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In the bleak wilderness of NYBY Science Station, episode 6 of The Twilight Zone Season 2 sees a group of researchers discuss a new species of predator. While half the researchers chill up in their cabins, down below two of their own are not so lucky as they’re pulled into the water. As the murky blue turns to a bleak shade of crimson, something scurries up and hides inside an orange container. When the rest of the researchers find out and see the blood spattered around the room, they open the orange box and find an octopus inside. While Channing stays with a couple of her crew-mates to try and recover the two they lost from the water, the others take the octopus up to the lab. With the octopus in its tank and watching their every move, Channing and the others discuss the implications of this being a new, intelligent octopus species they haven’t encountered before. Unfortunately the octopus escapes from its cage and while Larry is busy on his computer, wraps itself around him and chokes the man to death. Unfortunately it also kills another crew member too, evidently picking them all off one by one. As the remaining members try desperately to communicate with satellites above, the octopus manages to hack into Link’s computer where she happens to be researching this species and trying to weaponize and exploit it for bio-engineering into a human. The octopus figures out the bio-code and manages to evolve itself into a brand new species, escaping into the water outside, which is where the episode ends. With an episode that attempts to blend in some thought provoking questions about our role on this Earth and claustrophobic vibes from Alien, The Twilight Zone channels its inner horror but fails to really capitalize on that. The ending feels pretty anticlimactic too and the subtle dig at the Chinese regarding the weaponizing of this species feels in bad taste. Out of all the episodes this season, this is probably the one that feels the most formulaic and forgettable in its presentation. At only 30 minutes, this is also one of the shortest episodes though but there’s nothing here that will entice you back in to re-watch this one.
