You'd think that if the writers give away the monster's secret in the first few scenes, you wouldn't be scared--until you watch "The Architects of Fear." This super-creepy, classic Outer Limits episode features Robert Culp as a scientist chosen to undergo extremely avant-garde surgery to irreversibly turn him into a bizarre alien creature who will unite the world against a common, if fraudulent, threat. This series was uniquely able to capture a sense of individual horror in its stars; Culp is eerily compelling as a man giving up his identity to help the world. The black-and-white cinematography is stark and surprisingly indirect; in the best traditions of filmmaking, more is implied than shown directly. Not only one of the best episodes in the series, "The Architects of Fear" is one of the best television shows ever aired. --Rob Lightner
