There is a real X-Files vibe in the opening seconds of this episode.  The music and lab setting could easily have been from that series.  The sense of déjà vu was heightened when I saw Charles Martin Smith who had played a similar role (in profession and haz-mat bunny suit) in the F. Emasculata episode of The X-Files.

In the Outer Limits episode, he plays Dr. Spencer Deighton, a researcher who comes up with a cure-all wonder drug that could eradicate all disease. His brother Michael the CEO-wannabe and villain of the piece, actually has a legitimate point: what if this drug mutated into the rodent or insect population?  Even in the human population, with all those extra mouths to feed, it could result in the deaths of millions by starvation. Now, that would have been a great story, but maybe too big for a TV episode.

Unfortunately, Michael undermines his cogent points by stating that the drug could “cut the world death rate by 1000%“.  And this guy wants to be my CEO?  Not even my latex salesman.

The acting-CEO agrees and Spencer’s research is shut down.  Lab assistant Carl disagrees and injects himself with the drug.  Unfortunately he is observed by Michael who runs a decontamination procedure which incinerates him.  Again, good call.  Are they sure this is the bad guy?

Finally we get to Michael’s dark side.  He is not against production of the wonder drug.  He just wants to restrict access to the super rich; and certain CEO-wannabees, given the way his hand is shaking.

It turns out that he has concealed the fact that he has inherited the Huntington’s disease that killed his mother.  He feels that the negative-nellies on the board might consider his imminent death a disqualifier for the CEO position.  Whereas his poor math skills and general douchebaggery will not be an issue.

He discovers that Carl leaked news of the drug to Spencer’s reporter girlfriend Tricia played by Ellen Tighe.  Michael pays her a visit and inexplicably douses her with the wonder drug.  He then takes a dose himself.  And sure enough, it makes his hand as steady as the Waco Kid’s (no, the other hand).

My God! What is that thing on your face!

Back at the lab, the monkey that was was being used to test the wonder drug is in pretty bad shape.  Michael reveals to Spencer that he has taken the drug.  It also apparently fixed his eyesight as he is not wearing glasses.  Spencer will not join Michael, so it is time for another decontamination.

Spencer escapes and Michael quickly begins withering, begging to be killed.  Turns out the wonder drug burns out the host’s normal resistance and leaves them defenseless.  So in trying to cure his Huntington’s, Michael actually hastened its effects.  Oh the irony.

A fairly somber affair.  Well-performed, but not a lot else to recommend it.  I give it 5 out of 10 cc’s.

Post-Post Leftovers:

• So Michael tries to kill Ellen Tighe by dousing her with a drug that causes immortality?  What am I missing here?  I appreciate that they take the time to explain why it did not kill her like it eventually kills Michael, but what was his goal?
• OK, maybe it was the early-stage strain of the wonder drug.  But wasn’t all of that destroyed?  And it had an 80% mortality rate.  Maybe a tad high for public consumption, but not quite high enough to use as a murder weapon when you were face-to-face with your victim.
• Probably it could be explained by reviewing the episode, but Hulu is absolutely fascist at making you rewatch commercials as you try to review the program.  And do they have to be the same commercials?  Although, that IHOP commercial does look pretty delicious.
• And another thing: When they put up a 2 minute commercial, NEVER click the button that says “YES – this ad is relevant to me.”
• Michael also was not wearing glasses in the opening nightmare that Spencer had. Premonition?  Maybe, but not really as Ellen Tighe wasn’t present in the nightmare.
• Clearly it was not the good Huntington’s.

OK, Outer Limits gets another chance after my ordeal with the commercials last time.  I noticed that this episode was written by Jonathan Glassner who directed my favorite episode of this series; one of my top 5 favorites of any series, ever.  I remember Trial by Fire from its original airing, and have watched it many times since.  It is consistently intelligent, suspenseful, surprising, just outstandingly executed in every way.

However, we are here to discuss Valerie 23.

Uber-that-guy William Sadler is Frank Hellner, a wheelchair-bound engineer working on a synthetic skin project.  His friend / boss Charlie wants to set him up with a new employee.  He assures Frank that she knows about his condition and it isn’t a problem.  Frank, but not the audience, is shocked when she turns out to be incredibly hot.

When he finds out she is a robot, he is furious that Charlie thinks he needs a mechanical device to help him live his life — you know, other than the chair . . . and the special van.  After a swing and a miss at his physical therapist, Frank grudgingly agrees to give Valerie 23 a test drive.

The engineering team (which includes Byers from The Lone Gunmen) tells him he will have to keep a log (heh, heh), and that there will be a daily de-briefing (heh, heh).

Things start off awkwardly as Frank compares her to a dishwasher.  He is surprised that she is hurt by this.  He comforts her as she begins to cry.  Clearly Innobotics has a gender-based division of labor — programming handled by the women, hardware was handled by the men.

At the next debriefing, the team tells Frank that he needs to make more of an effort with Valerie, to actually treat her like a human.  Also that he needs to try out some of her other documented features as a — ahem — companion; the word being used in the same sense as on Firefly 7 years later.

After a little snuggling on the sofa, Frank freaks out and bolts to a bar.  Seeing another couple there, he realizes his loneliness.  Back at the house, he finds that Valerie now has a 2nd outfit.  Then no outfit.  Finally Frank wises up and puts Valerie to the work for which she was designed.

Showing that his accident also left him brain-damaged, he is wracked with guilt and / or self-loathing the next day.

His therapist has suddenly become available, so Frank meets her at the bar.  Valerie follows him and reads their lips through the window like HAL in 2001.  With pretty much the same results.  The next day, she follows them on a date rappelling (again,  I am apparently the last person on earth who can’t rappel) and confronts them.  Frank is able to put her in sleep mode before she throws his date off a cliff.  There is another confrontation and ultimate resolution that I will not describe.

I could just post pictures of her all day

Overall, a very well produced episode.  In fact, my memory is that this was a very good series.  I also see that they are commercial free on You Tube, so there  will be more to come; just with crappier screen-caps.

Post-Post Leftovers:

• It is an insult to give William Sadler that-guy status.  He has had a huge career and is recognizable from many roles.  Looking over his IMDb page reminded me of a great offbeat movie of his that not many people have seen.  Some rainy afternoon catch up with Freaked.  If it isn’t a cult classic, it ought to be.
• Sofia Shinas does a great job as Valerie.  She has an almost too-perfect face, and looks great in that white jumpsuit.  She also excels in making sure we remember she is not quite human — the head tilts, the wide-eyes, the inflections.  For my money, her performance is equal to Brent Spiner’s as Data; and with contractions!  She should have been a bigger star.
• A year before this episode, she witnessed Brandon Lee’s death on the set of The Crow.
• BTW, the therapist was genre perennial Nancy Allen.