A Feasibility Study

I recently saw this excellent episode, and I noticed several things that brought to mind similarities in Star Trek TNG and Star Trek Voyager. The idea of scooping out an entire area was also shown in the TNG episode The Best of Both Worlds - Part 1, where the Borg removed the entire New Providence colony. In fact, the post-removal shots in both episodes look very much alike.

Also, the disease symptoms in A Feasibility Study look similar to the Phage, which afflicted the Vidiians in Star Trek Voyager. The Phage looks more terrifying possibly because the makeup budget was no doubt smaller in the Outer Limits episode.

The Beverly Hills neighborhood existing on a six-block section in Midgard Drive finds itself carved out and taken by an alien ship to the planet Luminos, where the inhabitants are to be used as a forced slave labor. The Luminoids are suffering from a leprosy-like disease that has blighted their planet, and unaffected humans will be used as test subjects that requires a choice, since human vanity and selfishness are being counted on to keep the abducted under control, in order to insure that the rest of the Earth will be viable for abduction. Can the people(some of whom are already infected) make the right choice? Outstanding episode is among the best, with an intelligent, ambitious script being matched by haunting visuals, atmospheric direction all leading to a noble, deeply moving climax that may move viewer to tears.

Two couples go about their daily business as usual, until they realise that something is very wrong, they soon learn that they are taking part in an experiment by the beings of the planet Luminous, a race that are looking for a labour force.

I would imagine this episode is both well remembered and well liked by fans of the show. The opening sequences were terrific, and really do manage to grip the viewer, I can imagine they gave several people a sleepless night or two.

In so many ways this episode was way ahead of its time, that has been the real beauty of The Outer Limits.

Lots of interesting ideas and themes here, there's a real streak of cleverness in the writing, from the idea of the disease, to the very idea of what a 1960's housewife's life should look like, this does actually challenge the norm.

Very well acted, the standouts were Sam Wanamaker and David Opatoshu.

9/10.

This is one of those episodes that was repeated in the second incarnation of "The Outer Limits." An alien race (of course) takes a six block chunk of turf, including all the structures and inhabitants, an teleports them to Luminos, a dying planet. This is a feasibility study which is designed to test whether the earth people will accept slavery. Once absorbed into the society, they will be put in labor camps to spend the rest of their lives waiting on these insipid creatures who look like marshmallow men. The problem is if the humans are touched by the aliens, they begin to be infected with a horrible disease. We are give a look at the ugly life that is posed. If the study is "successful," the rest of Earth will follow suit; if not, they will move on. It is up to the people living on this slab of land to decide what to do. This is both a depressing and uplifiting episode.

A typical American street of the 1960s is taken over by aliens.

This one has moments that will stay forever locked in the memory: the sick guy in the empty house, the car in the fog, the aliens first appearing, the look of the street, the look of the fog, etc.

I can think of several Outer Limits shows I like more than this one but there is no question that the general look of the episode is a knockout! Perhaps this hour could have used a bit more spark in it but it must of scared the hell out of people way back in 1964.

A 1964 version of TV's Under The Dome you might say. But done in one hour instead of several hours.