Better Luck Next Time (The Outer Limits)

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“Better Luck Next Time”
The Outer Limits episode
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 108
Written by
Original airdate	20 August 1999
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "Star Crossed" "Judgment Day"
List of The Outer Limits episodes

"Better Luck Next Time" is an episode of The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 20 August 1999, during the fifth season.

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Opening Narration 3 Plot 4 Closing Narration 5 Trivia

[edit] Introduction

Two men are fighting in a warehouse. One has a gun and they both struggle for it. During the struggle they mention various connections to earlier struggles between them. One of the men is finally able to get the gun, declaring himself the winner and then promptly shoots himself. While dying a blue energy being comes out of his chest.

[edit] Opening Narration

"Is violence born in the heart, or in the mind? If we must kill to protect ourselves, what will that do to our souls?"

[edit] Plot

Both men listed in the introduction are inhabited by non-corporeal beings who, for thousands of years since coming to Earth, have been playing a game. The game was to try to convince the humans they inhabit that the other alien is evil and to get the hosts to kill each other. This time they try to convince two police partners they are on opposing sides, each trying to make one of cops take their partner's life. The cops eventually figure out that they cannot kill the aliens because as soon as one of their hosts dies, they transfer to another host that is nearby, so to put an end to the game, both of the detectives kill themselves and with no nearby hosts to take control of, both aliens die.

[edit] Closing Narration

"In the struggle between life and death, sometimes survival is not the only way to win."

[edit] Trivia

This episode is a clip show, and is made up from clips from other episodes of The Outer Limits. It continues the Ripper story arc.