The Special One

Mr. Zeno is an alien that takes on human appearance and is dedicated to locating children with a high IQ to indoctrinate them and use them as the vanguard of an upcoming invasion of Earth. The background of this story is to show how adults can manipulate children to the point of turning them into soldiers for their own benefit. Richard Ney composes the disturbing and disturbing Dr. Zeno, the atmosphere is quite somber as most of the action takes place at night and in the room of Kenny, the chosen child. The final scene is fantastic and the moral very sobering. One of my favorite episodes.

Guess what. Once again a force from outer space is setting things up for an invasion. This time they are targeting bright kids and teaching them to produce what is necessary to allow this to take place. We are treated immediately to the powers of these aliens as a man who disagrees with what is being done to his son, is driven to suicide by telekinesis of some sort. Moving from Los Angeles to the east coast, they hone in on a young boy who lives in a nice apartment in what may be New York. Mr. Xeno, who looks like a big time lawyer, begins to instruct the young man in all manner of chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Apparently, this is taking place all over the world and these kids will become cannon fodder for the aliens who need them to change the earth's climate to one favorable to their needs. The story focuses on the father, who is torn between what is best for his son (an incredible education) and the secretive nature of the process. Xeno. shows up at all hours, spending time with the kid in his room (Holy possible child abuse, Batman!). They are developing machines that are amazing. The kid can even walk through walls (just like our Mr. Xeno). They also are able to lay a layer of frost on the contents of the room. Finally, the father has had enough, but when he goes to the authorities, he sounds like a nut. It all comes down to when the alien force must do away with him as they have done with other parents before. This is quite an intriguing episode. By the way, the mother (who is utterly dense and tiresome) is played by Marion Ross from "Happy Days."

Roy and Agnes Benjamin are over the moon, when their young son Kenneth is chosen as a child protégé, and set to be given extra, out of school tuition by Mr Xeno. Concerns are raised however, when Kenneth's behaviour becomes very odd.

It's a great episode, thoroughly enjoyed this one, once again it's that formula of something ordinary, like tuition, being used as a tool for something that ultimately became so menacing. Great imagination behind this one, especially at the conclusion.

What a dramatic introduction, that certainly put you on edge, you came away aware that Xeno was an incredibly powerful and malevolent individual.

It's a long first series, and you have to hand it to the writing team, for constantly delivering new ideas, this one had a unique feel.

I liked that the introduction was altered somewhat in the main body of the story, now I may be wrong, but I think that may be a first.

Richard Ney was just so good here as Xeno, he really did present as someone a little menacing, a little strange, and from a child's point of view, the stuff of nightmares.

Enjoyed it.

8/10.

An evil alien teacher wants to help an earth boy.

Another IMDb poster has found hidden homosexual ideas (between the kid and the adult) in the storyline of this episode. I must admit none of that entered my mind when watching this hour but it is always fun trying to read stuff into a series like The Outer Limits. There is no question the series loved sticking in hidden ideas.

The Special One might not be a favourite of mine but it is a bit different to the usual Outer Limits hours and there is the odd moment that really shines. The variety of settings/characters in this series is outstanding!

Richard Ney stars as Mr. Zeno, a self-described tutorial emissary from the government who has chosen a child science prodigy named Kenny Benjamin(played by Flip Mark) for his help, but his father(played by Macdonald Carey) grows increasingly suspicious about Mr. Zeno, and these fears are later confirmed when he sees him seemingly disappear into thin air! Turns out that Zeno is really an alien who has tutored other children to aid him and his species in their effort to take over the world, and also dealt with at least one other father in a harsh manner. Will Kenny be helped in time by his father, or does he already have things under control? Straightforward story is a bit protracted(especially the finale) but is still reasonably interesting, with a nice character twist at the end.