I think this is the episode where an alien ship is shown heading to Earth to a man who is to run a bunker with a switch which has to be hit to stop all nuclear,biological and chemical weapons deploying if the aliens are peaceful all he a some others have to do is push the switch until their bunkers are found. Time goes by and they all settle into a kind of boredom when some of the bunkers lose contact eventually leaving only 2 of them left, the main character then witnesses something bust into the other bunker and attack the person in it who is a woman I think? He then goes on for a while alone until receiving a message from the general who recruited him saying the aliens weren't peaceful but have been defeated by humanity at great cost who are now trying to find him and stop the countdown which in his sleep deprived and hungry state he has grown less and less able and willing to keep stopping on his own he is then showed deleriously pushing the the button with renewed conviction. It then shows the General was under the control of an alien on his back who sent the message to buy time before all humanitys weapons are released on them It finally shows in the window a devasted Washington D.C.
6 Reviews
Is This the Safest and Best Way to Accomplish This?
Hitchcoc18 May 2014
Once I got over the absurdity of the plan put in place by the military leaders, I did begin to care about the principle figures. Place in bunkers spread around the world, four people are given the task of monitoring a fail-safe system. Aliens are on their way to Earth and their level of hostility is unknown. The plan is to put a doomsday machine in place (makes sense to me) that will loose nuclear and chemical weapons. Should the aliens be hostile (assuming they have the ability to destroy earth) they will be beaten to the punch. This, at its altruistic worst, seems a bit risky. The future of the world rest in the hands of a group of bored people, sealed underground who must get to a red button and a recognition hand print and stop the machine from going off. This is to be done in less than 60 seconds. They are to be kept in this state for one year, at which time it is estimated the aliens will arrive on earth. At one point they become annoyed with each other over whose turn it is to save the world. For me, the choice of people to take on this task seems arbitrary and dangerous: one is a forlorn soldier (the main character, I guess), one is a middle aged woman, one is a video game playing Asian guy (Atari and Gameboy, of course), and a beautiful Russian woman who has been ordered by her government to do this. The episode has relationships forming among the characters, numerous close calls, and a conclusion that has been done before (I won't spoil it). This series occasionally became really cynical and this is no exception. It's certainly entertaining but really fizzles out at the conclusion.
Cool idea, but kinda flat overall story
JurijFedorov22 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I really loved the first 10 minutes, then engaged in the next 10 minutes, after that it becomes boring and repetitive with mediocre acting by the blonde to really make it drag out. Her fake Russian accent is too much.
It's a really great idea! The deadman switch just creates drama and tension by itself. There are 5 people in separate bunkers who all need to not press the button once every 24 hours to blow up Earth. They only need to do this if aliens win and wipe out humanity. And figuring out how it works and how they work together to stop the bombs is interesting. They have to figure out what to do and how to plan who presses the button to stop the bombs because most just want to rest when they are not "on duty".
Unfortunately they take the idea and do very little with it. It falls flat at the end because it ends exactly the way you expected it to. They even say at the beginning that this could be the outcome. So as a viewer there is nothing to the story. The concept is just amazing. Lots of these episodes fall flat because they all last 44 minutes, but many scripts only have ideas enough for 25 minutes. You need to either expand the story or make the episodes shorter. Better writers can easily take this concept and then think up a clear movie plot for it instead of the usual non-ending of: and then they all just die.
The whole concept is actually silly. At the end only 1 guy is left alive and aliens fool him into keep pressing the button as they act like there was no invasion. But we never understand how 3 of the other 4 people died. We only see that one other person getting killed by aliens. But what's the plan? If the aliens kill these people then no one will press the button and the aliens will die. So clearly they wouldn't want to kill them and we must figure the remaining 3 died by accident. Yet none of this is explored. Actually, whether they died or not doesn't change the plot in any way. 1 staying alive is the same outcome as 5 staying alive. There is zero change whatsoever here. What is the plot even? For the aliens it's essential to keep them alive. For the humans either way it doesn't matter because they are all dead.
It's a really great idea! The deadman switch just creates drama and tension by itself. There are 5 people in separate bunkers who all need to not press the button once every 24 hours to blow up Earth. They only need to do this if aliens win and wipe out humanity. And figuring out how it works and how they work together to stop the bombs is interesting. They have to figure out what to do and how to plan who presses the button to stop the bombs because most just want to rest when they are not "on duty".
Unfortunately they take the idea and do very little with it. It falls flat at the end because it ends exactly the way you expected it to. They even say at the beginning that this could be the outcome. So as a viewer there is nothing to the story. The concept is just amazing. Lots of these episodes fall flat because they all last 44 minutes, but many scripts only have ideas enough for 25 minutes. You need to either expand the story or make the episodes shorter. Better writers can easily take this concept and then think up a clear movie plot for it instead of the usual non-ending of: and then they all just die.
The whole concept is actually silly. At the end only 1 guy is left alive and aliens fool him into keep pressing the button as they act like there was no invasion. But we never understand how 3 of the other 4 people died. We only see that one other person getting killed by aliens. But what's the plan? If the aliens kill these people then no one will press the button and the aliens will die. So clearly they wouldn't want to kill them and we must figure the remaining 3 died by accident. Yet none of this is explored. Actually, whether they died or not doesn't change the plot in any way. 1 staying alive is the same outcome as 5 staying alive. There is zero change whatsoever here. What is the plot even? For the aliens it's essential to keep them alive. For the humans either way it doesn't matter because they are all dead.
Plot Holes as Deep as the Bunkers
Sandsquish10 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The interplay between the people sealed in the bunkers along with the suspense about what might be happening above ground kept my interest, but ...
Why would the aliens want to kill the people manning the dead-man's switches if they were the only people keeping everyone alive? And if they had managed to locate and bypass some of the switches, then why bother to burrow all the way down into the bunkers and then kill off the operators? Wouldn't just jamming communication between the operators be far more likely to prevent the operators in the active stations from allowing the doomsday device to run?
If, instead, they burrowed into the stations so they could defeat the biometrics and man the switches themselves, then why try to convince the protagonist to keep pressing the button, when they could do so themselves? And, come to think of it, what was the point in welding the doors shut, when we might open them in a year anyhow? Didn't we have any locks that worked?
I might be missing something, but I think this one needed a revision or two before they put it in production.
Why would the aliens want to kill the people manning the dead-man's switches if they were the only people keeping everyone alive? And if they had managed to locate and bypass some of the switches, then why bother to burrow all the way down into the bunkers and then kill off the operators? Wouldn't just jamming communication between the operators be far more likely to prevent the operators in the active stations from allowing the doomsday device to run?
If, instead, they burrowed into the stations so they could defeat the biometrics and man the switches themselves, then why try to convince the protagonist to keep pressing the button, when they could do so themselves? And, come to think of it, what was the point in welding the doors shut, when we might open them in a year anyhow? Didn't we have any locks that worked?
I might be missing something, but I think this one needed a revision or two before they put it in production.
I wish Aliens would correct this one!
wrbills25 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The first 45 minutes is fantastic, good levels of suspense backed up by competent acting and a compelling script. All good. I really liked most of the show and if it had continued in the vein then its a definite 8/10. However, plot holes are in abundance so it gets a 3.
Some of these mimic the other review so and aren't exhaustive. Also if I missed a thread which answers some then please tell me:
1) Why was there not regular communication between the bunkers and the Colonel. If there is a war going on the level of silence would be prohibitive not secure? 2) Why would the leader in a defence like this go out of his way to expose himself to the aliens when he volunteered to be in the meeting with them? 3) Why when the Austrailian was taken would you not assume the worst and then not press the button? 4)Why would you forget to put in a proper fire detection system - (the Russian goes up in flames)? 5)Why would you not have a complete support team for these guys who could assist with any problems and keep them up to date from the surface. 6)Why would the aliens spend so long burrowing down 11000 ft to kill the guys whose very presence kept the alien's own plans alive. If they could take over the Colonel then why not open the bunkers and take over the people themselves. Job done.
I suspect the worst crime committed here is not coming up with a better ending. I watched Double Helix yesterday morning and loved the pleasant twist at the end. I was guessing throughout this show what cool twist they might introduce. Are they testing him for the real mission? Are the others aliens trying to stop him through subversive means? Is the whole thing a charade to get him to not press the button so the aliens are saved the job. ANYTHING would have been better than the dull ending we are left with. The other reviewer suggested a revision, revision? Somebody should be punished for actually daring to submit the ending.
Some of these mimic the other review so and aren't exhaustive. Also if I missed a thread which answers some then please tell me:
1) Why was there not regular communication between the bunkers and the Colonel. If there is a war going on the level of silence would be prohibitive not secure? 2) Why would the leader in a defence like this go out of his way to expose himself to the aliens when he volunteered to be in the meeting with them? 3) Why when the Austrailian was taken would you not assume the worst and then not press the button? 4)Why would you forget to put in a proper fire detection system - (the Russian goes up in flames)? 5)Why would you not have a complete support team for these guys who could assist with any problems and keep them up to date from the surface. 6)Why would the aliens spend so long burrowing down 11000 ft to kill the guys whose very presence kept the alien's own plans alive. If they could take over the Colonel then why not open the bunkers and take over the people themselves. Job done.
I suspect the worst crime committed here is not coming up with a better ending. I watched Double Helix yesterday morning and loved the pleasant twist at the end. I was guessing throughout this show what cool twist they might introduce. Are they testing him for the real mission? Are the others aliens trying to stop him through subversive means? Is the whole thing a charade to get him to not press the button so the aliens are saved the job. ANYTHING would have been better than the dull ending we are left with. The other reviewer suggested a revision, revision? Somebody should be punished for actually daring to submit the ending.
Definitely needed revisions
bgaiv26 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
As other reviewers have noted, there are a lot of problems here that should have been caught.
The General states at the very beginning that they didn't have much time to set this up because the aliens are coming pretty soon. I think that's meant to explain the script problems as much as this Rube Goldberg setup.
The idea of detecting an alien fleet approaching a year or two out and having to come up with contingencies seems pretty solid. Perhaps even constructing a dead man switch doomsday device. That easily sounds like a movie length plot, if not more.
But this deadman's switch is ridiculous. Five practically random stereotypes thrown into this situation, with the lead character unaware even of its existence beforehand. And the nice condos deep underground they all have belies the notion this was all slapped together.
This all makes so little sense, along with the little dramas along the way, that the only sensible conclusion is this was a test of the soldier. He even lampshades that at one point.
It seems the production was well aware of that, and so the "twist" here is that it wasn't a test, it was actually real. Ok, but then it makes no sense.
It's mostly entertaining though, but it does meander, particularly with the romance subplot. I was wondering the whole time why I would care about it.
The General states at the very beginning that they didn't have much time to set this up because the aliens are coming pretty soon. I think that's meant to explain the script problems as much as this Rube Goldberg setup.
The idea of detecting an alien fleet approaching a year or two out and having to come up with contingencies seems pretty solid. Perhaps even constructing a dead man switch doomsday device. That easily sounds like a movie length plot, if not more.
But this deadman's switch is ridiculous. Five practically random stereotypes thrown into this situation, with the lead character unaware even of its existence beforehand. And the nice condos deep underground they all have belies the notion this was all slapped together.
This all makes so little sense, along with the little dramas along the way, that the only sensible conclusion is this was a test of the soldier. He even lampshades that at one point.
It seems the production was well aware of that, and so the "twist" here is that it wasn't a test, it was actually real. Ok, but then it makes no sense.
It's mostly entertaining though, but it does meander, particularly with the romance subplot. I was wondering the whole time why I would care about it.
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