The Outer Limits --- The Soldier

The episode is about a soldier from the future. This soldier has no knowledge of anything except how to be a soldier. He comes back to Earth in the sixties, and he is out of place. He is misunderstood, and he doesn't understand this new world he finds himself in.

The striking thing is the resemblance to the Terminator movie, with the obvious differences. There was a lawsuit that was settled in order for the film to be shown in theaters.

In that future world, nothing is known but war. The question that is left is this: Is this our future?

One of the ideas of civilization is to resolve disputes without the need of violence. If no way can be found to resolve disputes, how can violence be averted? That appears to be the point... What happens when no agreement is possible?

In that case, something has to give.

If neither side of the dispute wants to give, then how can violence be averted?

When it cannot, there can be no civilization.

This video discusses the similarities/differences of this story and the movie The Terminator.





If you ax me, the Outer Limits isn't the only idea that Terminator stole. There was this movie in the sixties in which a computer system took over the world, just like in the Terminator. It didn't have cyborgs, though. At least the Terminator may have had one original idea.

I cannot find that computer takes over the world movie again. It might have been a made for TV movie. If memory serves, it may be this one.