Episode Spotlight: "ZZZZZ" (1/27/1964)

“ZZZZZ”

Season 1, Episode 18

Originally aired 1/27/1964

After “Don’t Open Till Doomsday” teased and tantalized the viewing public fifty years ago last week, The Outer Limits followed it by drenching the airwaves in a hot, sticky shower of temptation, lust and… honey?

Entomologist Benedict Fields has artificially “accelerated” the intelligence of a hive of bees in his lab, to the point where they’ve developed “grammar and a dictionary." What he doesn’t know is that the hive is much more developed than he realizes: they’ve hatched a plan to take over the world by interbreeding with humans to create a superior human-bee hybrid. To this end they’ve transformed their queen into a human (at least to the naked eye) calling herself Regina, who shows up at Fields’ place applying for a position as a lab assistant. Fields hires her on the spot, to the minor chagrin of his wife Francesca.

Regina wastes no time trying to lure Fields into mating with her, drawing the ire and suspicion of Francesca, while Fields carries on maddeningly oblivious, preferring to think of her as a child (newsflash, dude: no child has a rack like that). Regina collapses while communicating with the hive through Field’s translator equipment (which is set to record, unbeknownst to her). Fields’ doctor friend blames food poisoning; however, his cursory tests reveal that she’s a “complete mutant” in terms of her blood chemistry.

Regina quickly recovers and releases her drones to kill Francesca, who's become wise to her (and the hive's) scheme. After the funeral, Fields discovers the recorded conversations between Regina and the hive. Regina shows up wearing Francesca’s wedding veil and attempts to seduce him and, seething with righteous anger, he backs her off the balcony. She falls to the ground, transforms back into a bee, and flies away.

RANDOMONIUM

“ZZZZZ” is the third Outer Limits script written by Meyer Dolinsky, who previously contributed two of the greatest episodes in the entire series, “The Architects of Fear” and "O.B.I.T." Coming on the heels of those achievements, “ZZZZZ” is almost guaranteed to be a disappointment, which it admittedly is... but it may not be Dolinsky’s fault, as producer Joseph Stefano did some fairly heavy revising before it went before the cameras (it does feel a bit diluted and less cohesive somehow, which was also the case with “The Mice” from a few weeks back; that episode also suffered from muddled authorship). I’m not saying “ZZZZZ” is bad. It’s actually quite fun: the interplay between the sexually-stodgy Fields and the aggressively horny Regina is highly entertaining (as is the inevitable cattiness between the ladies). There are some nice thematic contrasts drawn between youthful sexual expression and quieter, middle-aged affection. The Fields’ marriage, more comfortable than passionate, is perfectly believable, which adds a nice human dimension.

John Brahm occupies the director’s chair for the first of two Outer Limits stints (he’ll also direct “The Bellero Shield” in two weeks). Brahm directed a whopping twelve episodes of The Twilight Zone (more than any other director), among them undeniable classics like “Time Enough at Last,” "The Four of Us Are Dying,” “Mirror Image,” and “Shadow Play.” He also helmed ten episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (and, later, five episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour), twelve episodes of Boris Karloff’s Thriller, and eight episodes of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (which starred TOL alum David McCallum). He also directed a few film noirs, including the 1944 remake of Hitchcock’s The Lodger and Hangover Square (also in ’44), and much of his television work definitely has that nice dark noir vibe… unfortunately, “ZZZZZ” is completely lacking in that kind of atmosphere. This is doubly (or even triply) frustrating since the director of photography this week is Conrad Hall, who is responsible for the majority of the shadowy, noirish photography on The Outer Limits. The episode doesn’t look bad, per say… but it’s somewhat bland, which feels wrong given its production pedigree.

That being said, there are some nice visual touches throughout, among them Regina’s starburst eyeball optical effect (the sole visible trait suggesting she’s something other than human). The sight of Regina licking a water lily, presumably feeding on its pollen, is arrestingly odd (and surprisingly erotic); in fact, the entire garden at night sequence is quite lovely and mysterious.

Unfortunately, the climax is less satisfying on a visual level. The shot of Regina in her bee form leaving the scene looks cheap and silly, undermining the emotionally weighty shots of the devastated and traumatized Fields. I mean, I suppose it’s probably difficult to convey dramatic weight when you’re dealing with a tiny little bee, but still. They could've maybe staged it differently.... what if Regina, unharmed from the fall and now back to her normal state of being (beeing?), flew up and landed softly on Fields' shoulder for a moment, then flitted away? He could hear the buzzing sound, just for a moment, and turn thoughtfully back toward the balcony, staring out at nothing, his mind trying to make sense of everything that's transpired, ending things on a strange, almost wistful note. I dunno.

Regina is roughly the same age as the Fields' deceased daughter (well, appears to be, anyway) would be had she lived. As long as I'm rewriting Dolinsky/Stefano's hybridized script, I wonder how things would've played out if the child hadn't died. Given Regina's impatient (but ultimately loveless) drive to bear children, we might've seen some fascinating interplay between the girls: Since Regina isn't able to sway Fields with her sensual charm, she might try to bond with the child to attract him on a more familial level; meanwhile the child, sensing the threat Regina represents, might respond with an Elektra-infused hostility. I'm not sure where Francesca would fit into this (if at all), since too many conflicts would dilute the impact; in any case, as a father with daughters, I'd be much more engaged in this story direction.

“ZZZZZ” opens with an actual prologue, versus the brief pre-opening teaser that had become standard on the series. We see the hive’s queen undergoing the difficult and traumatic transmogrification into Regina, who promptly faints as soon as she’s fully transformed. I’ve stated in these pages before that I greatly prefer prologues to teasers, as teasers typically wreck the intended reveal of each episode’s alien/monster/threat. Here, interestingly, we see the “monster” immediately, most likely faster than we would have with a teaser. It feels strange referring to Regina as a “monster”; she’s easily the most beautiful (and definitely the sexiest; sorry, Box Demon!) creature the series will ever show us.

As Regina, Joanna Frank is exquisitely and uniquely beautiful; her large, dramatic eyes evoke the stylized females depicted in Japanese anime. She positively radiates hot, lustful sensuality as Regina (I can’t help but wonder if that name was chosen because of its similarity to “vagina”; hey, it’s a valid question!), and Francesca is (well, was) absolutely justified in feeling threatened by her. If I’m being totally honest, my wife Teresa would probably have some justifiable concerns of her own if Regina showed up looking to make me her drone.

I found her in the garden, honey. Can I keep her? Can I, huh? Huh? Huh?

Frank was born and raised in New York, and there’s an adorable moment when her accent comes through loud and clear (time stamp 38:02). Check it out:

We get more nifty lab equipment and assorted gadgetry this week: Fields' bee-to-human translation device (complete with oscilloscope!), the "artificial bee" microphone he uses to talk to the hive (which doesn't fool them for a second), and the charming "memory bank" that looks like a first-gen iPhone. What we aren't shown is just what equipment or alchemy Fields used to "accelerate" the intelligence of the hive, rumination upon which begs the question: why did he do it in the first place? If his intent is to get "up close and personal" with the hive to study it and hopefully communicate with it, why alter it? Wouldn't that render his findings useless, since his specimen(s) aren't real-world bees anymore? You just contaminated your control group, dude.

Of course there are more unanswered questions. Fields made the bees super-intelligent, but I doubt even Gwyllm Griffiths-level brainiac bees could figure out how to bend nature and manipulative organic matter to the degree that they can turn one of their own into anything other than a bee, much less a full-sized human. Seriously, that is a fucking major feat. Respect, bees. 

The episode paints Fields as something of a victim, particularly in act four after Francesca is murdered. I find it hard to judge Regina and her hive too harshly, since Fields is the one who tampered (genetically or otherwise) with the hive in the first place… so all the bees, even Regina herself, aren't really themselves, are they? It’s really Fields’ own damn fault that the whole thing happened at all (much as Doctor Frankenstein was ultimately responsible for the deaths at the hands of his monstrous creation). And honestly, Regina is so charming, so lovely and adorable, that I can’t consider her a villain at all.

I can’t help but wonder what events might play out directly after the episode ends… will Fields destroy the super-intelligent hive? Or will he continue studying them? Perhaps given a little time and solitude, perhaps he’ll be more open to Regina’s unique form of companionship. Or maybe Regina will retrieve her swarm of drones and move on to the next guy, who most likely won’t be so Victorian and repressed (I know I’d have a helluva time turning her down). In any case, this is a story that could certainly continue….

AURAL PLEASURE

Dominic Frontiere’s underscore for “ZZZZZ” is comprised mostly of stock music, much of it culled from last week’s “Don’t Open Till Doomsday” (“Groom Be Gone”; “A Father’s Search”; “Upstairs”). He did, however, create two new cues: “Teaser” (heard during the… well, it’s pretty obvious) and “Buzzing About’,” which punctuates the action as Regina unleashes the hive on Francesca. At the end of the episode, as Fields lets Francesca’s wedding veil slip from his fingers, we hear a cue from “The Man Who Was Never Born,” which reminds us of Bertram Cabot finding Noelle’s abandoned veil, and crying as he realizes she's gone forever. It's a nice piece of musical symmetry.

The body of Frontiere’s work for The Outer Limits is staggering in its uniform brilliance, and the vast majority of it can be found on La La Land’s three-disc soundtrack set, which is somehow still available as of this writing, even though it’s now clearance-priced at $15.98 plus shipping. Best jump on it, kids.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

In the lead as Professor Fields is Philip Abbott, whom we last saw in “The Borderland" last month. Before that he appeared once on Stoney Burke (“The Contender”) and twice on The Twilight Zone (“Long Distance Call” and “The Parallel”). Before that he had a memorable turn in “Portrait of Jocelyn” on Alfred Hitchcock Presents (memorable for me because it was the first episode of that series I ever saw).

The ill-fated Francesca Fields is played by Marsha Hunt, who also appeared on The Twilight Zone around the same time (“Spur of the Moment,” which turns 50 next month). Genre fans may have also spotted her on Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“Tea Time”) and Star Trek: The Next Generation (“Too Short a Season”).

The exquisite Joanna Frank is beguiling and delightful as the Queen Bee Regina, who I’m happy to crown the reigning TOL Babe of Babes. She doesn’t have any other genre credits on her resume, but she did pop up in the "Where the Action Is" episode of The Fugitive (which aired the night after "ZZZZZ" premiered!), in which she solidified her vivacious and slightly-salacious persona: while flirting with Richard Kimble, she nimbly recites her measurements (36-24-36.... *sigh*).

Frank is probably best known for her recurring role on L.A. Law, a series in which her real-life husband Alan Rachins played her husband (that lucky son of a bitch). She also made a brief appearance in 1989’s Say Anything which, if you were a teenager in the 80’s like me, was a must-see (it still holds up quite well today, actually). I think I've made it pretty damned clear that I have a huge crush on her and, not surprisingly, she still looks great today.

Joanna Frank in 2013.

Booth Coleman (Doctor Howard Warren) is on hand for his only TOL appearance. Other genre work includes roles on Boris Karloff’s Thriller (“Man in the Cage” and “Waxworks”) and Star Trek: Voyager (“Nemesis”) and, probably most notably, he played Dr. Zaius on TV’s Planet of the Apes.

HOME VIDEO RELEASES

Interesting trivia bit on the VHS release of “ZZZZZ”: the title on the box was “ZZZZZZ” (note the extra Z). I assume this was a simple typo; however, if it was intentional on the part of a mischievous copy writer, he or she could’ve (or maybe should’ve) taken it WAY further…

The episode was also part of the Columbia House VHS club, which offered two episodes per tape; “ZZZZZ” was paired with “Controlled Experiment” (I don’t have it, so I don’t know if their title also has an extra Z; it’d be kinda hilarious if it did).

I’m feeling a bit lazy (or lazzzzzzy) this week, so I’m gonna copy and paste an earlier description of the series’ storied DVD releases (there are only so many different ways I can reword and rearrange this information, and I think I’m running out of variations): (“ZZZZZ”) has shown up on DVD three different times: in the season one boxed set in 2002, the volume 1 set in 2007 (which comprised the first half of season 1), and the complete series boxed set in 2008 (just in time for the show’s 45th anniversary; however, the 50th anniversary doesn’t appear to merit jack shit).

Don’t have the DVDs, but want to be enticed and entranced by Joanna Frank for an hour? Point your browser over to Hulu, where you’ll find “ZZZZZ” (and the rest of the series) available for streaming, completely free. They’ve also got the entire 5-year run of The Twilight Zone, if you’re interested (a little cross-promotion between blogs never hurt anybody, right?).

TRADING CARD CORNER

“ZZZZZ” never found its way into the trading card offerings from Topps and Rittenhouse; however, it (like all 32 episodes of season one) was graced with a single card in the DuoCards series from 1997 (#32). 

MERCHANDISE SPOTLIGHT

No action figures, bobble heads or blow-up dolls commemorating Regina have ever appeared (so far, that is; I remain cautiously hopeful). However, Dimensional Designs did create a resin model kit of her (DD/OL/QB-13), sculpted by Takeshi Yoneda. I’m usually quite enthusiastic about these model kits; unfortunately, I pretty much hate this one. First of all, she’s got a fucking bee arm (she was never depicted in a state of partial transformation in the episode and, even if she were, it looks terrible here) and, perhaps more importantly, the face looks nothing like Joanna Frank (the same can be said of their model of Trent from “Demon with a Glass Hand,” which looks nothing like Robert Culp; maybe they had a problem securing the likeness rights?). I mean, I can see where Yoneda tried to capture Frank's features (hair, eyes, mouth), but he completely failed at capturing her beauty. This Regina is just... well, fugly. And c’mon, where’s her glorious buxom bosom? And what the hell is with her finger? Is that supposed to be a “come hither” gesture? Dumb, dumb, dumb. Here’s Mr. Enamel’s finished version:

Ugh, just… ugh. If you want your own kit (not sure why you would, but whatever), it’ll set you back $49.95 plus shipping.

Thankfully, our buddy Woody Welch picks up the slack with an amazing painting of Regina, one of five he was commissioned to create for the upcoming Outer Limits gallery event at Creature Features in Burbank, California (celebrating David J. Schow’s new book, The Outer Limits at 50; slated for February, date and time to be announced). Welch perfectly captures Joanna Frank’s beauty and enhances her sensuality with a pin-up girl reimagining (and thankfully, he didn't skimp on her, um, attributes). And… well damn, that’s one lucky bee. I sincerely hope Alan Rachins snaps this up and hangs it over their bed.

Welch also created a nice charcoal sketch of Regina; again, he adeptly captures Frank’s arresting fusion of otherworldly beauty and sultriness.

THE WRAP-UP

I must admit, it's a bit difficult for me to be objective when I'm constantly being distracted/hypnotized by Joanna Frank. I'm not convinced "ZZZZZ" is great television (much less great Outer Limits television), but it does contain some interesting (if not always sufficiently developed) themes swirling around in the honey pot. I guess that places it somewhere in the middle of the pack... but when you top it with a thick slathering of Joanna Frank, you end up with a pretty heady cocktail of confused impulses and sexual longing. So... does that make it a metaphor for marriage? Honey, put down that frying pan...!

Episode Spotlight: "O.B.I.T." (11/04/1963)

“O.B.I.T.”

Season 1, Episode 7

Originally aired 11/04/1963

Fifty years ago tonight, an hour of gripping television presciently forecasted society's addiction to technology in the 21st century... and its voluntary relinquishment of privacy to feed that addiction.

There’s been a murder at the Defense Department’s Cypress Hill Research Center, and Senator Jeremiah Orville has arrived to conduct an official inquest into the matter. The victim was Captain Harrison, one of several security personnel assigned to the manning of O.B.I.T. (Outer Band Individuated Teletracer), a secret surveillance machine used to remotely monitor the center’s employees. Dr. Clifford Scott, the head of the center, has gone missing after experiencing a “physical breakdown” (I guess we’d call it a nervous breakdown today). Administrator Byron Lomax, testifying in Scott’s place, describes the surveillance process as such:

“Every living organism is a transmitter, operating 24 hours a day. That of course is true of human beings too, awake or asleep, active or passive. We are, each of us, constantly sending out our particular brain waves, heart sounds, respiratory rhythms. Like fingerprints, no two human patterns are alike… it’s like a push-button radio, you see. Once we have an individual turned in and have their particular wavelength, it’s simply a matter of hitting the right buttons and bringing them in.”

Pre-spy satellite machine-assisted voyeurism.

Once the machine has locked on, the operator can see and hear the targeted individual, eliminating any privacy the staff might enjoy. Orville is understandably alarmed by this, more so by the disturbing fact that the Institute has eighteen such machines in operation. Testimonies reveal that Dr. Scott’s wife has been carrying on an affair with Lomax, and that the murdered Captain Harrison and Scott were using O.B.I.T. to keep tabs on them. Appearing as a surprise witness, Scott exposes Lomax as Harrison’s murderer by tuning the machine to his wavelength and revealing him to be a hideous one-eyed monster in disguise.

Lomax reveals that he is from the planet Helos, and that the machines are designed to demoralize humanity to facilitate an easy alien invasion. As an armed guard rushes toward him, he transmogrifies into his true Helosian form and vanishes.

Presto, change-o, disappear-o!

RANDOMONIUM

The politics and social viewpoints of vintage television shows and films are oftentimes dated, even quaint. Part of the brilliance of “O.B.I.T.” is that it’s actually more relevant now, fifty years after its creation. In this so-called “Information Age,” privacy has become a thing of the past. Our planet is orbited by electro-optical satellites which can reportedly take clear images of items five inches in length and, if that’s not good enough, drone aircraft can be sent in to get even closer images (and you just know at some point they’ll add x-ray technology to the mix and see right through our roofs). Even with the most robust anti-virus software installed on your computer, your every click is still being tracked, ostensibly for market research reasons (but probably for other, possibly nefarious purposes). Hackers can infiltrate your computer and watch you through your own webcam. Our government, thanks to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, can monitor us in all sorts of invasive ways under the guise of national security, including tracking those web-enable smart phones we can’t live without.

It begs the question: why aren't we all drooling basket cases, crumbling beneath the weight of our own paranoia, constantly looking over our shoulders in fear? Is it because the loss of our privacy happened gradually, in almost imperceptible stages? Or is it because our smart phones and assorted other mobile devices are so cool, so sexy, that we’re willing to leave ourselves wide open to silent and unseen scrutiny? Look at all the oversharing we do on Facebook; not only have we renounced our right to privacy; we've been somehow convinced that we want to put everything out there loudly and proudly. And I’m sure most of us have experienced conflict and the resultant deterioration of relationships through our overreliance on social media versus actual human contact… so our machines, which thanks to microtechnology are handheld instead of the size of an O.B.I.T. console, are already creating strife and demoralization across the planet. 

In Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008), Batman hacks into all the cell phones in Gotham to create a highly-detailed echolocation network, an O.B.I.T.-like approach that’s likely possible in the real world (and might already be happening). Consider that iPhone in your pocket for a moment... have you ever wondered what it’s doing when you aren't using it?

“O.B.I.T.” is written by Meyer Dolinsky, who also wrote the universally-praised “The Architects of Fear.” He’ll also pen “ZZZZZ” later this season, which isn't as universally praised (I like it quite a bit, however, and not just because of my fevered, near-irrational lust for Joanna Frank). In the director’s chair is Gerd Oswald for the first of a whopping fourteen episodes he’ll helm (he’s far and away the most prolific director in the entire series’ run). It’s important to note that while “O.B.I.T.” is the first Oswald effort to hit the airwaves, it wasn’t the first produced: that honor goes to “Specimen: Unknown,” which took longer to complete in postproduction for a variety of reasons (one of them being an unfortunate tendency to suck; we’ll examine it--- or, more likely, rip it to shreds--- when we get to it in February).

Note that when an individual is being monitored by O.B.I.T., inanimate objects they are holding (cigarettes, lab equipment, etc.) aren't visible. It’s a nice touch, but it makes me wonder why their clothes wouldn't be invisible as well. Oh yeah… because it’s 1963 television. I’m a bit surprised Showtime didn't remake this one during their revival series, since nudity wasn’t really a barrier for them (and still isn't, based on what I saw while channel-surfing last Saturday night).

I’m unclear what the hairy hands are supposed to signify (other than to clue us in that those who sport them are probably the bad guys). Is it some side effect of whatever form of masquerade they’re employing to appear human? In any case…. ew. The sight of Lomax stroking Barbara Scott’s face with that tribble jutting out from the back of his hand…. ick. It looks like his hand is wearing a goddamned toupee. Learn to use a razor, you Helosian apes!

Oh, the primitive days before manscaping.

And speaking of the Helosian’s human disguises… Barbara Scott is having an affair with Lomax, and doesn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. I mean, um... well... she's participating in the affair, seemingly oblivious to... uh... I guess my point here is.... well dammit, those disguises must be pretty comprehensive. I mean, those Helosian geneticists must've thought of everything, every possible detail, right down to the, um.... y'now, nuts and bolts.

I like the acronym “O.B.I.T.”  We know it of course as the shorthand abbreviation for “obituary,” which at first seems like a meaningless coincidence… until you consider the ultimate goal of the machines’ proliferation; in effect O.B.I.T. is here to write our collective obit. The closing Control Voice narration actually makes this point, so I guess I just spent an entire paragraph thinking I was being clever when in actuality… well, damn it.

The O.B.I.T. console's viewscreen resembles a TV set which, combined with Colonel Grover’s impassioned testimony about the machine’s addictive power, adds up to a (presumably) intentional commentary on the dangers of excessive TV watching. As I rewatched the episode recently, I noticed something: the various shots of the console being operated from behind don’t really look like a person watching TV anymore (our modern sets are much larger, so we sit further away from them). Now, fifty years later, it evokes something else that we all probably do way too much of...

Hour 9 on the computer. Hallucinations beginning:

large insectoid creature staring ominously at me.

AURAL PLEASURE

“O.B.I.T.” is stocked scored, which means no original music was composed for it; however, given its courtroom drama format, its musical requirements are pretty small. We hear a cue from “The Architects of Fear” (“The Lottery”) and a couple from “The Human Factor” (“it’s Here” and “The Monster Appears," both will be heard repeatedly going forward). However, one cue is used repeatedly that I can’t identify for the life of me, and it’s driving me six shades of crazy. It’s first heard early in act one at time stamp 6:04, and then five more times throughout the episode (12:14, 18:10, 18:28, 22:24 and 24:01). I was positive it was on La La Land’s 3-disc soundtrack, but I've been listening to that thing front to back for a week straight and I can’t find it anywhere, which suggests that it’s an existing Frontiere cue brought forward from Stoney Burke... but dammit, it sounds very TOL-specific. Here it is:

Can anyone shed some light on this? I tend to obsess over minutiae like this, so I’d be eternally grateful for some clarification from someone in the know (Larry Rapchak, if you’re reading this…!).

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Peter Breck’s star turn as Senator Jeremiah Orville isn’t his only Outer Limits connection. He also appeared in Showtime’s revival series in 1996 (“Mind Over Matter”). That’s about it for Breck’s sci-fi/fantasy work… he has a long association with television Westerns, however (Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, etc.). 

Harry Townes, on the other hand, should be familiar to genre fans. He appeared in two of The Twilight Zone’s best episodes (“The Four of Us Are Dying” and “Shadow Play”), as well as Star Trek (“The Return of the Archons”), the Planet of the Apes TV series (“The Interrogation”) and The Incredible Hulk (the two-part episode “The First”). He’s excellent here as the thoroughly-demoralized Dr. Clifford Scott.

As Byron Lomax, Jeff Corey makes his only TOL appearance; however, he’s got other genre experience, including an episode of Star Trek in 1969 (“The Cloud Minders”) and 1970’s Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Of special interest (to me, at least) is his work in John Frankenheimer’s 1966 film Seconds, a favorite of mine that has a very strong TOL vibe. It recently got a blu-ray release thanks to the Criterion Collection, so do check it out. 

Colonel Grover is well-played by Alan Baxter in his only Outer Limits role. He has the distinction of appearing in the very first episode of The Twilight Zone, which wasn't really a Twilight Zone episode at all (Rod Serling's "The Time Element," which was produced by Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse in 1958). 



Fred Severn (the other O.B.I.T. operator/Helosian) is played by Jason Wingreen in the first of his three Outer Limits appearances (we’ll see him again in “The Special One” and “Expanding Human”). He also did three tours of duty on The Twilight Zone (“A Stop at Willoughby,” “The Midnight Sun,” and “The Bard”) and, believe it or not, he provided the voice of notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett in 1980’s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Yeah, it blew my mind too). Unfortunately, revision-happy George Lucas had Wingreen’s voice dubbed over with another actor’s voice in 2004. As an original trilogy purist, I find this act reprehensible.

As long as we’re off on a Star Wars tangent, the Helosian would fit right in with the assorted wacky aliens in that universe, particularly the famous cantina scene in the original 1977 film. Somebody with some semblance of Photoshop skills should mock something up. I’d do it, but… well, y’now, I’m busy writing this damn thing. No, I mean it, stop asking. Sheesh.

Ahem, back to business.

Konstantin Shayne turns in a brief but memorable (and kinda heartbreaking) appearance as Dr. Phillip Fletcher, and he’ll return in season two’s “The Duplicate Man.” Shayne also provides me with the exciting opportunity to connect The Outer Limits to my all-time favorite film, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, in which Shayne played San Francisco history expert Pop Leibel.

Sam Reese (Clyde Wyatt) stops by for his first of two TOL appearances (we’ll see him again in season two’s “Behold Eck!”). Lindsay Workman (Dr. Anderson) also appeared on The Twilight Zone (“No Time Like the Past”).

HOME VIDEO RELEASES

“O.B.I.T.” was, of course, released on VHS along with the rest of the series, in the late 80’s-early 90’s. This is one of my favorite covers in the entire 48-tape series; it simply and perfectly captures the essence of the episode (I love the subtlety of having Lomax in the foreground, and only a shadowy Helosian behind him). The UK release (which paired the episode with another paranoia-drenched classic, “Corpus Earthling”) featured the same cover.  The Columbia House release (which paired the episode with yet another paranoia classic, “The Invisibles”) had the same cover as every other volume (an approach which I alternately like and loath, depending on the day).

That same cover design carried over onto the 4th LaserDisc volume, which featured “O.B.I.T.” and five other episodes (among them the aforementioned and unfortunate “Specimen: Unknown”). Out of the four LD releases, this is the only one with an episode-specific cover (so hey, maybe I’m not the only one who likes it).

The series’ first season has seen three distinct DVD releases and, no matter which one you get, you’ll find “O.B.I.T.” The downside here is that every digital release has employed the failure-prone DVD-18 format (dual-layered and double-sided). Those VHS tapes you've got in a box in your garage might just last longer.

If you’re too lazy to load up the DVD (I've certainly been guilty of this from time to time), it can be streamed for free thanks to Hulu. They’ve got the entire series, so if you want to endure an ass-numbing Outer Limits marathon in front of your computer, that option is happily available to you. However, if you’d like to do the same in front of your TV, DVD is your only option since the series isn’t available on Hulu Plus (unless you've got an internet-connected computer hooked up to your TV, that is).

If you’re a blu-ray nut like me, and you want to enjoy “O.B.I.T.” in pristine high definition… well, you’re shit outta luck, partner. The Outer Limits appears destined to remain stuck at a resolution of 720 x 480.

TRADING CARD CORNER

The Helosian seems like a natural for the Topps treatment, right? Well, no dice. Nothing from Rittenhouse either. Damn, where’s the love?

MERCHANDISE SPOTLIGHT

Sideshow Collectibles, on the other hand, appreciated the Helosian enough to offer him in 12” deluxe action figure form back in 2004 (in a two pack with Andro from last week’s “The Man Who Was Never Born”). These were the final two figures in the line and were produced in relatively small numbers, so they aren't that easy (or cheap) to come by. I recently saw the pair on eBay for $130.00 (they usually go for much more) and, like a chump, I waited too long and missed them (despite the urging of TOL Companion author/TOL guru David J. Schow to jump on ‘em). Someday, dammit… someday.

Oh, the things you can find on Google Images!  An individual calling himself “loosecollector” over at Figure Realm put together an impressive custom 6” Helosian action figure in 2009. It lacks the transparent skirt, and I’m not sure I agree with the color choices, but it’s highly cool regardless. I’m actually considering getting into the custom action figure game, with the express purpose of creating Outer Limits figures of my own (since nobody seems interested in making legitimate ones; my friends over at Bif Bang Pow! shoot me down every time I ask/beg/plead with them to pursue the license).

Dimensional Designs offers high-quality model kits of most of the series’ aliens and monsters, and the Helosian is no exception, only theirs is called the “O.B.I.T. Creature.” I’m not sure the terms “Helos” and “Helosian” are ever actually heard in the episode, so I’m gonna let this one slide. Anyway, it’s a great sculpt by Chris Choin, and you can order yours here.

THE WRAP-UP

“O.B.I.T.” is another excellent Outer Limits outing. It succeeds as a courtroom-type drama (it’s basically an hour of people talking, yet somehow it manages to be riveting) and, under closer cross-examination, it’s an effective catalyst for meditating on the death of privacy in these modern times. The episode ends on a hopeful note, with the machines being “rounded up”… but what about our machines?