Ambitious, thought provoking episode of Logan's Run the series deals with time travel and the choice of stopping Armageddon which could mean that in doing so Logan and Jessica's people would never be born. David Eakins heads a Sanctuary Project dealing with time travel and will move forward hoping to discover what caused the Holocaust which destroyed billions of people. But, when spending valuable time with Logan, Jessica, and Rem, David finds that the decision to go back in an effort to thwart Armaggeddon, which might mean the end of them, is incredibly difficult to make. Looking for computer consoles which have information detailing what started the Holocaust, David discovers that the room for which they are located is used by a group of peaceful but uneducated people as a place of worship. Sombre story with a haunting conclusion as the answer for which David had sought is sobering, establishing that even the best intentions can bring devastating consequences. I think the power of this episode rests on Paul Shenar's exemplary, heartfelt performance as the scientist from another time, Eakins, who desperately wants to save mankind from apocalyptic doom. Mel Ferrer also has an important part as Analog, leader of the civilized, but dumb people David wishes to help, using the technology at their disposal if they are willing to learn. The major dilemma facing all concerned is the idea of perhaps changing the future which could lead to your own demise. I think MAN OUT OF TIME might just be the series' best episode, because it features solid performances and a smart script. Good work between Shenar and Heather Menzies(Jessica)as well. The Sandmen are barely even featured in this episode, except to stun David, acknowledging that men are still prone to violence no matter which time you exist.
6 Reviews
While a good episode, it is a well worn plot.
Wendel-214 October 2014
I was surprised to learn that David Gerrold was the author of this episode and question why he wrote under a pseudonym. It could be that his original script was so altered to be not up to his standards. This is typical of writers who see their work altered to fit producer's or studio's standards. Gerrold is a better author than this story indicates. Just watch Star Trek's "The Trouble with Tribbles."
The idea, can you change history, was hardly a new idea when this episode was shown. The Twilight Zone, Start Trek, One Step Beyond, all featured stories with the idea that time travel would not solve all of humanity's ills. Later, Dean Gregorais would use a Philip K. Dick story with this theme to write "Paycheck" staring Ben Affleck.
While the basic story is good, and the actors do the best with what they are given, the plot stereotypes are legion. It is cheaper to produce a science fiction show this way, but not necessary.
The idea, can you change history, was hardly a new idea when this episode was shown. The Twilight Zone, Start Trek, One Step Beyond, all featured stories with the idea that time travel would not solve all of humanity's ills. Later, Dean Gregorais would use a Philip K. Dick story with this theme to write "Paycheck" staring Ben Affleck.
While the basic story is good, and the actors do the best with what they are given, the plot stereotypes are legion. It is cheaper to produce a science fiction show this way, but not necessary.
Groundbreaking SCI-FI
tony-barry-13 December 2006
I've been watching these old episodes of Logan's Run on SCI-FI and have been really surprised how good they are. I was in my teens when they were first shown on Saturday evening on BBC1. This particular episode is a cracker involving time travel, learning what started the nuclear war in the first place and decisions of enormous magnitude. Great stuff! The story writing is really excellent, does anyone know who the main writer was, or were the stories taken from the book? It's quite fascinating to think about the model being used in these stories. Essentially Logan, Jessica and Rem are sampling different communities operating in isolation. They are the arbiters of whether the community "works" or not - after all they are looking for their own ideal community but if any they came across where top notch they would surely stay? In fact they often expose the communities as being run on false ideas with a dictatorial leader. Logan and Jessica are painted as "wise ones" who always knows what's best. The fact there is no story "arc" running between episodes (not until Babylon 5 does that method become established) actually adds to the mystery as each episode is a complete entity that will have a definite start and end.
Logan Runs Out Of Time
ShadeGrenade11 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Logan, Jessica and Rem witness the arrival of a strange machine amidst some old ruins. Inside is a box containing a rabbit. The machine vanishes - taking Logan's gun with it - reappearing in the headquarters of 'The Sanctuary Project' - a time travel experiment some 200 years in the past. Its creator, David Eakins, visits the future to meet Logan and his friends. But does not let on where he really comes from.
Some time later, the Solarcraft arrives at 'Sanctuary', where the people live a simple, carefree existence, yet lack basic medical and scientific knowledge. It is not the 'Sanctuary' Logan and Jessica are looking for. Eakins recognises the 'temple' in which they worship as the Sanctuary Project headquarters. Within its computer banks is vital knowledge - details of how the Nuclear Holocaust started. Eakins confides to his friends that he intends returning to his own time, to try and prevent the wars from happening. Logan is faced with an intriguing dilemma - should he help Eakins change history, knowing full well that in so doing he and Jessica will cease to exist?
Penned by David Gerrold under the name 'Noah Ward', this excellent episode is unusually complex by the standards of '70's prime time U.S. television; the ideas involved are fascinating, such as the 'Sanctuary' community where the inhabitants are named after types of computer. The late Paul Shenar gives a fine performance as 'Eakins', one almost wishes he'd been written in as a regular. 'The Sanctuary Project' headquarters looks not unlike a scaled-down version of 'Project Tik-Tok' from Irwin Allen's 'The Time Tunnel'. The final sting in the tale is both unexpected and flawlessly logical. Episodes such as this make you wish 'Logan's Run' had lasted a lot longer.
Some time later, the Solarcraft arrives at 'Sanctuary', where the people live a simple, carefree existence, yet lack basic medical and scientific knowledge. It is not the 'Sanctuary' Logan and Jessica are looking for. Eakins recognises the 'temple' in which they worship as the Sanctuary Project headquarters. Within its computer banks is vital knowledge - details of how the Nuclear Holocaust started. Eakins confides to his friends that he intends returning to his own time, to try and prevent the wars from happening. Logan is faced with an intriguing dilemma - should he help Eakins change history, knowing full well that in so doing he and Jessica will cease to exist?
Penned by David Gerrold under the name 'Noah Ward', this excellent episode is unusually complex by the standards of '70's prime time U.S. television; the ideas involved are fascinating, such as the 'Sanctuary' community where the inhabitants are named after types of computer. The late Paul Shenar gives a fine performance as 'Eakins', one almost wishes he'd been written in as a regular. 'The Sanctuary Project' headquarters looks not unlike a scaled-down version of 'Project Tik-Tok' from Irwin Allen's 'The Time Tunnel'. The final sting in the tale is both unexpected and flawlessly logical. Episodes such as this make you wish 'Logan's Run' had lasted a lot longer.
It was later used
Sexzguy15 April 2016
I realize that it was unsed before but it was later used in 2002 for the Sabrina The Teenage Witch episode Time After Time (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0693160/) and both episodes feature praise after traveling in time("It Works", "Woohoo"), a confession scene which eventually happens as well as a a realization scene. My guess is the producers of Sabrina The Teenage Witch got this story line from this episode. In the words of former president Bill Clinton, "You can't change the past, you can only learn from it". This is just one comparison. Others Logan's Run episodes also have Sabrina The Teenage Witch counterparts as well.
Writers have no idea of time travel
mhorg201816 February 2022
One of the worst uses of time travel ever. Guy goes into the future, meets Logan and company. Wants to go back to change things, stop the war. But he's got a moral dilemma: if he does NONE OF THESE PEOPLE WILL EVER BE BORN! I guess the writers didn't trouble themselves to research time travel. Changing the past wouldn't stop people from being born-they'd just be in a different type of future. This could have been a great episode, but it was just another lame one.
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