MYSTERYQUEST - Alien Cover-Up

History Channel - Original Air Date: 10/14/09

In case you hadn't figured it out, I won't be reviewing every MQ program, just the ones that fit my interests.  And I won't review shows where they seem to shoehorn supernatural stuff into normal mysteries, like the recent Alcatraz episode.  This episode starts with a reenactment of a UFO encounter -- though what the episode is, they don't really say at first.  They then talk of the government's history of covering up UFO stories, including Area 51.  Several "witnesses" claim that there are aliens all over the place in Area 51's underground complexes.  Much of this show's evidence seems to be based on the stories of John Lear and Bob Lazare -- and it turns out the reenactment at the beginning was Bob's "proof" to John that what he said about A-51 was true -- an encounter arranged by Bob.  (Or, a clever hoax?  The show doesn't mention that possibility.)  The show relates a lot of the standard Area 51 and government cover-up stories -- and includes some shots from the infamous Alien Autopsy.  They also mention a mysterious "skyquake" -- but don't explain much about it.  Is it a sonic boom?  Is it related to the semi-mythical Aurora aircraft?  They also speculate about an alien research network around the world.  One "researcher" contends that anywhere listed as a space shuttle emergency landing site is part of the A-51 network.  They also mention AUTEC as related to, or part of this network.

MQ sends a team to investigate and try to find out whats up with Area 51.  They set up camera traps near A-51, and quickly run afoul of the authorities -- but not so afoul as to stop their investigations.  They take a huge telephoto lens and cameras to a mountain overlooking the base.  Soon, the peak is circled by a jet and an unmarked black helicopter; the group believes they are being watched.  Their intent is to match what they see to existing satellite photos (thank you, Google) and discover if there's new construction, meaning the base is an ongoing project, not one winding down.  Why they don't use the big camera at night to look for some of the alleged UFOs, they don't say.  Their camera traps pick up a couple of things, but one turns out to be clouds and another headlights from cars.  No mysteries there.  As with many MQ shows, this one is long on story and short on science or evidence.