The Outer Limits (1963) 1.20

The Bellero Shield

starring Martin Landau, Sally Kellerman

written by Joseph Stefano, Lou Morheim

directed by 

Richard Bellero (Martin Landau) creates a laser beam that enables an alien to travel to Earth. Richard is fascinated by the alien and shares all kinds of things with him but the alien's time is limited. Richard wants his father, the president of the Bellero Corporation to see the alien. He goes to find his father but Judith, Richard's wife who doesn't get along with her father-in-law, kills the alien before Richard returns his father.

Judith and Mrs. Dame, the Bellero's servant, hide the alien's body in the cellar. Judith tells Richard that the alien left before he got back. She shows Richard and his father a piece of technology that the alien demonstrated for her. It creates a clear shield around her which nothing can penetrate. Everything seems good until Judith tries to turn off the shield and discovers that she can't turn it off. She is trapped inside the shield.

Judith confesses. She tells them about how she killed the alien and why. Richard's father goes to see the alien's body in the cellar. Mrs. Dame blocks the way down the stairs but when Mr. Bellero pushes past her she shoves him down the stairs, killing him.

The alien revives long enough to return to the lab with some help from Mrs. Dame. He explains that his blood was a necessary ingredient for the shield device. He reaches through the shield but then he dies. The shield seems to disappear but then Judith discovers that it just isn't visible anymore. She is still trapped behind the shield.

Thoughts

What happened in the end? Judith is trapped and Richard's father is presumably dead. What next? It feels very open ended.

This episode has it's moments. I thought it started a bit slow. Towards then end it picks up a bit. I wasn't sure what to make of the ending. Overall I think it is very middle tier, not great but also not awful. The performances were a bit of a mixed bag. 

Notes

This is the second of two episodes of this show in which Martin Landau appeared. The first was 1.06 The Man Who Was Never There .

This is the second of two episodes of this show in which Sally Kellerman appeared. The first was 1.08 The Human Factor.

Neil Hamilton played the part of Richard's father. This is the second of two episodes of this show in which he appeared. The first was 1.19 The Invisibles.

Chita Rivera played the part of Mrs. Dame. This is the only episode of this show in which she appeared.

John Hoyt played the part of the alien, although given the outfit he was wearing you really couldn't tell it was him. This is the second of three episodes of this show in which he appeared. The first was 1.17 Don't Open Till Doomsday.

This is the seventh of 12 episodes that Joseph Stefano  had a hand in writing. He also had a hand in writing 1.11 It Crawled Out of the Woodwork. This is the fourth of 12 episodes that Lou Morheim had a hand in writing. One of the other episodes that he helped to write was 1.18 ZZZZZ. 

This is the second of two episode of this show that John Brahm directed. The other one was 1.18 ZZZZZ.