The Human Computer, to me, is the gold standard of episodes in Voyage of the Bottom of the Sea. It operates on a threadbare plot (Captain Crane is accompanying the Seaview in more of a limited capacity as the sub is being operated by a computerized system absent human control; Crane boards the sub based on maritime law, requiring an officer when said sub is in operation), but this episode doesn't need much when you can bilk the suspense of isolation on board the Seaview where one officer knows he's not alone and must find the criminal on board. Firing off all the bullets in his gun without hitting the foreign invader (sent into the sub with a tape that would instruct the computer with directions to his country, so that the secrets of the technology can be seized), Crane later finds no more weapons in the weapons locker, eventually led into a Ballast Tank room, locked in, air cut off, and facing suffocation. Convenience is the name of the game as a tank of oxygen, mask, and a hatch are inside this little room, allowing Crane to escape, diving to another part of the sub with the hopes of catching the foreign invader (Harry Millard, gnarly as the stone cold assassin, using the intercom to mockingly detail his country's plans for the computer and how Crane is to look as if he died all accidental-like) by surprise. I can't imagine this shot in color; the shadows and silence, that disquiet in the quiet, with little clanging sounds from the fire extinguisher even sounding off menace, this episode belongs in B&W, under such lensing. You get the round trip through the entire Seaview as Crane looks for the invader, cautious and careful. When the invader drops the pipes on Crane, it is quite a grabber
how will Crane make it out of this situation in one piece? Good stuff. The lights and sounds of the computer on the Seaview with no humans besides Crane on board is kind of interesting, especially in how quiet the rest of the sub is. Major flaw: how did the invader get on board the Seaview unnoticed?
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (TV Series)
The Human Computer (1965)
User Reviews
Review this title4 Reviews
Decent.
planktonrules4 October 2017
Some smart folks have decided to computerize the Seaview in order to allow it to operate without a crew. While this might sound like a great idea...it wasn't!
When Captain Crane hears about the plan to test out the ship with the computerized system and without anyone on board, he points out that the ship is essentially derelict and can be claimed as salvage. So, he stays aboard to chill while the ship goes through its paces. However, an enemy government has snuck an agent aboard and the plan is for him to reprogram the ship and steal it. And, since Crane is aboard, he'll have to be killed.
This is a decent cat and mouse type episode. Apart from a few goofs listed on IMDb, it's a worthwhile show...one worth seeing.
When Captain Crane hears about the plan to test out the ship with the computerized system and without anyone on board, he points out that the ship is essentially derelict and can be claimed as salvage. So, he stays aboard to chill while the ship goes through its paces. However, an enemy government has snuck an agent aboard and the plan is for him to reprogram the ship and steal it. And, since Crane is aboard, he'll have to be killed.
This is a decent cat and mouse type episode. Apart from a few goofs listed on IMDb, it's a worthwhile show...one worth seeing.
Four Out Of Ten Drama
StuOz14 November 2016
Crane is alone on the Seaview...or is he?
Firstly, I am aware some of my reviews for the second half of Voyage season one have been rather negative...and The Human Computer review is like that. It just looks like all concerned with the series sort of ran out of steam about half way into the season. But having said this, we still have some classics to come like The Enemies and The Creature. Also, the series as a whole improves in season two.
The Human Computer is more about running out of budget than steam. Official word has it that the show ran out of cash so they dished out a story with Crane running around an empty Seaview for 75% of the hour.
But obviously enough people liked what they saw so this alone-but not-alone-on-Seaview theme was re-used in several other episodes. Altleast the later versions sometimes had better music playing over them (like in season four's Nightmare).
The Human Computer has just one pleasing element to it: Batcave/Jupiter 2 computer banks splashed all over the Seaview control room. We never see this again. This alone gives this episode four out of ten.
Firstly, I am aware some of my reviews for the second half of Voyage season one have been rather negative...and The Human Computer review is like that. It just looks like all concerned with the series sort of ran out of steam about half way into the season. But having said this, we still have some classics to come like The Enemies and The Creature. Also, the series as a whole improves in season two.
The Human Computer is more about running out of budget than steam. Official word has it that the show ran out of cash so they dished out a story with Crane running around an empty Seaview for 75% of the hour.
But obviously enough people liked what they saw so this alone-but not-alone-on-Seaview theme was re-used in several other episodes. Altleast the later versions sometimes had better music playing over them (like in season four's Nightmare).
The Human Computer has just one pleasing element to it: Batcave/Jupiter 2 computer banks splashed all over the Seaview control room. We never see this again. This alone gives this episode four out of ten.
Take a tour of the Seaview
MiketheWhistle24 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This episode again continues the confusion over is the Seaview a military or private submarine.When Crane is searching for the saboteur, who we do not know how he got on-board a submarine that was traveling underwater, there is about 10 minutes of just walking thru the Seaview.Boring.
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