When “The Outer Limits” returned in 1995, it was a rebirth of something incredible, and sci-fi aficionados were blown away. Unlike its predecessor, which was cancelled after a few seasons, this sci-fi horror TV series lasted seven seasons and 152 episodes. The production qualities were high, and the episodes focused on the story rather than the stars. While the original was a timeless classic in its own right, the resurrection reintroduced the same concept with vigour. This dark sci-fi series, narrated by the renowned Kevin Conroy, is exactly the kind of entertainment that is sorely lacking in today’s world!
Despite its popularity, this sci-fi gem has slid under the radar over the years, so we thought it would be fun to take you through some of the best episodes. If you enjoy inventive anthologies, twisted endings, occasional alien and monster sightings, and plenty of thrills, this is the ride for you!
Quality of Mercy – Season 1 Episode 13
This episode will bring you an engaging story of a hostile alien takeover of the Earth with a twist! It opens with a human being thrown into a prison cell by his alien captors. This guy is called Stokes, and he finds his cell inmate to be of suspicious nature. She seems to have a strange growth on her arm, and she reveals that she is a member of the cadet, and her name is Bree Tristan.
The alien jailers are experimenting with her skin and fusing samples of their own skin onto her. It seems to be an effort to transform her into one of their own, and Stokes finds out that her previous cellmate was tortured to death by the aliens. This is where we learn about the war between humans and aliens. The humans seem to be outmatched because the alien race is thousand times more advanced and stronger. Stokes was a part of the human resistance, and he desperately wants to escape, to join the fight again!
He tries to rip the alien skin graft from Bree’s hands, but the alien guards immediately lock him up in another cell. It is a nightmarish situation because he can hear humans being tortured in other cells. He makes a brave attempt to climb up to a barred window and uses a rock to cut through the metal bars. Meanwhile, Bree is taken for further experiments on her skin. Stokes’ escape attempt fails and he ends up in Bree’s cell once again. This time, her condition seems to be worse and a large part of her body is now covered in alien skin.
When Stokes tries to fight off a guard, his arm is cut off, and he is knocked unconscious. Later, he wakes up in his cell and finds Bree looking on. She is now largely transformed, and it seems like she has no more hope for her life. Stokes can do very little to help her now but to offer her hope, he reveals a secret plan. The humans are planning a surprise attack. A large fleet of their ships is hidden, to launch a sudden strike that will change the course of the losing war.
Suddenly, the alien guard enters and attempts to take Bree out. However, this time she stands up herself and walks willingly to the exit. She turns back and gives a shocking revelation! It turns out that she is actually an alien, and the aliens are only trying to change her back to her old form. Besides, the last secret plan of the humans has been revealed, and Bree will certainly let the others know about it!
The New Breed – Season 1 Episode 16
An apparently innocent discovery changes the lives of people forever! It all starts with Dr. Stephen Ledbetter’s discovery of nanobots – a type of tiny organic machine that can cure any disease or imperfection in the human body. When Stephen’s best friend Andy tells him that he proposed to Stephen’s sister, he is delighted by the news. He reveals to Andy his new discovery and just how path-breaking it can be! However, Andy’s joy is short-lived because he soon learns about his pelvic cancer, which barely gives him a year to live. Desperate, he sneaks into Stephen’s lab and injects himself with the nanobots. The results are miraculous, to say the least. His cancer is healed overnight, and he tells Stephen about the success of his invention.
Stephen, however, is apprehensive about the effect that it might have on the human body. Although Andy assures him that he is fine, he soon finds out that the nanobots have changed his body permanently. His eyesight is better, the slightest of injuries are healed in seconds, and he even finds himself more energetic in bed with his fiancé. A severe burn injury is healed in seconds, and this prompts Stephen to experiment further on Andy. He is submerged in water, but the nanobots keep him alive.
But the next day Andy finds out that his body has developed gills in order to deal with such future events. They both realize that the nanobots have to be deactivated immediately, but nothing seems to work. In the meantime, Andy develops eyes behind his head, bones above his stomach, and stinging tentacles. He is dejected by his new monstrous form, which almost makes him a new breed of human! He requests Stephen to end his misery, and Stephen electrocutes him and burns down his laboratory with Andy inside. After Andy’s death, his fiancé has seen mourning, and she accidentally cuts her finger on his photograph. The episode ends with a glimpse of her wound healing in seconds, which points to the possibility that she has been infected by the nanobots as well.
Simon Says – Season 6 Episode 8
Science fiction has often taught us that mixing robotics and human emotions might not always be a good idea! Here we see Gideon Banks, a genius electronic engineer, reeling from the loss of his wife and son in a car accident. Back then, he was working on a project that aimed to create smart computers, by fusing elements of the human brain. After the project did not work out, the company moved on, but Gideon saw this as an opportunity to reanimate his son Simon. He worked with the technology, and after stealing some parts from his new company, he built a small robot at home. This robot contained actual neural signatures of Simon, and this was a way for him to bring his dead son back to life in some form. He keeps this robot a secret from the world, but his niece Zoe discovers what he is hiding!
This robot sounded and behaved similar to Simon, and it turned out that Simon was no goody-two-shoes, to begin with! He was quite a brat, and when Zoe was asked to babysit the robotic form of Simon, she got attacked. Its demanding ways pushed Gideon to do some extreme stuff at work, which also threatened his job. However, Simon later apologized to Zoe, and just when things seemed normal, Gideon’s boss found out about the robot.
The company wanted to possess the robot because the parts were stolen and Gideon was in no mind to let go of the last memory of his son. An argument broke out between Gideon and Zoe, and Simon diffused the situation by blaming himself. He revealed that he was the one responsible for the accident, and Gideon realized that the whole situation could put Zoe in trouble. He asked her to leave and promised to fix the situation but had something else in mind! Zoe soon heard a gunshot, and she rushed back to find that Gideon had committed suicide. However, he copied his mind into another robot, and the father-son duo continued their conversation in their new forms!
In Our Own Image – Season 4 Episode 26
Androids turning against their makers is nothing new in sci-fi history, but this story comes with a few twists along the way. The episode opens with an advanced android that shows signs of erratic behaviour. This android, called Mac 27, kills one of its handlers and injures the other. It then kills one of the guards and escapes from the Innobotics complex, the company that built such robots. Mac finds a random woman named Cecilia at the parking lot, and it takes her hostage. They head to an abandoned warehouse, and Mac needs some help from her to fix some of the damage that it had sustained. Mac is able to transmit images to show how to fix his systems directly to Cecilia’s optic nerve, and she also watches some of the memories stored inside Mac 27.
It shows that this android has been subject to various experiments, and Cecilia learns that various other androids have also shown signs of turning against their makers. Mac has simply followed this trend, and Cecilia manages to disable his motor control functions while pretending to perform another repair. It is then revealed that she is one of the troubleshooters hired by the corporation to reign in the rogue androids. She also believes that she has mastered the technology of installing a built-in lobotomy, which will prevent androids from turning rogue in the future. They will not be able to gain awareness and thus, the whole android awakening would be null and void.
However, there is yet another twist in the episode, and we are shocked to find that Mac was pretending to be disabled the whole time. It knew about the whole trap and now steals Cecilia’s retinal imprint, which would enable him to use her credentials back at the corporation. Later, the investigative team finds her dead body in the warehouse, and Mac turns up at the corporation. The scientist who created this android watches in horror as it uses the network access to activate the other androids of his class. It seems like a rise of the machines and the episode ends on an ominous note, with the insight that the humans are the ones to be blamed for the androids turning against them!
Dead Man’s Switch – Season 3 Episode 13
Ben is sent to a remote bunker, eleven thousand feet beneath Alaska, and he is told by General James Eiger about an upcoming doom. It has been detected that alien spaceships are heading towards Earth, and since no one knows about their intentions, the humans are preparing for the worst. In the event of an attempt to take over their world, they have planned to put together the nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons to create a single doomsday weapon. Five people like Ben are positioned in five strategic bunkers, and they have the switch to control the activation of the ultimate revenge weapon. They have to occasionally disarm the weapon when an alarm is sounded. If no one does, then the weapon will fire automatically. This would make the Earth uninhabitable, and thus, it is important that the people in charge have maximum restraint.
They would be kept away from any false information and will remain shut-off from the external world. Their only point of contact would be General James Eiger, and the five handlers can communicate among themselves. Months pass by and these people have to deal with the trauma of isolation. Meanwhile, Ben develops a relationship with Katya, the woman manning the Russian bunker.
The alien spaceships reach Earth and claim to be a scientific expedition and not a threat. However, an entire week passes without any contact from the General. The man stationed in the Chinese bunker develops a shortwave radio and hears a small signal that says the diplomatic ceremonies were interrupted. But the signal fails shortly, and the handlers are left without a clue about what is happening outside. Three of the handlers are soon dead, and one of them is shown to be pulled out by some mysterious entity.
Now, everything rests on Ben and Katya, who have to press the switches in order to prevent the weapon from going off. A fire in her bunker kills Katya, and Ben is distraught by the situation. After his water supply runs out, he decides to let the weapon go off, but General Eiger’s message changes his mind. He tells him that the alien invaders have been defeated, and the world outside is trying to come up with a way to disarm the weapon. Till then, Ben must stay put and continue pressing the switches regularly. The climactic twist reveals that the General was being controlled by a parasitic alien, and the Earth has been left in ruins following the alien attack. Ben remains in his bunker, unaware of the real situation, and his future seems as uncertain as that of the Earth!
The Camp – Season 3 Episode 7
The opening narration of this episode gives you a good hint of what is about to come! It points to the grim nature of human history which has seen horrific times, wars, and disasters. However, the human spirit has never been captive! It is very relevant to the context of the narrative because the episode begins with a post-apocalyptic backdrop. Humans have been enslaved by a far superior alien race, and the story is premised in a concentration camp-like prison, where humans are held by androids. They are apparently used by the alien race to manufacture fuel for their spacecraft. The protagonist of the story, a woman, referred to as Prisoner 98843, desires to break free from the confines of the camp. Most of the other prisoners believe that the world outside is too hostile for humans to survive, but she wants to test her luck.
She maintains a healthy relationship with the android guards of the camp and their Commandant. She helps them in their repairs and slowly gathers more information about the alien race. It turns out that the androids haven’t been maintained in a very long time because their alien masters have been away for decades. The rocket fuel that is made in the camp is no longer used by the alien fleet, and the androids are simply maintaining the camp out of their sense of duty. This information prompts prisoner 98843 to lead a revolt against the captors. The commandant is beheaded and the android guards are overpowered. Eventually, the prisoners are shown peeking through the gates of the prison camp, and the sight of a virgin Earth greets them all! Does their future look promising? It is all revealed in the sequel to this episode.
Promised Land – Season 4 Episode 21
This is the sequel to the episode “The Camp” and reveals the fate of the fleeing prisoners. It also shows the historical events that led to such a situation. It reveals the real face of the monstrous alien race called the ‘Tsal-Khan’ that arrived on Earth. Initially, they had developed friendly relations with humans, but with time the relationship worsened. It led to a disastrous war between the races, and only a handful of the aliens emerged victoriously. They live together in a guarded farm, and the human survivors are locked up in camps guarded by androids. The forefathers of the surviving aliens had poisoned all the plants to starve humans, and thus, the remaining aliens confine themselves to the food that they grow themselves. They are completely oblivious to the fact that a group of humans broke free from one of the camps.
Meanwhile, the prisoners find their way to the guarded farm and realize that the surviving aliens are well-fed. It is a sharp contrast to the sorry state of the surviving humans, who have witnessed their own dying after consuming poisoned fruits. The leader of the group finds a way through the tight defence of the farm, and finally, they launch an attack. The intense fighting takes casualties on both sides, but Rebecca, the leader of the escaped humans, gets her hands on a deadly alien weapon. This makes both sides evenly matched, and the episode ends in an open-ended manner, where either group could destroy the other! One of the best things about this episode was the cool alien designs, and it was a fitting sequel to the build-up that we saw in the episode titled, “The Camp”.
Monster – Season 4 Episode 18
Telekinetic powers can be pretty cool until they turn against the user! This episode is the perfect example of why greater power must come with greater responsibility. It starts off with four people from different walks of life gathering in a top-secret research facility. They do not seem to have anything in common, and the four individuals come from different professions. One of them is an ex-spy, one is an army ranger, a woman named Rachel is a nurse, and the fourth individual is a computer programmer. However, they all have one common characteristic – they all have telekinetic abilities, and their minds can be powerful weapons!
Looking to exploit their abilities, a CIA operative has brought them in, and there are certain devices in this research facility that can amplify their powers. They are first made to perform simple tasks such as breaking a granite block using their minds. But soon the tasks take a serious turn.
Their first mission is to use their minds to kill a Balkan terrorist leader. Rachel wants no part in such activities, but she is forced to take up the assignment. She is told that her junkie brother will be sent to jail if she doesn’t comply, and she is helpless. The assassination attempt is a success, and they also use her powers to kill an African revolutionary leader. Now, the handlers must also deal with certain side effects! The mind is a live-wire that might not always be under the strict control of an individual. These telekinetic powers leave a bunch of people dead, just like Rachel had previously seen in her dream. The episode ends on the note where the ones who misused these powers are brought to justice!
Alien Shop – Season 7 Episode 9
This was one of the most innovative episodes in the series as the concept was unique compared to the others. The story revolved around an alien shapeshifter, who was in charge of a curio shop. It sells antique items, and the sold merchandise always has some special powers associated with them. It is a way of teaching a moral lesson to the mortals, as the items always exact a special charge from them. When a petty crook accepts a strange wallet, he has no idea about the things that are in store for him! It turns out that money earned that easily comes with some clauses. It would be criminal for us to spoil this one for you, but let’s just say that the ending will leave you in a state of shock!
I, Robot – Season 1 Episode 18
Here is yet another story of robotic development gone wrong! This episode begins with a scene straight out of Terminator movies, where a robot named Adam turns against the scientist who made it. Dr. Link is killed and Adam escapes through a lab window. However, the robot soon has no memory of its violence and is taken to a cell. The general consensus is to disassemble the murderous robot, but Dr Link’s daughter hires a lawyer to fight a case for the android. The lawyer named Thurman Cutler wants a proper murder trial because he argues that Adam is a lot more than just a machine. It has shown signs of intelligence and self-will, and thus it deserves a fair trial.
The prosecuting attorney simply wants Adam disassembled, but the case moves ahead. Soon, some sinister facts about the entire robotic development program are unearthed. It turns out that a powerful defence contractor had hired Dr. Link in order to turn Adam into a killing machine. The scientist had lost his funding, and taking up this program was an opportunity for him to develop Adam further. When such facts are discovered, the defence company threatens Thurman Cutler, but it only strengthens his resolve. He proves in court that Adam’s central programming was tampered with, and the robot was forced to react the same way that a human would when faced with death. The court finds enough evidence to try Adam as a person, but just as it is being led away, it watches the prosecuting attorney on the verge of being run over. Adam sacrifices itself to save her life, and the episode ends on an emotional note, suggesting that machines are basically innocent and only corrupted by human complexities.
Double Helix – Season 3 Episode 12
Dr. Martin Nodel is a famous genetic researcher who is working on introns, a mysterious section of DNA. According to him, this part holds the key to crucial future evolutions, and Martin develops a formula to activate them. He even tests it on himself and experiences some strange symptoms. An unexplained map grows on his back and another mysterious pattern grows on his hand.
To further his research, Dr. Martin starts looking for suitable students to help him. They must have a very high IQ and cannot have any imperfections, such as glasses or tattoos. In fact, these candidates must also be ones who have never had surgery before. He assembles a group of such candidates, and finally, they all head to the area revealed on the map. It turns out to be a secret military base and the group travels to the area. Martin’s son and his girlfriend also tag along, even though they do not match the specifications needed from the candidates.
They find a spaceship-type device in the military base, and the symbols on this device match the ones on Martin’s hands. It reveals a message from an alien race, and the spaceship is supposed to take them all to their home planet. They all step inside the spacecraft, and even his son and his girlfriend are taken aboard. This episode ends on a mysterious note, but the answers can be found in its sequel titled “The Origin of Species”.
Here, we see the spacecraft riding through the cosmos. They end up on a future Earth without any inhabitants and learn that too many genetic experiments turned humans sterile. The alien race must have originated from Earth, and just prior to their extinction, they wanted to leave a warning for humans. The spaceship was highly advanced, and it created modified babies by using the genetics of all on board. These would be used to repopulate the future Earth! This was one of those mind-boggling, thought-provoking episodes, and together with the sequel, it was as good as a well-made sci-fi movie!
Glitch – Season 6 Episode 12
What is real and what isn’t?! “Glitch” takes you on a rough ride where you are left wondering about the reality and surreal nature of existence. The story is about a loving couple, Tom and Wendy. Although everything seems perfect, Tom is haunted by some terrible memories at night. He dreams about being stuck in a burning building with a crying baby trapped inside. However, his dreams are not exactly real, and neither is he! It is revealed that Tom is basically an android that was built to deal with deadly situations and disastrous fires.
The memories viewed by Tom were placed in his artificial intelligence by his creator, the late Joe Walker. He created Tom in order to save humans but soon realized that his colleague, Dr. Edward Normandy had plans of militarizing these androids. To stop that from happening, Walker ensured that Dr Normandy would have to upgrade Tom into a thinking machine. His wife Wendy is just another android, secretly developed by Walker based on his wife. Their new robotic identities were just the perfect way for them to coexist forever!
We have only brought you the tip of the iceberg, and this amazing show has many more interesting episodes on offer. We strongly recommend checking out the entire series because such sci-fi gems are rarely made nowadays!