The Man Who Was Never Born

An astronaut unwittingly travels to a future Earth, where he encounters a future Earth dweller, a mutation, The astronaut pleads for The Dweller, Andro the return to Earth's present day, and correct the path.

Wow, this was an incredible episode, incredibly imaginative and thought provoking, The man who was never born delivers on every level, it hits hard, delivering a warning to the future, and poses one huge question, could you take someone's life away, knowing they were going to cause untold misery in the future ahead?

Great mix of sci fi and drama, the characters are so well drawn, so well rounded, that the story somehow has a real meaning.

Martin Landau delivers an outstanding performance, Shirley Knight and Conrad Hall are tremendous in support, credit to the makeup team Herr also, they did an impressive job on Landau.

It is very, very well produced, I loved the contrasting filming styles, especially the soft focused shots.

9/10.

This is when and how my love affair with Martin Landau began. I saw this when the Outer Limits series was new...I have NEVER forgotten this episode.

The story is quite interesting and the acting by ALL is top-notch. The set-up and the story line may be read in others' reviews so rent it, steal it just get a hold of a copy..I found mine this day on VHS and it remains as lovely as it was 47 years ago! Oh Heck..I'll give you a few details..It starts out NOT on earth. A spaceman has a conversation with this mutant creature of a man who speaks with style and grace...yep, it's Martin. He, Martin, gets to earth and meets the lovely Shirley Knight...evidently it's his power of suggestion, a hallucination, that changes his ugly self into an eloquent and handsome man. I refrain from saying any more.

WOW the early 1960's were quite filled, thankfully, with such interesting and intellectual programs in this vein. Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, etc, were a grand insight to how the brainy writers and actors appeared and we were treated to same in spades!

A guy must go back in time to prevent disaster from happening on earth.

Time travel is a theme that I always like. From The Time Tunnel to Star Trek I just can't get enough of it. I personally know Martin Landau from his two seasons of Space 1999 (1975-77) so it is rather pleasing to know his acting range, seen here, is much wider than that seen in Space 1999.

According to the connection section of this episode, Star Trek episode Miri (1966) lifted the "signal from planet" sound effect from this Limits episode. Nice to see the two shows cross over like that.

The Man Who Was Never Born is a fine hour.

"The Man Who Was Never Born" is a sensitive fantasy about a man named Andro who is caught in a limbo of time and space. In this episode, he traverses through several worlds, searching for a sense of connection, solidity, and resolution, which is frustratingly elusive.

I will not provide more plot details, aside from the fact that the ending is absolutely stunning and unforgettable. Overall, this is one of the greatest Outer Limits episodes. Martin Landau delivers an outstanding performance in the title role with great support by Shirley Knight. Conrad Hall's soft-focus black/white photography and Leonard Horn's incisive direction complement Anthony Lawrence's spare, compact screenplay to create a powerful viewing experience.

It is difficult to imagine that you will not be moved after watching this. 10/10.

When the astronaut Joseph Reardon accidentally travels through a time warp, he lands on a devastated Earth in 2148 A.D. He stumbles upon a mutant called Andro that explains that an ambitious scientist called Bertram Cabot Jr. had developed a bacterium that caused a biological disaster and the mankind became infertile mutants. Reardon decides to bring the Andro to 1963 to warn the authorities and prevent the disaster. However, Reardom feels that is dying after crossing the time warp and asks Andro to kill Cabot; then vanishes and Andro lands alone on Earth. He uses hypnotic suggestion to have normal appearance and goes to a boarding house seeking out Bertram Cabot Jr. But after meeting the young Noelle Anderson, he learns that she is Bertram Cabot´s girlfriend and Bertram Cabot Jr. has not been born yet. What will Andro do to save mankind?

"The Man Who Was Never Born" is so far the best episode of "The Outer Limits". The screenplay is very well-written, with drama and "A Beauty and the Beast" romance. The conclusion with open end is excellent and without time paradox. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "O Homem que Nunca Nasceu" ("The Man Who Was Never Born")