The Proof Is Out There Season 4 Episode 13
‘The Proof Is Out There’ returns to air, with a new season ahead for sleuths to dig into. They follow the show’s familiar format with journalist Tony Harris returning to help look at the world’s most baffling mysteries. The first episode eases audiences back into the show’s format, with plenty of experts taking on and explaining obscure phenomena.
The opening few minutes serve to introduce audiences on the week’s issues, with something barreling out of the sky and leaving a green trail in the sea, the conspiracy that NASA has never made it to Mars, a weird swamp beast, and finally loud and weird sounds coming out of California. It’s a trove of issues that conspiracists latch onto, and, something that the show initially suggests, with ideas of secret underwater alien bases, and that rocks on Mars look like animal bones from Earth.
The experts for each topics are well chosen, with faces like marine biologist Doctor Shea Steingass helping audiences not just answer the topic at hand but also military aviation experts helping to break down succinctly and clearly what the issue at hand is, what caused it, and why it’s not an unexpected phenomena at all. There is certainly some room left for speculation, with for example the first issue being likely put down to military rocket launches, the very nature of which defy explanation because they’re classified.
Each issue is examined in depth with multiple experts doing research on the topic and surrounding areas. It’s something that gives each conclusion weight to it, and brings everything to a satisfying close with a sense of finality. This means that audiences can be assured that the issues in this episode aren’t conspiracies, but natural events. Occam’s Razor,which puts forth the notion that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one, is used well in this episode, with simple facts about the world and the human condition being realised and explained.
One example, which does manage to teach audiences something to talk forward, is while discussing what look to be familiar images from Mars, audiences get a lesson in human psychology. Mick West, a science writer and forensic video analyst explains that humans are programmed to interpret facelike images as faces, as an evolutionary skill from when humans were cavemen. It’s a piece of knowledge that audiences can take forward into their everyday life, the phenomenon known as pareidolia.
This episode does give oxygen to incredibly weird and outlandish theories. During a segment on underwater creatures, The floats the idea that some scientists believe in the Panspermia theory, stating that life on Earth was seeded from other planets, including the well-known octopus. It’s a theory that, at least in the show, doesn’t come across as having much evidence for it, which would usually mean that it would get dismissed, but Harris says that the debate is still ongoing, despite what his experts say. That’s a bit maddening. Another maddening statement that needs a lot of explanation, is in a section about lights about Las Vegas, one commentator states “What would Santa do if he saw a UFO?”
One thing that does feel oppressive, even in the first episode of this new season, are the puns. They all relate to the story that’s being covered, and are there to lighten up the mood. Depending on the audience’s sense of humour, they might find these incredibly hilarious or cringey.
Overall, while some moments of the show do defy belief, overall audiences should come away from the first episode safe in the knowledge that aliens aren’t invading the skies or the seas, and hoaxers will take any opportunity to try and fool the country. There some crackpot notions presented that and aren’t debunked enough, which is a shame, and the puns will likely turn some people off, especially if they continue at the rate and poor quality as in the first episode.
