ZZZZZ

When this was first aired back in the 60s, I felt a strange love and empathy for 'Regina'. I was only 6 and I fell in love. I felt gutted by the episode's conclusion. But that was when I was 6. Decades later I was happy to be able to view this again through the magic of DVDs. Yes, I own them ALL. I was hesitant to watch this episode. I still had this pit in my stomach. There was something about this episode that lingered and haunted. The title....UGH! Is it corny or clever? After putting it off long enough I finally sat down with it. Here is an excellent example of an outrageous story...an unlikely tale. I know the Outer Limits of the 60s had nearly no budget, but these special effects were surprisingly poor. And yet, despite the apparently ridiculous plot and the dismal effects, I found myself suspending disbelief. The effects, as bad as they were, were simply a device to portray the idea of what was happening, not an attempt to dazzle the eye. Somehow, I overlooked the poor effects and found myself focusing on the story. The acting was superb. Joanna Frank's unsettling beauty and unbalancing sultriness brought me back to being 6-years old again. (As I understand it, Frank complained that she was given no helpful direction as to how to play Regina. This turns out to be a genius move because she delivers her lines as if she really isn't certain of her humanity or the impact of what she would say) I fell in love and was ultimately gutted at the conclusion, again. I wouldn't take anything away from Philip Abbott or Marsha Hunt. Both are more than convincing in what would by all other definitions a ludicrous idea for an episode. The tension between Frank and Hunt ends up being fine drama as does Abbott's final tirade to an unwelcome Frank. Frontiere's usual anxiety provoking music seemed to be practically non-existent here. It's there, but this is an anomaly...a quieter episode. So, I may have a bias since I hold the original series in reverence. It was a part of my childhood and was the only fantastic oddity on TV then. But, I was once again enchanted by this episode. It should have been lame. It wasn't. A fine example of better than average story telling enacted by a committed cast of professionals delivering credible performances. I'm sorry I didn't watch it sooner.

An entomologist conducting research on bee behavior is visited by an exotic and intriguing woman who offers herself as his assistant. In reality, she is a queen bee that has taken on the human aspect for the sole purpose of copulating with the scientist and turning him into a human drone. The worst thing about this episode is unfortunately the FX, absolutely poor and simple. The best are the performances mainly by Joanna Frank who has a hypnotic, intriguing and mysterious appearance, her mere presence is disturbing, and the script is very solid.

francodomenico mentioned that Ms. Frank was only 19 when she was in this episode, but if you click on her name in the above credits, it will take you to the IMDb page for Joanna Frank. It plainly shows that she was born in 1941. Unless they filmed this episode of The Outer Limits in 1960, and waited to air it in 1964, then she couldn't possibly have been 19 years old when she was in it. Her year of birth was confirmed on another website before I posted this comment, so it is unlikely to be an error on the part of IMDb for posting the incorrect year of her birth.

I do agree that she gave a wonderful performance in the episode. She definitely gives you the impression that her character (Regina) is trying to 'blend in' but not picking up on the nuances of human interactions in order to accomplish that completely.

The Bees always attracts the human being for many reasons, its prominence is lifeline to mankind survives, in this weird episode the Bees have been surveyed by an expert entomologist Dr. Benedict O. Fields (Philip Abbott) that developed an upscale electronic device that somewhat translate what the Bees are talking each other through a disguised bug, when he requires through a newspaper an assistant to aid him at laboratory, even before the adds be printed a young girl Regina (Joanna Frank) presents herself for the job, actually Regina is a Queen Bee that had a kind of shape-shifting into human body.

Her assignment is lures the brilliant scientist to mate him and get pregnancy in order to enhance the genetic code of the Bees, nonetheless his insecure and jealous wife Francesca Fields (Marsha Hunt) tries figure out how this young girl appears before the adds went to the public, also Francesca distrust of some odd behavior of the girl sniffing flowers at late night on the garden, all rolled up lift suspicions of the mid age woman, ZZZZ obviously ain't a rather episode until now in this fabulous series, however as wrote by some reviewers has their upholders!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 2021 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

Sometimes you want to shout at actors: stop pretending, be yourself! Not this time.

The somewhat far-fetched tale of an entomologist translating bee-talk is dominated by the dazzling, tongue in cheek - or should I say wing in mouth - performance of Joanna Frank. It's said she was left to her own devices to interpret the role, she does so with sensuality, effortless intrigue - and the occasional waspish aside to Marsha Hunt, the Professors' wife, sadly apparently childless, having lost her female offspring, who would now have been Regina's age. Phil Abbott plays it straight as the Prof, fending off the Queen Bee's advances, rather better and more decisively than many other men would, or could.

It's a Darwin-esk episode about mating and survival, but the dialogue also includes metaphorical allusions to other issues - such as the role of emotion and feelings, in science.

Ultimately, the slightly suspect special effects made no difference to the excellent calibre of this intense, meaningful drama, within which, a strange scientific phenomenon arose, whereby Ms Frank was able to sizzle as well as buzz.