The Travel Channel isn’t exactly where one goes hunting for hard-hitting investigative journalism. Yet, here we are, with “Alien Files: Reopened,” a show that, at the very least, knows how to tickle that conspiracy-theory bone we all have. This Sunday’s episode, “Project Seven Lambs,” tackles the bizarre tale of Paul Bennewitz, a UFO enthusiast who claimed to have intercepted alien communications from a US Air Force base in 1978.
Now, if you’re like me, your first reaction is probably a hefty dose of skepticism. But here’s where things get murky. The show introduces Richard Doty, a former Air Force counterintelligence officer who admits to feeding Bennewitz a steady diet of disinformation. A government plot to discredit a UFO nut? Seems plausible, if not exactly groundbreaking. However, “Project Seven Lambs” takes a slightly more intriguing turn by asking whether Doty himself was being played. Was he just a convenient pawn in a larger game of misinformation, a puppet dangling from strings he couldn’t see?
The episode doesn’t offer definitive answers, which, frankly, is part of its appeal. It presents the known facts of the Bennewitz case, throws in some expert commentary (because every good conspiracy theory needs experts), and then stirs the pot with dramatic recreations. It’s a formula that works, mainly because it leaves you with that nagging sense of unease that maybe, just maybe, there’s something more to this story than meets the eye.
While the show leans into the inherent drama of the situation, it doesn’t entirely abandon critical thinking. The episode acknowledges the potential for misinterpretation and the challenges of verifying decades-old claims. It’s a delicate balance, and whether “Alien Files: Reopened” truly succeeds in uncovering hidden truths remains debatable.
“Alien Files: Reopened” airs Sundays at 10:00 PM on the Travel Channel.
