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"The Premonition"
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Opening Narration:
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"On the fabulous spawning grounds of Man's ever-increasing
knowledge of science and technology, ancient, half-forgotten legends seemingly
have no place. Except one: The legend of the Gordian Knot, a knot so intricate
and convoluted that no man could untie it. For there are problems so perplexing
that they are seemingly impossible to solve, when Man ventures to the
outer limits of his experience..."
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Plotline:
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Test pilot Jim Darcy flies a NASA's experimental supersonic
jet that crosses a time portal at Mach 6 and crashlands near his base.
Out of his cockpit, he realizes the whole world is frozen into time and
only his wife and he are desynchronized. The couple goes to the base to
alert and find a solution. They witness the possible death of their little
daughter because of a future truck accident. After observing immobile
officials and technicians in their functions, they encounter a strange
man stuck into this no man's land for so long that his physical appearance
has changed radically and prevents them from the danger they risk if they
remain in this in-between realm. Fortunately, they not only save their
child with their car's safety belts but return to the present.
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Closing Narration:
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"Man is forever solving the most perplexing problems
as he ventures ever further into the unknown. But where are the outer
limits of his ingenuity? Will he ever encounter a problem, a Gordian Knot,
which he cannot ultimately cut?"
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Quote:
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"If you'll miss your chance to returnone-millionth
of a second behind time, your chance will pass you by, and leave you where
I am nowin forever-now. A black, motionless void. No light, no sun,
no stars, no timeeternal nothing! No hunger... thirst... only endless
existence. And the worst of it... you can't die! So, fellow man, you challenge
me for a wish to take your place? You, both of you, would feel no different
if you were caught in this black oblivion... if you were not back in your
plane... in your car... at the exact instant."
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The Limbo Being (Kay Kuter)
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Comments:
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The prologue starts with a long pan shot
over Flight Control and followed by stock footages of the US Air Force:
a B-52 takes off and flies high, inserts of dials and pilots, the launching
of the X-15 jet (aka Skybird, according to Jim Darcy). After that official
introduction, we can take a glimpse at the Darcys: Mrs Darcy brings her
daughter to the Day Nursery which looks like a POW camp or an animal's
cage owing to the metallic fencethat's why she escapes on bike to
find out her fatal destiny! Jim Darcy's awarness of the time stop is depicted
with four cheap freeze frames of the area: two soldiers who look at the
sky, his own jet, a raptor chasing its prey, a coyote chasing a jack rabbit,
and then Jim Darcy witnesses two Linda's in the same framing because of
the sonic boom produced by his jet: meaning a shockwave has caught up
his wife too. Actress Mary Murphy's over-acting ruins her characterto
calm his wife down who has seen a freeze frame of an eagle, Jim Darcy
slaps her. The couple is projected ten seconds into the future but time
moves to the present in slow-motion. As in "Behold Eck!", the
bear fears fire and the couple uses flares to protect themselvesa
pointless attitude because the limbo man is desperate and peaceful. The
only worthwhile scene remains the second meeting with the limbo man: the
cameraman executes a revolving pan shot at 180 degree on Linda Darcy,
accompanied by the "O.B.I.T." 's machine sound effect, then
the bear finally expresses himself. We learn that as the Darcys, he is
also a person trapped in this nothingness. To save his daughter from death,
Jim Darcy attaches a car's seatbelts from the back wheel to the handbrake
of the military truck. To justify the episode's title, Jim Darcy explains
to his wife why he runs to see his daughter: "I don't know, I have
a feeling, just a... premonition." The time paradox story is interesting
but the family-oriented and the use of a little girl subplot a la "I,
Robot" are dreadfully unbearable. It's a cheap, repetitivesee
the four "comings and goings"and minor episode but fascinating
due to sci-fi director Ib Merchior's input (see his plot from "The
Time Travelers") and the look of the monster. This is the last one
directed by Gerd Oswald: notice the long corridor in Flight Control with
a frozen MP that is enhanced by a long dolly in; the editing and the use
of close-ups during Baldwin's countdown is also fascinating. For those
who like the special effects in the line of "The Galaxy Being"
and the haunting sound effects of "O.B.I.T."thanks to
music supervisor John Caper Jr.with a "Twilight Zone"
treatment (also see actor Dewey Martin from "I Shot an Arrow into
the Air" and stars in a classic 1950's sci-fi film: "The Thing")
about a frozen time plotline. After "Cry of Silence" and "Wolf
359", this is the last episodewithout including "The Invisible
Enemy"from that season that takes place in a desert surrounding
a la "Zanti Misfits". The added limbo being is the real star
of the episodeI have a soft spot for this negative reversed character
and, as in season 1, notice the eyeballs of the bear whose effect "seems"
made with a moving filter to highlight: that's very bewilderingand
not the conventional couple. It's the second episode that used the show's
title in a narration (... when Man ventures to the outer limits
of his experience...") as in the season 1 "The Borderland".
Most fans have a nostalgic leaning for that particular one. It is said
it is director James Cameron's favourite episode! Jim Darcy's much too
big test pilot helmet is from "Men Into Space". Sometimes misremembered
as a "Twilight Zone" one, this is the last time paradox plot
after "Soldier" and "Demon With A Glass Hand"time
traveling is possible first via a vortex, a mirror and here the sound
barrier (when the horizon is not visible you are in the twilight zone
in the Air Force lingo!). Find for the last time the military gate from
"Cold Hands, Warm Heart". TV Analogy: "The Alternative
Factor", one episode from "Star Trek", allow us to dive
into another time prison.
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