The Outer Limits (1963) 1.03

The Architects of Fear

starring Robert Culp, Leonard Stone, Geraldine Brooks

directed by Byron Haskin

Scientist Allen Leighton (Robert Culp) volunteers for an experiment which transforms him from an ordinary man into something that doesn't look human. Allen's colleagues, led by Dr. Phillip Gainer (Leonard Stone), hope that by fooling the world into thinking that Allen in an alien and the vanguard of a threat to humanity.

Allen, despite being married, agrees to go ahead with the experiment. He doesn't tell Yvette (Geraldine Brooks), his wife about the experiment. She is told, instead, that he died when the airplane in which he was traveling disappeared during a trip to South America. 

The process of transforming Allen isn't a pleasant process. He experiences hallucinations and pain. Yvette, who never told Allen that's she pregnant, doesn't give up hope that Allen might return one day. She tries talking to Dr. Gainer but he tells her that there's nothing he can do. Allen is gone.

Allen is rocketed up into space secretly after the transformation is complete. He descends in a rocket ship designed for him. He doesn't land at the United Nations as planned but instead returns to the lab where he was transformed into an alien.

Allen is shot at by hunter as he makes his way to the lab on foot, after landing his spacecraft. He dies in the lab. Yvette is there. He can't speak but a gesture he makes before dying tells her that the creature before her was the man she loves.

Thoughts

The scientists reason for transforming Allen was not an original one, according to my research. A similar idea was used in Watchmen but it is unclear to me if Alan Moore got the idea from this episode of The Outer Limits.

If there's anything that really puzzles me about this episode it is why Allen allowed himself to be transformed into an alien. Once I got beyond that I thought the rest of the episode was fun and interesting. I couldn't turn away. I wanted to see how it turned out and was satisfied with how it did although I can see how it might not satisfy everyone.

Notes

I know Robert Culp best from The Greatest American Hero (1981-83). This is the first of three episodes of this show in which he appeared. He also appeared in one episode a piece of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. I've also saw him in episodes of I, Spy decades ago.

I don't know Leonard Stone from anything else I've watched. He was in a couple episodes of the Six Million Dollar Man and one episode of from the second season of The Invaders.

This is one of two episodes of The Outer Limits in which Geraldine Brooks appeared. I don't think that there's anything else that she has been in that I have seen.