DEADLY CREATURE BELOW - by William Read Woodfield & Allan Baiter.
Two escaped convicts try to hijack the Flying Sub while a sea monster menaces the Seaview.

While Admiral Nelson and Sharkey submerge in the Diving Bell near the Bahamas preliminary to planting a newly-developed guidance or destruct mechanism for retaliatory missiles, two escaped convicts, Dobbs and Hawkins, are discovered adrift on a capsized rowboat nearby. Crane orders the Diving Bell recovered in order to pick up the two men. The Bell heads back up to the Seaview narrowly escaping the grasp of an unseen great si imy creature.

Unaware that Dobbs and Hawkins are criminals, Nelson offers to fly them to the Bahamas in the Flying Sub after he makes another dive.
The Bell is lowered once again, as Dobbs feigns fascination with the Seaview's equipment.

Planning to hijack the Flying Sub for escape to Brazil, he creates a diversion by pouring -oil into the clutch, making it slip and plunge the Diving Bell down to implosion depth almost into the grasp of the still unseen creature. The Bell is recovered, however, with Nelson and Sharkey unconscious inside.

Meanwhile, Dobbs and Hawkins have armed themselves and have taken Morton to the Flying Sub. Crane and Nelson rush in, and Crane shoots Hawkins in the leg, causing his machine gun to fire wildly, ripping the Ballast Control Panel.

Dobbs rakes the room with machine gun fire but has to stop to let Nelson and Crane try to stay the uncontrolled dive of the Seaview. Crane manages- to land it on a ledge, then orders immediate repairs.

Meanwhile Dobbs and Hawkins crawl through ventilation pipes towards the Flying Sub hatch. Nelson has learned from the F. B.I. of their records
and he orders the crew to take no chances to shoot first. The Seaview is inching off the ledge, when suddenly the thump of the departing Flying Sub is felt.

Nelson tries to direct the Sub's guidance by radio, but Dobbs won't listen and dives out of control straight into the hands of the creature. He calls them for help, and the Seaview dives. Holding off themonster with a laser beam, they recover the Flying Sub. But as they move away the baIlast tank explodes from pressure and the Seaview once again drifts downward.

Crane orders Kowalski to guard the Flying Sub hatch, while the rest dump missiles and torpedoes to lighten the load. When Dobbs and Hawkins return, Kowalski demands their guns, but Hawkins shoots him while getting wet suits ready for escape, Dobbs orders Nelson to go with them, but he says the pressure at this depth would kill them.

He grabs Hawkins and his machine gun as Dobbs disbelieving, backs into the escape hatch. He turns and fires, hitting Hawkins and in a moment is gone into the briny deep. Now the Seaview is again grabbed by the monster,
and their only chance is to shoot him with their last remaining missile, which risks blowing them up as well. While Crane maneuvers, Nelson fires the delayed action missile. The Seaview pulls back, and the explosion that rends the monster rocks it as a mushroom geyser shoots from the sea above . But the Seaview weathers the blast and surfaces .

CAST GUEST CAST
Admiral Harriman Nelson Richard Basehart Dobbs Nehemiah Persoff Commander Lee Crane David Hedison Hawkins Paul Comi
Lt. Cmdr. Chip Morton Bob Dowdell Seaview Doctor Wayne Heffley Chief Sharkey Terry Becker
Kowalski Del Monroe Sparks Arch Whiting

Executive Producer Irwin Allen
Director Sobey Martin

Ray says: In my top five favorite Voyage episodes. Great storyline, special effects and acting on the part of the Seaview crew. Great camera angles as the monster grabs the Flying Sub and the Seaview. This monster was also seen in LIS episodes " The Raft" and "The Keeper." The GAF Viewmaster set is based on this episode.