Project Blue Book (2019) s01e03 Episode Script

1 Previously on "Project Blue Book" Our nation is suffering from mass hysteria right now.
We saw something in those woods and it was real.
You want me to investigate flying saucers.
Space ships, aliens, the Air Force knows they don't exist.
The others that came believed me.
- What others? - The men in the hats.
They left this for you.
I think the doctor will perform his role rather well, don't you? There's something off about him.
I just didn't like him asking so many questions.
So I was thinking dinner and a movie Friday.
Would you like that? What movie? Well, "The Thing" is playing at the Rialto.
Tommy, you know I don't like scary movies.
Yeah, makes you hang all over me.
That's kind of the point.
Don't matter what movie, I'll still hang on to you.
Whoa.
Gina, hang on? Yeah, sure, Tommy.
Unidentified aircraft in Lubbock air space, please identify yourself.
Tom? Tommy, you there? Oh, my God.
Tommy, I see these strange lights.
What's going on? Tommy? Gina, baby, hello? Hello? And they've been hiding the truth from us for years.
Since 1947, there've been over 1,200 confirmed sightings of strange objects in the sky just in America.
And we all know what happened in Roswell.
You call it a massive government cover-up.
Government and military.
We're being visited by aliens on a regular basis.
The only question now is whether or not those visits are preparation for invasion.
The public has a right to know for their own safety, and that is why I do the work I do.
And important work it is.
Folks, you can find the whole story on newsstands now.
It's a pleasure having you on, Donald.
You really opened my eyes.
Thank you for having the courage to let me speak the truth.
Let's hear it for our guest, renowned author, flying saucer expert, Mr.
Donald Keyhoe.
Beautiful crowd.
Beautiful crowd.
Hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mr.
Keyhoe, sir? Mm-hmm.
What do you want you me to sign? - Sir? - Just tell me.
Oh, here, to whom shall I make it out? - Uh - What's your name? Um What is it that you want? Well, I understand that you sometimes pay cash for the right kind of story.
And this is this is like nothing you've ever seen before.
I very much doubt that you can tell me anything I haven't seen before.
No, this is bigger than Thomas Mantell and the government cover-up of flying saucers.
All right.
Let's go.
If I feel you have something worthy, then I'll pay.
This is about the lights in Texas Lubbock, Texas.
Joel? Is he all right? Hey.
Joel, wake up.
Hmm? What are you doing in the closet? Hiding.
Hiding? From what? Space men from Mars.
Where did you get this? At school.
Everyone's reading it.
Hello? The Communists in the Kremlin are engaged in a monstrous conspiracy to stamp out freedom all over the world.
If they were to succeed, the United States would be numbered among their principle victims.
It must be clear to everyone that the United States They call the bomb "Joe-3.
" Why? Russians air-drop their first atom bomb test, somebody somewhere's gonna give it a name.
I'm guessing there was a number one and a number two before that.
Just the idea of nuclear war pure insanity.
You ask Harding, it's only a matter of time before we find out whose nukes are bigger.
Are you doctors? No, we're here about the sighting.
We're from Blue Book.
I'm Gina.
I'm Tom's fiancée.
Gina, you're the one who called.
How's he doing? They say he crashed his truck, but there's not a mark on him, and he just won't wake up.
The thing is, if you saw his truck, it just don't make no sense.
Listen, if if now is a bad time, we can come back.
You know the power went out right when it happened? All over town.
Like this craft or whatever it was sucked it right out of the sky.
Craft? Did you see something, too? A lot of folks did.
Ask around.
V-shaped lights flying faster than a meteor.
I'm sure they keep radar logs at the tower.
You know, I'd like to get a look at his truck.
Tom? Doctor? Hello? Tom? Ah! Tom? Baby? What just happened? Oh, I got it, Donna.
Oh, are you stocking up for the bomb shelter? Jack wants to be fully prepared for the end of the world.
Sounds like one of Joel's nightmares.
Well, with those reds in Korea, Chairman Mao in China, nightmare sounds about right.
Was it difficult to build? Oh, no.
We just picked it up at the hardware store.
It comes mostly assembled.
Those underground ones are so expensive.
And it makes you feel safer? Snug like bugs in a rug.
Seems cozy.
But the thing is, there's only room for one family inside.
Oh, of course, I-I wasn't I wasn't suggesting Oh, I know you weren't.
But Jack and I, we discussed it.
I mean, you have to.
What would you do if someone came knocking? Well, what would you do? Jack bought a rifle and told me not to worry about it.
Allen in town? - He's away on business.
- Great.
Well, when he gets back, we need to have dinner real soon.
He still had his hands on the wheel when we got to him.
Had to pry 'em off.
Eyes wide open.
Couldn't say a word.
Just craziest thing I ever saw.
Jesus.
You pulled him out of this thing? You'd think maybe another vehicle was involved, but there's no skid marks, no sign of a collision.
It's just the strangest thing I ever saw.
Can't explain it at all.
They say he crashed his truck, but there's not a mark on him.
What are you thinking? Thermal strain can cause tensile stress in some metals like this, but, uh, if that was electrical, it would have to be tuned to the right frequency.
This blackout people been reporting, what do we know about that? Well, power grid out here isn't the best.
It could've just been the old lights, but, uh, blackouts don't usually send folks into a blind panic.
Tied up our phone lines pretty good last night.
- Last night? - Yeah, we've been traveling.
We don't know anything about this.
Mostly near the University.
A regular riot on campus.
Hi.
How are you? Well, the Dean was, uh, kind enough to give us a room to interview the witnesses, and according to this, it should be just over This way.
Come on, we're late.
Just gonna double-check.
- Hi, there.
- Oh, hi.
Look, we seem to have lost our heading.
We're looking for the Science Administration building.
I don't know if you can point me in that direction.
It's right there.
What do you know? By the way, I'm Leigh-Ann.
Any plans tonight? Uh, homecoming party.
You should come.
I'll think about it.
- Okay.
- Nice meeting you.
You were right.
This way.
Those are not women you're, uh, chatting up there, Captain.
They're school girls.
Grad students.
When I was their age, I was old enough to escort bombers over Berlin, so Guess I missed all this.
Big homecoming party tonight.
Just got invited, by the way.
These are all witnesses? No, that's a negative.
Some of these are just kids trying to get out of class.
Hello.
I'm Captain Quinn.
This is Dr.
Hynek from the United States Air Force.
Now listen, we don't have a lot of time today, so if you don't need to be here, beat it.
Come on.
Let's go.
Hello, everyone.
Thank you for coming.
Uh, we do understand it can be hard to come forward as a witness, so, uh, we do appreciate you being here.
Now, um, if you believe that you have seen these strange lights in the sky, please raise your hands.
This many witnesses? That's a new one.
I'd just come out of the cafeteria when it passed overheard.
All the lights went out.
It was terrifying.
I thought they were stars at first.
And then they started moving.
And all of a sudden I look up, and I and I saw this thing hovering over me.
I felt all tight inside like there was something grabbing hold of me.
My heart was just pounding so fast that I thought it was gonna burst.
And I thought, "Planes don't do that.
" Figured they were stars.
They were awful bright.
But the scariest thing it didn't make a sound.
So I ran.
I thought I was gonna die.
I prayed.
It was the last thing I could do.
I didn't know how to react.
I was just terrified, and I fainted.
Never seen anything like that before in my life.
Question, Professor.
What exactly am I looking at here? Well, I've taken the accounts and created a grid of the night sky over the campus timeframes, angles of sight, light interference.
It is a composite sketch of the sighting.
So what's it telling you? Shooting stars not possible.
Plane well, there were no scheduled flights that evening.
But the power outage, now, I'm starting to think Good, you're still here.
And you must be Hynek.
Dr.
Allen Hynek.
Ah.
I'm Professor Carlton Fanshaw.
This is my classroom.
I, uh, need it for the next period.
Of course, but the Dean assured us that we had use of This classroom is not the domain of the Dean's, it's mine.
You must be misinformed.
We're here on official government business.
No, no, no, no, I'm well informed.
I know exactly who you are.
I know exactly why you're here.
And trust me when I say you won't be needing my chalkboard because I have this.
Hold on.
Is that What you've been looking for.
Yes, it is.
And, uh, not only did I take that photograph last night, but I've done your job for you.
Gentlemen, I've solved the mystery of the Lubbock lights.
Your work here is done.
Having seen the photograph, the answer is quite obvious to anyone familiar with the local avian fauna.
Plovers? Your basic plover is a, uh it's a water bird.
It's about the size of a quail.
I know what a plover is.
Please go on, Professor.
Well, you see, the oily white breast of the plover serves as a, uh a highly efficient reflective surface.
So when a light shines on it from below from the recently installed mercury-vapor street lamps along Hollister Avenue hitting a flock in flight, you get, voilà, a V-shaped alien armada.
It's got 43 pieces, full set of wrenches.
You can do anything you want in your house with this.
I'll tell you what, we've got it on sale.
You're not gonna find it anywhere else for any better price than that.
Maybe you could take a little more off? It's $0.
40.
It's on sale.
What are you gonna do? You want it? Let's ring you up for it.
Excuse me.
Hi.
I'm just with a customer right now, ma'am.
Sorry, I-I'll just So, uh, you rooting for Texas? There you are.
Can I help you, ma'am? - Uh - Do you have a question? Yes, sorry, the, um The sign outside do you have any shelters in stock? We do.
So why don't you get your hubby to drop by tomorrow so he and I can talk? It'll take some explaining.
Unfortunately, the hubby's out of town and the wifey would like to surprise him when he gets back, so why don't you ring one up and deliver it by morning so I can build my own bomb shelter before he gets home? Did I explain that clearly enough for you? Yes, ma'am.
A man can only sit over his putt so long before he gets the shakes.
Yeah, just one more reason I never much cared for that game.
Try playing on a regular basis.
You'd hate it even more.
Should I go watch paint dry while you figure out what you'd like to do here, Nathan? You know, I forgot to ask, how is Mrs.
Harding? Is she okay? - She's fine.
- Well, you know, I just figured she has to put up with you every single day, that woman needs looking after.
Uh-huh.
Bogey, six o'clock.
General? Oh, shit.
At ease.
General Valentine said you'd want to see this right away.
Donald Keyhoe.
Who's the other man? A civilian.
Rudy Pitts.
His uncle is the county sheriff of Lubbock, Texas, sir.
Lubbock? Yes, sir.
Yeah, I know, you got to go.
We'll finish this next time.
No, no, we won't.
Checkmate.
Son of a bitch.
Mm.
Next time we go golfing.
Oh, I'm shaking.
Snow in Texas.
What do you know? What are we doing here? This is where Fanshaw allegedly took his photograph.
Gina says the, uh, lights were moving faster than a meteor.
Does the good professor honestly expect us to believe that your basic plover could fly that fast? You know, it doesn't bother me if someone else gets credit.
Our job is to close the case.
That's all.
Our job is to find the truth.
Sometimes I think you're trying to convince yourself more than anybody else.
Like you know something I don't.
Hey.
I know you.
Leigh-Ann.
What are you doing here? - I just picked up my friend Tammy.
- Hi.
Hi.
We're going to the homecoming party.
Want to come? There's room for one more inside.
I'm sorry, ma'am, no can do.
Working late tonight.
Top-secret mission, Captain? Military protocol forbids me from giving a direct answer to that question.
You're cute.
Maybe next time.
Are plovers even nocturnal? Wouldn't they be sleeping right now? Hey.
What the hell you doing out here? Good evening.
I said, what are you doing? Just taking pictures, Mister.
Nothing to worry about.
Hey, I were you, I'd put that bat back where it belongs.
Who are you? Uh, Dr.
Allen Hynek.
This is Captain Quinn.
We work for the United States Air Force.
You got any I.
D.
? I don't carry identification.
Big surprise.
He's another one, I bet.
Another one? What do you mean? We had other men out here just last week doing like you are.
Right before the spaceships came.
Other men? Who were they? They scrammed before we could ask.
Commies probably.
Oh, here we go.
You look like a Commie to me.
I warned you about the bat.
Mary, call the police.
Yeah, I'm gonna need your camera.
We are duly enfranchised representatives of the United States government.
Everyone, go back to your homes.
There's nothing to see here.
They're coming back.
The flying saucers are coming back.
They're coming back! So now what? Wait for flying saucers to show up? Based on our witness reports, this is the place.
I surrender.
I'm sorry, I've just been so on edge.
I bought a bomb shelter today.
Hardware store's delivering it in the morning.
Build it yourself.
What on earth made you do that? Allen's gone more and more and Joel's been having trouble sleeping, and with all this talk about Russians and the atomic bomb I don't think there's anything wrong with doing what you can to feel safe.
Thank you for my flowers.
I owe you an apology.
For what? The beatnik club.
I shouldn't have taken you there.
No, it was my idea.
It wasn't your fault at all.
I should be apologizing.
I ran out on you.
You sure it wasn't something I did? Allen's a professor at the local university, and I was worried that if someone saw me in a place like that I don't have friends here.
I was afraid that I lost you.
You didn't lose me.
Wow.
Don't see stars like that in the city.
How many would you guess that there are? Just in the Milky Way? I don't know.
A million, two? 100 billion.
And every one of them has a story to tell us.
You like stories.
I've dedicated my life to them.
Well, how's this one? Professor dipstick tells us it's birds and you think that's crap, so we drive out to Hollister Street where the neighbors greet us with pitchforks and torches till someone shouts, "Spaceship," then we drive out to the middle of nowhere, we look up at the stars, 100 billion of them, it turns out, until we realize spaceships never showed up.
The end.
That's not a story.
That's a-a wild goose chase.
Yes, it is.
I'll bet I know what you're thinking.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
You wish you were at that homecoming party with, uh - Leigh-Ann.
- Yeah.
You blame me? I do remember what it feels like.
Pretty girl, a party.
So are we done here? I'll drop you at the dorm.
Roger that.
Just, uh, give me a minute.
All right.
I race automobiles And I'm a farmer Get away from the car! What's wrong? What the hell was that? So the power did go out again? Five years working here, this never happened once.
Now it's twice in one week.
Anything on the screen? Same thing as the whole town saw, V-shaped lights.
I logged its path.
Gas station, Baroody Farm, the Lumber Yard, and the airport.
Okay, based on our records, blue lights were here here, and here.
Give us a moment, will you? Rolling blackout matches the flight path on the radar.
What happened in the car last night? I don't even know where to start.
The V-shaped formation of blue lights, I saw them with my own eyes.
We both did.
West Virginia, recon.
Pilot in North Dakota, aerial engagement.
Last night, ground assault.
Maybe Joe-3 isn't the only thing the Russians are testing.
Or maybe it's not the Russians.
Going down to 215 West 57th.
Mr.
Keyhoe? Come with us, please.
Hey, get your hands off me.
Just relax.
I don't know who you think you are or what you're doing, but I'm a member in good standing of the fourth estate answering to no one I'm sorry, what were you saying? Now, you listen.
The next article you write for True Magazine or anybody else, we're gonna read it first.
As a matter of fact, from now on, you're gonna write the stories we want you to write.
That's who I am.
You're so good at this.
Where'd you learn carpentry? My father always wanted a son.
I never volunteered, but he made sure I knew how to swing a hammer.
That's him.
The man from the hardware store.
Do you see him? Come on.
He's gone now, whoever he was.
Well, the Giants beat everybody but Cleveland.
I mean, you got Otto Graham as your quarterback, it's kind of a one-sided thing.
The guy's a he's Uh, hold on.
What? Aw, shit.
Mr.
Secretary.
What did you do? Well, that's a pretty long list there, William.
You want to be a little more specific? Keyhoe.
The writer.
You authorized men to intimidate and terrify a journalist? He's a former Marine.
Keyhoe's a hack.
We're not even sure he's a He's an American citizen! In my eyes that's more than enough.
I'm warning you, both of you, I will not tolerate lawless enterprise.
You fix it, now.
Do you understand me? Loud and clear.
Don't think I don't know what you're doing here.
What am I doing here, Bill? Try it again and I will march into the Oval Office and I will tell the President all of your secrets.
What do you think Truman will do when he hears them? You could have tried it my way first.
Oh, come on, do I look worried? I'll change that.
I just heard from Captain Quinn.
He and Hynek swear they have conclusive evidence about an unidentified flying object.
Gentlemen, what we're about to show you, you never saw.
Do you understand? This is so far above your need-to-know, it might as well be on the moon.
What you found in Texas the lights, the radar reports all of it was not an unidentified flying object.
It was one of ours out of Randolph Air Force Base.
It's a top-secret military craft unofficially known as the V-Wing.
It's experimental and highly classified.
That's your UFO.
We need you to keep it out of the public eye.
A cover story.
Birds, for example that's a plausible explanation.
Now just wait one minute.
Uh, what about the power outages? What kind of experimental craft could possibly cause that? Captain, you want to tell them about what happened with the car? Professor, did you just call me a liar? No, of course, not.
Boys, we're all on the same team here.
And we all have the same job to do for America.
Keep it out of the public eye.
Roger that.
Thank you, Captain.
We'll send an escort to get you back.
Top-secret military craft? That is the cover story.
You, of all people, should know that there is no way that that is a plausible explanation for what we witnessed.
You know, you got to be the dumbest smart person I've ever met.
Hello? - Dad! - Hey.
How you doing? Mom put new locks on the doors.
Yes, I noticed.
Why don't you go and wash up? Sure.
Dead bolts on the doors? What's going on here, Mimi? Someone's been following me.
What? There was a man at the hardware store and then I saw him again at the end of the driveway, watching.
What did he look like? I don't know.
I didn't get a really good look at him.
Fedora hat? Trench coat? Allen, what are you talking about? You're scaring me.
I'm sorry.
I'm just, uh, upset.
I don't think you need to worry.
But I do worry.
You're gone for most of the time and it's just me and Joel now, and I don't think there's anything wrong with making sure Joel.
Want to show Dad our big surprise? Okay.
Come on.
He's been waiting all day.
It's like having a fort in the backyard.
You built this all by yourself? My friend Susie helped me.
Ah.
We made soup.
Do you want some, Dad? The way the world is, every day it's something bad.
I can't just wait for things to get better, - so I built a bomb shelter.
- Thanks.
I wonder if we need special anti-radiation suits.
That'd be neat.
Well, I'll tell you what, I will look into it first thing.
Now here is Edward R.
Murrow.
This is the news.
The President says if we are forced into full-scale fighting in Korea, the enemy will find out that we are stronger than ever.
He told reporters today that he is backing General Ridgeway 100% in the armistice talks.
There was no word from the enemy today on General Ridgeway's proposal to get the conferences going again.
A United Nations broadcast says the resumption of the You want to tell me what's on your mind? Hynek.
The professor? What about him? I'm wondering if Professor Hynek will one day be a problem that needs solving.
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