Demon with a Glass Hand

Directed by veteran Byron Haskin, this is one of two episodes by Harlan Ellison that earned 'The Outer Limits' it's exulted status among students of serious sci-fi, creating an unearthly setting merely by locating it's nightmare in a dilapidated old office block and photographing it in gothic black & white.

In additional to the perennially underused Robert Culp as "the last hope of humanity" the other members of the cast also provide interesting resonances since Arline Martel - already far from being a conventional heroine - later played Spock's bride T'Pring in the 'Star Trek' episode 'Amok Time', while Abraham Sofaer, who leads the pursuing aliens, actually played God himself in the classic 'A Matter of Life and Death'.

This is by far the best piece of 60's television that I have ever seen... and not only in the genre of sci-fi(sorry, Harlan, "fantasist") or episode of the original The Outer Limits. You can tell that it is by Ellison, and the part this(and the almost as good Soldier) played in inspiring The Terminator is impossible to ignore; I am a fan of Cameron, and I doubt he intended to plagiarize. The story is compelling, engaging, has stunning twists and turns and is smart without being convoluted or difficult to follow. This has amazing pacing, moves fast and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time, not overstimulating you at any point. The action is incredible, and this is exciting, suspenseful and tense throughout it. This has a chilling and unforgettable ending, and in spite of when this was made, nothing looks silly. The effects are rather well-done, and this was ahead of its time in its concepts and the way it explores them. This has excellent cinematography and editing. The acting is marvelous, and Culp, as well as everyone else, is spot-on. There is a bit of disturbing content in this. I recommend this to any and all fans of science fiction. 10/10

I met Robert Culp in 2010 at the Palm Springs Film Noir Festival. He had white hair, but was still unmistakable.

He was having dinner and was rather angry I interrupted. I said, "Mr. Culp. please forgive me for interrupting you dinner, but this is probably the only chance I'll have to get an autograph." I guess my humble tone of voice was enough to calm his anger. I didn't mention "I Spy," or "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice," which everyone thought would make him a star. I said "the one thing I've never forgotten was your performance in "The Demon With A Glad Hand." He replied "Oh, yes." Then he looked up at me rather pensively--thinking I was going to start a long conversation. I had already been told not to do that. I said "Thank you Mr. Culp, I love your work," and walked away. He evidently had a short fuse and I wasn't going to provoke a scene. Ten stars for "The Demon" and ten stars for the man.

I beg you to remember that this was written when most TV fans thought of science fiction as Buck Rogers or Flash Gorgon. The ideas and concepts were way ahead of their time for TV. Today we laugh at the special effects and Cosme's but also remember that TOL was made on a very tight budget. lighting effects and camera angles were used with he music to try and add the confused feeling that Trent and Consuelo were enduring. All in all it worked by 60's standards.

You can poke holes or take exception to certain issues that were not addressed but hey, they only had an hour (about 48 minutes without commercials). All in all I feel this is one of the most ingenious and in some ways eerie plots in early TV scifi. It has rightfully earned its place in the hearts of scifi fans.

An astonishing episode. I've seen dozens of Outer Limits eps and really had no idea one could be as intriguing, profound, and even tragic as this. I've now watched it a second time and the plot was as gripping as the first, plus a lot of details stand in clearer relief now. It certainly doesn't lack for atmosphere either!

No need to belabor the details of the narrative (others have completed that task) but in my view this ep redeems the entire series. It's made with the quality and care one normally associates with motion pictures, and the storyline and theme stand the test of time quite well, unlike so much sci-fi and fantasy-fi from the era.

A pleasant surprise, highly recommended.

PS: Don't read any spoilers!