8

It's a joke, right? A rib on Jordan Peele? My guess is that it costs the network too much money, so someone has replaced every other episode of this season with something so utterly awful that the show gets cancelled. That's the only explanation for this half-written nonsense episode.

At an Antarctic exploration platform, a group of scientists led by Orson Rudd (Joel McHale) is investigating changes in Ice depths bringing different deep sea creatures nearer to the surface. When a pair of divers fail to return on time, suspicion points to an Octopus species that they have discovered, but they have no way of knowing just how intelligent their discovery really is.

OK, so, from a technical standpoint this episode actually looks quite good. Though the geography of the base is occasionally a little wonky, it's a convincing set and the CGI Octopuses when they appear look quite good. But everything else about the episode is awful, or in some case unintentionally hilarious. One thing not funny is Joel McHale, given that he's such a natural comedic performer the straight and series role as the lead scientist is another time this series has wasted its talent. Nadia Hilker, from "The Walking Dead" is also in it as, slightly bizarrely is, Tim Armstrong from the band Rancid.

I can understand, I think, the genesis of the episode. The idea that Cephalopods are more intelligent than we previously thought has been in the news, and their ability to do fine manipulation of objects is comparable to ours. They are also capable of editing their own RNA, put this together and you get this one hacking an Iphone to learn about DNA research and then taking over the world. It is, a bit of a stretch, to state the case mildly, and it's not sold by the dull and oddly told story where nothing much actually happens. At one point the Octopus narrows its eyes, whilst throttling a human, which was a genuine laugh out loud moment.

Decent special effects and nice "The Thing" references aside, this was a comically badly written episode. I can live with outlandish premises - in fact TZ episodes probably should have them, but the dreadful non-story that led from this one can get in the sea.

The story quality of the Season 2 episodes have been dramatically improved over Season 1 so far, which has given me hope for TZ. "8" is a step backwards, which is unfortunate given the high potential for the unique setting in the Arctic. However, the story had too many plot holes, inane character monologues, and a simplistic ending. Hope this is only a blip. Don't waste your time with this episode.

This episode was so much fun! A group of scientists slowly eliminated one by one An awesome octopus Joel McHale BLOOD, GORE, and DNA Far-fetched, silly and most enjoyable It's The Twilight Zone - just go with it!

8 takes viewers into the depths of the ocean, where a team of scientists makes a chilling discovery-an octopus unlike any other. As the crew attempts to study the creature, they soon realize that they may not be the only ones conducting an experiment. What follows is a tense exploration of intelligence, survival, and humanity's fear of being outmatched.

At its core, 8 questions the assumption that humans are at the top of the evolutionary chain. The episode challenges the arrogance of scientific exploration, showing how our quest for knowledge can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. It forces viewers to consider whether intelligence alone is enough to maintain dominance-or if adaptability and instinct ultimately determine survival.

The story also touches on the ethical implications of experimentation and the blurred line between discovery and exploitation. When confronted with an entity that exhibits equal or superior intelligence, the scientists must reckon with the consequences of their actions. Are they the ones in control, or have they underestimated a force beyond their comprehension?

Ultimately, 8 is a chilling meditation on the unpredictability of nature and the limits of human superiority. It reminds us that intelligence is not exclusive to humanity-and that sometimes, in the face of the unknown, we may not be the hunters, but the hunted.

If we are no longer the most intelligent beings on Earth, what happens next?

Well, this is a first. All through the first and now second seasons of this reboot one of the underlying downsides has been that the stories have been stretched to fit in with the shows' overlong running time. However this episode clearly is an anomaly in that everything was rushed to comply with its 45 minute allowance. Much too often it relied on (mostly) the leader, Rudd, narrating the plot for us instead of actually showing it on screen. Overall it felt like a low-budget 'The Thing' as produced by a particularly enthusiastic bunch of high schoolers.