Caught in the Act (The Outer Limits)

"Caught in the Act"
The Outer Limits episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 17
Directed by Mario Azzopardi
Written by Grant Rosenberg
Production code 17
Original air date 1 July 1995
Guest actors

Alyssa Milano,
Stephen Fanning,
Jason London,
Saul Rubinek,
Sarah Strange,
Kavan Smith,
Larry Musser,
Tammy Isbell,
Veena Sood as Dr. Katzman

"Caught in the Act" is an episode of The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 1 July 1995 during the first season.

Introduction

A strange object crashes through the roof above a chaste college student and is absorbed into her body.

Opening narration

Humankind has long tried to tame the forces of nature, to harness their power for our needs. But what if the very needs that drive us are the greatest power of all? Will we be able to control ourselves?

Plot

Being madly in love with Hannah (Alyssa Milano), her groom Jay (Jason London) respects her chaste request and waits until marriage to make love. One night, while Hannah sleeps, a strange mysterious violet glowing object falls into her room. The alien object envelops her and embeds itself into her body. Now Hannah is possessed, and her body craves sex.

To feed the alien within her body, she seduces men and in the middle of sex she absorbs them into her body. With each man she absorbs her body grows to resemble the ideal woman.

Hannah first approaches Jay, of course, who cannot believe this was the same girl who steadfastly denied him just the night before. And indeed, she isn't the same girl. When Hannah seduces the star Quarterback, Jay follows them in disbelief. He finds Hannah alone and notices the hole in the ceiling where the alien object entered her room. Realizing that Jay is in danger while in her presence, Hannah forces him to leave, but Jay steals back to her room later and discovers the remains of the object and the Quarterback's jacket. Investigating the disappearance of the Quarterback, the police trace Jay to the scene, and he becomes the prime suspect. Jay turns the object over to his professor, who determines its origin, and researches similar occurrences. As more men vanish, the police pursue Hannah, who is then "caught in the act" devouring a convenience store clerk. A cop shoots Hannah, and to his utter horror, he watches as the violet light emanates from the hole in her stomach. Hannah is rushed to the hospital and doctors watch in awe as the wound heals itself. The professor is able to substantiate Jay's outrageous claims, and when the police release him, he rushes to the hospital to be with Hannah. Desperate for fresh victims, Hannah attacks her doctor, who refuses to give in to her obsession. Certain that his love is more powerful than the force within her, Jay risks his life to try to cure Hannah. Fearing for Jay's safety, Hannah tries to resist him and the craving within her, but ultimately, the purity and power of their love forces the alien presence from her system.

Closing narration

The urge to hunt and kill — the need to mate and multiply — these are our most primitive human drives. But they pale in comparison to the most powerful human drive of all... the need for love.

Cast

Trivia

External links