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Yup, here it is, another stupidly written episode of Outer Limits
that is actually a disgusting and unreflected piece of anti-Communist
propaganda meagerly dressed up as science fiction.
The story: Aliens teleport a small neighbourhood (six times six blocks)
to their planet - complete with houses and everything - to see if the
inhabitants can survive the alien planet's climate or if they will catch
the planet's disease too easily. Why do the Commies, er the aliens do
this: Because they want to enslave mankind, but this is only feasible if
mankind shows some resistance to the planet's disease - cause what good is
a dead slave, right ?
At first, the abducted humans, all to-the-bone Americans, do not even
realize what has happened to them, but then one of them, Ralph (David
Opatoshu) leaves the neighbourhood by car - and has to realize that
everything else seems to have vanished ... and he catches the planet's
disease when attacked by a few of this Communist swines. Alien swines I
meant ... shit, can't they make their disgusting propaganda at least a
little bit subtler ?
Ok, ultimately another character, Doc (Sam Wanamaker) - who has marital
problems because his wife (Phyllis Love) wants to have a career of her own
(did we really need to know that ?) - finds out everything, gathers the
whole neighbourhood in the neighbourhood church (now that's what I call
hammering the message home, yuk) and tells them that they are all doomed
but they can save America, er mankind from slavery if only they sacrifice
themselves and all contract the planet's disease - and since everyone in
the neighbourhood is a good patriot, America is once more saved from
Communism, er ... what the heck, I give up.
You know, even a story as silly as this one (and this one is very
silly) could have worked if approached with a little subtlety and some
emphasis on suspense and atmosphere, or if the episode at least wouldn't
take itself too seriously - but I guess all these suggestions are lost on
a series as primitive and blunt as Outer Limits. Don't watch
!!!
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