Criminal Nature (The Outer Limits)

"Criminal Nature"
The Outer Limits episode
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 1
Directed by	Steve Anker
Written by	Brad Markowitz
Production code	63
Original air date	23 January 1998
Guest stars
Gary Cole as Ray Venable, Lynda Boyd as Marie Venable, Jason Gray-Stanford as Dylan Venable, Louis Del Grande as Detective Renfro, Kavan Smith as Lt. O'Neill, Rachel Cronin as GRS Girl
Episode chronology
← Previous "A Special Edition" Next → "The Hunt"
List of The Outer Limits episodes

"Criminal Nature" is an episode of The Outer Limits television show. It was first broadcast on 23 January 1998, as the first episode of the fourth season.

Introduction

Genetic engineering of human beings is now commonplace, but not perfect. Detective Ray Venable is in charge of a team responsible for hunting down deformed children suffering from Genetic Rejection Syndrome.

Opening narration

“

With every scientific advance we grow closer to unlocking the mysteries of life and creation. But what have we gained if, in the process, we lose our humanity?

”

Plot

The GRS monster children are now adults who commit murders. Detective Ray Venable has a "secret" son with GRS, Dylan, who is harassing Ray's family. Ray injects himself with a serum to temporarily enhance his sensory abilities (like GRS people) in order to hunt him. He does this successfully - only to find out that it was a plot by his son, who placed the serum so that Ray would find it. His son forcefully injects more of the serum into his dad (and reveals to him that his rage/murderous intentions was not caused by the drug), so that Ray now has irreversible GRS and transforms into a monster. Ray kills Dylan, but his family no longer loves him because he looks like the other GRS monsters.

Closing narration

“

The most powerful thing we pass along to our children may not reside in the genes...but in the soul.

”

Trivia

• The episode is a sequel to season two's "Unnatural Selection".

External links

• "Criminal Nature" at TV.com
• "Criminal Nature" at Sci Fi

Season 4 of The Outer Limits (1995-2002)
Criminal Nature • The Hunt • Hearts and Minds • In Another Life • In The Zone • Relativity Theory • Josh • Rite of Passage • Glyphic • Identity Crisis • The Vaccine • Fear Itself • The Joining • To Tell the Truth • Mary 25 • Final Exam • Lithia • Monster • Sarcophagus • Nightmare • Promised Land • Balance of Nature • Origin of Species • Phobos Rising • Black Box • In Our Own Image
List of The Outer Limits episodes: Original Series (1963-1965) • The New Series (1995-2002)