First Anniversary (The Outer Limits)

:"First Anniversary can also refer to 1st Anniversary, a Japanese Pop music album."

Infobox Television episode
Title = First Anniversary
Series = The Outer Limits


Caption =
Season = 2
Episode = 7
Airdate = 16 February, 1996
Production = 29
Writer = Richard Matheson and Jon Cooksey and Ali Marie Matheson
Director = Brad Turner
Photographer =
Guests = Matt Frewer as Norman Glass, Michelle Johnson as Ady Sutton, Kathrin Nicholson as First Ady Sutton, Clint Howard as Dennis, Jayne Heitmeyer as Barbara, Garvin Cross as Ralph Sutton
Episode list = List of "The Outer Limits" episodes
Prev = Beyond the Veil
Next = Straight and Narrow

"First Anniversary" is an episode of "The Outer Limits" television show. It first aired on 16 February, 1996, during the second season.

Introduction

A man and beautiful blond woman are in a car, the man fearing the woman who is pleading with him. The car crashes and explodes but the blond woman walks away unscathed. The blond woman is next seen in an office and transforms herself into a beautiful brunette after seeing a picture of one on Norman Glass' desk.

Opening narration

"When we look in a mirror we see a reflection of ourselves. But how much more powerful than this is the reflection we see in the eyes of another? Especially in the eyes of one we hold to be more beautiful than ourselves."

Plot

Norman Glass celebrates his first wedding anniversary with his beautiful and talented wife, Ady. Norman's best friend, Dennis, also has a beautiful wife, Barbara. However, over the next few days, both relationships unravel rather quickly. First, Dennis walks out on Barbara; Norman goes to talk to Dennis in a city park and is frightened by what he finds. Dennis, clearly unhinged and paranoid, claims that Barbara is not what she seems, and that she is an alien creature who can change appearance (through influencing people's thoughts). A strange woman approaches Dennis and claims to be Barbara, begging him to take her back. Norman doesn't recognize her, but Dennis does - whereupon he runs into traffic and is killed.

Later, after Dennis' funeral, Norman experiences the same effects: he begins to feel repulsed whenever he touches, smells or tastes his lovely wife. Ady attempts to bluff her way out of the situation but is forced to admit the truth: she and Barbara are aliens whose ship crash-landed on Earth some time ago. They are repulsive creatures in their natural form (apparently,of aquatic origin), but since they are stranded on Earth with no way to leave, they decided to try to blend in and live out the rest of their lives as human women. Unfortunately, their ability to trick someone's senses wears off, as the victim grows a resistance, after a year or so. Norman becomes unhinged at this knowledge and is taken away by paramedics.

Closing narration

"We all wear masks, illusions of what we want the world to see. But when we hide our true selves from those we love... what price do we pay for that deception?"

External links

*
* [http://www.scifi.com/outerlimits/episodes/season2/207anniversary.html "First Anniversary"] at Sci Fi