The Man with the Power

Donald Pleasance stars as Harold Finley, a quiet, much put-upon college professor who has also been secretly working on an innovative government project to enable astronauts to mine asteroid fields, and in order to do this, Harold underwent a trial operation on his brain in order to link him with hidden electrical fields in the air, the earth, etc. Unfortunately, it also has the side effect of unleashing the fury of his subconscious mind on anyone who has angered or frustrated him, killing several people, and driving the guilt-stricken Harold to stop the project(and himself) altogether... Pleasance is excellent here as usual, really making this otherwise predictable story work well.

Those isn't really a review so much as a statement of my reactions. My bedroom was off the living room where our tv was. I was very young; so it may have been when the show started in the 60s. I wasn't allowed to watch the show but my dad liked it. I snuck out and peeked out my bedroom door and remember seeing the storm cloud following Donald Pleasance. Scariest thing I ever saw. Gave me nightmares for weeks. Recently rewatched it. Not bad for its age, but I slept well that night.

Donald Pleasance, a sort of Casper Milquetoast college teacher, dominated by his wife and his boss, the college dean, has agreed to be a guinea pig in an experiment to use the brain to cause do things beyond the scope of normal machinery. It can actually be used to cause things to happen in other places, including space, to mine precious metals and elements. Unfortunately, Pleasance begins to lose control of his own id impulses, actually killing his boss and injuring his wife. Once he realizes how dangerous this power is, he tries to put the kabosh on the project, but his own impulses can't be curtailed. To make matters worse, a young astronaut is going to have the same implant that Pleasance has, and this guy won't listen to reason. Pleasance sounds like a nut, so drastic measures must be employed for drastic times. Unfortunately, the conclusion can be seen coming a mile away.

The college professor Harold J. Finley is a shy and little man married to the nagging Vera. After a surgery where a device he has developed is implanted in his brain, Harold achieves the power of moving heavy objects using his mind. The space agency decides to use his invent in an astronaut for the next spaceflight. However there is also an unexpected side effect and Harold unconsciously revenges humiliations and bad treatment vaporizing his offenders. He concludes that Earth may be destroyed and tries to stop the surgery the astronaut will be submitted. Will he succeed?

"The Man with the Power" is an intriguing episode of "The Outer Limits". Harold J. Finley learns how dangerous the human mind can be while feelings such as hatred, death wish or revenge are not capable to be controlled. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Homem com o Poder" ("The Man with the Power")

The Outer LImits was way ahead of its time, and has aged very well. And for me The Man With The Power was the best episode of all of them. Professor Finley is a totally sympathetic character, morally impeccable, and the conclusion of the episode confirms his dignity. Perhaps my review says more about me than about the episode, but if so, so be it.