Looking back, the world of 1950s and 1960s television was dominated by black-and-white chapters of distinctive horror landscapes that stretched the imagination and left primetime audiences on the edge of their seats, creating societal commentary that still finds relevance to this day. Combined with the genres of science fiction and mystery, adding the element of curiosity to a new weekly proposition was the perfect recipe for success. Several celebrated anthology series introduced a different far-fetched moral dilemma for audiences to unravel each episode, encouraging dedicated viewers to tune in every week. Among other similar shows and fan favorites of the era including The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Outer Limits presented a uniquely desolate perspective on a strange glimpse into our imagined future.
A Guardian review said of the series, “The Outer Limits is that rare thing: a knock-off that often equaled what it was knocking off.” A curious product of the new age of exploration, the content of this show expands far beyond expectations and the expanse of mankind’s inquisition. Let’s travel back in time and take a look through the scariest episodes of The Outer Limits, Ranked.
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6 A Feasibility Study
United Artists Television
Bringing audiences a nail-biter epidemic story long before the current events of the real world, “A Feasibility Study” (Season 1, Episode 29) sees a neighborhood transported to an alien planet. The Luminoids require another source of labor to support them as they age, so they target a pocket of people to enslave. If the prisoners disobey, they must be forcibly infected with the same horrific disorder that is slowly killing the Luminoids. The ending speaks to the human nature of courage and individualism in the face of oppression, but this is a dismal setup we hope never comes true in real life as space programs expand.
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5 The Guests
“The Guests” (Season 1, Episode 26) feels like a bad dream, trailing the journey of a transient young man who’s unexplainably driven to go deeper into the soul of an old house. He comes across the true puppet master of the place, a misshapen alien blob who’s keeping people captive. It attempts to study them and judge their character until an external flash of positivity changes everything. This episode appears visually experimental and has an air of the avant-garde, and it’s an excellent trip into what drives ongoing human activity through the threat of oppressive forces.
4 Don’t Open Till Doomsday
“Don’t Open Till Doomsday” (Season 1, Episode 17) thrusts everyday people into the impending apocalypse. A recently married couple gets an intriguing wedding present with a warning label on it that tells them, of course, to not open it until Doomsday. But the contents of the box have other plans, sucking young lovebirds inside itself and revealing a hideous one-eyed lump of an extraterrestrial being. The special effects and dreamlike imagery in this episode are impressive for the time period, highlighting the more ominous otherworldly feeling that the show is known for. Combined with an air of mystery, it’s a cautionary tale against curiosity that crisscrosses the galaxies.
3 The Architects of Fear
Starting the very first season of The Outer Limits off strong, “The Architects of Fear” (Season 1, Episode 3) takes place on the eve of a nuclear disaster, a common calling card of similar sci-fi shows of the era. Stretching the limits of what it means to be human, this episode follows scientists who decide to make up a false alien invasion in order to have the threat bring the world together. A physicist is picked to bear the weight of surgical alteration for the purpose of looking like a Thetan alien, to make everything seem much more genuine. The transmogrification becomes a little too real, too quickly, calling into question the lengths of scientific advancement and necessity. It ends on a dark and tragic note, with a feeling of finality that may leave you suspecting the intentions of the powers that be.
2 Demon with a Glass Hand
“Demon with a Glass Hand” (Season 2, Episode 5) is regarded as a heart wrenching and off-putting episode that emphasizes the horror elements scattered within many Outer Limits episodes. A man with a prosthetic hand made of glass is chased by gaunt assailants who still have his severed digits. What may sound like a simple cosmic setup actually takes viewers across the void of what we thought we knew, as our main character realizes he has lost much more than just his hand. This installment grows increasingly strange and self-aware, becoming a roller coaster of emotion that questions just how far humanity can extend. While the aliens in this one aren’t super scary-looking, the doomed fate of the protagonist absolutely is, imparting to audiences that we can’t really trust what we think we know.
1 The Zanti Misfits
Last, and certainly not least, there’s a reason why “The Zanti Misfits” (Season 1, Episode 14) has been named one of TV Guide’s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. Creature feature technology from the ’50s and ’60s is cool to watch in any context, but especially sandwiched within an episode that feels like a trip to space and a fever dream. An abandoned corner of California is given to the Zanti alien race, who are planning to use Earth as their own planet to house prisoners. When their paths meet with a couple of human criminals, the Zanti’s true form is unveiled in a terrifying twist – creepy insect-human hybrids the size of your hand. Understandably, these nightmarish creatures are one of the most recognizable villains from The Outer Limits.
