Living Hell

A man who has just been turned down for a construction job is shot in the head by a mugger. He is brought to the hospital in critical condition. Since he will probably die anyway, a young woman doctor/researcher decides to put an experimental implant in his brain. After he wakes up, he is furious, but he soon adapts to the thing. The down side is that he begins to have violent hallucinations. He is at the scene of brutal rape/murders and seems to have some connection with the rapist. He can't understand what is going on but insists that the operation is responsible for these. Over time, he gets closer and closer to the events. He even sees the face of the man who is killing and raping. Unfortunately, he has done time for manslaughter during the rescue of a woman who was, herself, being assaulted. The police won't believe his story. It is far fetched enough and add to it his first person account of the attacks. This is a well done episode because it science but with the courageous acts of the man in question.

When Ben Kohler (Sam Robards) gets an experimental brain transplant/ chip implant after being shot in the head from point-blank due to a common mugging, he begins to see visions of what a murderer is seeing, but the murder can do the same thing to Ben. Turns out the doctor (Jacob's Ladder's Elizabeth Peña) who spearheaded the surgery isn't telling everything to a much bewildered Ben. Not particularly bad, but not that good either.The acting was alright, but the story has been told better in other films and TV shows. No variations on the theme to speak of in this episode.

My Grade: C-

What really is a great premise for a science fiction thriller - a man shot in a mugging receives an experimental chip implant designed to help regulate his brain and heart activity and ends up connected to a serial killer - is ultimately handicapped and hamstrung by weak casting in the lead role.

I have no doubt that Sam Robards (son of the great Jason Robards) is a very capable actor considering he's still working pretty solidly, he just doesn't feel like a great fit for this story. Neither does Elizabeth Peña, for that matter, though that may be because I'm just not a fan of hers to begin with. I mean, she's not terrible or anything, she's just kinda...there? The star though, for me, is Don S Davis, even in his limited appearance.

They really did waste a great premise with terrible casting...such a shame.

A man has suffered an accident that leaves him with a neural condition, he undergoes an operation where an experimental chip is implanted in his brain that will help him recover his normal life. Suddenly he begins to have strange visions of horrible crimes. He and his doctor begin to investigate what is happening and discover that there is another individual who has also been implanted with a similar chip and strangely they both end up connected, the problem is that this man is a serial killer and each of his crimes is seen with the eyes of the other patient.

Doctor saves the life of the man shot in the head by implanting an experimental chip into his brain. Soon the hallucinations start, in which he looks through the serial killer's eyes. He finds out that the killings have really happened and, of course, he becomes the main suspect. Idea and realization are nothing spectacular, but the story is quality and logically elaborated and has a pace adjusted to the duration of the episode, so it doesn't feel rushed or underdeveloped. Quite decent SF thriller.

6/10