Episode no. Season 6
Episode 3 Written by Scott Peters | Directed by Dan Ireland Original air date 4 February 2000 | |
"Skin Deep" is an episode of the The Outer Limits television show. It was first-aired at 4 February 2000, during the sixth season.
Contents
Introduction
Sid Camden gets a hold of an experimental holographic disguise device that allows him to acquire the image of his handsome co-worker, Chad Warner...
Synopsis
Sid Camden, a rather unremarkable, socially inept sort of guy, works in an accounting department of a high-tech company known as Veil-Tech. He spends much of his spare time in chatrooms. One day Hal, one of the project managers, secretly loans Sid a prototype of one of the company's latest developments — a device known as an "Image Enhancer".
With the help of his friend Deb, Sid is able to acquire the image of good-looking co-worker Chad Warner, and soon Sid is stepping out on the town with his new and improved look. Deb briefly uses the device to sleep with Chad and later gives up her glasses in favor of contacts. Later Sid begins to wreck Chad's life by using his appearance-duplicating abilities to get Chad fired and even collects money that Chad had won in a bet.
Deb soon begins to regret using the device, while Sid becomes more erratic and drunk with power. One night the real Chad arrives after learning about Sid's misuse of the device. A fight ensues and Chad is killed. Sid buries the body. He drives to a bridge and calls Deb, leaving a remorseful goodbye message on her answering machine. He speaks of jumping off of the bridge. Instead, he fakes his suicide by walking away and leaving the empty car behind. He can now take over Chad's identity fully.
At "Sid's" funeral, Deb gives an emotional eulogy and Sid in disguise as Chad comforts her and leaves. He is confronted by two armed men (who believe him to be Chad) and killed. Apparently, Chad was involved in shady dealings.
At the end, Deb is seen on a computer conversing in a chatroom. She is asked what she looks like. She types "the truth or a lie?" to which she is asked to lie. Now, wearing glasses again, she just turns off the computer.