofFather Knows Best) aboard a shuttle bound for a rendezvous with theEnterprise. The ambassador, Commissioner Nancy Hedford, needs to betreated for possible contact with an alien disease, and she haughtily insiststhat her escorts get through this interruption in her work as quickly aspossible. But a vaporous, translucent life form called "the Companion" has otherideas, traveling across space in search of humans who can ease the loneliness ofa pilot (Glenn Corbett) marooned on a barren planet for more than a century.Kirk, however, offers the stranded man an alternative: a return tocivilization. Whether he wants it is another matter--he and theCompanion share an extraordinary intimacy of the mind and heart. A kind ofchamber drama largely set in a single locale, "Metamorphosis" was written by series producer Gene L. Coon and directed by frequent Trek helmsmanRalph Senensky. Guest stars Corbett and Donahue are a bit monotonous in their performances, a little under par for a guest shot on the series. ButCoon's story compensates with another fascinating application of one of his petthemes: empathy shared between different species. Kirk and Spock's knowinglooks, as they begin to understand the Companion's true feelings for hercaptive man, by themselves make this episode worth watching. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Four stars, largely for its originality
Metamorphosis, a romance involving a castaway and his non-corporeal companion, brought a new feel to Star Trek. The episode is unusual in the attention it devotes to the love story, the secondary role played by the regular cast members (none of the stars 'gets the girl', and we don't even see the Enterprise until the episode is half over), and the general bright and positive tone (thanks in large part to Steiner's musical score). There is no denying that this episode suffers for being so short on action; if the dialogue were a bit cheesier, and the overall tone colder and more pessimistic, it would belong entirely in season 3. But the tone is not cold, and the characters have both personalities and agendas. As a result the episode stands nicely on it's own as a unique, albeit slow, episode.

Not only is this episode thoughtful, but it explores emotions in a way rarely seen on TV. The viewer is challenged to consider among other things:
1)how extended loneliness would feel

2)The relationship between physical and platonic love
3)Possible drawbacks to immortality

Particularly interesting was Cochrane's initial emotional response to learning that another species--the companion--loved him. Subtle blends of denial, shame, and snesitivity which by its intensity belied his own feelings for the companion.

Unfortunately, the episode is ultimately diminished by one of the original Trek's true achilles heels: sexism, and a lack of strong female characters. Donahue's character is initially cold and shrewlike, presumably because she is so career oriented and doesn't have a man. By contrast, her emotional awakening as she approaches death is more plausible, since we can imagine anyone who has never (been) loved feeling that way. What is most egregious is the idea that her becoming a lover for Cochrane is somehow more important than her diplomatic work, since the assumption is that anyone could have done the work as well as her. Please.

Still, the episode has enough going for it, particularly in th eoriginality department, to be a solid '4'.

The Companion loves Zefram Cochrane and brings him a shuttle
Kirk, Spock and McCoy are on the shuttle Galileo, which is transporting Assistant Federation Commissioner Nancy Hedford back to the Enterprise. Hedford suffers from a rare and fatal disease, so when an energy cloud forces the shuttle to land on a strange planet, this is not good. But on the planet they discover Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of the warp drive, who has been living there for 150 years, kept there by the "Companion," which is what he calls the energy cloud. Obviously the Companion cares for Cochrane, which is why when he insisted he was going to die from loneliness it brought the shuttle. Actually, "Metamorphosis" turns out to be one of the better love Star Trek love stories, benefiting from the sort of happy ending that is denied any of the regular characters. There might be some sort ethical problems with hijacking Hedford's body, but, hey, she was dying anyhow, so this is a win-win situation! Do not try to reconcile this Zefram Cochrane with the one who pops up in the "First Contact" Star Trek movie, just enjoy this one. However, this is one of those episodes where you have to wonder why the Enterprise's three senior officers are out tooling around the galaxy in a shuttle. They must really trust Scotty with that ship.

good idea episode
I really like these episodes that are 'idea' center'd rather than action oriented. Star Trek has used the intelligent cloud concept many times over scince this episode but I appreciate it when they give us non-anthropomorphic aliens. I also enjoyed the peek into Trek history that having Zephram Cochran marooned on the planetoid gave us. What does it mean when they say he's from Alpha Century though? Did he move there after he discovered warp drive? He's not an anthropomorphic alien himself,or is he? I have always thought the ending was kind of creepy. TOS offers an embarassment of riches when it come's to sexism

Good episode of the classic Trek
I don't see why a lot of people didn't like the "Metamorphosis" episode of Star Trek because I thought it was pretty good. A man that is a well known explorer is stranded on a planet along with a cloud-like being that keeps him young and healthy by floating over him and 'talking' to him. Kirk and the crew must do something to get off the planet while they try to find out more about the classic explorer and this mysterious being.

If you like the original series of Star Trek, I recommend getting this episode. It'll keep you interested and it has some good effects. It's not one of the more action packed episodes, but that doesn't mean that it's not any good.

Good episode
Kirk, Spock, and Bones are on a cool looking planet where they find a human inhabitant and a strange form of electricity. The man goes on to tell them that he was brought to the planet about 150 years ago and that the form of electricity is his companion. The alien being makes him immortal and he can relax and meditate and the being will come over him and he can 'talk' to it. However, Kirk must find a way to get his shuttle working again so he can get himself and the others off the planet.

"Metamorphosis" is a good episode and I recommend any Star Trek fan to get it. I was surprised when I saw how it ended. It's not an action packed episode, but it is interesting. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Recommended for its breakthrough casting
While the story isn't one of the series' best, the casting of Diana Sands and Henry Silva was revolutionary for its time. Sands, an African-American classically trained actress, and Silva, an actor known for playing a variety of "ethnic types", were able to enrich a television landscape that, at the time, was mostly devoid of "color". The parts that they played were not stereotypical and could've easily been portrayed by more "mainstream" performers.

Thankfully, the producers of "The Outer Limits" looked beyond the outward appearance and hired two actors that brought depth and pathos to their respective roles.

"The Mice" belongs in a time capsule of television taking a chance...and succeeding.

Jello On Legs
Henry Silva and Diana Sands are the only reasons to watch this thinly-spread sandwich. This is one of those OL stories that would have been fine, if it had more time to develop during the writing phase, a better budget, and a better monster. But...it didn't.

Actually, The Mice is great until the arrival of the gloppy alien. The first acts are well-written and interesting, suspenseful and a little unsettling. The story idea itself is wonderful. It just doesn't hold together over the space of the hour - any more than its far-too-much-seen Jello Monster. The entire last act is so padded with repeat viewings of the same stock footage chase sequence, and unnecessary and illogical fights and killings - not to mention a pretty crummy musical score - that you'll kill the time waiting for something pertinent to happen by seeking the zipper on the monster suit.

Silva is wonderful, however, but then he always is. And Diana Sands is rather compelling.

An Excellant episode
The Outer Limits: The Mice is one of the best acted and best written episodes I've ever seen of this series. Henry Silva gives a 5-star performance as Chino Rivera, the convict who chooses to participate in this "Alien-Exchange Progam", and plays the part of the manipulative yet sympathetic criminal with great realism. Diana Sands is excellant as a sympathetic scientist trying to help Siva's charachter, and the Chromoite is one of the coolest aliens ever to grace The Outer Limits. And the end message is as stunning as it is simplistic... all they had to do was ask for help.
A definate must buy for Sci-Fi fans.

The Human Guinea Pig
"In dreams, some of us walk the stars. In dreams, some of us ride the whelming brine of space, where every port is a shining one, and none are beyond our reach. Some of us, in dreams, cannot reach beyond the walls of our own little sleep." In a prison, a murderer volunteers for a dangerous experiment. An alien scientist from planet Chromo is teleported on Earth and soon the convict will be sent out there. Forget the storyline and focus on the characters. Henry Silva, from "Tourist Attraction", is jumpy Chino Rivera, for instance : in the scene where Chino, scared to death by the Chromoite, runs in a hurry. We can see a long dolly shot made with a hand-held camera and we can hear a military music to emphasize the tension. Michael Higgins is dead-serious scientist Dr. Thomas Kellander : especially, after the alien's very violent murder in the lake, he speaks of Chino to Julia while watching a shoe : "A disease that walks like a man...". Diane Sands is frightened Dr. Julia Harrison (and a small part by Dabney Coleman). I like the friendly dialogues between Julia and Chino, when they talk about Chromo's food : "I'd better bring a couple of hero sandwiches with me." And when they talk about the horror of the Chromoite : "Everybody looks like a monster to somebody." The cinematography is dark and effective due to Conrad Hall's tough hand held camera shots. One of the best chiaroscuro shot is when Chino is reading near the mice' cages. The very science-fiction music blends with O.B.I.T.'s haunting sound effects is okay. The Chromoite alien is evil (in the teleportation scene when it turns insane and agressive and destroys everything) and repulsive-enough (the way it eats) to watch the show. This monster is re-used, in part, later, for The Guests. One more thing, I like Robert Johnson's distorted Chromo transmission voice ("Transmission point Chromo. Subject stable. Sequence commences. Initiate systems... Transmission accomplishes.") A "who is really the killer ?" episode with great artistry and a fast-paced/action-packed orientation, directed by "The Mutant" Alan Crosland, Jr. and written by Joseph Stefano. "Hunger, frightens and hurts, and it has many faces, and every man must sometimes face the terror of one of them. Wouldn't it seem that a misery known and understood by all men would lead Man not to deception and murder, but to faith, and hope, and love ?"

I enjoyed this video primarily because of Henry Silva.
"The Outer Limits: The Mice," starring Henry Silva and Diana Sands, 1963. I bought this video because I have had a life-long "crush" on Henry Silva. I think he is one of the best actors in the world, and in this video, one can see he really loves acting. He has fun with his roles. Consider that this was made in 1963 and have fun with it. Mr. Silva plays convict Chino Rivera who exchanges his "life in prison" sentence to be a guinea pig for a scientific experiment which is an exchange of inhabitants between earth and a planet named Chromo. The "alien" (Chromoite, who is one hungry dude!) will make you laugh, so remember it's T. V. and it's 1963! And is he REALLY a "bad guy" in this episode? Watch and see! For those of you who think of Henry Silva as a "character actor who plays bad guys," you can see by his acting in this role that he can play anything. I enjoyed watching his every move. Of course, I think he's gorgeous! ... Read more

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This, the final episode of the original Star Trek series, is a doozy. Dr. Janice Lester, scientist and ex-flame of Captain Kirk, uses alien technology to switch bodies with him. As Kirk fights to regain control of his body and the Enterprise, the ship's officers must choose between going along with the increasingly erratic behavior of "Kirk" or risking mutiny. Setting aside Trek's rather quaint view of feminism--Lester's ambitions are tied to a hatred of her own womanhood--the episode is a corker to watch. Tension builds well as the officers try to figure out how to ally themselves, and William Shatner clearly has a good time playing a woman in his own body, enjoying his manly physique and casually filing his nails as he discusses policy with Spock. Although this episode has often been ridiculed by hardcore Trekkers, it provides a fitting end to a great series. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (10)

This last episdode couldn't be much better
Without a doubt, William Shatner does one of his best acting jobs in "Turnabout Intruder." It's about a woman who is jealous of all the power that Captain Kirk has over the ship because she has always wanted that kind of power. She wants to be able to give people a command and for them to do it. She forces Kirk into a machine that doesn't exchange their personal appearance, but that changes their minds. So, the woman is herself in Kirk's body, and Kirk is himself in her body. Of course, she gains control of the ship and tells the rest of the crew what to do. The first thing she does is to get her doctor to replace Dr. McCoy so Captain Kirk won't be able to talk to Dr. McCoy about it. Eventually, Spock and the others notice that Captain Kirk might not be Captain Kirk when he starts giving strange orders and starts being real arrogant.

"Turnabout Intruder" is definitely one of the top 10 episodes of the orginal and best Star Trek. William Shatner gives an unforgettable performance acting like he's the woman, and so does the woman while she pretends to be the real captain. Star Trek's last episode couldn't have been much better. If you like Star Trek, this is one episode you can't miss.

Last is not the best
In this, the 79th, and concluding, episode of the Classic Star Trek series, Kirk is forced into transferring personalities with Janice Lester, a woman who has always dreamed of being a Starship Captain, but could not make the grade.

And it's easy to see why the grade was never made. Lester is very petty and cruel, and cannot handle the reins of power at all. It doesn't take long for the crew to realize that something is very wrong with their Captain and fight to take the ship back.

But the most awful part of this episode is the acting. Shatner is at his absolute "best" at over emoting in this one, even taking the time to adopt a foppish girlish walk and filing his nails. It's a miracle the almost erotic scenes of Kirk (while having Janice's personality) and Lester's boyfriend got by the NBC censors in 1968. The scene where Kirk is forced into the personality transfer machine is almost laughable, because Kirk should have been able to overpower Lester without any trouble. He's fought with Klingons hand-to-hand - and this woman succeeds where many far more powerful opponents fail? Hah!

A really good story of transferral of personality was almost totally ruined by the acting.

My score - 5 out of a possible 10 (the slightly higher grade due to the fact that it's still "Classic" trek).

Curtain call
Star Trek closed with one of its oddest offerings, in which an old flame switches bodies with Captain Kirk. In no other episode is there such a palpable sense of detachment from the material. This detachment is presumably attributable both to the episode's dubious content and the knowledge that the show would not be renewed. The basic premise is interesting enough and the effects during the transfer are cool, but the episode quickly runs into trouble. First off, the episode is very sexist even by the standards of the day. Lester's character is an amalgamation of stereotypes including:
1) the scorned lover, who made too much out of a fling, 2) the woman unable to 'face the reality' that she wasn't 'cut out' for command of a starship, and 3) the sadistic, murderous woman who will stop at nothing to preserve her deluded sense of reality. These stereotypes are obviously all very pernicious, and this is one case where Shatner's acting (which I too generally find solid) didn't help matters any. Odds are he was told to play the part this way, but it's still enough to make you cringe. Not to mention his scenes with the hapless Harry Landers; did he think about what he was signing on for beforehand? Smith on the other hand is decent enough, but it isn't enough to lift the episode through the tedious court room proceedings.

Tidbit: NBC didn't finally get around to airing this episode until June of 1969, more than 2 months after the penultimate 'All Our Yesterdays' had aired.

Lester lets her temper fester
The last episode of Star Trek. And what a sour note to go out on. It does not portray the ambitions of Janice Lester in a positive light. We know she doesn't have the temperament to be a captain. The writers seem to think a woman commander is out of the question. You might notice that there were no women Captains in the original series.

Well, in this one a jealous Lester switches bodies with Captain Kirk. When the crew notice he's acting strangely they attempt to remove him from command. While it was implausible at best; it was fun to see the revolt against Kirk. Something the actors might have wanted to do in real life. Because Shatner did not treat his fellow cast members well if they were not part of the Kirk, Spock, McCoy team.

Janet Lester takes over Jim Kirk's body and the Enterprise
The irony of the final episode of the original Star Trek series is that after all that for the first time someone other than William Shatner got to play Captain Kirk. On Camus II Kirk runs into Dr. Janice Lester, who is supposedly very sick. But when the two are alone together, Lester springs up and activates an alien machine, which places the essence of each person in the other person's body. It turns out Lester dreamed of being a starship captain but could not cut it and has been jealous of Starfleet's fair-haired boy ever since. Now Lester has the captain's chair, but from the first the crew is rather suspicious. Shatner has played Kirk possessed by alien intelligence before, not to mention with his personality split in half, and this time around he gets to play Kirk possessed by an angry woman. It is one of Shatner's finer moments as an actor on the series, but Sandra Smith's performance as Lester, and as Lester with Kirk's essence, is equally as solid. These performances are what elevates this episode above the gaping holes in the script. "Lester" proves she is unfit to command as she quickly jumps off the deep end as "her" behavior becomes more and more bizarre. I also like the fact that the crew is quick on the uptake when the captain starts acting a bit strange. In a lot of episodes like this it takes forever for them to catch on, but that is not the case here. I do not think "Turnabout Intruder" is a great episode and since the series was hoping, in vain, to be renewed for a fourth season, the fact it was last is an undue burden. I think it is clearly an above average episode. ... Read more

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When you hear the whip crack, you know you can settle down for some real cowboy fun. The Premiere Episode of Rawhide features a youthful Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates, a hand on the cattle drives run by trail boss Gil Favor and his crew of drovers. "Incident of the Tumbleweed Wagon" presents a classic story of miscarried justice and high tension as a load of prisoners wound their captors in an escape attempt, and make trouble for Favor and Yates as our heroes try to herd the criminals to justice--with a band of bad-guy rescuers on their trail. Including a range of characters and interactions that we don't see on television any more, the story unfolds, and we see most get what they deserve. Eastwood's star appeal is obvious even at this young age; it's clear from the beginning that he's destined for greatness. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Rawhide: one of the best television series ever made!
as for this episode it is a classic. The series is outstanding and Eric Fleming was the star of that show. I agree with some of the reviews from 'Curse of the Undead' (an Eric Fleming movie)that, had he lived (he died in an unfortunate accident shortly after the Rawhide years) he probably would have been as big a star as John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. Here is more taken from another source
....Rawhide, considered to be the best written and best directed Western on television....For seven seasons, Fleming portrayed an honest, independent, strong, intelligent, and heroic cowboy in the tradition of the American West. He embodied the mythic hero whose sense of justice and morality overrode all other considerations. Fleming's presence as Favor was so dominant that it centered the entire show and provided the base around which all the other characters revolved.
... capable of admitting mistakes, enduring the consequences, and realizing his limitations. In four episodes featuring Favor's interactions with children (Incident of the Fish Out of Water, The Boss's Daughters, Incident of the Hostages, and El Hombre Bravo), his warmth, sensitivity, and overt compassion are particularly evident, adding depth, realism, and a gentleness to the character. The series was mostly shot in Nogales, Arizona and the authenticity of the trail drive was staggering - enough to win The Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame four years in a row. The award named Rawhide the outstanding program of its genre for excellence in depicting the West.
...and remained in the top twenty programs through 1962 in America, was number one in Japan and popular throughout Europe

Rawhide was, and still is, a great series!
It's easy to overlook the Rawhide series when television only advertises current movies and comedy series (in color, easily accesible), however, if you do your detective work, and watch a Rawhide episode, you'll find the stories ring truer than todays nonsense because these guys are out on the trail running into all kinds of interesting stuff. Don't let the black and white dissuade you!
The Rawhide fellas come across a tumbleweed wagon - a prison on wheels. And who should be in the wagon... thieves, murderers and...a doll! (doll - a lady- come on! back then all the beautifull women were refered to as dolls!)Many of the men are smitten, even a very young Eastwood. But look out... this one's a wildcat! To tell any more would spoil the fun, so check it out..
A young Eastwood is the main attraction of the series, but everyone else has a lot of character, too, and they're all great.

proof of the golden days of t.v. westerns and clint eastwood
You must remember this is not from a P.C. era,but young viewers will get good insight into Westerns of the period and why Clint Eastwood is an icon. Good solid tale of the era of the trail drives up the Chissum and Goodnight trail and the bosses and drovers who's job it was to get them to market. Eric Fleming,a little over the top as trail boss Gil Favor and a rather underplayed,Rowdy Yates,that made clint Eastwood Famous. Two bits of Trivia,There was a Mexican drover later in the series name Jesus,but even though they were not politically correct they were certainly things you did not mess with,so in the credits it was spelled phoneticlly(Haysoos). Plus Paul Brenegar's,who played wishbone the cook,played for his last role in films,the fagile old stage driver who died from exhursion on the trip, in the movie Maverick with Mel Gibson and James Garner. Paul Died in real life shortly after the Films release. I think you will enjoy this Adverture of Rawhide. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the courtroom drama "Court Martial," Captain Kirk (William Shatner) stands trial for negligence in the death of an Enterprise crewman. As the proceedings rumble on, Spock investigates some hidden truths about the dead man and the apparent computer malfunction that led to the tragedy. While "Court Martial" is a lesser episode from the Star Trek canon (the action is a bit mired in trial proceedings), it's still a lot of fun and features a supporting role from veteran Hollywood character actor Elisha Cook Jr. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An interesting look at Starfleet justice
Having already seen the need for a judicial system in previous episodes Trek fans get a real eyeful here. In "Mudd's Women" Kirk brings charges against Harry Mudd and assigns Spock to him as a sort of public defender; Spock faces his own court martial in the two-part "The Menagerie"; and in "Dagger Of The Mind" the Enterprise visits a penal colony. The court martial Spock faced was a makeshift effort that he actually manipulated himself, but in "Court Martial" Kirk faces a very real and compulsory hearing to determine his negligence in the death of a crewman, the Enterprise's records officer Lt. Commander Ben Finney.

During a vicious ion storm Lt. Finney is assigned to dispatch in a pod and take measurements, a normal procedure aboard the starship. He fails to exit the pod before Kirk is forced to jettison it, though the captain had given ample warning beforehand. Complicating things are the fact that Kirk was well acquainted with Finney having gone to the academy together; some years later Kirk placed his classmate on report for failure to perform a critical duty correctly. Finney grumbled frequently about the incident and also spoke aloud about holding a grudge against Kirk; and while Kirk is confident he did nothing to cause his classmate's death the computer seems to tell a different story, in fact it is making a liar out of the captain!

The events that lead to Kirk's court martial are well-plotted; having Finney cast as the former friend feeling betrayed puts a decent twist on the whole matter. Did Kirk absentmindedly jettison the pod before he should have? Did he subconsciously dislike Finney in return because he felt spurned by a former close friend and confidante? These questions become the prosecution's platform and the computer tapes made concurrently with the events during the ion storm seem to make this an open and shut case. Naturally the Trek creators have no intention of letting our steadfast and resolute captain of the Enterprise be that fallible so they wrote an excellent sequence to include in this episode.

After the condemning computer tapes are played at the court martial Spock, who has returned to the Enterprise, goes to the recreation room and engages the ship's computer in several games of chess. McCoy barges in, sees the Vulcan playing chess and calls him the most cold-blooded person he's ever met - to which Spock says "Why thank you doctor!" Of course Spock turns out to have ulterior motives for his unusual pastime while "the captain's neck is nearly in the noose", but this is one of the most classic McCoy - Spock confrontations from the original series run and a definite must see.

This episode gets a C- grade and is ranked 57th out of 80
When the U.S.S. Enterprise puts in at Starbase 11 for repairs caused in an ion storm, Kirk gives his report of the circumstances of Lt. Comm. Ben Finney death to Commodore Stone. All goes well until Spock arrives with the computer visual tape of the bridge during the crisis. Spock tries to warn Kirk about what is on the tape, but the Commodore takes it and plays it. While Kirk's statement claims that Finney went into the U.S.S. Enterprise's ion pod to take vital readings. When the storm made it necessary to jettison the pod, Kirk warned Finney, during a yellow alert, and finally, switched to red alert before jettisoning the ion pod, with Finney, apparently, inside. What the computer tapes shows is Kirk pressing the pod-release switch while still in a yellow alert status. The Commodore informs Kirk that he will have to stand trial for possible court marshal for the death of Lt. Commander Finney. Things are complicated even more when Finney's daughter, Jamie, blames Kirk for her father's death. When Kirk meets an old girlfriend, Lt. Areel Shaw, that evening she tells him that she's arranged for a lawyer to come and see him. Unfortunately, she's been assigned to prosecute his case and will try her best to bring him down. Dejected, Kirk goes to his rooms to find that Samuel T. Cogley has moved in, books and baggage. Kirk decides that he likes the quirky lawyer and they begin the plan the captain's defense. On the U.S.S. Enterprise, McCoy reprimands Spock for playing chess with the computer while Kirk is on trial for murder. Spock explains that he has won several games straight... a feat he should not have been able to accomplish unless the computer is malfunctioning. McCoy's interest is piqued and the two men discuss what this development could mean to the captain's defense. At the trial, just as the defense has rested, Spock appears with the information about the faulty computer. Cogley gives a stirring speech about the rights of men versus machines and the Commodore finally allows the jury to reconvene on board the U.S.S. Enterprise. Spock explains that having programmed the computer for chess himself just months before, the best he should have been able to do is stalemate. Therefore, the officer explains, someone tampered with the computer, adjusting its memory. When asked who had the knowledge for such an action, the Vulcan admits that it could only have been himself, Kirk or Records Officer Ben Finney. Cogley then suggests that Finney is still alive and hiding somewhere on the U.S.S. Enterprise. On the bridge, the ship's sensors have been boosted to pick up any sound on the ship. Everyone but the bridge personnel and transporter attendant are beamed to the surface and the demonstration begins. Switching on the sensors, everyone's heartbeat on the ship is audible. One by one McCoy, using a white-light masking device, eliminates the sound of everyone's heartbeat... except one... Finney's. Kirk goes after Finney and finds him hiding on the ship. Finney has harbored a grudge against Kirk since they were both Ensigns, when Kirk had logged a careless and potentially dangerous mistake of Finney's, which the man claims has kept him from promotion over the years. The two men fight, with Kirk finally winning. Finney had, however, damaged the ship's engines and the U.S.S. Enterprise is losing its orbit. Racing against time, Kirk manages to repair the damage and the U.S.S. Enterprise regains her previous position. Kirk is cleared of all charges and Samuel T. Cogley takes on a new client... Ben Finney.

Do court-room dramas ever work?
This courtroom whodunit, featuring Kirk in the hot seat, is a slightly below average episode. As in virtually every courtroom drama ever put to screen, the trial scenes are flat. But this whole episode, quite frankly, is dull. Shatner definitely gets up for his "I demand it!" line, but this episode never comes together, despite the strong performance by Elisha Cook Jr. as an eccentric lawyer. It doesn't help that the finale's bombshell, pulled somewhat out of left field, just isn't explosive. Themes explored here, including the importance of 1) presumption of innocence, and 2) recognizing the fallibility of machines, would be better explored in other episodes, although Cook does deliver one great speech about computers and culpability.

The first half of the episode is actually quite strong. The trouble starts when the action shifts back to the Enterprise. One has the feeling they might have been running far behind schedule in the shooting of this episode. For one thing, we are never given any explanation of the jettisoned pod, so the idea that Finney might not have been jettisoned is pulled from left field. Also silly is the 'elimination' (their words!) of the heartbeats (with a microphone, no less). And Kirk taking unnecessary risks by facing Finney alone is dumb, if dramatic. Not to mention Finney's character and acting, as well as the stunt doubles in the fight scene. Totally ridiculous. Also weak was the cheesy romance with and poor acting by the prosecuting attourney. Has anyone here heard of a conflict of interest? Certainly it is unclear (understandably!) for much of the episode whether she wants to win or loose.

"Kirk did you jettison the escape pod with Finney?"
That's the question they asked Kirk in this Trail episode. It was a classic because we later found out what happened to the guy in the pod which I am not going to give away. For even those who were not Star Trek fans it's a keeper that can be watched over again. It show's how this poor Finney character wasn't treated fairly throughout his career. It shows the darker side of Starfleet and everyone isn't a happy camper.

Really good plot, almost like a mystery
This is one of the best Star Trek Original Series episodes ever. Kirk is put on trial for an action that could have caused a big mistake on the Enterprise. I haven't seen this show in a long time, so I don't remember what the accident was. However, the admiral that puts Kirk on trial doesn't believe it was accidental, and they go aboard the ship for the answer. Then it gets really frightening, and it's too much to say. But I can say that you shouldn't miss this one, because like every reviewer says, it's one of the best. Enjoy!!! ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A True Classic. A Must Have for your Collection
Simply put, the best Outer Limits episode ever made. This because of, not in spite of, the bugetary limitations imposed on the second season.

Robert Culp playes Trent, a man without memory being chased by the insidious Kyban. Outworlders who conquored the Earth 1,000 years in the future, but have gone back in time to capture Trent to find out just where the 70 Billion earthlings have dissapeared to. The secret lies within Trent's glass hand. A computer that knows all the answers IF Trent can capture the three "memory lobes" or fingers the Kyban possess. Almost all the action takes place inside the Dixon Building where Trent finds Consuela Byros, a poor clothsmaker who eventually falls in love with Trent.

This one packs real tension as Trent scurries through hallways and up staircases to find the Kyban Time Mirror. Robert Culp is superb in what may be his finest performance. His cat-like moves through the building, the budding romance between him and the hapless girl, and the incredable music are highlights. Complete with a bombshell of an ending that's brilliantly hinted at throughout the episode, but whose revalation is still a shock.

Of course, no review would be complete without little nitpicks. The Kyban are nothing more than humans with bad eyeshadow and shower caps. While Trent's glass hand is a marvelous creation, the way it raises and lowers on the screen is not well executed. And this episode continues the Outer Limits tradition of NOT GUARDING ANYBODY, NO MATTER WHAT. Allowing the hero or villan to escape. Still, these are very minor nits and certainly doesn't detract from what is the finest episode in the Outer Limits original series.

The odd thing is, if this episode had been given a proper budget, I don't think it would have pulled it off as well. A lesson for producers and directors everywhere who think more money will solve the problem.

maybe the best of the best
As great and original as many of the episodes of the Outer Limits were, 'The Demon With a Glass Hand' seems to stand alone.

Images that stick out in my mind: Robert Culp slinking around, sleek as a black cat. Tense, well-timed chases, and a general film-noir atmosphere that seemed to transcend the usual, sometimes cheesy, but always earnestness of your usual Outer Limits episode.

In retrospect, the Outer Limits seems to enjoy a greater reverence than its more well-funded cousin, the Twilight Zone. Actually, there were some real 'WOOF's in there, and probably only about a half dozen or so truly great episodes.

The Demon With a Glass Hand is perhaps the best of the best of these. It is truly a treat, especially for those uninitiated to the golden age of serialized science fiction on TV.

The 70 billion people of Earth - where are the hiding?
I've loved Cabaret Voltaire since 1978 and Yashar from about 1982 (??) is one of their best works. Stephen Mallinder's solo work is pretty dull, and Richard H Kirk's solo stuff hasn't got the playful experimentation of the Cab's recordings. But Yashar is ace, and it's mostly due to the sample from this episode of the Outer Limits. Buy it, it's only a few quid for heaven's sake.

Harlan Ellison's superb "Demon with a Glass Hand"
"Demon with a Glass Hand," Episode 37 of "The Outer Limits," is truly one of the classic science fiction television episodes of that era. Written by Harlan Ellison, the episode stars Robert Culp as Trent, a man with a robot hand missing three fingers, which holds the secrets of the future of humanity. Ten days earlier he woke up in Los Angeles knowing nothing about himself or his strange appendage. Pursued by weird time travelers from the future clad in black, Trent and his female companion, Consuelo (Arline Martel) track down the missing fingers and find out the grim truth about the future, but about himself. Culp's totally compelling performance holds this episode together and he has never been better. Directed by Byron Haskin, the only debate about "Demon with a Glass Hand" for fans of "The Outer Limits" is how high on the list of Top 10 episode you want to put this one. This is one of Ellison's most original works and once again you find yourself wishing he had been given more free reign to write for television. Just think of what he might have come up with unfettered by the network jackals.

One of Harlon Ellison's best
"Demon" was filmed at night in the famous Bradbury building in downtown Los Angeles. The building has been restored and you can visit it. As with most Outer Limits episodes it conveys a larger or deeper psychological message. The reference to Gilgamesh, the eternal guardian as an example. I have seen this episode, and most of the others countless times. Some are better than others but as usual, when a talented writer teams with a good director and actor, the result is superior. Check the credits for the Assistant to the Producer, B. Ritchie Payne, my father. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Fun!
I think nobody reviewed the dvd edition yet, so I'll start saying that the anamorphic widescreen transfer is fine, colours are not drab and sharpness is very good. I did not check the full-screen side of the disc.
I'm not sure the movie itself comes out so well but it sure is fun. Jeffrey Hunter playing some kind of part-time detective college professor, glasses and all, is something to be seen. And legendary Mary Astor is always a delight, she only appears in a couple of scenes though. Couldn't this mother/son relationship be a prelude to the one in "Psycho"? And what about killing the leading lady halfway the movie and having her sister investigate her death?
Well, plot holes, stilted directing, goofs (the clouds and the light in the important rooftop scene, obviously shot in different days or perhaps different times of the same day) and all, this is really fun to see (and Robert Wagner is so thin).

KISS BEFORE DYING
Great fun! I enjoyed so much to see Bob Wagner so young and scary. Jeff Hunter's part is so small(sorry!). After all other comments I just want to inform future buyers that the DVD has both versions of the movie (standard and widescreen)something to consider when you still don't have a Widescreen TV but is planning to buy one soon. I had to import a copy once it's not available in my country. Worth every cent. Buy it!

Bollywood Movie "Baazigar" is a remake of this movie
The India based Bollywood Movie "Baazigar" is a remake of this movie...

one of the best books to movies made
I first read this story in a 1972 doubleday mystery volume. When I found it was a movie I was hesitant about watching as most books and movies just don't follow each other closely. This movie certainly does and wow, it is a chiller. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and is well worth watching and reading over and over again. This is a great story by Mr. Levin and movie by the director who made it.

Classic thriller from Gerd Oswald!
"A Kiss Before Dying" is an outstanding thriller with Hitchcock-level suspense courtesy of Gerd Oswald, a director much better known for his TV work on "The Outer Limits" and "Star Trek." Robert Wagner is excellent as a sociopathic killer who carries out the perfect crime but is done in by his own ambition and cleverness. The whole thing could have become ridiculous very easily, owing to certain gaps in story logic, but the dead-serious tone, the fast pacing and editing, and the high artistry of all involved make this a classic, if unusually elegant, piece of film noir. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Intriguing plot and entertaining
This episode was entertaining in part because the games master of Andarra is quite a character. He actually engages in a little psycho-analysis of the humans which is rather amusing.

A certain mystery surrounds the games master as we never really get to see his face clearly. He is always sitting back in the shadows just far enough to prevent a clear view of himself.

When the Earth man is first teleported from Earth to Andarra, his first reaction is to ask if he is dead. The games master asks in return "Why is it your species that is always so concerned with death?" This implies that other races of beings are not so preoccupied with their own mortality. An interesting assumption or speculation.

A final speculation: Could the tableau of the games master behind his control console be what will confront us at our own respective judgements?!

His Fun and Games
In this episode, a man and woman are transported to another planet to fight a couple of aliens (male and female). If they win the earth is saved otherwise the earth will be destroyed. The alien that is host of "Fun and Games" has a good sense of humor and must find interesting ways to keep the inhabits of his world entertained. The makeup of the aliens is good but it is interesting to see the earth woman doing battle in a dress and high heels.

Alien Aboriginal Apes In An Interplanetary Arena
Generally overrated but memorable OL entry.

A sneeringly superior decadent Senator of the planet Andera abducts small-time hood/prizefighter Nick Adams and true-blue do-gooder Nancy Malone, to solicit them for gladiatorial games to entertain his jaded populace. If they decline, the Earth is destroyed in a grand display lasting about five years - "like a firecracker in a black summer sky," as the blase Senator shruggingly puts it. If they accept, they are pitted in a duel to the death against two primitive but resourceful wolf-like apish aborigines from "an unnamed planet in the Calco galaxy," on a prehistorically-climated planet designated the "Arena."

Given the nature of the script, this episode should be action-packed, but in fact is rather static (and talky) throughout. It's memorable for Robert Johnson's gleefully sadistic Senator, who remains tauntingly in the shadows with his long, Mandarin nails and scepter of power, and for the smoulderingly suffocating atmospheric Arena. The Calco primitives are primitive indeed, OL being pretty short on budget when this one was filmed, essentially nothing more than fixed-expression masks and clawed gloves (except for one or two close-ups, where the mask's eyes roll) - but no one ever forgets their weapon, which was probably the most famous prop of the entire series: saw-toothed razor boomerangs.

Great beginning, with an imaginatively filmed gangster's poker game, long, rather muddled middle, and a decent last half, but the fairly dramatic finale is too abrupt. The performances are good, especially Johnson's hammy melodrama villain of a Senator.

Great performance, interesting galaxtic gladiatorial them
Nick Adams is perfect for this interesting roll. He is a small time crook that, while fleeing, meets an idealist young lady. They suddenly find themselves on another planet ruled by an extremely technologically advanced beings, however they amuse themselves in a manner similar to the ancient Romans, with gladiatorial matches. The stakes are high. The losers have their planet annihilated. Nick is fantastic as the down and out small time hood who doesn't believe in anything. In one scene he remarks to the idealistic young lady "you know what you are? You're one of life's little cheer leaders". This is an imaginative theme with a great young Nick Adams and a surprise ending.

Well-acted.
Interesting story of a couple transported to another planet to do battle with two other aliens with the prize being that Earth will not be destroyed if they win. Well-acted, good dialogue and a great scene involving a poker game. It does take a while to get to the battle and the clothing the female character wears (wearing high-heels into battle?) is a little far-fetched, even for that time. But overall, since this is a story of redemption and second chances, a good show. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Could someone explain the plot again?
"The Duplicate Man" is one complex story set in the near future. I'll try to keep this short.

A Megasoid, killer beast from beyond, has escaped from our hero's lab and is hiding in a museum display. Too chicken to kill the beast himself, our now reluctant hero has an illegal duplicate made. Complete with lapel-less suit and cap gun, our duplicate hero meets, shoots, but fails to kill the Megasoid. Meanwhile, our real reluctant hero has trouble with the wife and is forced into a confrontation with the Megasoid and his estwhile duplicate. After a lot of stalking, snoring, and finally shooting, he stumbles back into his living room with his now happy wife. But is he the duplicate or the real thing?

Whew, and that description does not include two sub-plots that really lead nowhere.

Although I really admire the ambition shown in the story, it's just way too cluttered to really work. Too many ideas and too much talking de-rail what could've been a classic episode had the writers kept the focus on either the Megasoid or the duplicate.

On the positive side, the Megasoid is an interesting creation and I swear it was used briefly in the Star Trek pilot, "The Cage" (a scene not used in "The Menagerie"). The fact that this beast would hide in plain sight is facinating. There is also a 'twist' ending which is kinda nice, though nothing to write home about.

However, the limited budget shows up in the gun the duplicate uses. It's basically a revolver with two AA batteries taped to it.

All in all, this is not an episode worthy of your collection. But it does have a few nice points to it. Check it out on tv, but don't spend any money on it.

Double Trouble
This episode is too ambitious for its own good, but has a lot to recommend it.

Alien anthropologist/zoologist Ron Randell illegally imports an exceptionally xenophobic and paranoid alien creature, the Megasoid, to Earth for study. The highly intelligent and even more lethally aggressive creature escapes, going into hiding to complete its reproductive cycle. Megasoids reproduce in the thousands, and decimate virtually all other species on the planets they inhabit, so it's safe to say Randell is not too happy about this turn of events. He can't go to the authorities, and isn't about to get himself ripped to bits by the nesting murderous mommy cleaning up his own mess.

So, going on the philosophy that, if one crime didn't work out well, surely two will work out even worse, Randell performs another illegal act and calls in some favors. He gets a clone made of himself, programmed to hunt down and kill the savage alien beastie. Clones have been outlawed on Earth for some time, because they have a tendency to want to replace their originals once their predetermined job is accomplished (you've all seen Blade Runner).

So far, so bad. But the fit really hits the shan when the hunted Megasoid informs Randell's clone that he's a clone, and then Randell has two problems for the price of one: the wounded Megasoid is still on the loose, and now his other self is eager to get Randell out of the picture and move in with Mrs. Randell.

This episode falters from excess business. Too many sci-fi elements are thrown at the viewer too fast, making the world of this story hard to identify with. Additionally, Randell is a wooden performer, and the other principals in the story seem to be acting in a completely different melodrama style, which creates some unintentionally funny moments. And Harry Lubin's futuristic electronic score, that worked so well for "Demon With A Glass Hand," in this story only further alienates the audience from this already too alien Earth.

However, the Megasoid is pretty cool. He's overused, making his monkey suit show too much at the seams, looking rather like an eagle-headed gorilla with enormous mole claws. The opening scenes of the Megasoid hiding in plain sight in a museum are wonderful - too bad the rest of the episode isn't quite up to the same caliber.

Great surprise ending
Clifford D. Simak's superb short story _Good Night, Mr. James_ was the basis for this episode. A man illegally imports a vicious, murderous, intelligent alien onto Earth, then must find some way to kill it after it escapes. . .because it is almost ready to reproduce and flood Earth with its kind. The 'surprise' ending is one of a kind. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Human Factor = 1 star out of 5
God, this episode was awful. Considering it had some nice plot twists (and some of the best in the series) and that it still stunk out the joint tells volumes on how bad The Human Factor was to watch. The episode invloves: a scientist, his love?, a pyscho soldier, a bunch of inept officers, awful/silly dialogue, a head-scratching plot, a nuclear bomb, officiers that arm nuclear bombs to show another person how it works(?), etc etc etc. This is one of the worse Outer Limits episodes.

thank you for your time, David

This plot is best unspoiled
After seeing a long string of weaker Outer Limits episodes (The Probe, Keeper of the Purple Twilight etc.), this one just about blew my mind. Good Outer Limits is SO GOOD. I wasn't thinking of the strenghts / weaknesses of this one while watching, i was just sucked in completely.
I saw The Human Factor without knowing anything about the plot, and some of the story twists, especially the midpoint, were very nice indeed. Don't expect your typical monster show. The two male leads could have put out a less frenzied performance, but Sally Kellerman is ace. Just like Ed Asner in "It crawled out of the woodwork", she isn't even mentioned in the opening credits, but becomes the central character towards the end.

Good Performances, Clever Story
Not OL's best by a long chalk, though the reviewer who commented on some critics being unduly harsh to it is well-stated. It's a good mid-level episode, with a lot to recommend it.

Gary Merrill, Harry Guardino, and especially Sally Kellerman are worth the price of admission alone, but this entry has other attributes, as well. It's thick with claustrophobic atmosphere, has a good share of wit (the military base, TABU - "Total Abandonment of Better Understanding" - being just the beginning of it), and excellent suspense, with a genuinely clever ending. Unsettling implications of invasion of privacy, national security, and nuclear diplomacy are brought up.

Merrill and Guardino do a really good job of alternately playing the nut-trying-to-pass-for-normal, and Kellerman was never more adorable in her life.

Don't expect a masterpiece. Just a good, solid suspenser. Well worth a look-see.

the best episode I've seen in the series, to date
The Outer Limits Official Companion is unjustifiably harsh on this episode, which I happen to think is one of the series best. The title is a bit misleading, since it is mother nature in the form of an earthquake which is the cataylst for the mind-swap that occurs between psychoanalyst Gary Merrill and his psychotic patient, Harry Guardino, when Merrill is using a skull-cap apparatus he has devised to share thoughts. (It may be a scientific breathrough but it aint a fashion one). This set-up then allows both actors a chance to chew the scenery as the paranoid one, and surprisingly Merrill is just as funny as Guardino. Perhaps having been married to Bette Davis for 10 years has made Merrill look as haggard and ape-ish as Bogart, and his thick eyebrows and messy hair add to the believability of the mind displacement. His darting eyes are hilarious in the scene when he attempts to get access to an atomic device, and at the same time keep his true identity hidden, and the biggest laugh is when he responds to an enquiry if he is sick with "You keep your office too warm!". As Merrill's assistant (and not his fiancee as the Companion tells us, though she wishes!), this was Sally Kellerman's first role for TV, and she adds a Streisand-like sensuality. She would later be given a better star turn in "The Bellero Shield" episode, but here she gets to wear a high-collared fur-lined coat, and is given a love theme and a Garbo-esque reaction long-take. Much has been made of the huge close-up of Guardino when he first sees the guilt-induced apparition of the man he has abandoned on the frozen wasteland. This is the episodes obligatory "monster" though here it's lack of focus gives it a Shakespearean quality. I also like the stock icelandic footage, the aerial view of the "TABU" base (unfortunately, never used for a pun), the snow that doesn't attach itself to those it falls on, and the shot of an avalanche of falling rocks.

The human feelings
"In Northern Greenland the mountains stand like a wall along Victoria Channel, whose straight course marks the line of the Great Baffin Fault. Until recently, not even the Eskimos ventured into this Arctic waste. But today, as in other lonely places in the world, the land is dominated by those instruments of detection which stand as a grim reminder of man's fear of man. This is Point TABU, a name given this predominantly underground base by a young officer who explained that the letters in TABU stood for Total Abandonment of Better Understanding. Some two hundred men and a few women make this their permanent residence. Their task is to maintain a constant alert against enemy attack, and be prepared to respond to it, devastatingly..." In a secret military base, a psychiatrist uses a device that reveals people's deep feelings and thougts in order to cure them. A touching episode with three marvelous actors and, of course, Conrad Hall's Pop-Expressionist cinematography which is his first camerawork in the production order. (watch the extreme close-up of Harry Guardino's eyes with a chiaroscuro effect). Forget the monster of the week, just focus on the relationship between charming Sally Kellerman and introvert Gary Merrill. And above all, Harry Guardino's hysterical and paranoiac performance as Major Brothers, with his seeds twitch (like Humphrey Bogart in "The Caine Mutiny") and appetite for atomic destruction, is great. The mind alteration premise is always delightful. This is first an anti-nuclear parable with a Cold War background and above all, a romantic episode about love and the hidden desire for true love. "A weapon ? No, only an instrument, neither good nor evil until men put it to use. And then, like so many of man's inventions, it can be used either to save lives or destroy them, to make men sane or to drive them mad, to increase human understanding or to betray it. But it will be men who make the choice. By itself the instruments is nothing until you add the human factor." ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A very strange guest house.
A man enters a house - only its not really a house, for starters it bigger on the inside than outside and doors don't always lead you anywhere. The man meets a telepathic alien who wants to understand the human equation. Story & special effects still hold up today, great story about people, the limited effects are carefully used. Unexpected and very imaginitive ending finishes the story.

a slightly embarrassing dream
This episode starts fascinatingly. Before it is said out loud by the hero, it is obvious that this is very much like a bad dream, where you try to find help and find only strange places and people. The endless corridors of the mysterious house are shown with an interesting use of black masks shaping the pictures in weird ways. I wish they had used bold effects like that even more in the series.
However, like many dreams, this episode soon becomes extremely sentimental. I found the romantic moments quite annoying because the actors playing the young couple aren't particularly good. And the final conclusion, the missing piece of the equation found by the alien is something we have heard SO many times before...
Well, once again we have a flawed Outer Limits episode with some elements so exciting that it is worth checking out. I only give it two stars because some episodes of the series are so much better. People allergic to heavy doses of sentimentality should, however, beware.

Bru-Ha-Ha-! You Are In My Power!
At their worst, OL aliens talk too much and superiorly sneer. They usually do so with perfect pronunciation and urbane style, and love crowing about their plans. The alien in The Guests is one of these. It's still a good episode, though.

The alien's origins are never disclosed, but what he's about is obvious on the face of it: he's constructed a human mousetrap in the outward guise of a house, with which to catch subjects for study. Most of his subjects are petty and venal. Until a drifter happens on in, and stirs things up a bit.

The less said about this episode the better, for those wanting to see it. Suffice it to say it has great surrealistic sets, dark Gothic atmosphere, and good performances by the entire cast.

Overall, this is a great deal more like a Twilight Zone episode than an OL. It has no opening or closing narration, and no real through story-line. But it is fascinating, and pretty creepy.

The dream of the drifter
An old man escapes from a Psycho-like house and dies near a road. A car stops suddenly and a young man get out from it to save him. He goes to the house, which is a huge brain, to get some help. Post-"The big heat" Gloria Grahame plays a vamp actress from the twenties, like a soft version of Myriam Hopkins from "Don't open till doomsday". She and the old and odd couple ("Shut-up Randall or I'll be nice to you !") tries to corrupt Geoffrey Horne as Wade Norton ("I feel as if I'm having a bad dream !") in vain. Rebel Wade Norton ("Never interrogate the wind !") meets Luane Anders as shy Tess in the most sensitive love affair of the series. The brain monster is fascinating. It has the same voice as the Senator from "Fun and games" and it is a recycled part from "The mice". It explores human condition like a mathematician when it compares the positive (procreation, work, faith, art) and the negative factor (destruction, fear, hopelessness, hate [symbolized by an Atom bomb]). You have a magnificient optical effects when the giant brain is seen with a fast-moving clouds background just like in the work of cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca. The music is interesting too because it is a blend of scores from "Nightmare" and the haunting sound from "O.B.I.T.". Only the scene of Wade Norton saying : "No , Tess, come back !" and Tess leaving the house is a new and touching music. But the details I like the most is the maze of dark empty rooms which leads to nowhere. A landmark episode with a subtle story, existentialist characters ("Close your eyes to illusion. Love is out there !") and a gothic approach not shot by Conrad Hall about the theme of dream. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Harlan Ellison's story of a super "Solider" from the future
Having crafted one of the very best episodse of "The Outer Limits" with "The Demon with the Glass Hand," Harlan Ellison comes up with another strong script with "Soldier," adapted from a short story. In fact, if you get the chance to read the 1957 short story, which is a rather crudely drawn anti-war polemic, then you will be even more impressed with the story's refinement in this script. Qarlo (Michael Ansara) is a human killing machine who is catapulted from the future to the "present" during a battle with an enemy (who is stuck in between time--for the time being...). Kagan (Lloyd Nolan), a language expert, is assigned to crack Qarlo's language. Kagan succeeds, at which point the story takes an interesting but strange turn, as Kagan brings the super soldier from the future home to meet the wife and kids. The scene does develop some very interesting aspects of Qarlo's personality and story, but it is rather unbelievable that the government would let a time traveler go home with a linguist for dinner. Still, "The Solider" is a very interesting time travel story and the performances by Nolan and especially Ansara goes a long way to make up for that one gapping hole in the script. It is on the strength of those performances, a common finding with episodes scripted by Ellison I should point out, that I decided to round up instead of down with this 4.5 star episode. The strange mix of violence and optimism actually makes the story work, at least for me. As everyone has mentioned, there are some strong similarities between "Solider" and "Terminator." So much so that Ellison won a suit against James Cameron (you know, that "Titanic" movie Cameron made was not an original story either). Actually, I think "Soldier" owes something to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come from Dickens's "A Christmas Carol." "Soldier," Episode 33 of "The Outer Limits," was directed by Gerd Oswald and first aired on September 19, 1964, which I believe makes it the first episode of the show's second season.

Future Fighting Foes Freak Philly!
Great sci-fi, fascinating drama.

More than a thousand years in the future, Earth has become a nightmare high-tech battlefield out of Hieronymus Bosch. From this world, soldier Qarlo and "The Enemy" are accidentally teleported back to the U.S. city streets of 1964. The ultra-violent and badly confused Qarlo scares the hell out of everybody, and is quickly arrested and put in a padded cell for study.

Genial philologist Lloyd Nolan and put-upon baffled bureaucrat Tim O'Connor try to figure out what language Qarlo is speaking, and by so doing learn who he is, where he came from, and what to do with him. Once Nolan realizes who Qarlo is and where he came from, he tries to socialize him into the twentieth century by making Qarlo a temporary member of Nolan's own family. O'Connor and Nolan's wife are not exactly happy with the idea, considering Qarlo "a powderkeg just waiting to go off," but Nolan's kids are up to the challenge.

But if Qarlo ended up here, whatever happened to "The Enemy"...?

Fabulous cast and a top-notch script, with no one sounding a false note. Michael Ansara brilliantly plays the confusions and native instincts of the violent man-out-of-time. Nolan is the thinking man's humanitarian, who feels an obligation to fellows of his race even at the continued risk of his own life. The cautious but good-hearted O'Connor almost restores your faith in government bureaucracy. Catherine Macleod's desire to help Qarlo, but ongoing concern to the safety of her family, are fully believable, and so are the kids, Ralph Hart and Jill Hill.

This is a highly intelligent and dramatic story, with a tragic yet inspiring ending that is haunting and deeply moving.

Dog, dog, dog ...
Most Outer Limits in my opinion cannot hold a candle to the majority of the Twilight Zones. This is a rarity. Featuring, what will be a Klingon on Star Trek we have some very good performances. If it weren't for the fact that the "Soldier" was brought home this ep. would be 5 stars ... the ep. falls apart when the kids come in contact with him. Although I have this on laserdisc, I would buy it in a heartbeat on dvd ... wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Before Terminator, there was SOLDIER!
This episode became the inspiration for James Cameron,s "Terminator" series and was beautifully scripted by Harlan Ellison...SEE-IT!..Its a classic!

One of the best Outer Limits
It is great because the man from the future is so very different. The future is so different that they can communicate with cats though "thinkspeak". They do a great job showing someone from a totally alien society. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

And I thought "Tourist Attraction" was bad!
"Cry of Silence", along with the one in the above title, has to rank as one of the worst episodes in the two-year history of the landmark series.
Maybe star Eddie Albert was getting prepared for the "absurdities" that he would encounter on his television series "Green Acres".
Only the inhabitants of the fictitious town of Hooterville would believe menacing tumbleweeds.

Unintentionally hilarious
Some epsiodes of the OL provided the viewers with daring social commentary. Others stirred profound and touching emotions. "Cry of Silence" gave us killer tumbleweeds.

The premise of the episode is a misunderstood alien visitor, a theme which had already been done (1,000 times better) in "The Galaxy Being." Eddie Albert stars as an intellectual prone to making huge leaps of logic because they are in the script. June Havoc plays his histrionic wife. They wander out to an isolated spot in the desert (all the better to save money by the producer) and are attacked by animate tumbleweeds and irate frogs. June screams a lot, which is odd because they don't seem to be in any real danger at all.

They meet Arthur Hunnicut who appears to be a simple old hick (as he does in all his roles). June finds his journal and discovers he is actually an educated man. So why does he pretend to be a dumb hick? Why doesn't he try to work with the obviously astute Albert to escape? And if he is hiding his education, why does he leave the journal out to be found? Hey, don't ask questions, look at the killer tumbleweeds.

This continues until Albert opens himself up as a vessel for the entity. It posseses him and goes into a soliloquy about how Earthlings can't be communicated with. Apparently aliens of this sort talk to themselves in overly dramatic fashion a lot. Then it leaves, leaving the audience to feel, sniff, so ashamed because, sniff, we humans just don't understand.

Frankly, it is hard to find an OL episode that isn't better than "Cry of Silence," for intellectual stimulation or even pure escapism. After the second viewing the fun of jeering at its absurdities wears thin. Look for it in re-runs, but save your money on the video.

You Been Smokin' That ... , Again?
No doubt largely the inspiration for Dean Koontz's sometimes effective Winter Moon, this episode isn't as good as it's cracked up to be, but is an effective, atmospheric little chiller. It was written by Louis Charbonneau, who appears to have a love affair with animating the inanimate - in "Corpus Earthling" he gave us talking rocks, and in "Cry of Silence" he gives us a plethora of lifeless menaces come miraculously to life.

Well - not so miraculously. The bizarre movements among usually unmoving objects has an identifiable source. An alien intelligence, vainly attempting to communicate with our world, is behind the animation of tumbleweeds, rocks, lesser animals, and finally man...but only one dead man, which is part of the creepy fun. Edward Albert and June Havoc enter into this little Twilight Zone arena, hooking up with an old desert rat who has been shacking himself away from it all for a few weeks, now. The terrified trio ultimately figure out what is going on, and Albert becomes the anticlimactic mediumistic voice for the frustrated alien intruder spirit - who can't hear Havoc's responses to its appeal for contact.

This one is worth it for the overall atmosphere and good performances.

A great adventure, scary and thought-provoking
Eddie Arnold plays an urbane, well-dressed city man with a hankering to get away from it all by moving out to the country. But his platinum blonde wife isn't too keen on the idea and has to be more or less dragged along under protest. When they get out there, he finds himself surrounded by Utter Weirdness. No, we're not talking about "Green Acres", but rather its science fictional predecessor "Cry of Silence". This is a very enjoyable, zero special-effects classic of the original Outer Limits' budgetarily-challenged second season. I've often wondered whether the creators of "Green Acres" didn't get the idea for that sitcom from watching this show (the chronology would be about right)! This episode targets the viewer's imagination and fear of the unknown with great skill and enjoyable results. As in some earlier OL episodes which cast such mundane items as rocks and dust-bunnies in a paranoid light, so with this one; and after viewing it, one can never view tumbleweeds quite the same again. Frogs and rocks also become objects of fear (the former possibly foreshadowing the Ray Milland film "Frogs"). The plot revolves around an incorporeal alien intelligence that occupies and animates ordinary things in a remote, desolate canyon, in a determined effort to discover and make contact with earthly life. This episode is strong on mood and story (like most classic OL), and one of the most hair-raising moments of all is when the alien possesses a human corpse. The alien force is so different from earthly life in form and substance that it doesn't recognize it as such, just as our earthly protagonists can't easily comprehend what is happening to them. The dramatic theme is the need of separate beings to overcome the differences that divide and separate them, to relate or make contact and thus transcend alienation, or exhaust themselves trying. "This is the only flag we can plant". A great nostalgia trip back to a time when science fiction had dignity and appealed not only to the mind (both intellect and imagination) but also to the heart, instead of just trying to play up to the immaturity and conceits of a spoiled, tasteless mass audience via empty special effects and vacuous psychodrama.

The Very Best Episode
Though I have not seen this episode since the early sixties when I was only a 6 or 7 year-old girl, it always stuck out in my mind as the quintessential episode. Of course, after all these years, I did not recall the title, but never, ever forgot those tumbleweeds. Thanks to a previous reviewer for mentioning them so that I will soon have it in my collection. Can't wait to see it after soooooooooooooo many years! ... Read more