Outer Limits #313: "Dead Man's Switch" - Episode Info and Discussion Thread

[Red Mage]

Dead Man's Switch

PLOT - When it is not known if aliens coming to the Earth are friend or foe, five people are placed individually in secret underground bunkers to man switches that if not pressed at specified intervals will set off mass destruction that will wipe out anyone or anything living on the planet.

WRITER - B. Richardson
DIRECTOR - Jeff Woolnough
CAST - James LeGros, Kristin Lehmen, Donnelly Rhodes, Yee Jee Tso.

Official MGM YouTube video (full episode, LD):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMlCL4OlPro


*** Major spoilers beyond this point ***

 

[Red Mage]

I had originally seen this episode on SciFi many years ago when they still aired the show in those mini-marathons on weekday mornings and afternoons. This is yet another example of the OL horribly depressing endings. I think that Ben and Katya probably should have stopped pressing the button after Gwen's bunker was infiltrated and she has captured/killed. At that point the writing was on the wall: humanity must have been beaten since they no longer were getting transmissions from General Eiger and the aliens must have had the ability to probe information from the minds of the leaders who knew where the bunkers were since they had already found Gwen.

 

[Mr. A]

I had originally seen this episode on SciFi many years ago when they still aired the show in those mini-marathons on weekday mornings and afternoons. This is yet another example of the OL horribly depressing endings. I think that Ben and Katya probably should have stopped pressing the button after Gwen's bunker was infiltrated and she has captured/killed. At that point the writing was on the wall: humanity must have been beaten since they no longer were getting transmissions from General Eiger and the aliens must have had the ability to probe information from the minds of the leaders who knew where the bunkers were since they had already found Gwen.

Awesome episode!
I liked it that they didn't really try to hide what was going on from the viewer until the closing scenes for a change, and yet the not so unexpected ending still leaves such a strong impression.

Ben and Katya should have, but would it be realistic to expect that from them? I think the human capacity for hope and for rationalizing what seems to be damning evidence shouldn't be underestimated. As long as there still was a tiny doubt as to what had happened on the surface, most people would still have continued pressing the button regardless.