The Outer Limits (TV Series) Simon Says (2000) User Reviews

Neural Science Gone Amok

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 22 August 2014]

Joel Gray appeared on this show a few times, usually playing some really eccentric character. In this one, he is the sad victim of bad karma. His wife and son were killed in a car accident and he managed to input his son's personality and knowledge into a computer. He was not able to do this with his wife. He has become obsessed with reproducing his son by stealing circuitry from his workplace. His boss is getting suspicious of all the stuff that has been disappearing. I have to say that the physical appearance of the techno-tyke he has produced is nightmarish. He is half human and half machine and he has these big ears sticking to the side. Gray's only outside contact is his niece Zoe who finally discovers what is going on. She loves her uncle but quickly realizes he has several loose screws. At one point the little robot decides to pet the cat but accidentally rips the skin right off the unfortunate creature. There is also a really spooky scene where Gray and his offspring go to a carousel, paying for exclusive use, and ride the horses. The "kid" starts to get more and more demanding and this puts pressure on Gray who could lose his job. When he asks Zoe to "babysit," the thing attacks and almost kills her. This series made me uncomfortable many times and this may be the master of all.

Phenomenally well written little piece

[nthrooch · 9/10 · 26 March 2007]

Now I'm not one to typically watch this show, so I can't really judge comparatively, however if the rest of the series was as good as this episode it bodes terribly well for it. This is quite possibly the only episode of any show ever, that I have found so profoundly disturbing. It deals with a scientist who loses both his wife and son. At the time of their death his work is focused on a technology that allows one to remove the personality of someone and put it onto a computer. When his wife and son are caught in a car crash, he manages to get the son's mind onto a computer in time, but sadly not his wife. He then uploads the sons mind onto a robot torso, essentially reincarnating the son to an extent. This is where it turns unfortunately, as things begin to go awry.

The scientist begins to upgrade the boys chassis in order to give him more freedom, but the limitations and risks involved result in some incredibly powerful scenes that provide much food for thought in this field. I shan't give away any more as the rest would involve spoilers, but I have honestly never seen something so disturbing, yet intrinsically fascinating since. Well worth watching.