Tribunal

I will start this review by saying that I never saw any of The Outer Limits episodes from the '90s, but I did see some from the original series. Just recently, I happened to turn on the TV just as this episode of "Tribunal" was in its last few minutes and I was spellbound - So much so, that I ordered the entire series from eBay just so I could watch this episode from the beginning, which I just did. As it was ending, I was literally in tears. This entire episode was a master class in everything - Especially writing and acting. I don't think I have ever been moved so much by something on television. This should be required watching by everyone who desires that we learn from the past in order to not repeat it in the future. As I am writing this review, Russia is continuing its horrendous and unprovoked war on its sovereign neighbor Ukraine, all because of a modern-day Hitler (Russia's dictator Putin) wanting more land and more power, and solely because of this one man, atrocities, brutalities and war crimes are being committed on Ukraine's innocent civilians, including women, children and the elderly. It is almost like Nazi Germany all over again, but without the gas chambers. So, it would seem humanity still has not learned from its past. I pray that we will eventually, and because of the faith and hope I cling to, I believe one day we will. The very end of this episode really resonated with me. Just before the end credits, a voice over is heard saying the following: "The wounds of war run deep, cutting across generations. But there is always the hope of healing, so long as there are souls among us whose hearts are more full of love than hate." May it be so. Amen.

This is not an easy episode to watch. It brings up many moral challenges. The irony of the way justice was delivered could only be pulled off by The Outer Limits. The acting, portrayals and directing are masterfully done. I can see using this episode in both an English or composition class requiring a hand written in cursive review of the episode as well as in history class documenting the NAZI atrocities. The Germans seem to be good about never forgetting. Americans should do better.

A case of one unexpected plot twist too many. Well crafted story all till the end. Saul Rubinek, Alex Zahara and Alex Diakun deliver exceptional performance from beginning to end. The last plot twist detracts from the penultimate twist.

This is a wonderful episode. It would stand up as an excellent mainstream movie. It involves a lawyer's effort to bring to trial and punish a man who, at Auschwitz, killed his mother in cold blood. The man was pure evil. He works hard to come up with evidence. So much time has passed and there is little that would hold up in court. He confronts the man (in his eighties now) on the street, but is seen as a pest and at best cruel. He enlists the help of his ex-wife, another lawyer, but she advises him to forget it. It's much too complicated and the guy isn't going to be around much longer. Enter a time traveler, who, by using a watch, is able to actually go to Auschwitz in 1944 and observe. He is able to provide our lawyer with evidence to use against the guy. There are some wonderful plot turns and the acting is superb. One could take issue with the implications of traveling back in time, but at least it is not ignored by the characters.I couldn't take my eyes off this episode, certainly a high point for the series. The Auschwitz scenes are as graphic as Schindler's List and capture the heartlessness of the SS.

Both those able to honor it and those unworthy of honor.