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The Best Episodes of The Outer Limits

Every episode of The Outer Limits ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Outer Limits!

The Best Episodes of The Outer Limits

Anthology series of composed of distinct story episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end, with occasional recurring story elements that were often tied...

Seasons7

  1. 8.3/10(778 votes)

    #1 - A Stitch in Time

    S2:E1

    FBI agent Jamie Perrin has investigated some pretty strange cases in her time but this one may be the strangest of all. During the last fifty years, seventeen men throughout the country were all murdered with the same gun. This gun is traced to Dr. Theresa Givens, a scientist who recently left a top-secret government agency. This discovery deepens the mystery because Givens was only five years old at the time of the first murder. The gun itself hadn't even been made. While investigating further, Perrin discovers a secret that lies behind the locked door in Dr. Givens' office and learns first-hand of the temptations and dangers of undoing the evils of the past.

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  2. 8.3/10(488 votes)

    #2 - Tribunal

    S5:E12

    In 1944, young Leon Zgierski (Roman Danylo), an inmate in the Birkenau concentration camp watches as First Lieutenant Karl Rademacher shoots his wife and sends his daughter to the gas chambers. The murder is witnessed by a mysterious figure, time-traveler Nicholas Prentice (Alex Daikun), who grabs Radermacher's SS jacket and, after eluding guards, pulls out an antique watch and vanishes into a glowing orange circle...

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  3. 8.1/10(867 votes)

    #3 - Quality of Mercy

    S1:E13

    Major John Skokes is taken prisoner by the enemy during a savage galactic war and a seemingly undefeatable alien race. The tension increases when his cellmate, a cadet named Pri, is being transformed into one of them. Skokes must find an escape to save his cellmate and to avoid a disturbing revelation of the course of this war.

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    Director:Brad Turner
  4. 8.1/10(516 votes)

    #4 - Afterlife

    S2:E15

    Linden Stiles struggles to retain his humanity after heis convicted of a murder he didn't commit. When asked to make a frightful choice: accept execution or become the subject of a secret military experiment -- he chooses to live. As the experiment progresses, Stiles fights the dehumanizing influence of injected DNA from an alien lifeform. The attending doctor is troubled by a growing awareness of the inhumanity of the experiment itself, of the men in charge and of her own role. Using his super-human strength, Stiles escapes. Then, hunted by his former compatriots, he faces a decision even more difficult than the one that set him on such a tragic course.

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  5. 8.1/10(535 votes)

    #5 - Vanishing Act

    S2:E21

    THE OUTER LIMITS examines the classic domestic fable of a husband who leaves to go to the store and doesn't return for ten years. Where has he been? And why? It happens to Trevor McPhee and his return is more than a little distressing for his wife Theresa, especially since he insists he was in a car crash ... only hours ago. Then, just after they reconcile, he vanishes again ... for another decade. Trevor finds himself trapped between two worlds; one is a recurring nightmare of caves and predatory creatures; the other is the real world, ever-changing as civilization leaves him further and further behind. Is Trevor mad ... or just reaching The Outer Limits?

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  6. 8.1/10(347 votes)

    #6 - Decompression

    S6:E13

    Senator Wyndom Brody has just won the New Hampshire primary, upsetting a heavily favored opponent, and he's flying to South Carolina to press his campaign for the Presidency. As the plane files south, it's hit by lightning. The plane and its passengers appear unaffected, but a mysterious woman appears in Brody's private quarters and warns him the strike has damaged the airplane, which will crash on landing, killing him and six others. She explains she is a projection from the future, a virtual time-traveler sent here to save him because his presidency is the key to preventing an apocalyptic future. If he is to live he must shoot out the emergency exit and allow himself to be sucked out of the plane by decompression, whereupon he will be saved by the stranger's sophisticated technology.

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Outer Limits

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  8. 8.0/10(2 votes)

    #7 - Glyphic

    S4:E9

    When Tom Young (Peter Flemmming) from the Department of Health travels to a small town in the Pacific Northwest to examine an old case file, it appears as though long ago the town had stopped trying to live in the present. Twelve years have passed since a tragedy killed many of their young children and left the residents without hope, without a future. Many of them are still angry with the medical community for not finding a cure to save the children in their small community. The town's physician, Dr. Malcolm Boussard (Lane Smith) has felt the brunt of their anger - especially since his own two children did not die during the epidemic. Although they were spared, his son Louis (Brad Swaile) still lays in a coma while his daughter Cassie (Rachel Leigh Cook) has learning disabilities and expresses herself through abstract sculpture and artwork. Through hypnosis, Tom begins to probe Cassie's mind and unravels a memory of 'alien' proportions.

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  9. 7.9/10(599 votes)

    #8 - The New Breed

    S1:E14

    The discovery of a gifted scientist falls into the wrong hands, bringing what at first appears to be a lifesaving miracle, but ultimately the untimely death of his closest friend.

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  10. 7.9/10(548 votes)

    #9 - Trial by Fire

    S2:E9

    On the day of Charles Halsey's inauguration as President of the United States, scientists detect a large object heading towards Earth at half the speed of light. Halsey, a peace-loving liberal, is rushed to an underground bunker by the Presidential transition team, a group of aides and military men that share the hawkish bent of the previous administration. As the crisis unfolds, it becomes clear that the object came from an armada of alien ships, which are fast approaching Earth. Contact is made, but the aliens' message is unclear. As the U.S. and the other nuclear powers gear up to defend themselves, Halsey must decide: Are these invaders bent on conquering earth or benevolent explorers reaching out to another civilization?

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  11. 7.9/10(546 votes)

    #10 - The Light Brigade

    S2:E18

    Actor Robert Patrick returns for this first-ever THE OUTER LIMITS sequel, a follow-up to last year's 'Quality of Mercy.' On a desperate mission, a young Cadet learns the difference between heroic ideals and the bitter realities of war. The only survivors on a crippled battle cruiser - Earth's last hope for victory and survivors - are the Cadet, the weapons Chief and Major John Skokes, a repatriated prisoner of war. Exposed to fatal doses of radiation when their fleet was wiped out by the aliens, they fight illness and death to launch a preemptive strike. As the awesome responsibility for success descends on him, the Cadet learns that fear is not his only enemy.

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  12. 7.9/10(460 votes)

    #11 - The Sentence

    S2:E22

    Let the punishment fit the crime: an ambitious inventor, Dr. Jack Henson, creates a "" virtual prison"" and wants the government to adopt it nation-wide. Using his invention, convicts serve a life sentence in just a few hours. Henson claims the harsh sentences will ensure that criminals never offend again while the short time required cuts prison costs. He seems to be making his point until they connect an innocent man to the apparatus and the demonstration goes sour. To save the young man's life, Henson must submit to his own invention -- and to a lesson in the true meaning of justice.

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  13. 7.8/10(553 votes)

    #12 - Inconstant Moon

    S2:E12

    When a lonely physics professor realizes the sun is going to burn out, he knows that he and humanity have only a few hours to live. In that time, Stan resolves to make up for lost years. He courts and proposes to Leslie, a woman he has known for two years but never dated. Leslie, although puzzled, finds herself more and more entranced by Stan until she finds out the reason for Stan's sudden attention. Based on a short story by famed sci-fi writer Larry Niven, this episode brings its characters face to face with both death and their own visions of life - with surprising results.

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  14. 7.8/10(392 votes)

    #13 - The Human Operators

    S5:E7

    For as long as Man (Jack Noseworthy) can remember, he has lived aboard Ship as it floats through space. And for just as long, Ship has been his master, instructing him to do the repairs that keep Ship working and torturing him whenever he shows any signs of free will. But when Ship orders him to repair the Artificial Intelligence module Man's Father (Noah Heney) smashed years earlier in a final, fatal act of defiance, Man learns Ship's secrets...

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  15. 7.7/10(730 votes)

    #14 - The Conversion

    S1:E12

    Henry Marshall is a greedy man who has paid for his greed with a prison sentence but has yet to learn his lesson. His life abruptly changes when he encounters visitors from another planet who instill new sense of compassion for others.

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  16. 7.7/10(487 votes)

    #15 - The Refuge

    S2:E11

    ""What is reality?"" is the question before Raymond Bava after he collapses during a blizzard and awakens in a private refuge run by Sanford Valle. Valle's companions include his son and daughter-in-law, Thomas and Justine, and Gina Beaumont. Ray, drawn to the gentle Gina, recoils from the callous corruption displayed by the all-controlling Valle and the other inhabitants. Then, following a moment of violence, Ray begins to doubt reality when all the characters, including Gina, reverse roles and personalities. When he is suddenly freed from Valle's control, Ray finds he has been locked in a cryogenic-induced nightmare, but one he must return to fulfill his love for Gina.

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    Director:Ken Girotti
  17. 7.6/10(498 votes)

    #16 - First Anniversary

    S2:E7

    As he celebrates his first wedding anniversary, Norman Glass thinks he's the luckiest man alive. His wife Ady, whom he met after the tragic death of her first husband, is stunningly beautiful and talented. She loves him more than anyone alive. They have two great friends, Dennis and Barbara, who were arried on the same day and are just as madly in love as Norman and Ady. But suddenly things start to change. First, Dennis leaves Barbara. Then, Norman must struggle with the strange, growing revulsion he feels when he touches, smells, tastes or sees his lovely wife. Norman thinks he's going crazy, but Barbara and Ady know better. Is love blind? Is beauty only skin-deep? Guess again.

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  18. 7.5/10(548 votes)

    #17 - I, Robot

    S1:E18

    Adam, a powerful robot, kills his creator when the scientist attempts to convert him into a military killing machine by destroying his more human qualities.

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  19. 7.5/10(452 votes)

    #18 - The Deprogrammers

    S2:E16

    With Earth under alien rule and millions dead, the human race has been programmed to slavery. A small band of rebels kidnaps Evan, alien leader Koltok's personal slave. Trent Davis, leader of the rebels, tries to return Evan to his former self through arduous deprogramming sessions. To aid in the process, Evan is reintroduced to his wife Jill. As his sessions progress, Evan learns of the death of his daughter. He agrees to join the rebels and assassinate his former master - with devastating results.

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  20. 7.5/10(2 votes)

    #19 - The Revelations of Becka Paulson

    S3:E15

    In this adaptation of Stephen King's short story, Becka Paulson's humdrum trailer park life suddenly becomes very interesting after she accidentally shoots herself in the head while watching her favorite soap opera. The bullet lodges in her brain, leaving a small red dot in her forehead and turning her world upside down. Doc Fink, the town vet, can't find anything wrong -- but Becka notices changes. Suddenly, she's smarter than she's ever been and full of ideas for inventions. Plus, the Handsome Man photo that came with the picture frame is talking to her. He tells her about the town's dark secrets, including her husband Joe's lunch-hour affair with Nancy Voss down at the post office. The Handsome Man is the friend Becka never had -- and a better man than Joe, to be sure -- but is it really wise to count on the advice of a man who lives in an 8x10 frame?

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  21. 7.5/10(287 votes)

    #20 - Déjà Vu

    S5:E16

    Dr. Mark Crest (Kevin Nealon) has built a teleportation device that uses tactical nuclear weapons to open a wormhole in the space-time continuum. The device is intended to transport some animals eight miles across the desert, but during a test, the wormhole grows out of control and Mark finds himself hurled back in time, to the day before the test took place.

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    Director:N/A
  22. 7.4/10(956 votes)

    #21 - Valerie 23

    S1:E2

    Frank Hellner, a lonely paraplegic, takes part in a top-secret project -- allowing an "inorganic human," or robot named Valerie, to be his companion for a week. The experiment goes awry when Valerie, unable to control her programmed emotions, becomes jealous and threatens the life of Frank's physical therapist and close friend Rachel.

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  23. 7.4/10(429 votes)

    #22 - Mind Over Matter

    S2:E5

    Dr. Sam Stein has always lived for his work. His dedication has paid off with the development of the Computer Aided Visual Environment system of CAVE, which allows doctors to jack-in directly to the brain of patients. When an accident puts his colleague Rachael Carter in a coma, Stein decides to use CAVE for his own purposes, reaching into Rachael's brain to tell her what he couldn't while she was conscious: that he loves her. Stein discovers, however, that love takes strange turns when it enters CAVE's virtual world and that the complexities of the human heart are not easily translated into bits and bytes.

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  24. 7.4/10(263 votes)

    #23 - The Haven

    S5:E15

    Caleb Vance lives on the 52nd floor of The Haven, a high-tech marvel of an apartment building that is driven by a supercomputer named Argus and filled with machines and appliances that respond to the orders of The Haven's residents. The building's design almost completely eliminates the need for human contact, a desirable feature in an age in which all communication is mediated by one form of technology or another and a strong selling point for the residents of The Haven. But things begin to go wrong...

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    Director:Jim Kaufman
  25. 7.4/10(269 votes)

    #24 - Simon Says

    S6:E8

    Gideon Banks lost his wife Liz and son Simon in a horrific car accident some twenty years ago. At the time of the accident he was involved in something called the Neural Archiving Project - NAP for short. The technology was developed to create smart computers - transferring human engrams to computers. The company eventually gave up on the technology, but Gideon didn't. After years of quietly perfecting it, he built a small robot, from parts he stole from Concorde Robotics, where he now works. Zoe, Gideon's niece, discovers Gideon's secret, the robot contains actual neural engrams from the real Simon. She becomes worried not only about Gideon but also about the robot that sounds and acts a lot like her little cousin used to.

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    Director:Helen Shaver
  26. 7.4/10(227 votes)

    #25 - Glitch

    S6:E12

    Tom and Wendy seem like the perfect couple, happy together and very much in love. But at night when Wendy sleeps, Tom has terrible memories about being stuck in a burning building with a crying baby. The nightmares, however, aren't real and neither is Tom. He's an android and the ""memories"" are bugs placed in his artificial intelligence by his creator, the late Joe Walker. Walker had originally created Tom to save humans from fires and other dangerous situations. However he anticipated that his colleague, Dr. Edward Normandy, might try to militarize the android and use him as a cyber-soldier-spy and planted the bugs as a way of forcing Normandy to upgrade Tom so the android could think for itself.

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Best Episodes Summary

"A Stitch in Time" is the best rated episode of "The Outer Limits". It scored 8.3/10 based on 778 votes. Directed by Mario Philip Azzopardi and written by Steven Barnes, it aired on 1/14/1996. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Tribunal".