Outer Limits #222: "The Sentence" - Episode Info and Discussion Thread

[Red Mage]

The Sentence

PLOT - When Dr. Jack Henson, an ambitious inventor comes up with a 'virtual prison' government officials are interested in its cost efficiency. Rather than life sentences, criminals would only have to spend hours being subjected to harsh treatment. When an innocent man's life is at stake the doctor must submit himself to his own invention.

WRITER - Melissa Rosenberg
DIRECTOR - Joseph Scanlan
CAST - David Hyde Pierce, Andrea Roth, Garwin Sanford, J. Douglas Stewart, Robyn Driscoll, Tamsin Kelsey, David Ward.

Official MGM YouTube video (full episode, LD):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0EoJi4x8gE



*** Major spoilers beyond this point ***

 

[Red Mage]

This episode is interesting although I think the plot description of the episode on Youtube spoils the plot twist.

Spoiler: Plot twist

The description implies that Dr. Henson gets stuck inside his prison creation although for most of the episode this is not actually known and only towards is it revealed the end that Dr. Henson didn't get out in the alotted 17 seconds. Having felt guilt for subjecting an innocent man to his creation, his mind gave himself a "life sentence" and after serving, he regrets creating the virtual prison and tries to destroy it. Not a favorite episode but I think the premise is cool. The virtual prison is an interesting concept. It provides a way of rehabilitating criminals but at the same time doesn't require jailing people for more than an hour or two.

 

[Mr. A]

This episode is interesting although I think the plot description of the episode on Youtube spoils the plot twist.

Spoiler: Plot twist

The description implies that Dr. Henson gets stuck inside his prison creation although for most of the episode this is not actually known and only towards is it revealed the end that Dr. Henson didn't get out in the alotted 17 seconds. Having felt guilt for subjecting an innocent man to his creation, his mind gave himself a "life sentence" and after serving, he regrets creating the virtual prison and tries to destroy it. Not a favorite episode but I think the premise is cool. The virtual prison is an interesting concept. It provides a way of rehabilitating criminals but at the same time doesn't require jailing people for more than an hour or two.

Yes, this is what makes the episode interesting, and spoiling hat just ruins all the fun. That's why I sometimes change the description or use an alternative one...