Behold Eck!

An intelligent and mild mannered optician puts on a pair of wondrous, technological glasses, which give hin the power to see a two dimensional creature, which is stranded on Earth, he and his secretary try to help, and get the creature home.

The first time I watched it, I didn't really care for it, I focused too heavily on it, the dodgy special effects and sheer absurdity of if all, however I felt if was worth a second look.

Second time round, I actually rather enjoyed it, the first thing I have to applaud, the boldness of the story, the second thing being the sheer originality of it.

I get the impression that this was written with a little bit of tongue in cheek, even the creatures name, Eck, points to a bit of frivolity.

I enjoyed the brotherly rivalry, their competitiveness, two siblings with very different mindsets, you can imagine it would have been a riot in that household with those two growing up.

I've seen better special effects on the show, I don't think they got them quite right here.

7/10.

A lighter story than usual, about contact with an alien being.

I find that whenever Outer Limits dares venture into light comedy (Controlled Experiment, etc) the show fails. For decades I thought this hour was the biggest load of crap all due to the absent minded genius and the poor effects work of the creature Eck.

But after a few repeat viewings I came to understand that the story is actually very good and the lesser elements to the episode can be forgiven if you just centre on what is actually happening in the clever story.

The budget was probably $20 but I can forgive that point as well.

Being a long time fan of the original Star Trek Series, and other TV shows of that era, I had no problem with the 'low-budget' special effects of this show in general and this episode in particular.

(Or, I could take another tack and say 'How dare they not use the latest technology and insane budgets available to TODAY'S movies and TV shows??)

I could, but I won't, because THAT would be just plain silly.

Judging this show on the only FAIR merits that I can, I pronounce it to be a well-written, well-scripted episode with a dash of 'hard science' which would (and should) appeal to any Star Trek fan.

'Nuff said!

Peter Lind Hayes is an expert in corrective lenses. He is himself myopic. He is accompanied by a beautiful secretary/fellow researcher who has the hots for him, but he doesn't know a spyglass from an hourglass. A series of optical labs have been destroyed. Upon entering the destruction of his own, he picks up a pair of special glasses and sees a threatening, glowing, two-dimensional creature. Oddly, it is humanoid in shape. We should ask ourselves why it has these appendages if it has no need to walk or grasp. Hayes goes to his brother, a scientist, to ask questions of the viability of such a creature. Since there is no love loss between the two, Hayes is treated like a nut case. Eventually, the creature begins to communicate, but the police are involved and things begin to go haywire. A very average episode.

The script is good and the special effects for that era can't be beat-well done.