The History Channel’s Ancient Aliens has spent years asking if rocks are just rocks, or perhaps messages from the cosmos. It’s the comfort-food equivalent of television documentaries, reliably returning to ponder the inexplicable. Ancient Aliens: Origins, however, seems determined to add a fresh coat of paint to this well-worn premise. “Alien Observatories,” airing Monday, December 2nd, revisits some greatest hits of the past fifteen years, specifically those celestial alignments at ancient sites that continue to stump even the most rational archaeologists.
Stonehenge, the usual suspect, is front and center, joined by the Pyramids of Giza and various Mayan temples. The episode asks—with an appropriate level of seriousness for a show about potential alien architects—if these structures served as giant, planet-sized postcards to extraterrestrial civilizations. Were they designed to signal our presence? Mark a landing spot for future visitors? Or, perhaps most intriguingly, do their alignments reveal something we’ve simply failed to grasp about the universe?
While this all sounds familiar, the “Origins” twist implies a renewed focus on the beginnings, not just the existence, of the Ancient Astronaut Theory. Forget whether aliens influenced human history—this time, the question is if these locations pinpoint the cosmic GPS coordinates of humanity’s first extraterrestrial encounters. Sure, it’s like adding another obelisk to a site already overflowing with them, but for fans of the franchise, it might just be the new layer of speculation they crave.
If you’ve stuck with Ancient Aliens this long, you’re probably not expecting a sudden shift to rigorous scientific methodology. Just kick back, enjoy the speculative ride, and maybe avoid standing too close to any suspiciously aligned rock formations after dark.
Ancient Aliens: Origins airs Mondays at 9 PM on History.
