Controlled Experiment

Two aliens begin a meticulous study of human behavior. They go to a hotel where a crime of passion has been committed, they use an ingenious device that controls time and this will help them advance or delay the action quickly or slowly and even stop it if necessary. Perhaps with today's technology where any of us can fast-forward, rewind, or freeze frame any movie with a simple remote control, this chapter may not seem that sophisticated, but if we go back to the 1960s, being able to see all that action is quite a novelty. What also makes this story interesting is that the aliens can study the details from different angles and the conclusions they draw as the investigation progresses is hilarious.

When Deimos, who is the owner of a pawnshop, receives the visit of Phobos, they present their Martian identification to each other. Deimos is a Martian agent based in an outpost on Earth disguised of pawnshop a long time ago to observe the Earthlings. Phobos is a supervisor with a time controlling device worried with the atomic energy that has come to understand what a murder is. Soon they receive a message to go to a low budget hotel to witness a murder in the lobby of the hotel. When they arrive, they identify the blonde Carla Duveen that is waiting for her boyfriend Bert Hamill that has had sex with his lover. Phobos uses the time controlling devise to repeat the murder many times to understand the details. However the experiment runs out of control and they receive a report that the future will be affected by the event. Will they fix the problem?

"Controlled Experiment" is a silly but also funny episode of "The Outer Limits". The genre comedy does not fit well to the sci-fi genre, but the episode is entertaining despite the repetitions of the same scenes. The romantic conclusion is not well resolved with Phobos interference in the timeline but is commercially attractive. My vote is seven. . Title (Brazil): "Experimento Controlado" ("Controlled Experiment")

Two Martians land on earth to do a silly experiment.

Firstly, let me say loudly and proudly, I love this series, I am even reviewing all 49 episodes on the IMDb, but having said that, I have real issues with this BORING hour. I have watched it about four times in my lifetime and each time it struggles to keep my attention. Limits had six stinkers and this is indeed one of them.

But only six bombs in a 49 episode TV series is actually a very good track record. Most 49 episode TV shows would have more bombs than that! This is just the nature of TV. So Limits still stands as a knockout TV series...and better than The Twilight Zone (1959).

Perhaps I have just spent too much time watching Barry Morse in deadly serious roles in QM's The Fugitive, one episode of QM's The Invaders and Space 1999 to take him as a comic actor in Controlled Experiment. But it is not just the two leads that bore the crap out of me but also the constant use of reverse motion footage that may of looked funny in 1964 but looks rather stupid in 2014.

Some males might enjoy looking at the cute lady in this hour but that is the only good thing I can say about "Un-Controlled Experiment".

I was amazed to find this episode of Outer Limits, which I'd never seen before! . OL usually scares the crap out of me, and has since I first watched it as a child (older now!") So this episode was a pleasant surprise! Suspenseful to a point and too many special effects and noise but overall this one got me smiling. There is hope for change and humor. Great episode! Left me in a good mood and ready for bed. Recommended.

This is an unusual episode for "The Outer Limits" because this episode is played strictly for laughs. While its counterpart, "The Twilight Zone", often made some comedic anthology episodes, "The Outer Limits" was almost always deathly earnest and serious---making this a radical departure.

The show begins with a Martian agent (Barry Morse) making contact with another Martian who's been living undercover with humans for many years (Carrol O'Connor). It seems that the Martians are worried about people, as they are very violent and MAY need to be eradicated for the good of the universe. So, Morse's job is to observe them--and specifically to understand why murder occurs, as no other sentient being does this. And, his bosses back on Mars are worried that humans might infect others with this desire to kill. So, using a special time machine that allows them to stop and restart time, they investigate in EXCRUCIATING detail one particular murder. What's next? See the show.

While this was a pretty forgettable and slight show, it did make me smile from time to time and was entertaining. Worth seeing...and very strange for this show.