Don't Open Till Doomsday

The story begins in the 1930s. In order to get revenge on a colleague who has publicly discredited him, a scientist who has discovered a plan for an invasion of Earth by aliens, captures one of them in a hermetically sealed box which has only a small hole in one of its faces and leaves it as a wedding gift. This deformed creature has the power to abduct anyone who sees through that peephole into its interior. Going back to the 60s, a young couple that has run away from home asks for accommodation in the old mansion inhabited by the wife of that scientist who is imprisoned inside the box, she has gone crazy over the years waiting for her husband to be released at some point and plans to trade the newcomers as victims in exchange for her crush's release. A strange and disturbing story, the mere thought that one can be abducted inside a box and live the rest of his life with a disgusting creature is insane. The episode has a lot of suspense and a great performance by Miriam Hopkins who plays in a fabulous way the deranged wife who lived 30 years locked up in the house waiting for the return of her blazing husband.

At times silly, illogical, and over-the-top, none-the-less, this is a memorable episode for "Outer Limits" and Sci-Fi aficionados. The plot centers around the contents of the "Don't open till Doomsday" package that arrives as a wedding gift. The diabolical alien within resembles a chunk of misshapen, raw liver with a single eye who observes the "world" through a small porthole in its box (akin to a camera obscura device) through which it beckons humans. All of the actors give credible performances, but the "star" is obviously a spirited Mariam Hopkins who plays to the hilt the crazed Mary Kry in a performance that is often reminiscent of Bette Davis's turn as Baby Jane Hudson in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane". Running the emotional gamut of a character who is angry, desperate, cunning, pathetic, and downright evil, Hopkin's plight is accentuated by effective, mood-appropriate studio lighting that takes full advantage of the black and white film stock.

If the symbolist Poet, Mallarme, had written science fiction poetry, it might have been something like this. One can note the implausibilities or lack of logic---but are those objective flaws, or simply aspects that we, in our subjective fallabilities, have insufficient ability to explain; therefore we ascribe them to implausibility and lack of logic. Mallarme's Faun and Herodias give us very little explanation of their reason for their presence on the page, or their backgrounds, but we can enjoy the poems anyhow. The same applies to this episode. Like a Symbolist poem, its purpose is to create an effect---and if we allow it, an emotional effect---rather than a middle school science textbook's scientific explanation.

"Don't Open Till Doomsday" is an intriguing episode of "The Outer Limits". The mystery of the disappearance of the bridegroom in 1929 after receiving a mysterious Pandora Box and the situation of the newlyweds in 1964 gives the expectation of a great episode. Unfortunately the story is awfully resolved with a deceptive and forgettable conclusion. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Don't Open Till Doomsday"

I watched The Outer Limits as a young child. This was my favorite episode, it scared the hell out of me. And I still enjoy watching it. Out Limits was a groundbreaking series in its time. Too bad today's audience doesn't get it.