Falling Star (The Outer Limits)

"Falling Star"
The Outer Limits episode
Episode no. Season 2
Episode 19
Directed by Ken Girotti
Written by Alan Brennert
Production code 41
Original air date 30 June 1996
Guest actors

Sheena Easton as Melissa McCammon, Kristin Lehman as Janet Marshall, Sarah Strange as Rachel Connors, Victoria Morsell as Candace, Xander Berkeley as Terry McCammon

"Falling Star" is an episode of The Outer Limits television series. It first aired on 30 June 1996, during the second season.

Introduction

A pop singer is about to commit suicide, when she meets Rachel; a time traveler and her fan from the future.

Opening narration

“ We are told, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes. But in these times when ‘celebrity’ is the drug of choice, the truly famous will tell you... fifteen minutes is rarely long enough. ”

Plot

Pop singer Melissa McCammon is about to commit suicide by overdosing on drugs. With her once meteoric career at a standstill and her husband (Xander Berkeley) cheating on her, she sees no hope. Then she encounters Rachael, an ardent fan from the future. Rachael is a time traveler — and an uninvited tourist in Melissa's body. She tells Melissa that her music inspired her future fans to resist a totalitarian takeover, which will succeed if she dies now. However special authorities are out to punish Rachel for her crime, as time-traveling and using a host body plus changing the past is a serious offense, and she must be taken care of. The authorities from the future want Melissa dead and will resort to anything — including murder — to preserve their version of the past.

The final scene shows Melissa on the stage (in her friend Janet's body) singing to an audience.

Closing narration

“ In the long view of history, what difference will any of our lives make? The true measure of a life is not how many people know our names when we die... but whether we touch the lives of others. ”

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