Skin Deep (The Outer Limits)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Skin Deep
Series = The Outer Limits


Caption =
Season = 6
Episode = 110
Airdate = 4 February, 2000
Writer =
Episode list = List of "The Outer Limits" episodes
Prev = The Gun
Next = Manifest Destiny

Skin Deep is the third episode of the sixth season of The Outer Limits.

Opening Narration

"It is said that man is created in God’s image. But what happens when we alter that image? Is our reflection the only thing that changes?"

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 days in chatrooms. 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 gets involved with sexy co-worker Chad and losses her glasses in favour for contact lenses. He soon decides to wreck Chad's life by getting him fired. One night he collects money that Chad collected from a bet. Soon Deb begins to regret using the device and Sid becomes more erratic and drunk with power. The real Chad arrives and hears about Sid's misuse of the device. A fight ensues and Chad is killed. Sid crashes his body in a blazing car and makes it look like he killed himself. At Sids' funeral Deb gives an emotional eulogy and Sid in diguise as Chad comforts her and leaves. He is confronted by three armed men 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 turns off the computer.

Closing Narration

"In an age when we are led to believe that we can be anything we want to be, what most eludes us is simply, being ourselves."