The senator and top candidate for presidency Brody(Boxleitner, doing a fantastic job) is flying to South Carolina to gather further support. However, a woman(the surprisingly creepy CCH Pounder) appears, claiming that she's from the future, that no one but him can see her, and that the plane will crash upon landing. The entire episode takes place on the flight, and this small and claustrophobic setting is effective. There is a ton of suspense, and you never take your eyes off the screen. The tension is strong, and the pace is solid throughout. This is a character study of Wyndom, and the development and writing of every role is excellent. The acting is great. Everyone comes across as credible. This looks at and comments on the focus on personal issues rather than agendas when it comes to politics, especially during campaigns. The reporter who scored an interview ignores the actual ideology upon seeing the man behave erratically, the affair is hidden, etc. This has a marvelous conclusion. There is disturbing content in this. I recommend this to any fan of morality plays, science-fiction and drama. 9/10
7 Reviews
The Outer Limits at it's Best
bzo-1891014 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
At it's heart this episode is a play on the classic Sci-FI trope "if you could go back in time would you kill Hitler?" It's wrapped inside a character study with a layer of bottle episode tension over top. Unlike many episodes of this series with more fantastical stories of aliens, robots, space travel, or science gone wrong, this is a highly accessible grounded story anyone who appreciates suspense and drama could appreciate.
Outstanding performances from CCH Pounder as the increasingly intense Stranger trying to prevent a terrible future, and Bruce Boxleitner as the conflicted would-be President she enlists to do it. The supporting characters are mostly convincing but their responses to the developing situation at times don't feel genuine.
Where this episode really endures over 20 years later is its surprising prescience for its time. When it first aired in June 2000, the "populist" "man of the people" clearly evoked then Presidential candidate GW Bush. Viewed with two decades of hindsight, the reporter and Senator's discussion of the internet and privacy were ahead of their time and along with the stranger's comments about terrorism and a survelliance state eerrily foreshadow future real world events of the early 2000's.
And of course, the ending is one of the best "hiding in plain sight" conclusions which was a hallmark of this series.
Highly recommended!
Outstanding performances from CCH Pounder as the increasingly intense Stranger trying to prevent a terrible future, and Bruce Boxleitner as the conflicted would-be President she enlists to do it. The supporting characters are mostly convincing but their responses to the developing situation at times don't feel genuine.
Where this episode really endures over 20 years later is its surprising prescience for its time. When it first aired in June 2000, the "populist" "man of the people" clearly evoked then Presidential candidate GW Bush. Viewed with two decades of hindsight, the reporter and Senator's discussion of the internet and privacy were ahead of their time and along with the stranger's comments about terrorism and a survelliance state eerrily foreshadow future real world events of the early 2000's.
And of course, the ending is one of the best "hiding in plain sight" conclusions which was a hallmark of this series.
Highly recommended!
Never Trust a Time Traveler
Hitchcoc2 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This is an episode that keeps us guessing throughout. A U.S. Senator has just won a primary vote and appears on his way to being the Presidential candidate from his party. While he is a populist, he does have some weakness, including carrying on an affair with an aide that has been with him for a long time. As he revels in his victory, a woman appears with news from the future. She is a hologram. She tells him that there is going to be a burnout in one of the engines and they will crash as they approach the landing strip. The woman tells him that as they approach the airport, he must blow out a window, causing the escape hatch to blow out. If he is to become President, he must leap from the plane at the last minute. Of course, during all this there is a lot of emotion that has not gone unnoticed, particularly from a headhunting reporter who strikes fear into political candidates. The Senator is seen talking to no one. Only he can see the hologram and he is starting to look a bit deranged. He even goes to the cockpit to warn the pilots, who throw him out. His secret service escort also is quite bewildered. The key issue that keeps us going is whether he will believe the warning and act, or let things just happen.
Decompression
a2freethinker25 June 2006
"The best" should reserved for episodes that grab the viewer's attention and keeps them super-glued to the plot, character development, and writing. This episode does that.
Bruce Boxleitner and cast are excellent in this "will he or won't he" character study. Unlike other Outer Limits series, the plot moves along at an even clip. Most other OL episodes pad sucrose-laden dialog that does nothing to enhance its value other than add time to the hour long series.
Decompression is the exception to the rule. The pacing, dialog, and characters drive the plot, making it worthwhile to the very end. And make sure you watch it to the very end. You'll be glad you did.
Bruce Boxleitner and cast are excellent in this "will he or won't he" character study. Unlike other Outer Limits series, the plot moves along at an even clip. Most other OL episodes pad sucrose-laden dialog that does nothing to enhance its value other than add time to the hour long series.
Decompression is the exception to the rule. The pacing, dialog, and characters drive the plot, making it worthwhile to the very end. And make sure you watch it to the very end. You'll be glad you did.
Wow - brilliant episode
vwls3 October 2018
First off, this series is tremendously underrated. In some cases it's better than the Twilight Zone ever was, but it didn't get the attention it deserved. Obviously not every episode was a winner, but some are absolutely epic. Decompression is one of these. The premise is brilliant and holds up over time. Twist ending is everything you could ask for - this takes your breath away. TV does not get better than this.
Perfectly Describes the President Who Had Just Departed
valleydarr28 August 2019
The resemblance of the main character and Bill Clinton is unmistakable. Clinton had just left office when this aired. Clinton and Boxleitner have similar facial features. Clinton and the main character both cheat on their wives. Clinton and the main character are both immature, selfish, ego-driven maniacs. Clinton and the main character both refuse to deal with difficult questions from the press (though Clinton's adoring media rarely gave him any). The resemblance stops there, since Clinton actually served, and our country was not spared his ineptitude and poor character.
An Interesting Take on the "Character Issue"
Sandsquish9 February 2009
American political campaigns are all about "character issues," like, did the candidate serve in the military? does he have marital problems? or, did he get stoned in college? For potential voters who'd like to hear about civic issues instead of personality traits, nothing is more frustrating, and this episode of the Outer Limits plays around with notions of character and civics in a suspense-filled and insightful way.
First, the writers throw us a red herring, just like political campaigns do. The slick "populist" presidential candidate is having an affair, and there's a reporter on board the plane with them who just might notice! But, just like real campaigns, much more significant things are at stake, and, just like in real elections, no one seems overly interested in them. The reporter drops the real issue, about technology and privacy, which he uncovers in an aborted interview, as soon as the candidate starts behaving oddly.
The show maintains its suspense effectively. The audience knows something no one else but the candidate knows, and has to watch and see how he will handle the information, while trying to guess whether everyone else on board the plane is actually misreading the situation or not. The action is confined to a small, claustrophobic setting. The time traveler who unhinges the candidate is effectively unsettling, and the story she has to tell strikes the right balance between credibility and BS. The candidate, his staff, and the reporter all behave believably, if a little stereotypically, and the audience has plenty of foreshadowing to set up the "twist" ending.
This is one of the better Outer Limits episodes.
First, the writers throw us a red herring, just like political campaigns do. The slick "populist" presidential candidate is having an affair, and there's a reporter on board the plane with them who just might notice! But, just like real campaigns, much more significant things are at stake, and, just like in real elections, no one seems overly interested in them. The reporter drops the real issue, about technology and privacy, which he uncovers in an aborted interview, as soon as the candidate starts behaving oddly.
The show maintains its suspense effectively. The audience knows something no one else but the candidate knows, and has to watch and see how he will handle the information, while trying to guess whether everyone else on board the plane is actually misreading the situation or not. The action is confined to a small, claustrophobic setting. The time traveler who unhinges the candidate is effectively unsettling, and the story she has to tell strikes the right balance between credibility and BS. The candidate, his staff, and the reporter all behave believably, if a little stereotypically, and the audience has plenty of foreshadowing to set up the "twist" ending.
This is one of the better Outer Limits episodes.
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