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.

One of my favorite OL episodes. I remember watching this when it originally aired and it certainly helped expand my eight year old imagination. Especially when I was around my grandfather's beehives.

Having recently watched it again for the first time in 45 years it was just as good as I remembered it but for slightly different reasons.

I can now better appreciate the beauty of Regina. And I am also very impressed with the ability of the bee colony to not only engineer a queen who could transform into human form (and what a form) but also a human form complete with a designer dress and underwear. However I still don't know where the bees had hidden their laboratory.

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.

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

Professor Ben Fields is visited by a strange young woman, who's there for the post of his assistant, Regina, holds a very strange secret, and is there for one purpose alone.

First off, I love the title, ZZZZZ, plain and simple, from that you know exactly what the topic is going to be, and it doesn't disappoint. It takes a bit of time to develop, but when it does, it's another classic, unforgettable episode.

It instantly put me in mind of a great, memorable episode of Tales of the unexpected, called Royal Jelly, if you've not seen it, check it out, I can't help wondering if ZZZZZ had some degree of inspiration for it.

Joanna Frank is captivating as Regina, she exudes quality, she is beautiful, but sinister and odd in equal measure, you could imagine Ben would eventually fall for her charms. Those eyes of hers are quite something.

Philip Abbott and Marsha Hunt are very good as the devoted couple, but it's the intruder that held my attention.

Best scene has to be the final confrontation between Ben and Regina, it's quite a moment.

8/10.

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.