The Outer Limits: Simon Says

Work Title: The Outer Limits: Simon Says
Medium: TV Episode
Episode Title: Simon Says
Year: 2000
Writer(s): Scott Peters
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

Gideon's wife and son are killed in a car accident. He then creates a robot that has the memories and neural networks of his son, Simon, which had been saved while the son was alive. The robot Simon is his son.

  • Self-Written?: 1
  • Source Name:
  • Source URL:
Era/Year of Portrayal: present_day
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

Present day 2000.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: Simon ( a robot)
  • Description of the technology: Simon is a robot imbued with the recorded memories and neural networks of a real boy, age 5. He looks like a robot but has the voice of the real dead boy. Eventually, the robot head is mounted on wheels, so he can roll around the apartment. He talks to people, loves his dad, knows he is a robot but wants to be a real boy.
  • Nature of task or activity: He is like a child - he and his 'father' interact as a real child and and father would. They spend time at home, hanging out, chatting, and the dad reads to him.
  • Performance of the Technology: It works well, until he accidentally kills a cat, and attacks a friend of the creator. He becomes demanding and angry.
  • Description of creator(s): The creator is a bereaved father. A white man, in his 50's, a robotics scientist. Played by Joel Grey.
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): To replace his dead son.
  • Description of users of technology: The father experiences presence, his neice, his boss, and the robot himself.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: social_presence
  • Description of presence experience: Nice for the father, creepy, weird and dangerous for everyone else.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: Yes.
  • Valence of experience: The dad likes it - he gets to interact with his dead son. Others do not - the robot is unpleasent and attacks.
  • Specific responses: The father experienes an intense parasocial relationship with the Simon. He terats him as a real boy.
Long-term consequences:

Bad and creepy. The father kills his boss in order to keep the robot. Then he kills himself. It turns out, however, he has created a robot version of himself. The two father and son robots live presumably happily ever after.

Other:

Coder name: Amanda Scheiner
Coder email: amandags@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University