History Recap / CreepshowS2E5TheRightSnuff

* ForWantOfANail:
** The extinction of humankind could have easily been prevented if the President assigned Alex to make first contact instead of Ted.
** More importantly, Alex wouldn't have been able to crush Ted to death if the gravity wave's door release didn't suffer a freak malfunction and lock itself shut.
** Even more importantly, had Michael been a better father to him, Alex wouldn't have felt such a strong need to prove himself and cause the gradual extinction of humankind.

* BaitAndSwitch: When the Gorangi discover that Alex killed Ted, who was actually an ambassador to their species, they tell him that he has doomed mankind to extinction in doing so. While this would seem that the Gorangi have viewed Alex's crime as a declaration of war, they instead reveal that his abuse of the gravity wave has caused the moon to fall out of orbit and collide with Earth.

* DownerEnding: This episode features the worst ending yet. Alex's murder of Ted via the gravity wave accidentally throws the moon out of orbit and sends it hurdling toward Earth. When he meets the Gorangi, they reveal Ted was one of their own sent to test humanity's moral fiber, and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero thanks to Alex, they failed.]] The Gorangi allow Earth to be destroyed, but not before [[KickTheDog beaming Alex back aboard]] ''[[KickTheDog Ocula]]'' [[KickTheDog so he can watch his murderous act be broadcasted to the whole world, then having people everywhere curse his name]] before he witnessess the destruction of the planet. Alex's last lonely moments are spent hearing his father's voice continuing to berate him.

** Ted is later set to meet with them in person, but Alex murders him so he can take his place. His actions soon ensure that first contact will also be the ''only'' contact huamnity and the Gorangi will share.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: As ''Ocula'' reaches the dark side of the moon, Sandra tells the astronauts that she'll catch them "on the other side". While she meant the other side of the moon, a more metaphorical intepretation of the phrase comes true when Alex abuses the gravity wave to kill Ted and ends up causing the moon to crash into Earth.

* ForWantOfANail: The extinction of humankind could've easily been prevented if the President assigned Alex to make first contact instead of Ted.

* HateSink: Michael Toomey, Alex's father, is a posthumous case. As a child, Alex remembers that the man was cold and dimissive of him, but was also strict and relentless in forcing his son to be first at nearly everything. This eventually got to the point where Michael wouldn't even shake his son's hand until he had actually impressed him, a feat that seemed impossible considering that he wasn't even impressed by Alex becoming an astronaut. Alex also suffers from hallucinations of his dad's shadow simultaneously mocking him for not "measuring up", and prodding him to "be first". Even after the world is destroyed, Michael's shadow continues to berate his son by mentioning that he'll "never be the one."

* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Alex's defining characteristic. His father was the first man to set foot on Mars, and the man was never impressed by anything his son did, to the point where Alex ''becoming an astronaut'' didn't even phase him. All Alex wanted was respect and appreciation from his old man, and his desire to let his name be known throughout the world, as well as his murder of Ted, was driven by the neglect he recieved from his dad.

* {{Irony}}: Alex's jealously of Ted being the first person to contact aliens (as he was really a Gorangi) seeing that he won't be remembered for anything. However, Ted tries to assure that ''both of them'' will be in the history books once they make contact. If Alex didn't let his jealously, desire to be the first, and his father's past abuse get the better of him, he wouldn't have murdered Ted and doomed mankind. He also would have found out that Ted was really a Gorangi and realize that he ''was'' the first human to make contact with aliens after all, surpassing his father's legacy. Unfortunately, by murdering Ted and getting exposed by the Gorangi, Alex is remembered for all the wrong reasons and his legacy dooms mankind.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: The Gorangi give a blunt one to Alex when they telepathically witness his murder of Ted, an ambassador to their race in disguise, where they rebuke him for his uneding desire to be "the first".

* SpaceEpisode: This is the first episode of series set in space, allowing ''Creepshow'' to join the ranks of various other horror franchises that have already done the same.

** Additionally, as Alex watches the Gorangi's spaceship obscure the sun, the Moon, which ''Ocula'' was relatively close to, suddenly appears much farther than it did at first, hinting that Alex's abuse of the gravity wave threw it ouf or orbit.

** Ted implies he had issues with his own father.

** Had Michael Toomey been a better father, Alex wouldn't have felt such a strong need to prove himself.

* {{Irony}}: Alex's jealously of Ted being the first to contact aliens (Ted was really a Gorangi) seeing that Alex won't be in the history books. However, Ted tried to point out that both of them would be in the history books once they made alien contact. If Alex didn't let jealously, wanting to be the first, and not letting his father's past abused get the better of him, he wouldn't have murdered Ted and doomed mankind. Also, Alex would have found out that Ted was really an alien and realize he was the first human to make contact with aliens after all and be in the history books and even surpassed his father. However, by murdering Ted and was exposed by the Gorangi, Alex was remembered for all the wrong reasons and his legacy doomed mankind.

** Michael Toomey is an arguably bigger example, Alex's actions resulted from him being a crappy father.

* {{Irony}}: Alex's jealously of Ted being the first to contact aliens (Ted was really a Gorangi) seeing that Alex won't be in the history books. Ted pointed out that both of them would be in the history books once they made alien contact. If Alex didn't let jealously, wanting to be the first, and not letting his father's past abused get the better of him, he wouldn't have murdered Ted and doomed mankind. Also, Alex would have found out that Ted was really an alien and realize he was the first human to make contact with aliens after all. However, by murdering Ted and was exposed by the Gorangi, Alex was remembered for all the wrong reasons and his legacy doomed mankind.

** Had Michael Toomey been a better father, Alex wouldn't felt such a strong need to prove himself.

* GenuineImposter: Ted is revealed to have been an ambassador to the Gorangi disguised as a human.

* HumansAreBastards: The Gorangi reveal to Alex that "many" have viewed mankind as primitive, warlike, murderous, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking selfish]]. They had sent Ted, an ambassador to their race, on a mission to Earth to prove "the others" wrong, and that mankind was worthy of their knowledge. When they disover that Alex killed Ted just to be the one to make first contact, the Gorangi bitterly realize that ''they'' were the ones who were wrong.

!!The Right Snuff

In the void of space, Major Ted Lockwood (Creator/BreckinMeyer) and Captain Alex Toomey (Creator/RyanKwanten), a pair of astronauts aboard Space Station ''Ocula'', enter the station's control room to perform a routine correction burn. Suddenly, an alarm begins sounding, just as Alex begins picking up an unidentified object hurdling towards ''Ocula'' at incredible speed. By utilizing the “gravity wave”, an experimental machine able to manipulate the force of gravity in any given area being tested aboard the station, the astronauts manage to avoid impact with the object by mere seconds.

Alex is then beamed back onboard ''Ocula'', watching as Ann reports on the aftermath of his impromptu meeting. In lieu of Alex meeting the Gorangi, the footage broadcasted across the world is that of Alex's murder of Ted and his attempts to cover it up. As a tearful Ann attempts to respond to the footage, voices can be heard in the distance, jeering at Alex and cursing his name. Before the signal cuts out, Ann and her cameraperson George witness the moon rapidly descending on the planet. Aboard ''Ocula'', Alex watches as the moon collides with the Earth, destroying both celestial bodies. Now the last human in existence, Alex can only weep futilely and stare where the Earth once was in silent horror from his makeshift coffin in the sky. The shadow of his father torments him a final time, cementing the fact that Alex will never be the one.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The story takes place in a period in time where space travel is more advanced than ever, to the point where man has set foot on Mars.
* AbusiveParents: Alex's father, General Michael Toomey, was notoriously cold and aloof towards his son, refusing to even ''shake his hand'' until he actually impressed him. His aloofness essentially began a drive in Alex to be first at everything just so he could gain the man's respect. Even when he became an astronaut, Michael just called his son "another nameless Spam in a can."
* AliensSpeakingEnglish: The Gorangi have their own language, which they speak when they first appear. Upon removing Alex's space helmet and determining that he wasn't who they expected, they suddenly start speaking English so he can understand them (he had previously complained that he couldn't breach the language barrier).
** Ted himself spoke English while disguised as a human, but he is implied to be making unearthly noises while he makes contact with his superiors.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Alex feels this way about his father, who happened to be the first man on Mars, and thus has given him a borderline impossible reputation to live up to. He also feels this way about Ted, who seems to get the spotlight shone on him more.
* AmbiguousTimePeriod: Given how futuristic ''Ocula'' is compared to how vintage Mission Control appears, it's kept ambiguous as to whether the episode takes place in the far-off future, or during the Space Race of an alternate timeline.
* ApocalypseHow: ApocalypseHow/{{Class X}}.
* ArtificialGravity: ''Ocula'' has this, especially since it's used as a testing site for a machine capable of altering and controlling gravity.
* BaitAndSwitch: When the Gorangi discover Alex killed Ted, who was actually an ambassador to their race, they tell him that in doing so, he has doomed mankind to extinction. While this would seem that the Gorangi have viewed Alex's crime as a declaration of war, they instead reveal that his abuse of the gravity wave has caused the moon to fall out of orbit and crash into the Earth.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Alex will do anything to get people to know his name and have a legacy that will be celebrated, like his father. He goes so far as to murder his copilot to ensure that he alone makes first contact with alien life. Little does Alex know, not only was Ted a disguised ambassador to the Gorangi, but his abuse of the gravity wave has thrown the moon out of its orbit and put it on a direct collision course with Earth. The Gorangi themselves lampshade it:

* BizarreAlienLimbs: The Gorangi have long clawed hands attached to longer, praying mantis-like arms. The one viewed on the cover of the story also appears to have tentacles in place of legs.
* CallBack: Ann Poole, the news reporter, happens to be the first character who was featured a previous story. She previously appeared in [[Recap/CreepshowShapeshiftersAnonymous Shapeshifters Anonymous]], where she was reporting on the recent rise of killings.
* ContrivedCoincidence: Ted becomes trapped in the gravity chamber after a sudden short causes the door release to malfunction. Alex wasn't planning on murdering Ted at the time, but that freak malfunction gave him the perfect opportunity to do so.
* CoversAlwaysLie: The episode's cover features a Gorangi clinging to ''Ocula'' as several astronauts armed with rifles open fire on it. The actual story doesn't go in that particular direction.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Poor Ted, who spends the whole story being nice to Alex and genuinely wanting to be his friend, ends up getting crushed under gravity so intense that it causes his head to explode.
* DaddyIssues: Alex's problems can easily be traced back to his father, who was never impressed by or appreciative of the things his son did.
* DoubleAgent: Ted, a celebrated scientist who works for the US Government, is also a disguised ambassador to the Gorangi, the alien race they came into contact with. Despite this, his superiors ''did'' have benevolent intentions in mind.
* DownerEnding: Easily the worst ending of an episode yet. Alex's murder of Ted via the gravity wave accidentally throws the moon out of orbit and sends it hurdling toward Earth. When he meets the Gorangi, they reveal Ted was one of their own sent to test humanity's moral fiber, and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero thanks to Alex, they failed.]] The Gorangi allow the Earth to be destroyed, but not before [[KickTheDog beaming Alex back aboard]] ''[[KickTheDog Ocula]]'' [[KickTheDog to watch his murderous act be broadcasted to the whole world,]] then having him watch the destruction of the planet from space. Alex's last lonely moments are spent hearing his father's voice continuing to berate him.
* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: Alex abuses the gravity wave to crush Ted to death, and as a result, he causes what the Gorangi refer to as a "seismic lunar shift". In layman's terms, this means throwing the moon out of orbit and causing it to collide with the Earth.

** The US Government comes into contact with the Gorangi through the discovery of a probe that Alex and Ted just narrowly manage to avoid.

* ForcedToWatch: The Gorangi have no interest in sparing the people of Earth after they discover what Alex did to Ted, the ambassador they sent to the planet. Instead, they beam him back aboard ''Ocula'' and have him watch his killing be broadcast to the whole world, hear the voices of people everywhere cursing his name, and then watching the moon and Earth collide, which was also Alex's doing.
* FreudianExcuse: Alex's envy towards Ted and his long-lasting issues regarding his father are what ultimately drive him to commit murder.

* GovernmentConspiracy: Through the dialogue, there are a few hints dropped that the Gorangi have contacted the US Government before the discovery of their probe, and the two factions have actually been silently building up to the moment where they would meet one another face to face, with Sandra telling Alex and Ted point-blank that only six people in the world know of this fact. It would certainly make sense given that Ted, an ambassador to the Gorangi, could've played a huge role in setting all of this up.
* GravityMaster: Ted, and by extension, the Gorangi, have created a machine they call the "gravity wave". During a live interview, Ted notes that the machine can control and direct gravity in any given location, whether on Earth or in space, along with several potential applications that gravity-based directional pressure has for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, Alex had to render his beneficial scenarios impossible.
* GreenEyedMonster: Alex feels this way about Ted, who gets the most emphasis put on him, and is described by Ann to be the brains behind the gravity wave. When he learns that Ted alone is going to make first contact with alien life, he gradually snaps.
* HateSink: Michael Toomey, Alex's father. As a child, Alex remembers that the man was cold and aloof towards him, but was also strict and relentless in forcing his son to be first at nearly everything, like he had been. This eventually got to the point where Michael wouldn't even shake his son's hand until he had actually impressed him, a feat which seemed impossible considering that he wasn't even impressed by Alex becoming an astronaut. Alex also suffers from hallucinations of the man's shadow simultaneously mocking him for not "measuring up", and prodding him to be first. Even after the world is destroyed, Michael's shadow continues to berate his son by mentioning that he'll "never be the one."

* HumanityOnTrial: Even though Alex's meeting with the Gorangi isn't an actual courtroom proceeding, they tell him that many have previously viewed humanity as primal and violent savages. They had sent Ted, an ambassador to their species, to prove otherwise through Alex. When he is discovered to have murdered Ted, the Gorangi tell Alex, who they essentially have representing humanity, that he has failed their test, and his abuse of the gravity wave has caused the moon to fall out of its orbit and crash into the Earth, ensuring the extinction of the human race.
* HumansAreBastards: The Gorangi reveal to Alex that "many" have viewed mankind as primitive, warlike, and murderous. They had sent Ted, an ambassador to their race, on a mission to Earth to prove "the others" wrong, and that mankind was worthy of their knowledge. When they discover Alex's murder of Ted, the Gorangi bitterly realize that ''they'' were the ones who were wrong.
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Alex's defining characteristic. His father was the first man to set foot on Mars, and the man was never impressed by anything his son did, even to the point where Alex ''becoming an astronaut'' didn't impress him. All Alex wanted was respect and appreciation from his old man, and to let his name be known throughout the world.
* ImmediateSelfContradiction: When Ann mentions his father during the interview, Alex puts on a smile and informs her that he's proud of the man and his legacy. As soon as the interview is over, Alex immediately laments about how he's always living in his dad's shadow.
* InnocentAliens: The Gorangi have heard throughout the galaxy that humans were inherently primitive and violent, and had sent Ted, one of their own disguised as a human, on a goodwill mission to prove that mankind wasn't a race of murderous savages, hoping to share their culture and technology with them, and possibly forge an alliance as well.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Michael Toomey shows this attitude when his voice echoes throughout Alex's mind, continually pushing Alex to become first like he was.
* KarmaHoudini: Michael Toomey, who by this point has passed away, was never once punished for being an emotionally abusive father to his son.
* KickTheDog: Alex had been ignored by his father for his entire life, and the man's shadow continually goads him to measure up. When he ends up murdering Ted to be sure he'll be the only person that will make first contact with extraterrestrial life, he ends up throwing the moon out of orbit and causing the end of the world. Even just before the world is destroyed, his crime is broadcasted to the global population, causing any and all respect he already had to vanish in an instant. Finally, when he's rendered the last man alive, and all he can do is cry and stare at where the Earth once was, his father's shadow berates him once again, telling him that he'll never be the one.
* LastOfHisKind: Thanks to his actions of murdering Ted, Alex ultimately renders himself the last human alive.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Alex has no idea that he's essentially the test subject of an alien race in league with the government. He even admits this when the Gorangi discover that he murdered Ted, the ambassador they had sent to Earth, claiming that he couldn't possibly have known.
* LovedByAll: Ted is beloved by both Mission Control and the media. If the jeering voices heard in the background of Ann's final broadcast are anything to go by, the entire ''planet'' loved Ted.
* MeaningfulName: ''Ocula'', true to its name, is shaped like a giant eyeball.
* MindRape: The Gorangi scan Alex's mind to find out what happened to Ted. Judging by the visuals and Alex's reaction, the process is quite painful.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: This is written all over Alex's face when it's revealed that his murderous jealousy has caused the extinction of mankind.

* {{Nepotism}}: Alex became an astronaut like his father in an attempt to impress him. Seeing that he has no discernible talent other than being a pilot, it's likely he was only hired because of his famous father.
* NiceGuy: Even if he turned out to not be human and was essentially doing a SecretTestOfCharacter, Ted is arguably one of the nicest characters ever featured on the series. When he is referred to as the brains behind the gravity wave, he goes out of his way to say that he couldn't have created the device without Alex, bringing up the near-fatal collision they had with the Gorangis' probe. He also genuinely attempts to be Alex's friend, getting him to open up about his feelings regarding his father and his mentality to be first in everything, stating that while he didn't get a lot of "attaboys" either, they both had a dream to travel the stars, meet creatures from other worlds, and make history. He vows that they'll do it together, telling Alex that he ''will'' be in the history books. It makes his death all the more tragic.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: One of the biggest examples to date in the series. In the throes of an envious rage, Alex murders Ted so he can make contact with alien life and have people sing his praises, like they did with his father. He discovers far too late, however, that Ted was one of the Gorangi in disguise, and by using their gravity wave to kill him, he's thrown the moon out of orbit and caused it to collide with the Earth.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: The Gorangi give one to Alex when they telepathically witness his murder of Ted, an ambassador to their race in disguise, where they rebuke him for his desire to be "the first".
* RewatchBonus: After discovering the truth about Ted, it would make sense that those unearthly noises Alex hears throughout ''Ocula'' are Ted himself, speaking in the language of the Gorangi and detailing his findings to his superiors.
* SanitySlippage: While Alex's sanity was already on edge with all of his jealousy towards Ted and his traumatic childhood with his father, it slowly but surely plummets when he hears that Ted is the sole person to make contact with extraterrestrials.
* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: One of Alex's main traits. His father was the first man on Mars, and he relentlessly pushed this mentality on his son to the point where he thought the only way to have his father love him was to be first at everything.
* SecretTestOfCharacter: Ted, who was actually a Gorangi in disguise, was giving one to Alex to prove whether or not humankind was worthy of the Gorangis' culture and technology. Needless to say, Alex failed.

** Another monitor reads "KNB," which is a nod to KNB EFX Group, the special effects company founded by Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, and Howard Berger which provides special effects for the series.

* SinisterSilhouettes: The shadow of Alex's father continually appears to taunt his son, demanding him to measure up.
* SpaceEpisode: This is the first episode of series set in space, allowing ''Creepshow'' to join the ranks of various other horror franchises who have already done the same.
* SpaceMadness: It's gradually revealed throughout the story that Alex isn't quite right in the head. If it's not the emotional abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, then it's certainly having to share a seemingly endless ride through the void of space on a mission with someone who he feels is getting all the glory. Makes one wonder how he was able to pass the psychiatric evaluation needed to be an astronaut.

* SufficientlyAdvancedAliens: The Gorangi are shown to have invented technological marvels that could work wonders for humankind, including a machine that can control and direct gravity in any given location.
* TearsOfBlood: Ted gains these as he is crushed under the intense pressure of the gravity wave.
* TelepathicSpacemen: The Gorangi are shown to have latent telepathy, being able to scan Alex's mind and witness his murder of Ted for themselves.
* ThousandYardStare: To illustrate how insane he's become, Alex watches Ted die with an unchanging stare.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: The President of the United States, who assigns Ted to be the sole person to make first contact with the Gorangi. When Sandra informs the astronauts of his decision, this causes Alex to gradually snap, and ultimately leads to him causing the end of the world.
* UnwittingPawn: Given that Ted is both a celebrated scientist on Earth and a disguised Gorangi ambassador, combined with the GovernmentConspiracy evidence above, it would seem that Alex is a mere guinea pig directed by both the Gorangi and the government throughout the episode, experimenting with what would happen if the two races met face to face.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Michael Toomey. The photo of him that Alex keeps has him smiling pleasantly for the camera, which is a direct contrast to the aloof and emotionally abusive father he truly was.
* WeComeInPeaceShootToKill: Type 1. The Gorangi initially contacted humanity and approached Earth as a gesture of goodwill; an exchange of technological and cultural knowledge. Alex, whose mind had been clouded by envy, ended up killing Ted, who was actually an ambassador to the Gorangi, to make a name for himself by making first contact with alien life. Having overexerted the gravity wave they invented to do so, the Gorangi inform Alex that in doing such, he has thrown the moon out of its orbit and sent it on a collision course with the Earth. As punishment for his insatiable desire to be first and killing Ted, the Gorangi allow the human race to go extinct, making Alex watch what his maniacal jealousy has resulted in.

* YourHeadASplode: This happens to Ted under incredibly intense gravity.
* {{Zeerust}}: From what little we see of it, Mission Control is shown to be much less futuristic than ''Ocula'', featuring 60's style microphones and tape drives in the background, possibly implying that the story takes place in an alternate timeline instead of the future.
----

The next day, the two astronauts are interviewed live by news reporter Ann Poole (Kara Kimmer). Alex becomes envious when Ann puts more emphasis on Ted, who is noted to be the brains behind the gravity wave, but Ted replies that he couldn’t have created the machine without Alex, giving him credit for avoiding collision with the unknown object. Ann also reminds the network’s viewers that Alex is the son of space pioneer General Michael Toomey, the first man to walk on Mars, and that Alex no doubt has a difficult reputation to live up to. Alex nonetheless remains proud of his father and his and Ted’s ongoing mission. After the interview, Alex silently laments on how he’s constantly in his father’s shadow, sarcastically reminding Ted that ''he’s'' the big shot who invented the gravity wave and that he is merely along for the ride. Another alarm begins blaring, but Houston notifies that the matter isn’t critical, prompting Alex and Ted to go back to work. Later that night, Alex begins hearing inhuman sounds from somewhere in the station. As he tries to wash up and put the mystery behind him, Alex notices the shadow of his father on a nearby wall, the man’s stern voice reprimanding Alex that he’ll never measure up to him. When the shadow disappears, the inhuman noises start up again.

That morning, Alex and Ted receive a confidential transmission from Houston, compliments of Sandra (Gabrielle Byndloss). Sandra informs the astronauts that the US Government has recently come into contact with an extraterrestrial race known as the "Gorangi". The object that nearly collided with ''Ocula'' yesterday has come into the government's possession, and is revealed to be a probe sent by the Gorangi themselves that contained untold amounts of information. Alex and Ted’s mission is changed to establish first contact with the Gorangi by way of positioning ''Ocula'' on the dark side of the moon (where they will lose communication with Earth) and then being transported on their ship by way of molecular transportation, the instructions of which were included in the probe. Much to Alex’s envy, Ted is chosen to act as the sole ambassador to Earth. Alex once again hears his father’s voice in his head, who lambasts him for having Ted take what should rightfully be his, even hallucinating his father's hand pushing down on his shoulder.

Ted works on translating a formal introduction written in the Gorangi language, which he is meant to deliver to them. When Alex enters, moping about how no one will ever look at him the same way they did with his father, Ted attempts to comfort Alex, understanding how desperately the man wants to make a name for himself. Ted tells Alex that the two of them are the same, wanting to travel the stars, meet creatures from other worlds, and make history, assuring that Alex ''will'' receive a place in history. Alex fires back that Ted didn’t have as cold and stern a father as he had, a father who relentlessly pushed him to be first in everything. Eventually, when ''Ocula'' reaches its desired position, a sudden malfunction causes Ted to become stuck in the gravity chamber. Instead of freeing Ted, Alex, his mind clouded with maniacal envy, activates the gravity wave and increases the pressure to its absolute limit. The increased gravity ultimately crushes Ted to the point where his head explodes.

Once Alex dons his spacesuit and returns to the control room, he notices a large spacecraft obscuring the sun. He cuts off communication with Mission Control and steps into the transport beam when it appears. When Alex arrives on the ship, he meets the Gorangi, who tower over him. When they remove his helmet, the Gorangi discover that the person who has arrived wasn’t who they were expecting. They ask where “Ambassador Seven” is, prompting Alex to answer that he is the ambassador to Earth. As it turns out, the Gorangi are referring to Ted, who was actually one of their own in disguise. Having heard throughout the galaxy that mankind has been viewed as a primitive, warlike, and murderous race, the Gorangi had sent Ted on a goodwill mission to determine if humanity was truly worthy of sharing their culture and technology, such as the gravity wave. In a painful process, the Gorangi scan Alex’s mind and discover his murderous act. Despite Alex’s apologies and his claims that he couldn’t possibly have known, the Gorangi, knowing his motives through the scan, tell Alex that for his insatiable desire to be the first and the termination of their ambassador, he has doomed his species to extinction. The Gorangi explain that Alex’s overuse of the gravity wave has created a "seismic lunar shift", which has thrown the moon out of orbit and put it on a collision course with Earth.

Alex is then beamed back onboard ''Ocula'', watching as Ann reports on the aftermath of his impromptu meeting. In lieu of Alex meeting the Gorangi, the footage broadcasted across the world is that of Alex’s murder of Ted and his attempts to cover it up. As a tearful Ann attempts to respond to the footage, voices can be heard in the distance, jeering at Alex and cursing his name. Before the signal cuts out, Ann and her cameraperson George witness the moon rapidly descending on the planet. Aboard ''Ocula'', Alex watches as the moon collides with the Earth, destroying both celestial bodies. Now the last human in existence, Alex can only weep futilely and stare where the Earth once was in silent horror from his makeshift coffin in the sky. The shadow of his father torments him a final time, cementing the fact that Alex will never be the one.

* OneHundredPercentAdorationRating: Ted is beloved by both Mission Control and the media. If the jeering voices heard in the background of Ann's final broadcast are anything to go by, the entire ''planet'' loved Ted.

* FirstContact: The US Government comes into contact with the Gorangi through the discovery of a probe that Alex and Ted just narrowly manage to avoid.