We make decisions in our lifetime. Good or bad. Often times I ponder and think about subtle changes in my past life and how things would turn out. A lone Astronaut, Captain Joseph Reardon (Karl Held) travels through a time warp in deep space. Lands on a barren desolate planet resembling Mars. Nothing but rocks and open spaces as far as the eye can see. For our traveler is not alone. Behind the rocks is a disfigured man. Horrible to look at. His face looks like petrified lava yet he approaches the bewildered astronaut.The disfigured man introduces himself as Andro (Martin Landau). Andro is peaceful and intelligent with a vast knowledge of Earth's past. I did say Earth. It appears that our Captain Reardon traveled 200 years into Earth's future. Bleak and empty with sole mutant to show for man's civilization. Andro fondly talks about Earth's past as he gives a tour of the lone hall of records. Andro fondly talks about 19th century literature. Mark Twain's life on the Mississippi, Anna Karenina putting on her white gloves. Yet the Television viewer and our Astronaut wonder what went wrong. Earth's future? A mutant man? a dried up planet? Andro tells the story of Late 20th century chemist Bertram Cabot Jr. who was experimenting with an Alien Bacterium which got out of hand mutating human DNA causing sterility/mass plague which manifested into the end result Andro. Andro asks Reardon if he could return through the time warp and hopefully change history by preventing the birth of Cabot. Andro knows the names of the birth parents and will attempt to quash their creation of the bane. The two lift off in Reardon's ship leaving the desolate earth of the future. While in Space Reardon feels funny as the ship passes the through the time warp. Reardon dissolves and Andro is left alone as the ship conveniently touches down in a swamp like area on Earth in the year 1963. Andro with his long robe and mutated skin sees of all things, the would be mother of Cabot, the lovely blonde Noelle (Shirley Knight). Andro has the power of illusion and transforms into a dashing young blade with the current wardrobe dark suit, skinny neck tie typical garb of 1963. The rest of the episode Andro tries to prevent the marriage to Cabot Sr. (John Considine) just back from the military. Andro uses all his charm on Noelle as an agitated Groom wants him out of the picture. Landau shows his softer side and compassion in the role. Maxine Stuart is the landlady of the boarding house who also played the disfigured, bandaged woman in the Twilight Zone episode Eye of The Beholder. In the end the problem is corrected but with corrections there comes a price!
Review of The Man Who Was Never Born
