Beyond: UFOS And The Unknown Episode 2 Delves Into The History Of UFO Hysteria
We’re onto the second episode of Beyond: UFOS And The Unknown, a four-part docuseries uncovering the 2017 revelations. Let’s take a dive into all things mysterious!
The episode kicks off with computer scientist and astronomer Jacques Vallee as he’s interviewed about his history with UFO research. During this segment, I felt a bit lost in the information when the story would shift between other people such as private pilot Kenneth Arnold, naval aviator Donald Keyhoe, and parapsychologist Harold Putoff. They’re all key players in how the UFO phenomenon started with Keyhoe publishing an article in 1950 that set off a massive wave of sightings. I think the documentary does its best to keep you engaged even with a bunch of information thrown at you, but it just had me frazzled for a moment to keep up.
Much of the episode focuses on the extensive history of UFOs. It was very intriguing to learn about all the different parts that led to the phenomenon and the increase of distrust in the government. The series also brings up the difference between the Navy and the Air Force and how they’ve approached addressing the UFO situation. Many Navy pilots are way more comfortable opening up, while the Air Force has kept quiet and denied the situation. When the series delves into these small pockets of information and how it's related to UFOs, it is when I’m 100% locked into watching. It’s less about the conspiracy and more of presenting the mystery of it all and trying to make sense out of it.
The previous episode ended with author Whitley Strieber as he recounted his peculiar experience. We get all the details of his night when he heard a loud bang and saw a very bright light, with his son screaming as the event ended. He talks about seeing a mark on the side of his head and experiencing rectal pain, alluding that whatever mysterious creature he saw had assaulted him. I found his story very moving, especially when he talked about feeling alone in his situation and how it affected his relationship with his wife. It was also disheartening to hear that the public essentially made fun of his situation and twisted his story to make it seem like he was a lunatic. With how emotional and thought-provoking his story was, I loved that they saved it towards the end of the episode because it’s so impactful and ends with more mystery as Strieber had received a quarter of a million handwritten letters from others who experienced something similar.
Overall, the second episode is information heavy with lots of details brought to the forefront, which piqued my interest yet left me lost sometimes. I would suggest stopping between some segments to digest the information and follow along how these influential figures are interconnected.
Stream Beyond: UFOS and The Unknown on MGM+.
