NBC Persons Unknown – Series Finale Reveal

Tonight was the series finale for NBC’s Summer drama series, Persons Unknown. As I was watching the pilot episode in early June, I formulated my theory on what I thought was happening to the 7 unknown persons. I immediately thought of the title of the series and how close it was to one of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone episodes titled Person Or Persons Unknown.

But there was much more in this pilot episode to look at. As the story unfolded, several Twilight Zone episodes came to mind. At the end of the pilot, I came up with this. Persons Unknown was a direct rip-off of the Twilight Zone created by Rod Serling that aired in the late 1950′s through the early 1960′s.

Three Twilight Zone episodes quickly came to mind. Person Or Persons Unknown just because of the similarity of title names plus Five Characters In Search Of An Exit and Shadow Play. Click the two links below to read the original updates for said episode.

Five Characters In Search Of An Exit
Clown. Hobo. Ballet Dancer. Bagpiper. And an Army Major. A collection of question marks. Five improbable entities stuck together into a pit of darkness. No logic, no reason, no explanation. Just a prolonged nightmare in which fear, loneliness, and the unexplainable walk hand in hand through the shadows. In a moment, we’ll start collecting clues as to the whys, the whats, and the wheres. We will not end the nightmare, we’ll only explain it, because this is the Twilight Zone.

Shadow Play
Adam Grant, a nondescript kind of man found guilty of murder and sentenced to the electric chair. Like every other criminal caught in the wheels of justice he’s scared, right down to the marrow of his bones. But it isn’t prison that scares him, the long, silent nights of waiting, the slow walk to the little room, or even death itself. It’s something else that holds Adam Grant in the hot, sweaty grip of fear, something worse than any punishment this world has to offer, something found only in the Twilight Zone.

Unlike my ABC Lost theory, this time with Persons Unknown, I was correct. I stated that Joe knew more than he led on. I said Tori would be back, just as someone else. I said that no matter what they did, they wouldn’t be able to escape.

And guess what, if you combine the two Twilight Zone Episodes above, you have the exact series of Persons Unknown. The icing on the cake, Tori becoming the new night watchman, and everyone waking up back in the hotel room and beginning the nightmare all over again.

There you have it folks.

When does NBC’s THE EVENT begin?

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Persons Unknown Theory – Episode 5

Persons Unknown, my theory and analysis for episode five.

The plot thickens. The last we saw of Tori, after she was rejected in her come hither shimmering red dress, hailed a cab out of the god forsaken town that imprisoned her for the last two weeks. Episode five opens with the captives looking for Tori in the morning sunlight. They spy a woman dressed like her at the perimeter of the town walls. The woman is dressed in the polka dot dress Tori was wearing and a blonde wig to conceal the womans true identity.

Cut to the scene where the old man is collecting change from an outside fountain, zoom into the woman lying face up. It’s Tori, apparently murdered. Her father identifies the body in the morgue. The news details here death to the public. Case closed.

However, Moira, the crazy one, sees something completely different on the television set that magically turns on. It shows Tori reunited with her father after going missing for two weeks. Obviously, some one is lying.

Back to the Joe front, he now has a swinging door policy on visiting the secret lair where the chef watches the action of all the captives. He wants out, and finally forces the chef to open the air lock to the vault to free Janet and Erika.

So here goes, We all know that someone is watching the captives go about their daily lives. We also know that someone is watching the watchers. (The chef) the question before us; Are they watching for some sick gratification, for experimental purposes, or perhaps, like visiting animals at a zoo. Which brings me to my latest Twilight Zone tie in with Persons Unknown.

In my previous updates, I theorized that the show is based on Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone, a 1960′s Science Fiction program. Continuing with my Persons Unknown theory I submit for your approval my next offering titled:
People Are Alike All Over
Original Air Date: 03/25/1960 (Season One) (Episode 25)

Prolugue:
You’re looking at a species of flimsy little two-legged animals with extremely small heads whose name is Man. Warren Marcusson, age thirty-five. Samuel A. Conrad, age thirty-one.

They’re taking a highway into space, Man unshackling himself and sending his tiny, groping fingers up into the unknown. Their destination is Mars, and in just a moment we’ll land there with them.

Synopsis:
Astronauts on their way to Mars converse to each other about how other species will be from other planets. One of them believes that people are alike all over while the other is more cynical and has a narrower point of view. The Astronauts crash-land on Mars. One of them dies in the failed landing.

Now alone, Conrad is afraid as he hears sounds coming from outside his ship. A moment later, he is surprised to see Martians, who look almost identical to humans. The Martians help Conrad from his ship and tend to his wounds and take them back to their city where he is given fresh clothes and an apartment made in the style of American culture. He showers and dresses in the fresh clothes and has something to eat which is very good.

Conrad then notices theat his living quarters has no windows and the doors are nailed shut. He cannot escape. He is a prisoner there. A minute later, Conrad sees the front wall open revealing a glass wall and hundreds of Martians looking in at him. Conrad realized that he is a Zoo exhibit, a zoo animal. He recognizes his fate as living out his existence trapped in the apartment as an exhibit.

Epilogue:
Species of animal brought back alive. Interesting similarity in physical characteristics to human beings in head, trunk, arms, legs, hands, feet. Very tiny undeveloped brain; comes from primitive planet named Earth. Calls himself “Samuel Conrad”. And he will remain here in his cage with the running water and the electricity and the central heat- as long as he lives. Samuel Conrad has found the Twilight Zone.

Now I’m not saying the captive 7 are in space, or crash landed on Mars, or a distant planet. But they do seem be be lab rats, or zoo animals. They are all well fed, clothed, and given shelter and free to roam and interact within the confines of their exhibit area.

I predict that we have not seen the last of Tori. She will return.

Until next week’s Persons Unknown update.

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Persons Unknown Theory – Episode 4

Late last night
I heard my screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Episode four, how shall I start thee? Well, I know the update is a few days late and a dollar short, but several things were revealed in episode four.

One: There is at least one mole amongst the captives.
Two: Tori, the hot blonde in the red silky cut down to there slit up to there dress, wears underwear. (Paris Hilton and Britney Spears should take note)

As much as we want to talk about Tori and her obvious slutty appeal, lets focus on the big reveal. Joe is a mole in the group. After Joe is picked by Janet to leave the confines of the city block in a yellow taxi, they fall onto some bad luck. Namely the taxi breaks down and a black semi truck tries to run them over. In doing so, it obliterates the taxi and the driver. They run away from the truck and happen upon a cottage where they can get out of the cold. (How cozy and convenient)

Who didn’t know that bee’s would be swarming all over the cabin when they awoke in the morning. Joe let out that he was allergic to bee’s and one sting would be fatal. And lo and behold, not one sting from the countless thousands of swarming bee’s. Not one!

Secondly, Tori catches a cab out-of-town. Will it be the last we see of her and her underwear? At this point, I don’t really know, or care. But she is the sex appeal to the show so my bet is she will re-appear.

Finally, at the end of the episode, Joe goes into the Chinese restaurant for some take out food. Several secret codes are exchanged and Joe and the main chef are alone in a back room with Joe talking about not letting any harm to come to Janet. (He bonded with her) The chef asks if he is still in or out. After a brief tense moment, he complies and stays in. So we have at least two moles now. Joe and the Chinese chef.

This episode reminded me of a particular Twilight Zone about 7 random people trapped in a diner from a terrible snow storm. And one of them isn’t who they claim to be.

In my previous updates, I theorized that the show is based on Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone, a 1960′s Science Fiction program. Continuing with my Persons Unknown theory I submit for your approval my next offering titled:
Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up
Original Air Date: 05/26/1961 Season Two, Episode 64

Prologue:
Wintry February night, the present. Order of events: a phone call from a frightened woman notating the arrival of an unidentified flying object, and the check-out you’ve just witnessed with two state troopers verifying the event, but with nothing more enlightening to add beyond evidence of some tracks leading across the highway to a diner. You’ve heard of trying to find a needle in a haystack? Well, stay with us now and you’ll be a part of an investigating team whose mission is not to find that proverbial needle- no, their task is even harder. They’ve got to find a Martian in a diner, and in just a moment, you’ll search with them, because you’ve just landed in the Twilight Zone.

Synopsis:
Two state highway patrol officers are checking on reports that an unidentified flying object crashed in the pond a little ways from the local diner. They follow footprints from the pond to the diner where a small bus load of people are waiting for the road to be cleared so they may continue their journey.

The only patrons of the diner are the bus passengers, but it is noticed that there is one more person in the diner than was on the bus. Suspicion is cast onto each and every traveler as they try to weed out who doesn’t belong. To add more mystery and anxiety, strange things begin to happen. The  lights go on and off by themselves, the telephone rings, and the juke box plays by itself. The cook at the diner tries to keep everyone calm and shortly the call comes through that the road is cleared and the passengers board the bus and leave.

A little while later, the businessman, who was in the diner, returns, and tells the cook that the bridge collapsed and killed everyone aboard except him. A moment later, it is revealed that the business man is an alien, and that he caused the bridge to collapsed to conceal his identity. The twist is when the cook reveals that he too is an alien, from another world.

Epilogue:
Incident on a small island, to be believed or disbelieved. However, if a sour-faced dandy named Ross or a big, good-natured counterman who handles a spatula as if he’d been born with one in his mouth, if either of these two entities walks onto your premises, you’d better hold their hands – all three of them – or check the color of their eyes – all three of them. The gentlemen in question might try to pull you into… the Twilight Zone.

In a nutshell, my theory, all the guests, (Captives) have been coerced into this scenario by threats and by force. If they become unwilling to cooperate, their loved ones will be harmed. Everyone has something to lose so they accept their lot in life in hopes of surviving to be let free and rejoin their lives.

Caveat: If anyone reveals or leaks any information that will taint the scenario, they will be quickly eliminated and removed from the area.

We know Joe and the chef are moles. It is only a matter of time before all the others will be revealed to be moles as well.

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Persons Unknown Theory – Episode Three

Tonight on NBC’s Persons Unknown, the captive 7 attempt to free themselves by digging a tunnel under the sonic force field fence. They failed. You could see that tempers and nerves were frazzled with the captives.

The captive 7 received a gift, or a shipment, a large crate dropped by helicopter. Inside were 7 canisters. Four of them were empty. Three of them contained gas masks. The premise, three would be safe, four would be in peril. Of course arguments are sparked on who deserved to wear them when a gas attack was implemented.

The C7, (Captive 7) rummage through the town in hopes of finding alternate protection from a gas attack. Surgical masks and rain coats were not going to get it done. As Bill is searching, he looks in the window of one store front and sees an old TV, it begins to play, and shows a scene of Charlie smothering his sick wife with a pillow. Later on, Bill confronts Charlie about what he saw. You can guess what will happen in later episodes. (Charlie will kill Bill)

Charlie and Janet get trapped in a room as sirens go off signaling some sort of attack. A gas attack. Gas spills through cracks in the wall and quickly fill the room. Charlie puts on his mask but panics, he cannot breathe. Janet pounds on the door to get free. Charlie loses it. In a minute, they escape to the street where there is no gas.

Paranoia sets in for the C7. The question again arises, What if one of them is among us? Who can you really trust? What do they really know about each other? The C7 begin to bicker with each on who is worthy of the gas mask, and then quickly turn against each other.

Of course another gas attack occurs while the C7 are in the hotel lobby. Three put on the gas masks quickly while the others begin choking wearing surgical masks. Bill goes crazy and rips the mask off Charlie. Several skirmishes break out as each struggles to survive. But something is terribly wrong. The gas masks introduce a green gas inside the masks choking and poisoning the wearers. The masks are attached and they cannot get them off. Janet assists and helps get all three masks off just in time.

In this episode, we see a loudmouth instigator, (Bill) who fuels the fire of paranoia. The C7 point fingers at each other, all suspect each other as being one of the watchers, and violence ensued.

Sound like anything you’ve seen on television before? It was to me.
In my previous updates, I theorized that the show is based on Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone, a 1960′s Science Fiction program. Continuing with my Persons Unknown theory I submit for your approval my next offering titled:

The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street
Original Air Date: 03/04/1960 season 1, episode 22

Destination – Quite Unknown

The Prologue:
Maple Street, USA. Late Summer. A tree-lined little world of front porch gliders, barbecues, the laughter of children, and the bell of an ice cream vendor. At the sound of the roar and a flash of light, it will be precisely 6:43 PM on Maple Street.

This is Maple Street on a late Saturday afternoon. Maple Street, in the last calm and reflective moments…before the monsters came.

Synopsis:
The episode begins as a typical Summer day. Kids playing, grown ups gathering. Then a dark shadow crawls across the sky and a flash of light and a loud noise is heard before everything goes dark. A complete power outage has occurred including the residents cars. The adults get together to discuss what happened and what they plan on doing about it. Pete Van Horn volunteers to investigate to see if the power outage is city-wide or just the neighborhood.

Just after Pete leaves a young boy claims he knows what is happening. He shows the adults one of his comic books with a story about aliens coming down, assuming human appearance, and living in the neighborhood for a while – while they plan their attack.

At first the adults don’t believe the story until one of the neighbor’s lights go on in his house. Then someone else’s car starts for no reason. As things are going on and off randomly the people start to accuse each other of being the aliens. The fear and hostility of the neighborhood grows. When Pete Van Horn comes back one of the neighbors shoots him because he thought he was an alien.

As a full-scale riot breaks out, the camera pans outward and upward revealing two aliens sitting atop a hill overlooking Maple Street. They comment on how all they need to do is switch on and off a few lights and the people of Earth will destroy themselves.

Epilogue:
The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices. To be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill, and suspicion can destroy, and the frightened, thoughtless search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own: for the children, and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is that these things can not be confined to the Twilight Zone.

But wait a minute folks. I promised you a bombshell that will solidify my theory. Submitted for your approval. On 03/23/1962, during season three, episode 92, The Twilight Zone aired an episode titled:
Person Or Persons Unknown What is the name of NBC’s Summer thriller?

Prologue:
Cameo of a man who has just lost his most valuable possession. He doesn’t know about the loss yet. In fact, he doesn’t even know about the possession because like most people, David Gurney has never really thought about the matter of his identity. But he’s going to be thinking a great deal about it from now on because that is what he’s lost. And his search for it is going to take him into the darkest corners of the Twilight Zone.

Synopsis:
Mister David Gurney wakes up to find that nobody knows him. It appears that his identity has been erased. He becomes angry and is placed into an insane asylum. The doctor there explains to him that David Gureney doesn’t exist, but David feels that someone is out to get him. He escapes and runs. He finds a picture of him and his wife together, and attempts to offer it up as evidence that he does exist. However, the police see a different version of the picture, of David, alone. In a fit of rage, he throws himself onto the ground.

He wakes up in his own bed. He believes that last night’s heavy drinking was the cause of this nightmare. His wife rolls out of bed and heads for the bathroom. When she comes out of the bathroom, he is shocked to discover his wife doesn’t appear to be his wife, she looks completely different, even though her mannerisms and voice are exactly the same.

Epilogue:
A case of mistaken identity or a nightmare turned inside out? A simple loss of memory or the end of the world? David Gurney may never find the answer but you can be sure he’s looking for it in the Twilight Zone.

I told you so…..

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Persons Unknown Theory – Episode Two

NBC Persons Unknown. In my previous update, I theorized that the show is based on Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone, a 1960’s Science Fiction program. Continuing with my Persons Unknown theory I submit for your approval my next offering:

Stopover In A Quiet Town

Original Airdate: 04/24/1964 Season 5, Episode 150

Monologue:
Bob and Millie Frasier: average young New Yorkers who had attended a party in the country last night, and on the way home, took a detour. Most of us, on waking in the morning, know exactly where we are; the rooster or the alarm clock brings us out of sleep into the familiar sights, sounds, aromas of home and the comfort of a routine day ahead. Not so with our young friends. This will be a day like none they’ve ever spent, and they’ll spend it in the Twilight Zone.

Synopsis:
A married couple wake up in a strange house. They only remember that they both drank too much at a party the night before. On the way home, a large shadow had appeared over their car and followed them. As they explore the house, they find its fake, cabinets glued, the appliances mere props, sort of like a doll house. All of a sudden they hear a child’s laugh. They go to explore and find the town is all fake as well, right down to the trees on the lawn. They are the only people in town.

The couple become nervous and begin questioning where they are and think that perhaps they are in Hell having died in a car crash the night before. Just then they hear a train whistle and rush to the train station thinking they finally found a way out of the town. Smiling, they board the train and are relieved when the train starts moving and heading out-of-town. After a few minutes the train comes to a stop and they realize it went in a circle and they are back where they started.

Rejected, they leave the train and head back into town and are pursued by the large shadow that followed them into town and again they hear the child laugh. Its revealed that the shadow is a giant alien child who abducted the couple from Earth to be pets.

Epilogue:
The moral of what you’ve just seen is clear: if you drink, don’t drive. And if your wife has had a couple, she shouldn’t drive, either. You might both just wake up with a whale of a headache, in a deserted village, in the Twilight Zone.

Do you see the similarities here? Woke up in the hotel bed, couldn’t remember how they got there. The hotel and entire town was empty. They had the eerie feeling that they were being watched. And here is the kicker folks.

In Persons Unknown, they hot wired the van and they all drove out of town. As they got past the barrier, they all showed a sigh of relief, as though they had escaped. In a moment, a bright white light, and then the van drove right back into town, exactly where they started from. They got out dejected.

In the Twilight Zone, Bob and Millie here the train whistle and run to the station. They board the train and it steams off out of town. Bob and Millie are relieved, semi joking about the nightmare they had just been in. A few minutes later, the train pulls back into the station. Exactly where they had boarded. They were back in town.

Cue the Twilight Zone logo and ending credit music.

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