The Special One

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.

In the late fifties the American government established an institutional program of monitoring of high IQ children cross-country, with the aim to pick up these gifted boys to use them in upcoming scientific projects in many fields at America, thus the aliens invaders introduce a recruiter using this US's program as front visiting these little genius at their home as teacher, mesmerizing them and gearing up in near future to employ them to overthrow the whole government system to take over the entire planet Earth.

However in this process their parents resent for the Alien recruiter called Mr. Xeno coming anytime and also without previous permission, thus in New York Mr. Xeno has a permission of his father Roy Benjamin (MacDonald Carey) to teach his son Kenny (Flip Mark) in a regular time, nonetheless Mr. Xeno appears at your leisure, Benjamin suspicious that something is wrong due he see at your face Mr. Xeno disappears without a trace, the looking for the office's US's institutional program asking for about the teacher sent at your home, there he was informed that no teacher is allowed teach at home.

Knowing this right away Benjamin turns back and waiting for at your home to tackle Mr. Xeno to clarify the bothersome issue also withdraw the little boy Kenny of the ominous domain of the bleak Mr. Xeno, although the boy had already another plan, awesome episode!!

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First watch: 2023 / Source: DVD / How many: 1 / Rating: 7.5.

"The Special One" is one of several episodes, to include "Counterweight", Expanding Human" and "Cry of Silence", that had a great premise compromised by other factors. These episodes could've been classics but fall short.

The story deals with aliens recruiting gifted children to aid their invasion plans using government programs to educate them.

The show's best performance comes from the father who confronts the alien recruiter (Richard Ney) and is compelled to jump out a window. Ney is also effective here.

Unfortunately, the father's performance overshadows those of three leads MacDonald Carey, Marion Ross, and especially Flip Mark who is a monotone dud.

Richard Ney's teleportation scenes are the special effects highlight, and Flip Mark's "Feather Churner" weapon is an embarrassment for Outer Limits.

The mix of the good and the bad put this episode slightly below middle of the pack for this reviewer.