28 Years Ago, a Forgotten Sci-Fi TV Show Released the Most Mind-Bending Episode of TV Ever

by

Science fiction TV is currently enjoying a boom. The long-running space adventure Star Trek continues to thrive with a steady stream of new series, but it now has competition from Alien: Earth, a show connected to the famous Alien films. Noah Hawley’s take on the franchise leans into horror, focusing on the fear of the unknown – a classic storytelling technique used by many filmmakers over the years.

Back in 1963, ABC launched The Outer Limits, a science fiction show similar to The Twilight Zone, featuring standalone stories. While the original series had some memorable episodes like “Demon With a Head Glass” and “The Architects of Fear,” it was the show’s reboot that truly succeeded, lasting seven seasons and consistently surprising viewers. Even now, decades later, one particular episode of The Outer Limits remains powerfully effective, despite numerous attempts by Hollywood to replicate its impact.

The Outer Limits Gives a Group of Characters an Impossible Task

The thirteenth episode of Season 3 of The Outer Limits, titled “Dead Man’s Switch,” begins with a straightforward setup. Lieutenant Ben Conklin of the Air Force is sent to a bunker where General Eiger explains that an alien fleet is approaching Earth, and global preparations are underway. Ben, along with four others stationed in bunkers worldwide, is tasked with controlling nuclear weapons for a year. Their mission: if they receive no communication from the surface after a specified time, they are authorized to launch the weapons and destroy the alien force.

Things start out well enough, with Ben and his team from around the globe enjoying getting to know each other. But after a series of deadly accidents, Ben finds himself completely alone and responsible for saving the world. He begins to lose his mind, as anyone would, until a message from his general offers hope – a rescue team is coming, and there’s no need to use the weapons. However, Ben soon discovers a terrifying truth: the aliens are controlling the general and have already conquered Earth. With all hope extinguished, the story of The Outer World doesn’t even wait for Ben to realize the full extent of the disaster.

The Premise of “Dead Man’s Switch” Is a Familiar One

The idea of doomsday bunkers isn’t new – they’ve been around for many years and have often appeared in films and television. A good example is the movie 10 Cloverfield Lane, featuring John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The film revolves around a potential alien attack, but the audience questions the truthfulness of Goodman’s character due to inconsistencies in his story. Like the movie “Dead Man’s Switch,” 10 Cloverfield Lane suggests that the dangers within the bunker can be just as frightening as any external threat.

Not all attempts to create immersive, bunker-themed experiences succeed, and the 2025 film War of the Worlds is a case in point. Instead of being in the action, Will Radford finds himself at a desk at the Department of Homeland Security, monitoring an alien invasion and trying to find a solution. However, the film doesn’t delve deeply enough into Radford’s emotional state. A significant event, like the loss of his son, doesn’t have the emotional impact it should. War of the Worlds could have been much stronger if it had focused more on the characters’ internal struggles, similar to the approach taken by The Outer Limits.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/list/3-sci-fi-shows-with-over-90-on-rotten-tomatoes-to-stream-right-now/embed/#

Read More

2025-11-10 18:47