"ZZZZZ" is an episode of the original '' The Outer Limits'' television show. It first aired on January 27, 1964, during the first season.

Introduction

queen bee A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female (gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are developed ...

takes on human form, and plans to mate with a human male.

Opening narration

:''Human life strives ceaselessly to perfect itself, to gain ascendancy. But what of the lower forms of life? Is it not possible that they, too, are conducting experiments and are at this moment on the threshold of deadly success?''

Plot

Ben Fields, married to Francesca Fields, is an entomologist seeking a lab assistant. Regina, a giant mutant queen bee in human form, who is searching for a human mate to evolve her species, takes the job. Regina is accepted into their household after fabricating a story of accused infidelity by her 'former' employer's spouse, whom she chose to keep anonymous to prevent anyone from knowing about the alleged affair. When the subject of drones comes up, Regina is oddly enthusiastic about the beauty of the bee's mating ritual and the willingness of the drones to die in the process. Suspicious of her background, while being treated with disrespect and contempt, Francesca discovers Regina has lied; as well as seeing her abruptly morphing into a giant bee while apparently drawing nectar from a flower in their garden. At one point, due to the metabolic changes while in human form, Regina experiences spasms of pain, and is examined and treated by the Fields' personal physician, who reveals to them his belief that Regina may not be who she appears to be. Later, with her knowledge of Regina's attempts to seduce her husband, Francesca confronts her, whereupon Regina unleashes the bees of her hive kept in Ben's laboratory, attacking and then stinging Francesca to death. Ben, grief-stricken, accuses Regina of murdering his wife. Now understanding and horrified by her true identity and purpose, he forcefully rejects her advances, and gives her his view of the human mating ritual, in contrast to her earlier statements. In an ensuing struggle, she falls from his bedroom's second story balcony to the ground below. She is not killed, transforms back into a queen bee, then flies off.

Closing narration

:''When the yearning to gain ascendancy takes the form of a soulless, loveless struggle, the contest must end in unlovely defeat. For without love, drones can never be men, and men can only be drones.''

Production

"ZZZZZ" was shot entirely on a massive interior set, including the two-story mockup of Ben's house and the full garden constructed by Jack Poplin and his team on Soundstage#4 at KTTV. (source - The Outer Limits:The Official Companion (1986), page 197.)

Cast

Philip Abbott Philip Abbott (March 20, 1924 – February 23, 1998) was an American character actor. He appeared in several films and numerous television series, including a lead role as Arthur Ward in the crime series ''The F.B.I.'' Abbott was also the founder ...

– as Ben Fields *

Joanna Frank Joanna Frank (born Johanna Bochco; March 7, 1941) is an American actress. Career Her first role was in Elia Kazan's 1963 film ''America, America'' as the character "Vartuhi", and she also appeared in ''The Young Animals'' (1968) and the cult bi ...

– as Regina * Marsha Hunt – as Francesca Fields *

Booth Colman Booth Colman (March 8, 1923 – December 15, 2014) was an American film, television and stage actor. In his later years he played older authority figures, such as doctors and lawyers. Colman appeared in films since 1952, when he debuted (uncredi ...

– as Doctor Warren * John Elizalde – as voice of Bees (uncredited) *

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...

– as voice of Mr. Lund (uncredited)

External links

{{The Outer Limits The Outer Limits (1963 TV series season 1) episodes 1964 American television episodes