An alien has placed his male children on earth so they can do what they can't do on the native alien planet: dream of better things. However, when Dad drops in on earth in 1964 his 20something son (a James Dean-type) is not too pleased with his father's criminal actions.
I go to The Outer Limits more for entertainment value than any deep messages so maybe I am not the best person to review this highly sophisticated series? But I am not suggesting that Spider County is simple. On an entertainment level, this is the best Limits hour. Scripted by a non-regular Limits writer, this has a boy's story feel with only one little used female guest star (Bennye Gatteys as Anna) present. Instead of the often seen romance we get in this series, we get wonderfully filmed (and scored) chase scenes in the mist covered jungle or ray gun sound effects from War Of The Worlds (1953).
These scenes provide a good break from the talk scenes, we can't have the whole hour filled with the father and son talking...the variety is most welcome. More entertainment comes from the highly goofy lines, mainly that early scene in the prison, that give the hour a unique identity. Granted, I was a bit turned off by some of the too- theatrical or too-weird lines from the father or son on my first viewings of the hour. But after a few viewings I came to understand that the hour would not have been the same without the cornball "chased by dogs and fear"-type talk. It is fun.
But not all the talk is corny. The theme about the need to dream is so true...imagine a world without dreamers? After going to other websites I found that many fans have found other meanings in the story...but you have to look hard to find these meanings in the episode itself. The theme about a 20something boy suddenly finding he has an alien father is compelling...one of the best ideas to come out of this series.
Attention Lost In Space fans! The Director of Spider County - Leonard Horn - would later turn his dark alien invasion directing talents to one Lost In Space episode: Invaders From The 5th Dimension. Oddly enough, this hour also has aliens wishing to take a super-smart kid (Will Robinson) away with them. The early nightmare scene in Spider County is not too unlike the dark vision of the Lost In Space aliens in the ship. Interesting!
I go to The Outer Limits more for entertainment value than any deep messages so maybe I am not the best person to review this highly sophisticated series? But I am not suggesting that Spider County is simple. On an entertainment level, this is the best Limits hour. Scripted by a non-regular Limits writer, this has a boy's story feel with only one little used female guest star (Bennye Gatteys as Anna) present. Instead of the often seen romance we get in this series, we get wonderfully filmed (and scored) chase scenes in the mist covered jungle or ray gun sound effects from War Of The Worlds (1953).
These scenes provide a good break from the talk scenes, we can't have the whole hour filled with the father and son talking...the variety is most welcome. More entertainment comes from the highly goofy lines, mainly that early scene in the prison, that give the hour a unique identity. Granted, I was a bit turned off by some of the too- theatrical or too-weird lines from the father or son on my first viewings of the hour. But after a few viewings I came to understand that the hour would not have been the same without the cornball "chased by dogs and fear"-type talk. It is fun.
But not all the talk is corny. The theme about the need to dream is so true...imagine a world without dreamers? After going to other websites I found that many fans have found other meanings in the story...but you have to look hard to find these meanings in the episode itself. The theme about a 20something boy suddenly finding he has an alien father is compelling...one of the best ideas to come out of this series.
Attention Lost In Space fans! The Director of Spider County - Leonard Horn - would later turn his dark alien invasion directing talents to one Lost In Space episode: Invaders From The 5th Dimension. Oddly enough, this hour also has aliens wishing to take a super-smart kid (Will Robinson) away with them. The early nightmare scene in Spider County is not too unlike the dark vision of the Lost In Space aliens in the ship. Interesting!