The Borderland

The Outer Limits (1963)

The Borderland, written and directed by Leslie Stevens.

When experimenting with strong magnetic fields, scientists discover how to open a passage to another dimension. A side-effect of entering that dimension is reversal of objects into their mirror images. In the first scene the chief scientist puts his hand in the field, with inconvenient results. Could have been worse.

This is a good setup and uses several intriguing elements:

On the down side, even with this rich set of ideas, the episode is padded. We have a long dinner table exposition and then an experimental procedure at the power plant which is repeated many times. The gear is impressive and everyone takes it seriously, dramatically flipping those switches and calling out the steps. But it goes on and on.

Even so, this builds to an impressive, exciting climax, with our scientist caught between dimensions, witnessing strange and confusing realities, while his wife and friends frantically struggle to bring him back.

The cast includes:

As always with the series the effects are economical but strangely appropriate.

Photographed by John M. Nickolaus.

No Blu-ray commentary track for this episode.

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