“I’ve been scared in my lifetime but I’ve never had anything scare me like this before.”
— Charlie Hickson
If you love a great mystery, then it’s worth making time for Netflix’s eerie new series, Files of the Unexplained.
Produced by Vox Media, Files of the Unexplained is an eight-part investigative docuseries delving into strange and unexplained phenomena such as hauntings, disappearances, and encounters with unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).
Episode one, File: Pascagoula Alien Abduction, covers one of the most famous cases in ufology, making it the perfect introduction to this new investigative series. Episode one’s style and tone signal whether viewers are in for 8 episodes of cringe-worthy reality show sensationalism or a sober look into spine-tingling real-life mysteries.
Files of the Unexplained doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it’s a standard talking-head documentary, weaving together interviews and audio recordings with b-roll footage. And what a relief. The program is a welcome departure from the usual paranormal investigation show template: phony hosts, pseudo-science, and way too much night vision camera footage.
File: Pascagoula Alien Abduction profiles one of the most documented and highly publicized alleged alien abductions in UFO lore.
WHAT’S THE PASCAGOULA ABDUCTION?
On the evening of October 11th, 1973, 42-year-old Charlie Hickson and his 18-year-old co-worker Calvin Parker went fishing off a secluded pier along the Pascagoula River. What began as a relaxing evening was anything but as they claim to have experienced an event straight out of a The Outer Limits episode.
The men say they witnessed a bright light approach them from across the river. As the light drew closer Hickson and Parker could make out the light source; a strange craft hovering above the water. Once the craft closed in, it opened up, and three otherworldly beings floated out towards Hickson and Parker who stood paralyzed. The beings used their claw-like hands, to bring the men inside the “spacecraft.”
Hickson alleges the beings placed him in an examination room where something like a large eye emerged from the wall and scanned him.
The creatures placed both men back on the riverside. As they stood motionless, the craft emitted a piercing blue light, lifted up into the sky, and shot off out of sight.
The rattled men wanted to go home without telling a soul what happened. However, they feared their alien abduction may be part of a larger invasion, so they reported their close encounter to the local police.
The episode features footage of Fred Diamond who was sheriff at the time. Diamond describes Parker and Hickson’s hysterical abduction account. And here’s the most remarkable aspect of the story.
The police tried to catch the men in a hoax, so they secretly planted a recording device in the interrogation room and left the men alone to speak among themselves. To the cops’ surprise, Hickson and Parker’s conversation only reaffirmed their fear and confusion. You can actually hear the stress and bewilderment in their voices as they discuss their close encounter.
Parker and Hickson’s story became the talk of the town as the national media descended on the sensational case like a swarm of locusts. Many of the locals dismissed the out-of-this world story. But the men’s disturbing account spooked its share of Pascagoula residents too, leaving many afraid of becoming the space visitors’ next target.
The episode half-heartedly considers whether the abduction was a figment of the men’s imagination. It never presents a compelling counterargument to explain what really happened on that secluded riverbank. Instead, the episode presents witnesses that corroborate the UFO story.
THE WITNESSES
Hickson’s wife Blanche, and son Eddie, describe how Charlie was never the same person after his alleged encounter. They say he grew emotionally distant, started having trouble sleeping, and often woke up in cold sweats. Parker tried to forget about the event entirely, but lived in torment, ultimately requiring “medical help for his nerves.”
File: Pascagoula Alien Abduction presents witnesses who claim to have seen what happened on that fateful night.
Rusty Anderson, a Pascagoula resident, says on the night of the abduction he was stepping into his car and noticed bright LED-like lights shining from across the river. Susan Snow recalls standing in her backyard for 20 minutes watching a floating blue object with rotating lights. She claims that the object hovered close to the horizon before shooting off at a high rate of speed.
The witnesses didn’t go public right away for fear of ridicule. And who could blame them? It was 1973 and they allege to have seen something unexplainable. But their claims would be more credible if there was a record of them reporting their sightings before the case made headlines.
Hickson’s perceived eagerness to profit off the media hysteria didn’t earn him many believers; he made the rounds on game shows, talk TV, and published a book describing his alien abduction. *NOTE: Hickson’s son claims his father’s only financial demand for public appearances was to have his expenses covered for taking time off work.
Parker went the opposite route, shunning the spotlight as he struggled with the long-term psychological trauma from his experience.
FINAL THOUGHTS
File: Pascagoula Alien Abduction is a by-the-numbers docuseries that covers an out-of-this-world story without succumbing to sensationalism. Despite the extraordinary subject matter, it offers a grounded examination of the details surrounding the Pascagoula case.
I appreciate that Files of the Unexplained doesn’t rely on the usual misleading trash TV trope synonymous with the subject.
The episode treats the story and the experiencers at the centre of it with respect and compassion. Regardless of what you believe happened to Hickson and Parker on that fateful night, the episode does a solid job documenting the event’s very real impact.
Files of the Unexplained: Episode 01 — File: Pascagoula Alien Abduction unpacks an intriguing 50-year-old mystery while delivering an engaging episode of television. It doesn’t provide the deepest or most insightful perspective on the Pascagoula case, but at 35-minutes long it does provide enough fun and intrigue to convince me to watch the next couple of episodes.
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