'The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch' Episode 2: Strange phenomena puts member of the investigation team in danger
With the second episode of 'The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch', the History Channel docuseries continues to uncover more of the strange occurrences around the mysterious area while baffling viewers more.
When the last episode ended, astrophysicist Travis Taylor was told by Brandon Fugal, the owner of the ranch, and Erik Bard, the chief investigator, that what they have in a case might explain some of the strange phenomena on the land.
The scientist in Taylor is understandably upset, as he needs all the information available to be able to proceed smoothly, but what he sees through the rest of the episode leaves him more confused and convinced that science cannot explain these occurrences.
What's in the box?
After a bit of suspense, which involved a sequence with Bard visiting a secure room and bringing out the black, heavy-duty case, the viewers and Taylor were shown its contents in what became an anticlimactic reveal.
The case was revealed to hold a large disc of neodymium magnet which is made of neodymium, iron, and boron. According to Bard, when he photographed an area of the Skinwalker Ridge, he noticed discrepancies on his phone — similar to when he tried to photograph the disc. Of course, at this point, Taylor is unconvinced as to why the group cannot dig on the ranch.
The presence of a convenient sinkhole
Later, when ranch superintendent Thomas Winterton and Taylor go on another tour of the ranch, they are called and asked to go to the ridge. There, Taylor is shown a sinkhole which reportedly goes deeper and through which cold air blows out of.
Taylor and a few others go in to measure readings — this is when things get weird. Taylor starts to feel dizzy and weak and has to leave the sinkhole. Readings are odd as we were shown in the previous episode, but nothing explains why Taylor experienced what he did.
An old-fashioned stakeout
This is when the team decides to do things the traditional way and prepare for a stakeout from a safe distance. They set up tents and chairs along with sophisticated equipment to watch the ridge and monitor the area.
However, when they notice a strange image on the screen they are using to capture the camera's input, Taylor and Winterton go closer to investigate. They also notice that the ridgetop was glowing and the presence of a mysterious beam that comes on and off.
However, once they get back, Winterton says his head is throbbing in the same area he suffered an emergency when he previously dug on the ranch. He is then rushed to the hospital while Taylor and the others wonder what could be going on.
At this point, the History Channel series looks like it is trying to use science to confirm the beliefs of a select few who are determined to prove that the paranormal exists. Taylor seems to be the most level-headed of the group, but that might not be the case after this week's episode.
'The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch' will air on History Channel on Tuesday nights at 10 pm ET/PST.