Project Blue Book: There are monsters lurking everywhere…

Project Blue Book explores the case of The Flatwoods Monster in the second installment of the History Channel series. Dr. J. Allen Hynek and Captain Michael Quinn look into a supposed encounter with an extraterrestrial that is tearing a town apart.

Project Blue Book launched its second episode of the new series from the History Channel. Dr. J. Allen Hynek and Captain Michael Quinn look into the curious case of The Flatwoods Monster. Did an alien spacecraft touch down in the middle of a sleepy burg in the Appalachian Mountains or is there a rational explanation for what several witnesses reported?

This particular event caused quite a stir locally and even nationally for a time. Why wouldn’t it? It isn’t everyday that multiple people report running into a 10-foot-tall extraterrestrial.

For Dr. Hynek, he discovers that there may be monsters lurking everywhere in human form. From the Flatwoods, West Virginia townspeople and their militia to the government and the men in black, will he ever discover the truth or will he be continually led down the rabbit hole with cryptic symbols and messages?

Warning! Spoilers Ahead!

The Hunt Begins

While Flatwoods, West Virginia is dealing with a possible otherworldly visitor, Dr. J. Allen Hynek (Aidan Gillen) is pondering the sequence of numbers and the odd symbol from the amusement park film. 795839253581573221 is baffling to say the least.

In a eureka moment, the professor figures out that they may be coordinates. So, after jotting them down he consults an Atlas which leads him to Antarctica. This is interesting for many different reasons.

During the 50’s, the United States along with the Soviet Union opened up bases on the continent. It was rumored that Nazi Germany had a secret camp there during World War II but that was later proved to be incorrect.

It has also been a popular topic of discussion among the UFO community about the Nazis building “foo fighters” there but this has never been substantiated and is more than likely false. While they did explore the region in 1938, nothing came of it.

More than likely viewers will have to wait to see how this bit of foreshadowing of a future story line or plot thread will be utilized.

Where the Monsters Are

Hynek and Quinn are dispatched to West Virginia to talk to a woman named Sarah about what she saw on the day of the crash. Her character is actually a stand-in for the real-life witness featured in Project Blue Book, Kathleen May. As a result of their encounter with the 10-foot-tall creature from another world, Sarah’s children have irritated eyes that are suddenly very light sensitive.

Their condition is a direct result of coming into contact with radiation. As Dr. Hynek listens to them recounting the events of that ill-fated night, he isn’t easily swayed by Quinn’s easy explanation of a forest fire. His curiosity piqued, he is ready to delve into the case to determine exactly what transpired.

Of course, while the two men are dealing with a literal monster, they also have to handle the monsters in real-life otherwise known as the “militia” formed by the “concerned” townspeople. They are a bunch of angry folks because they feel that Sarah reporting the incident that occurred has given their peaceful burg undue attention.

Not only do they have to battle with the locals, Quinn and Hynek also have to cope with the military who are pressuring them to close cases despite overwhelming evidence pointing to extraterrestrial contact.

What Lies Beneath

Mimi Hynek (Laura Mennell) is facing her own challenges. While Susie Miller (Ksenia Solo) may appear to be her friend, she has ulterior motives which become readily apparent. We find out that she is working with a mysterious man.

The pair concoct a ruse to draw Mimi out of the Hynek household so that the man can plant a bug in Allen’s office. Why this is being done isn’t quite clear. Does Susie work for the government? Could her partner be a man in black?

In Flatwoods, things aren’t so clear cut either. While Quinn is trying to force his agenda of closing cases on Hynek by insisting that what transpired in the woods was a result of a forest fire, the professor starts digging beneath the surface.

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At the crash site, Hynek uses a Geiger counter and detects elevated radiation levels. The duo ends up discovering part of the alien craft. While they are investigating the site, the man in black appears, observing their activity from a distance.

Once word gets out that wreckage has been found, the military swoops in and takes charge. The professor also observes a considerably larger shape underneath a tarp in the bed of a truck but when he inquires as to what it is, he is basically ignored.

We Are Not Alone

Hynek and Quinn go to the local hospital where they speak with another witness, Evelyn Myers. She also saw the Flatwoods Monster and confirmed Sarah’s son’s drawing of the creature. While she is believed to be crazy, she informs the two men that she was visited by the Men in Black and that they were scared.

Things are starting to get out of control in Flatwoods as well. Sarah talked to the press making the militia furious. General Harding calls Quinn and informs him that he had better get a handle on the situation because it is garnering too much attention.

Trying to prohibit things from escalating even further, Hynek gets an idea. Utilizing a rabbit carcass from Sarah’s house, he returns to the woods. Placing it in a tree, he and Quinn wait. Finally, a horned owl swoops down and retrieves the rabbit. Seeing the bird sitting atop the tree, it matches the monster picture perfectly.

Quinn holds a press conference in Flatwoods and announces the official ruling. The craft was a meteor and the monster was a horned owl perched in a tree.

More Puzzle Pieces

Hynek and Quinn revisit Evelyn. She presents the professor with a polaroid of an obelisk with another odd symbol on it. This is a “gift” from the Man in Black. After Evelyn gives Allen the polaroid, she is pitched out of a window to her death for her trouble.

After that disturbing turn of events, Quinn decides that it is time for Hynek to meet Generals Harding and Valentine. So, before Allen returns home, he gets to finally see his employers in the flesh. Basically, the professor finds out that all of his research now belongs to the government.

There is no mistake as to who is in charge and the fact that they want Hynek to close cases for which he will be compensated. But will it be worth it to sometimes put his life in danger?

Quinn senses that his partner might consider quitting after the Evelyn Myers tragedy he reaches out via phone. While this is happening, Susie and her companion are listening in. She starts speaking Russian!

Why are the Soviets wire tapping Hynek’s phone? What is their end game?

Then we have another huge reveal. Harding and Valentine enter Hangar 18, where a giant UFO is housed.

The Verdict

The Flatwoods Monster was even better than the premiere episode of Project Blue Book. Things are heating up and we were made privy to some new developments.

Dr. J. Allen Hynek is now the target of Soviet spies which should be interesting. Could this have anything to do with his satellite tracker project at the university? We shall see.

We know that the government is aware of extraterrestrials and that they are hiding their knowledge. While this subplot smacks of The X-Files it leaves you wondering if there is any validity to it but then again, that is the point. Some people expecting a straight docu-drama of Project Blue Book might be upset with this development but it is a scripted series so expect some dramatic license here.

Now, we have a new symbol to add to the mix. Hynek will have his hands full trying to unravel the mystery of the obelisk. We have already been given the possibility that Antarctica might play a part somehow in this odyssey.

The subplots are being set up quite nicely and are interspersed throughout each episode. They are definitely intriguing enough to keep viewers coming back week after week to see if they can solve the mysteries.

Next. Radio signals from space: Is E.T. trying to phone home?. dark

Catch the must-see Project Blue Book every Tuesday on the History Channel at 10 p.m.

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