Review of Soldier

Michael Ansara portrays Quarlo, a soldier of the future. He works alone to cross battlefield lines and kill the enemy. The depiction of the future is intense; ugly, violent, and incredibly frightening. The sky is filled with streaks of light from super weaponry, and the ground is a burnt, desolate wasteland. Through some kind of energy discharge Quarlo suddenly finds himself transported to 1960's America, and in the hands of the military. They can't communicate with him because, though he speaks English, it is a changed language from hundreds of years in the future, filled with unknown slang, military terms, and shorthand. A scientist tries to make a connection with Quarlo by bringing him to his home to stay with his family. But things are too strange for the soldier because he simply doesn't understand, his conditioning for violence is too strong, even though he does not want to do his benefactors harm. Suddenly his nemesis appears, an enemy infiltration soldier from the future. He must revert to his training in order to save his new friends.

After James Cameron made the film "The Terminator," Ellison claimed his work was the source, namely this story. Personally, I don't find all that much in common between the two. Yes, both have a soldier from the future, but that's where it ends. The 101 is a machine sent to kill a rebel leader pre-conception, and Reese is an actual soldier sent intentionally through time to stop him. Quarlo is a minion soldier somehow accidentally sent back in time, confronted with calm and peace for the first time, only to have to fight his enemy once again. Sorry Mr. Ellison, I don't agree with the connection you make with this or the other episode you wrote.

Highly recommended viewing.