The Outer Limits (1963) 1.10

Nightmare

starting James Shigeta, Ed Nelson, Martin Sheen

directed by John Erman

Six human soldiers are captured by aliens while on their way toward Ebon, an enemy planet that is at war with Earth. They are not the first humans to he captured during the war between Earth and Ebon. They are interrogated. Each man responds differently to interrogation. Some of the men captured before them try to encourage the six men to cooperate with the Ebonites.

Colonel Stone (Ed Nelson), the leader of the six man team, accuses Major Jong (James Shigeta) of giving vital information to the Ebonites while he was being interrogated. Jong explains that he wasn’t interrogated, only tortured. His right arm is crippled now as a result of the torture. Stone is unconvinced and insists that the others draw straws. Whoever draws the short straw will have to kill Major Jong.

Stone’s plan backfires. The man who draws the short straw refuses to kill Jong. Private Dix (Martin Sheen) is revealed to have told the Ebonites something while talking to a hallucination of his mother. Dix goes crazy soon after that.

Stone learns that his six man team was part of an experiment and that there is no war between Earth and Ebon. He and another soldier attempt to tell the others what’s going on but by then Jong has been pushed to the point of trying to kill one of the Ebonites. 

Thoughts

I can understand wanting to do an episode about testing soldiers to see how they will respond to being held captive by the Ebonites but this episode feels a bit muddled to me. It also felt very rushed. Discovering that the war was a sham didn’t blow my mind. The twist in the end is there but I don’t know. It just doesn’t satisfy me.

Nice try but no cigar. There’s something here but is doesn’t all add up to an episode that I like or would recommend to others.

Notes

James Shigeta has been in a few other things I have seen, most recently The Crimson Kimono (1959) and Mulan (1998). This is the first of two episodes of this show in which he appeared. 

Ed Nelson hasn't been in anything else I have seen. This is the only episode of this show in which he appeared. He also appeared in episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and Night Gallery.

Martin Sheen has been in at least 10 movies I have seen but none that I have watched recently. This is the only episode of this show in which he appeared. The West Wing is the thing that I've probably seen him in most recently and it has been several years since I watched that show.

Whit Bissell has a small part in this episode as a general from Earth. This is the only episode of this show in which he appeared. He's been in at least nine movies I have seen. I saw him most recently in Raw Deal (1948). He also appeared in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Invaders, and Star Trek (1966).

This is the only episode of this show that John Erman directed. He also directed an episode of Star Trek (1966).