User reviews

Peter Lind Hays stars as Dr. James Stone, an optometrist who one day comes to his office only to find it in shambles. His secretary,(played by Joan Freeman) has no idea what happened, but they will soon discover that it was caused by a two-dimensional creature called Eck who has, through a freak accident, slid sideways into their three-dimensional world, causing much havoc as a result. Eck needs a special lens made to enable him to find the dimensional rift he came through, and must return to soon or face imminent destruction. Parley Baer costars as Stone's brother Bernard. Whimsical episode undeniably suffers from very limited F/X, but has an imaginative story and sympathetic creature that keep viewer involvement. Quite endearing despite its limitations.

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.

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.

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.

Somewhere in here is the genesis of a story such as ET: The Extraterrestrial.

Dr James Stone, an optometrist created a prescription lens from a quartz extracted from a meteor. When he puts them on, he suddenly sees a two dimensional creature in a three dimensional world.

Dr Stone goes to his brother for advice, he works for the government. He dislikes James and gives him short shrift.

Later Dr Stone decides to help the creature get back home by assisting to see a rift that will take him to his dimension.

By now James is pursued by his brother and the police. The creature caused some damage in the city which ignited their interest.

Tonally the episode is all over the place. Dr James Stone is like the absent minded professor. There is the bickering between the brothers. Even the creature is meant to be cartoonish, he is certainly drawn that way.

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!

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

Given the highly negative reviews this episode has gotten, an opposite opinion is needed. Anyone who thinks "ZZZZZZZZ" is a good episode needs to be disagreed with.

I'm 70 and saw this episode when it premiered. It falls back on a basic plot -- the absent-minded professor no one will listen to -- but it's gloriously silly. It's apparently the only TV episode that ever considered a two-dimensional universe and beings. (The idea has been treated in much more depth in "The Planiverse", which really ought to be made into a film.)

Parley Baer (Dr Stone's brother) was the original "Chester" on the radio version of "Gunsmoke". He would later be accidentally "killed" by Judge Stone (odd coincidence) on "Night Court".