TV
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch: The Twilight Zones (S7E10)
Welcome back, fellow ranchers! I feel the need to clarify something before jumping into this week’s episode. There are many things I love about The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch. And many things I dislike. I’ve been highly critical, rightly so, about the involvement of Utah Valley University and the money that Mormon millionaire Brandon Fugal has donated to them. With a large portion of this episode taking place at Utah Valley University, I was nervous.
When covering The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, it’s more fun [for me] when the episode is entertaining and leads into the drama. The science side of it all adds a level of believability and grounding to the show; it’s the reminder that we’re watching a show about scientists and researchers trying to uncover why weird things keep happening on this property.
Part of this episode is spent with Chemist Dr. Tammy Clark (last seen in Season 6 Episode 12 “Hard Boiled”). Dr. Clark, while definitely a bit shy in front of a camera, is delightfully charming. As is Physicist Dr. Brian Patchett. After watching this episode, I went back and looked into some of my “rants” about the UVU/donor issue.
Whatever the weird feeling I have about that, I believe, is larger than Dr’s Clark and Patchett. At the end of the day, I ultimately believe in the weird findings from the Type A ceramics originally discovered in this lab. These two doctors seem serious enough, about their oaths and science in general, that they wouldn’t lie or manipulate data. But it’s where the data is found and the connection it has to Fugal that sits wrong with me.
Okay, I’m glad that’s out of the way! It’s time for us to head back to our second favorite ranch in Utah to see if we get any closer to uncovering The Secret…of Skinwalker Ranch. (We don’t!)
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Investigates Type A and Type B Materials
Utah Valley University – 11:42 AM
We join Erik Bard, Archaeologist Chris Roberts, Jim Royston, and Thomas Winterton at Brandon Fugal’s alma mater (and wallet vacuum). They meet up with Chemist Dr. Tammy Clark. We learn that they’re here to run new lab tests on the materials, both previous and new, found within the Mesa. Dr. Clark takes them into a lab where Chemist Dr. Brian Patchett greets them.
In a talking head, Dr. Travis Taylor states how the team is frustrated that all of the vertical drilling didn’t solve the mystery of the buried object. But thankfully, they did bring up more metal fragments from the 60- to 70-foot area.
Erik Bard says he heard that they could possibly use a technique called FTIR. At the start of a series of bizarre actions from Thomas Winterton, he says, “I haven’t spent a lot of time in a science lab…what’s FTIR?” His voice sounds annoyed, and maybe even slightly embarrassed. Which is weird, because Thomas has joined them at UVU before. Could the producers, as a conduit for the viewer, be telling Thomas to play up a “stupid” angle for exposition purposes? Thomas has asked questions here at UVU before, but he’s never seemed so…hostile with his questions.
Dr. Tammy Clark says that FTIR is a Fourier-transform spectrophotometer. She says that the FTIR can tell us if there’s a carbon-hydrogen bond or a carbon-oxygen bond. Thomas indignantly asks, “What does that mean?” Chris Roberts informs Thomas (us) that it means we can possibly date the pieces.
What Is FTIR and How Could It Help Date Skinwalker Ranch Materials?
So, how does FTIR work? It works by beaming infrared light at a sample, which helps determine what kinds of bonds are in the sample. If they see a carbon-hydrogen bond, they may be able to use the samples for radiocarbon dating purposes. That’s when Thomas awkwardly sighs out the sentence, “We have precious minutes here at the lab; let’s make use of them.” Dr. Brian Patchett bounces for this portion of testing.
FIRE THE LASERS
Another Austin Powers reference??
Chris Roberts asks Dr. Tammy Clark if they can start with the Type A material. She slides the piece of Type A material on the plate. The initial tests reveal multiple spikes. Thomas Winterton asks if that means there is carbon in it. Dr. Clark vaguely responds with, “could be”. Erik Bard asks if it’s enough to carbon date the material. Dr. Clark responds with, “Looks like it has enough carbon-hydrogen bonds. . .depending on the sensitivity of that procedure, it should work.” What??
In a talking head, Dr. Travis Taylor states the only bummer about carbon dating is that the samples will have to be sent off and it will take time. But at least it feels like progress.
Dr. Clark places the Type B sample on the slide. The data for this one looks completely different; this sample is reflecting light. There’s no carbon in it. Dr. Clark brings up the Type A data to compare, and it’s quantitatively different. Erik says the Type B material needs to get into the Scanning Electron Microscope.
Within seconds of Erik saying that, Thomas Winterton continues to rush the team by saying, “Are we ready to head over to SEM?” Now, this could all come down to unfortunate editing. But how could an editor watch this and not feel how rushed and awkward it feels? Is the editor trying to create the “viewer” POV through Thomas?
Scanning Electron Microscope Reveals Differences in Skinwalker Ranch Samples
I haven’t watched Austin Powers in years. I’m not sure where all these references are coming from.
To get started, Dr. Brian Patchett puts the Type A sample under the Scanning Electron Microscope. This is the same device that found out that the Type A sample was deteriorating in real time, before magically restoring itself. Dr. Patchett zooms in, and we can see the cross-hatching on the same, just another indication that it was manufactured. As Dr. Patchett zooms in on the material, we can see it still has that porous-like quality. Erik Bard reacts positively because consistency is good.
Dr. Patchett then puts the Type B sample in the SEM. We can instantly tell this sample looks much different. The surface is darker, there isn’t any cross-hatching pattern, and it’s not porous or deteriorating. Dr. Patchett says that this is clearly a different material. Erik wonders if that could mean there are multiple different objects buried in the Mesa. That’s when Jim Royston asks Dr. Patchett if they can examine the elemental analysis.
Elemental Analysis Shows Type A and Type B Are Different Materials
Dr. Patchett does something on the computer and pulls up the elemental analysis. The Type B material consists of oxygen, a lot of calcium and phosphorus, trace elements of silicon, aluminum, iron, sulfur, and potassium: all things present in the earth’s crust. Dr. Travis Taylor, in a talking head, says that these are definitely not the answers they were looking for. And this all means that the Type B material was likely made from materials that occur within the Mesa. But that still leaves the question of what the Type A material is.
Erik asks Dr. Patchett if they can compare the elemental analysis of both types. We see that the Type A material has magnesium that is multiple times higher, a lot more aluminium than iron, and far less calcium. Simply put, there is no question that these two materials are different things.
Erik asks if they can check the layered metal shard that was found during digging. Dr. Patchett pulls up the analysis and we see that the metal has a large amount of iron. He zooms into the material for more precise data, but then the SEM goes dark. He checks the filament integrity–in order to produce an image, the SEM needs a source of electrons. It turns out that they have a blown filament, which was only halfway through its lifespan. This is going to be a costly, time-consuming repair.
Did the Skinwalker Ranch Hitchhiker Effect Strike Again?
This leads Erik to wonder if this is just a coincidence or if there can be a cause assigned to it. Could this be another example of the Hitchhiker Effect commonly reported on Skinwalker Ranch? Could the ranch be “following” them to make sure they can’t collect timely and accurate data?
Skinwalker Ranch Team Tests a Possible Connection Between Homesteads Two and Three
Homestead Three – 5:26 PM
Dr. Travis Taylor, Erik Bard, Thomas Winteron, Kaleb Bench, Jim Royston, and Sam Deriso are at the science tent near Homestead Three. They have a series of experiments set up for the evening near the western property line. There hasn’t been much of anything to ever happen at Homestead Three, except for the incident that happened in Season 7 Episode 9 “Up In Smoke”. But we do learn an interesting trivium about Homestead Three.
In 2016, shortly after Brandon Fugal bought the ranch, he and Erik Bard brought a group of scientific experts and private security on a tour of the ranch. While at Homestead Three, a security guard was overcome by something that made him go catatonic for a period of time. Eventually he was okay, but how or why it happened remains a mystery.
The plan tonight, per Dr. Travis Taylor, is a mirror repeat of the tests that took place last episode at Homestead Two. Erik says he is convinced of a connection between the two homesteads. To test this, they plan to generate a 1.2 GHz signal from Homestead Three to see if it appears at Homestead Two, which is just about 700 feet away. While Erik runs the signal, Travis and Kaleb Bench will be monitoring spectrum analyzers at Homestead Two.
Mysterious 1.2 GHz Signal and Radiation Spike Hit Skinwalker Ranch Team
9:17 PM
Dr. Travis Taylor and Kaleb Bench are at Homestead Two, monitoring their equipment. Before Erik Bard even gets a chance to start his signal generation, Travis notices an errant 1.2 GHz signal. It disappears as quickly as it appeared. That’s when Travis notices something alarming: his gamma ray detector is completely fried, and the screen is busted.
Travis radios over to Erik and asks him to run his signal generator, which Erik does. Interestingly, Travis doesn’t receive the signal. As stated, there is only about 700 feet between Homesteads Two and Three. Erik decides that he will have Thomas Winterton and Jim Royston walk the signal generator from Homestead Three to Homestead Two.
Thomas and Jim get a quarter of the way to Homestead Two, but Travis still isn’t receiving the signal. Erik still has the signal at the science tent, but unlike Travis and Kaleb, Erik doesn’t have an antenna. It stands to reason that if antenna-less Erik has the signal, then Travis (who has an antenna) should easily be receiving the signal. Thomas gets a handful of feet away before an audible BOOM shakes the entire team.
A weird signal appears on Travis’s spectrum analyzer before his computer freezes and crashes. Travis asks Kaleb, Thomas, and Jim to check the dosimeter behind Homestead Two. Once there, the three men notice something truly alarming. The dosimeter spiked above the threshold, setting off the dosimeter alarm; they’ve been exposed to a high burst of radiation. Is this what caused Travis’s computer to freak out? Could it also be why the signal wasn’t appearing from Homestead Three to Two?
Nonetheless, the team decides to hightail it back to Homestead Three.
Laser Grid Experiment at Homestead Three Produces Strange Results
Homestead Three – 12:02 AM
Since the Skinwalker Ranch team got some [seemingly] useful data from last week’s experiment at Homestead Two, they decide to do basically the same experiment at Homestead Three. Thomas Winterton sets up the laser grid in Homestead Three and begins to fill the room with smoke. Everyone watches the monitor with bated breath. Nothing.
Thomas fills Homestead Three with more smoke. Nothing.
Jim Royston decides to fly his thermal drone from Homestead Three to Two. Once Jim’s drone is hovering above Homestead Two, he loses controller signal. Jim receives two specific errors: failed to obtain remote control and unable to take off. The “unable to take off” error is interesting…as the drone is already in the sky! As Jim’s drone comes back to Homestead Three, his signal comes back.
Thomas tries one more time to fill Homestead Three with smoke. But they still don’t see anything unexpected. Don’t worry, the team will find something fascinating from this experiment.
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Team Investigates Possible Radio Wave Interference
Skinwalker Ranch Command Center – 11:35 AM
Dr. Travis Taylor, Erik Bard, Jim Royston, Kaleb Bench, and Thomas Winterton sit around the Skinwalker Ranch Command Center table.
Dr. Travis Taylor reveals what he has been dealing with all morning. A simple restart was not enough to fix his laptop. In fact, it was completely dead. This caused Travis to factory reset his laptop. The original radio receivers connected to his laptop were also fried. Jim Royston also chimes in to say the gamma ray detector incident was worrying. That’s when Travis reveals that the gamma ray detector was also connected to his laptop.
Erik Bard changes the subject by saying he wants to review the film from the laser experiment together. He pulls up video from a camera placed on the western side of Homestead Three. Travis quickly notes something about the beams. See, the camera and laser grid were set on the same level. So then why do the laser beams appear to be angling downward? The lasers should be pointing straight ahead.
Erik pulls up a second video of the lasers…same thing. But that’s not all! Half of the wall shows no sign of lasers. This causes Erik to pull up a third video, which proves the laser grid is set in a way that should produce straight lasers.
Travis brings up something that feels a bit far-fetched. He says the video looks like it has been hacked and altered. Or, what if something hacked their view in real time? What if something on the ranch made them see what they needed to see so that they would stop investigating?
Erik pulls up video from the thermal cam within Homestead Three. Suddenly, a giant flash comes over the camera. Travis says it looks as if Homestead Three just flashed–like a bright infrared source went BOOM. His initial thought is that it could be radio waves. He says that radio waves can cause the illusion of flashes of infrared light.
Thomas Winterton asks if radio waves can fry circuits, like what happened to the spectrum analyzer. Both Travis and Erik quickly reply, “Yes.”
Is Skinwalker Ranch Really Interfering With the Team’s Investigation?
I’ll be frank, I think the whole laser angle thing is bunk. I think Dr. Travis Taylor saying that the video was hacked and altered, or that their brains were hacked in real time, is bullshit. To me, it’s more than likely that they’re experiencing some sort of parabolic effect.
What is fascinating is the gamma ray incident. Will any health-related issues come up next episode because of this? Where the hell did this flash of radio waves/gamma rays come from? Is the ranch fighting back against them? See, I have an easier time believing that the ranch is fighting back, rather than the ranch is “hacking” their brains. Hearing a literal rocket scientist say something like that is hysterical. It may be the funniest thing Travis has said all series.
As usual, this episode leaves us with more questions than answers. But join us next week to see if we get any closer to uncovering The Secret…of Skinwalker Ranch.
Welcome back, fellow ranchers! We’ve nearly made it to the Season 7 finale of The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch. Can you believe it? Just a few short weeks ago, we were welcomed back to the ranch via Kaleb Bench, longingly looking towards the Command Center’s helipad. And now we have explosions, smoke, and lasers! As stated last week, I don’t plan to cover anything Ufology-related, especially since they’re in the midst of a full-blown civil war.
Apologies for the delay on this piece; I’m finally off the graveyard shift after seven years, and it’s been quite a transition. Before we get into everything, I want to discuss how this may be the last coverage for this season for a very specific reason. But we’ll get into that later. For now, let’s take a trip to our second favorite ranch in Utah to see if we get any closer to uncovering The Secret…of Skinwalker Ranch.
Red Devil Pyro and FLÜG Join the Skinwalker Ranch Experiment
The Skinwalker Ranch Corral – 10:17 AM
We join Dr. Travis Taylor, Erik Bard, Thomas Winterton, Jim Royston, and Technologist Pete Kelsey at The Corral. Kaleb Bench joins the team with a coterie of people for a giant experiment. As winter is closing in fast, Dr. Travis Taylor and his team plan to try to find out just where the hell these UAPs are coming from and whether or not they are related to The Bubble, The Blob, or The Mesa. So, who all is here and what are they going to do?
Firstly, there is Kevin and James Devoll of Red Devil Pyro. Secondly, we have John Engstrom (owner), Charner Ramsey (3D Technician), Isabella Dominguez (3D Technician), and Marlo Irani (Array Director) of FLÜG. The team from Red Devil Pyro will set off multiple fireballs within The Bubble boundary near the western edge. The fireballs will send massive amounts of smoke and energy into the Bubble, which will then create perfectly formed smoke rings. These smoke rings should pass through the side of the boundary at around 50 feet.
While Red Devil Pyro sets the sky ablaze, FLÜG will use 48 cameras to fire simultaneously. Once post-processed, each capture will create a two-second video playback of one frozen moment in time.
The Bubble Experiment Produces Strange Smoke Rings
Dr. Travis Taylor leads the respective teams to a spot near The Bubble boundary. We learn that Red Devil Pyro will be igniting 25-gallon fuel mines. And they’re glorious. The teams start setting up, but that doesn’t mean Travis is going to sit around twiddling his fingers.
While Red Devil Pyro and FLÜG are prepping, Travis sets up a signal generator on a post inside the boundary. The signal generator is taped to a post, and Travis sets it up to generate a 1.2 GHz signal. Erik Bard, who is in the Skinwalker Ranch Command Center, immediately picks up a strong peak at 1.2. Suddenly, FLÜG runs into a gigantic issue; 12 of their cameras stop working. John Engstron says that this has never happened before and that the trigger boxes are losing connectivity. Thankfully, they’re still able to go forward with 36 cameras.
Red Devil Pyro now has the first series of explosions ready to go. Once given the go-ahead, Red Devil Pyro sets off the first explosion. The fireball engulfs the air, slowly fading into a near-perfect ring of smoke. After the smoke has cleared, the team sets off the second explosion. But the ring doesn’t form properly. Weird, because there isn’t a single bit of visible wind.
Did the First Explosion Activate the Bubble?
This leads Travis to ask a very leading question: did the first explosion turn The Bubble on? Giggity. Erik radios to Travis that his 1.2 GHz signal is getting stronger. But what’s even weirder is how Travis has NOTHING on his spectrum analyzer. Mind you, Erik is all the way across the ranch in the Skinwalker Ranch Command Center (inside The Bubble); Travis is roughly 50 feet away (outside of The Bubble). Coincidence?
For explosions three and four, Red Devil Pyro plans to do them in quick succession.
Red Devil Pyro sets off the third explosion. While the fireball proper looks great, the smoke ring doesn’t. It seemingly looks like it’s getting squished by something in the air before escaping the invisible thing’s grip and turning into a perfect smoke ring. The fourth explosion goes off and doesn’t even form a smoke ring, squished or not.
Red Devil Pyro sets off the fifth explosion, and a smoke ring is not formed. Marlo Irani tells the team that he will be able to provide the raw footage immediately, but the processed footage from the bullet time will take about a day. Travis wonders if The Bubble is getting stronger and expanding with each explosion.
Skinwalker Ranch Bullet Time Footage Reveals a Possible UAP
Skinwalker Ranch Command Center – 10:11 AM
Dr. Travis Taylor, Erik Bard, Jim Royston, Kaleb Bench, and Thomas Winterton sit around the Command Center table. Erik Bard pulls up some of the processed footage from Marlo Irani. To be honest, it looks amazing. Erik notes that one of the smoke rings looks as if it grew fangs as it began to form. But I don’t necessarily see it.
What I do see is a damn UAP in the background! Erik zooms in on the unidentified flying object, and it does look interesting. Dr. Travis Taylor says, “[It] looks like a spaceship from sci-fi…man.” Riveting stuff, doctor!
GPR Scans Search for Anomalies Beneath the Mesa
Next Day – Top Of The Mesa – 1:36 PM
Dr. Travis Taylor, Thomas Winterton, Jim Royston, Technologist Pete Kelsey, Kaleb Bench, and Dr. Jan Francke are at the top of The Mesa. Dr. Jan Francke is back with a larger GPR device, which will be let down into the first vertical borehole. Dr. Travis Taylor says this hole was picked specifically due to its proximity to where the Type A ceramic (plaster) material was found. Dr. Jan Francke says he will be using a stronger surface radar to scan the side of the borehole with a much higher resolution.
The rest of the team leaves, but Thomas Winterton stays back to lend a hand. Thomas thinks they should start on the east side of the vertical borehole as it’s closest in proximity to the original anomaly found within The Mesa. They begin, and Dr. Jan Francke is very optimistic about this, saying that it will give us direct access into the heart of The Mesa.
Once the east side of the vertical borehole is completed, they move on to the south side of the borehole. As Thomas pulls the surface radar scanner, Dr. Jan Francke notices something very bright at the 25-foot mark. Travis, Jim, Sam Deriso, Pete, and Kaleb join back up with Dr. Jan Francke and Thomas. Dr. Jan Francke reveals to them what he saw around the 20- to 25-foot mark and that he’s excited to post-process the data.
Lasers and Explosions Return for Another Skinwalker Ranch Experiment
Next Day – Skinwalker Ranch Command Center – 5:38 PM
We join Dr. Travis Taylor, Erik Bard, Jim Royston, Kaleb Bench, and Dave Mason outside of the Skinwalker Ranch Command Center. But that’s not all! Also joining the team are
Jason Holmes (Display Operator with Red Devil Pyro) and Adam Scott (Nu-Salt Laser). If you thought the previous day’s experiment was huge, then get ready! Adam Scott is back and ready to go with eight 300-watt space cannons!
The Triangle – 6:27 PM
The teams make their way to The Triangle to get things all set up for the night’s big show. Dave Mason will be running his stationary FLIR throughout the entire experiment. And one thing that’s important to note is how windy it looks. Because later on someone will say, “There’s no wind at all!”
Eight Lasers and Multiple Explosions Target the Triangle
The Triangle – 9:14 PM
Red Devil Pyro is finishing setting up three 20-gallon explosion mines and one 35-gallon one. That’s when Dr. Travis Taylor says, “there’s no wind at all,” as his hair is currently going eight different directions because the wind won’t stop blowing.
Nevertheless, Adam Scott gets the lasers going. Rather than the lasers pointing at a single spot on The Mesa (like in Season 7 Episode 12 “Hot Pursuit”), the lasers are pointing straight up. With the lasers going, Red Devil Pyro begins their controlled explosions.
The first explosion goes off, and looks great set against the pitch-black night sky. Unfortunately, the smoke ring fails to form. Dr. Travis Taylor, who just minutes ago said there was no wind at all, wonders if the smoke ring hit The Blob and failed to form. After the smoke clears, Red Devil Pyro sets off their second explosion–no smoke ring.
Equipment Failures Coincide With 1.2 GHz Signals
As they prepare to set off the third explosion, Nu-Salt’s lasers flash on and off. Suddenly, Jim Royston’s computer and video feeds mysteriously go down. AND THEN all of Dave Mason’s equipment goes offline. Thomas Winterton joins Travis as they go check all generators and circuit breakers to see if anything tripped. But they find nothing.
What is important to note is what Erik Bard reveals. From his spectrum analyzer within the Skinwalker Ranch Command Center, Erik sees four incredibly strong peaks at 1.2 GHz. And then, as if nothing had even happened, all of their equipment comes back online.
Red Devil Pyro refuels the fuel mines. They set off the third explosion. And again, while it looks great, there is no formed smoke ring. That’s when Dave Mason notices something odd. Once the smoke clears from his view, he notices multiple spots on The Mesa that appear to be heated. There is no reason why these rocks should be hot. In fact, they aren’t even close enough to The Mesa for the rocks to retain any heat from the explosions!
Strange Heat Signatures Appear on The Mesa
Red Devil Pyro sets off the night’s final explosion. Who would have guessed…the ring doesn’t form. At least, not right away. From Erik’s perspective, the smoke forms this anomalous figure-eight pattern in the sky. But that’s not all! Dave Mason reveals that the rocks on The Mesa continue to retain heat from the explosions!
Final Thoughts on The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 7 Episode 13
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about this proxy-season finale. Nor am I sure how I feel about this entire season. It felt incredibly unfocused and lazy, though parts of it were unquestionably entertaining. But this finale just seems…like nothing. Why can we not get a final data review before next week’s big finale?
And the “big finale” is something that also needs to be discussed. Every season ends with one of those “this is what happened this season” episodes. And while that’s not inherently awful, The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch spends about 25% of each episode’s runtime rehashing things already seen or discovered in previous episodes (or in that episode, too). It has become a show that penalizes recurring viewers so that the people who are casually flipping through channels don’t feel lost when they stumble upon it.
I loved what they did with the bullet time capture with Red Devil Pyro, and wish they would do more fun stuff like that. I know science/exploration isn’t always supposed to be “fun”. But it’s supposed to keep someone entertained when you’re MAKING AN ENTIRE SHOW ABOUT IT. Will I cover next week’s episode? My answer is like a UAP; it’s up in the air. All I know is I can confidently say that Season 7 didn’t get us any closer to uncovering The Secret…of Skinwalker Ranch.
Welcome back, fellow ranchers! I thought my intro to last week’s episode would genuinely be the last time I discussed Ufology out loud (aside from interviews and The Horror Press Podcast). But the Ufology civil war is now among us. When I last wrote, UAP Gerb had publicly spoken with Ross Coulthart regarding multiple aspects of Ufology. In said conversation, barbs were thrown toward Lyin’ Lue Elizondo. The “Final Thoughts” section of last week’s The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch article mentioned how Lue had “clapped back” and vaguely threatened Gerb.
Then, shit hit the fan. Lue’s lawyer started beefing with a literal elected official. The elected official hit back. Then Lue’s lawyer doubled down. Lue moved to DC. And all hell broke loose. UFOTwitter has turned into a literal warzone. People have been doxxed. Lives have been threatened. Friendships have been broken. But most importantly, it caused Jeremy McGowan to come out of his sporadic Ufology retirement to put Lue in his place.
Due to the litigious nature of Lue’s lawyer, I am going to hold my tongue (even though everything I want to say is truthful). All I will say is that I saw this coming from miles away–it was clearer than Jose’s original Fresno Nightcrawler video. Simply put, all of this is laughable and sad. Grown men acting like teenagers for nothing more than a handful of likes on Twitter. Get a life.
Anyways! This week’s episode of The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch is a doozy, so let’s not waste any more time! Let’s head back to our second favorite ranch in Utah to see if we get any closer to uncovering The Secret…of Skinwalker Ranch.
Cameron Fugal Spots a Metallic Object Near Homestead Two
The Triangle – 3:26 AM
We pick back up exactly where we left off from Season 7 Episode 11 “On The Radar”. Cameron Fugal is flying his helicopter while Jereme Manhart and Technologist Pete Kelsey throw aluminum bottles down to the ground. Pete notices something flying over the treetops near Homestead Two. Cameron studies the object as best he can and states that it’s definitely metallic in nature.
Dr. Travis Taylor reiterates a point made last episode when he says that it appears the dropped bottles bounced off The Bubble and slid down the side. Cameron is certain this isn’t a bottle. Thomas Winterton and Kaleb Bench look towards Homestead Two, but they don’t see anything. Even Jim Royston, who is with Travis at the science tent, doesn’t see anything.
The Doppler on Wheels Team Comes Up Empty-Handed
Travis radios over to Dr. Karen Kosiba and Dr. Joshua Wurman, two of the three members of Doppler on Wheels, and asks if they see it on their Doppler radar. He reminds the audience that Doppler radar relies on radio waves that reflect off water droplets–hopefully, the flying object reflects enough for the Doppler to catch it. Unfortunately, they don’t see anything either. Travis wonders aloud if the UAP could have come from The Bubble.
I know this has probably been brought up before, but I’ve noticed something quite hysterical about this show. Whenever someone says anything about something anomalous, there’s a reality-based conversation about what’s been seen. And then after that, someone follows up with something that most likely sounds ridiculous by saying “looks like” or “maybe”. It’s an interesting form of manipulation that works incredibly well to keep audiences engaged in the possibility that this thing that’s most likely a bird could possibly be something other than a bird.
It’s brilliant television.
A Familiar Cylinder-Shaped UAP Returns to the Same Spot
Travis, Jim, Kaleb, Thomas, Erik Bard, Dr. Karen Kosiba, Dr. Joshua Wurman, Dr. Oluyinka Oluwale, Cameron, Jereme, and Pete all meet up outside the Skinwalker Ranch Command Center. (It should be noted that Pete is still wearing his harness from when he was strapped into the helicopter, and it’s giving him a crazy moose knuckle.) Cameron mentions that this is without a doubt the clearest thing he’s seen on the ranch. The object, per Cameron, is like a cylinder that was moving in a rolling motion.
Erik notes that they recently saw a cylinder-like UAP in Season 7 Episode 5 “Home Sweet Homestead”. The UAP in that episode and the UAP they just saw from the helicopter…were in the exact same location.
Doppler on Wheels Data Reveals Multiple UAPs Near The Triangle
Skinwalker Ranch Command Center – Next Day – 11:36 AM
Dr. Travis Taylor, Erik Bard, Jim Royston, Thomas Winterton, and Kaleb Bench sit around the Skinwalker Ranch Command Center Table. They are joined by Dr. Karen Kosiba and Dr. Joshua Wurman via video call. We start by taking a look at the data set from Doppler on Wheels’ day one tests when the team set off rockets. Their data shows multiple UAPs (not their words) near The Triangle. What’s weird is there are two specific points of data; a series of green blots are moving toward The Triangle while a series of brown (orange) blots are moving away from The Triangle.
Dr. Wurman says he is unable to tell what these pieces of data truly are from radar alone. But he says that doesn’t negate the fact that these objects were moving in the air. What’s more interesting is how the sky was cloudless that day and no one reported seeing anything, nor did any cameras pick anything up.
A Second Data Set Points to the Same Wooded Area
The Doppler on Wheels team has a second set of data that is from one minute later. We see some interesting objects south and southwest of The Triangle. One of the objects is placed in the wooded area–behind Homestead Two–where Pete Kelsey and Cameron Fugal saw the metallic UAP. Dr. Travis Taylor asks if they were able to capture the UAP that Pete and Cameron say, but the team didn’t have any conclusive data-driven evidence of the UAP.
While discussing the UAP, Travis mentions how it very clearly “glints” off the sun. What’s important to note is how the object doesn’t stay one distinct shape; rather, it seems to be changing its shape, which could be for several reasons. Erik Bard suggests the change in shape could be because it changes its angle of trajectory. One thing is clear: Travis believes the object is being propelled by something and is moving laterally.
The Team Assembles for a Major Skinwalker Ranch Experiment
Skinwalker Ranch Command Center – Three Days Later – 5:18 PM
Kaleb Bench stands longingly at the Skinwalker Ranch helipad as Cameron Fugal flies in with Jereme Manhart and Mormon millionaire Brandon Fugal in tow. Once landed, everyone meets outside the Command Center. We have Dr. Travis Taylor, Thomas Winterton, Jim Royston, Erik Bard, and Pete Kelsey. But that’s not all! We have some familiar faces on Skinwalker Ranch! Joining the team for this experiment is thermal camera expert David Mason, SFX experts and smoke specialists Steve Bolan and Jeff Ference, and Nu-Salt Laser’s Tim Anderson (who we last saw on the show in Season 6 Episode 7 “Lights Out”).
This week, the team will be doing a similar experiment to what they had done in Homesteads Two and Three. They plan to fill The Triangle with smoke and have Nu-Salt fire lasers through The Triangle. Tim says they will utilize eight 30-watt RGB solid-state lasers. Steve has brought a mega-smoke machine to the Skinwalker Ranch for this experiment. It uses a turbo jet aircraft engine, which will pump five gallons of smoke per minute of air show smoke oil to create 10,000 ft³/minute. Once that’s done, Cameron Fugal and Pete Kelsey will fly above The Triangle and shine a laser light directly into The Blob.
Everyone heads to their respective locations and tests their equipment. Everything seems to be going swimmingly. Surely that won’t change! (I can now understand why Steve and Jeff were referred to as smoke specialists because their smoke rig is NO JOKE.)
The Team Sets Up for Another Night at The Triangle
South Field – 9:01 PM
Kaleb Bench and Thomas Winterton join Dr. Travis Taylor at the South Field. Dave Mason is near the Skinwalker Ranch Command Center and is setting up his FLIR thermal cameras. Jim Royston gets his thermal drone set up. And it’s showtime!
Steve Bolan’s Smoke Machine Suffers a Mysterious Malfunction
Tim Anderson gets the lasers turned on. I always love when they do giant laser experiments on the show. Steve Bolan goes to turn on the smoke machine…but nothing. Brandon Fugal humanly says, “Where’s the smoke?” Steve’s smoke machine is broken.
What we learn is that four different malfunctions happened simultaneously. They lost their fuel control, the battery blew a fuse, the smoke pumps broke, and the ignitors went out. Jeff Ference radios Erik Bard and tells him that they have never had issues like this before. Erik tries to make them feel better by saying, “Welcome to the club.” Steve drops the line of the season when he says, “Feels like some voodoo shit going on here.”
In a talking head, Steve states that he and Jeff have been prepping for weeks for this experiment. That includes new parts, batteries, etc., they prepared to the max. Steve has been doing this for 35 years, and he has never once had things go haywire as they have tonight. Dr. Travis Taylor makes a fascinating point when he says that Skinwalker Ranch does an excellent job of demoralizing expert after expert. Which is very true.
Jim Royston’s Drone Gets Pushed by an Unseen Force
Dr. Travis Taylor radios Sam Deriso and says he wants to get Jim Royston’s thermal drone in the air. The drone goes up without any issue. But as Jim is flying his drone towards The Triangle, something happens. Well, two things happen. Firstly, the drone has an error stating it failed to obtain remote control (we’ve seen that one before). Secondly, a warning pops up and says Gimbal 1 pitch axis endpoint reached. And then suddenly, the drone is pushed 15 feet in the sky. And it wasn’t due to wind.
Dave Mason is watching through one of his two thermal cameras, but doesn’t see anything physically push Jim’s drone. And then it happens again. They have Jim return the drone so that they can move on with the next part of the experiment.
Cameron Fugal’s Helicopter Flight Gets an Unexpected Visitor
Cameron Fugal is radioed and told to start his flight. They get the helicopter in the sky, and Pete Kelsey successfully shines the laser into The Triangle. Suddenly, something zips by the helicopter. And it’s not a bird.
Thankfully, Dave Mason was able to catch the thing that flew by the helicopter. That’s when Jim Royston, who is watching Dave’s FLIR video on a monitor, sees a second object in the sky. This second object flies in and out of frame multiple times. Dr. Travis Taylor tells Jim to get his drone back up in the sky, hoping they can get a better look at whatever is flying around Cameron’s helicopter.
Multiple UAPs Engage in a High-Speed Chase
The drone goes up, but not all that glitters is gold. Jereme Manhart sees a “dot” chasing Jim’s drone. First it’s in front of the drone, then behind, and then back in front. It’s moving surprisingly fast. But no one can see this from the ground, unfortunately.
At that exact moment, Dave reports seeing an object in front of Jim’s drone through the FLIR. And as he sees that object, Jim’s drone is harshly pushed multiple feet. This happens multiple times whenever Jim is trying to fly the drone over The Triangle. But that’s not all! A third UAP appears, and at this point, it feels like a giant cat-and-mouse game.
Due to the potentially unsafe nature of what’s going on, Brandon Fugal radios his brother, “Hey Cameron, this is your brother…pull the plug.”
The Team Reviews Dave Mason’s FLIR Footage at Brandon’s Office
Salt Lake City – Two Days Later – 1:13 PM
Dr. Travis Taylor, Kaleb Bench, Jim Royston, Erik Bard, Thomas Winterton, and Cameron Fugal join Brandon Fugal at his villain-like office. Dave Mason joins the team via video call. Erik Bard pulls up Dave Mason’s FLIR video. The first thing we see is Jim Royston’s drone getting pushed hard by an invisible force. But this happens the first time we see a UAP.
It’s actually incredible to watch the UAP slowly come into frame before disappearing into nothing. What’s more incredible is how the UAP is nearly four times the size of Jim’s drone. Dave Mason is sure the UAP is not a cloud.
And then the episode just kind of ends?
Steve Bolan’s Smoke Machine Meltdown Was the Episode’s Real Highlight
Typically when we have these data review segments at Brandon Fugal’s office, there are some high-profile people there. Or, at the very least, tons of data to look through. But this whole setup feels weird. Why are we at Brandon’s office to just look at a couple pieces of FLIR video? Is this a weird way to justify using his office space as a write-off?
The experiment would have been so much cooler had the smoke machine worked, but I think that goes back to something I’ve been saying for a while. Steve Bolan’s smoke machine incident is captivating. He, like Dr. Jan Francke, the team from LOC Precision, and Sky Elements, are respective experts in their fields. Seeing Steve’s reaction after his smoke machine went down shows that he is either an INCREDIBLE actor, or he was truly surprised by what happened. I am going to say it was the latter.
I don’t know…nothing from this episode really felt solid. It kind of was a beat-to-beat episode that had a few incredible moments that felt like they didn’t lead to anything worthwhile. Oh well, that’s just how it goes, I guess. That’s it for us this week, so join us next week to see if we get any closer to uncovering The Secret…of Skinwalker Ranch!
