The Right Snuff
Written By: Paul Dini, Stephen Langford, and Greg Nicotero
Inside a futuristic laboratory, the Creep finds his severed eye on a table and places it to the eyepiece of a telescope, laughing as the eye glimpses a spacecraft come into view.
In the void of space, astronauts Ted Lockwood (Breckin Meyer) and Alex Toomey (Ryan Kwanten) of Space Station Ocula enter the station's control room to perform a routine correction burn. Suddenly, an alarm begins sounding, and 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.
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 Earth, destroying both celestial bodies. Now the last human in existence, Alex can only weep futilely and stare where Earth once was in silent horror from his makeshift tomb in the sky. The shadow of his father torments him a final time, cementing the fact that Alex "will never be the one."
This episode contains examples of:
- 20 Minutes into the Future: The story is set in a period in time where space travel is significantly more advanced, to the point where man has set foot on Mars.
- Abusive Parents: Alex's father, Michael Toomey, was notoriously cold towards his son, refusing to even shake his hand until he actually impressed him. His aloofness 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 had nothing to say, except that his son was "just another nameless Spam in a can."
- The Ace: Ted, a noted scientist who invented a gravity-controlling machine and was set to make first contact with extraterrestrial life. The jeers and boos heard in the background of Ann's final broadcast indicate that everyone in the country, if not the world, utterly loved him.
- Aliens Speaking English: The Gorangi have their own language, which they speak when they first appear. Upon removing Alex's helmet and determining that he wasn't who they were expecting, they suddenly start speaking English so he can understand them.
- Ted himself spoke English while disguised as a human, but he is implied to be the source of unearthly noises Alex hears, likely while he makes contact with his superiors.
- Always Someone Better: Alex feels this way about his father, the first man to walk on Mars, who 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.
- Ambiguous Time Period: Given how futuristic Ocula is compared to how vintage Mission Control seems to be, it's kept ambiguous as to whether the episode takes place in the not-too-distant future, or during the Space Race of an alternate history.
- Apocalypse How: Class X, as Alex accidentally hurls the moon out of orbit and makes it crash into Earth, destroying both bodies.
- Artificial Gravity: Ocula is used as a testing site for a machine capable of controlling and directing gravity.
- As You Know: Ann's interview with Alex and Ted serves to let the viewers know about what the gravity wave is capable of, as well as the fact that Alex suffers heavy emotional scars regarding his father.
- Bait-and-Switch: 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 it 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.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Alex will do anything to 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 even lampshade it:Gorangi: You said you wanted your world to know your name? Now they will. A shame, they won't remember for long.
- Big "NO!": Alex gives one when he watches Earth and the moon collide.
- Bizarre Alien Limbs: The Gorangi have long clawed hands attached to praying mantis-like arms. The one viewed on the cover of the story also appears to have tentacles in place of legs.
- Call-Back: Ann Poole, the news reporter from Shapeshifters Anonymous, appears to interview Ted and Alex for HNN News, as well as witness the moon hurdling towards Earth. This makes her the first character in the series to appear in more than one segment.
- Contrived Coincidence: Ted becomes trapped in the gravity wave's testing chamber after a freak electrical short causes the door release to malfunction. Alex presumably wasn't planning on murdering Ted at the time, but that malfunction gave him the perfect opportunity to do so.
- Covers Always Lie: The episode's cover features a Gorangi clinging to Ocula as several astronauts armed with rifles open fire on it, with small explosions surrounding them all. The actual story doesn't go in that particular direction.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Ted, who spent the whole story being nice to Alex and genuinely wanting to be his friend, ends up getting crushed under gravity intense enough to make his head explode.
- Daddy Issues: Alex's problems can easily be traced back to his emotionally abusive father, who was never impressed by anything his son did.
- Ted implies that he had issues with his own father in regards to how he feels about Alex's obsession with being "the first".
- Double Agent: Ted, a celebrated scientist of the US Government, is also revealed to be a disguised ambassador to the Gorangi, the alien race they came into contact with. His superiors did have benevolent intentions in mind, though.
- Downer Ending: 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 thanks to Alex, they failed. The Gorangi allow Earth to be destroyed, but not before beaming Alex back aboard Ocula so he can watch his murderous act be broadcasted to the whole world, then having people everywhere curse his name before he witnesses the destruction of the planet. Alex's last lonely moments are spent hearing his father's voice continuing to berate him.
- Earth-Shattering Kaboom: The scene where the moon crashes into Earth, in all its visual splendor.
- The End of the World as We Know It: 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": throwing the moon out of orbit and causing it to collide with Earth.
- First Contact:
- The US Government comes into contact with the Gorangi through the discovery of a probe that Alex and Ted just narrowly manage to avoid colliding with.
- 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 that huamnity and the Gorangi will share.
- Fold-Spindle Mutilation: Both of Ted's legs break under the weight of gravity intense enough to crush him.
- Forced to Watch: The Gorangi have no interest in sparing the people of Earth after they discover what Alex did to Ted, the ambassador they sent there. Instead, they beam Alex back aboard Ocula and have him watch his killing be broadcast to the whole world, then hear the voices of people everywhere jeering him, and then watching the moon and Earth collide, which was also Alex's doing.
- 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 interpretation of the phrase comes true when Alex abuses the gravity wave to kill Ted and ends up causing the moon to crash into Earth.
- 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 out of orbit.
- Freudian Excuse: Alex's envy towards Ted and his long-lasting issues with his father are ultimately what drive him to commit murder.
- Genuine Imposter: Ted is revealed to have been a Gorangi ambassador disguised as a human.
- Government Conspiracy: There are a few hints dropped that the Gorangi have contacted the US Government before the discovery of their probe, and the two factions had actually been silently building up to the moment where their races would meet one another face to face. Sandra tells Alex and Ted point-blank that there are only six people in the world who know that the Gorangi exist at all. It would certainly make sense given that Ted, an ambassador to the aliens, could've played a huge role in setting all of this up.
- Gravity Master: Ted, and by extension, the Gorangi, have created a machine they call the "gravity wave". In a live interview, Ted notes that the machine can control and direct gravity in any given location on Earth or in space, and lists off several potential applications that gravity-based directional pressure could have for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, Alex had to render all of his beneficial scenarios impossible.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Alex harbors immense jealousy toward Ted, who gets more 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 snaps.
- Hated by All: Alex gets this treatment after his murder of Ted is broadcast to the world, getting to hear people everywhere cursing and jeering at him in the seconds left before humankind goes extinct.
- Hate Sink: Michael Toomey, Alex's father, is a posthumous case. As a child, Alex remembers that the man was cold and dismissive 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."
- Human Alien: Ted is actually an ambassador to the Gorangi, perfectly disguised as a human.
- Humanity on Trial: Even though Alex's meeting with the Gorangi technically isn't a 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 Earth, ensuring the extinction of the human race.
- Humans Are Bastards: The Gorangi reveal to Alex that "many" have viewed mankind as primitive, warlike, murderous, and 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 discover 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.
- I Just Want to Be Special: 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 received from his dad.
- Immediate Self-Contradiction: 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 ends, Alex immediately laments about how he's always living in his dad's shadow.
- Innocent Aliens: The Gorangi have heard throughout what is hinted to be an intergalactic community that humans were inherently primitive and violent. They 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 allow them entry into said community.
- Irony: Alex's jealousy 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 jealousy, 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 realized 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.
- It Began with a Twist of Fate:
- 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.
- It's All About Me: Michael Toomey shows this attitude when his voice echoes in Alex's mind, continually pushing Alex to become the first like he was.
- Karma Houdini: Michael Toomey, who by this point has passed away, was never punished for being an emotionally abusive and controlling father to his son.
- Kick the Dog: Alex had been ignored and possibly run ragged by his father for his entire life, and the man's shadow continually taunts him, goading him to "measure up". When he ends up murdering Ted to be sure he'll be the sole person to make first contact with extraterrestrial life, he ends up throwing the moon out of orbit and causing the end of the world. Just before the world is destroyed, his crime is broadcasted to the global population, causing any and all respect he already had to vanish. Finally, when he's rendered the last man alive, and all he can do is cry and stare at where Earth once was, his father's shadow berates him once again, telling him that he'll never be the one.
- Last of His Kind: Thanks to his actions, Alex ultimately renders himself the last human alive.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Alex has no idea that he's essentially the test subject of an alien race in league with the US Government. He even asks the Gorangi when they learn he murdered Ted (the ambassador they had sent to Earth) how he possibly could've known that.
- Loved by All: Ted is beloved by Mission Control, the government, 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 the guy.
- Meaningful Name: Ocula is shaped like a giant eyeball.
- Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds: It’s Alex’s actions that lead to the extinction of all life on Earth.
- Mind Rape: The Gorangi "scan" Alex's mind to find out what happened to Ted. Judging by the visuals and Alex's reaction, the process is excruciatingly painful.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Alex has the look written all over his face when it's revealed that his murderous jealousy has caused the extinction of mankind.
- Mythology Gag:
- Ann's cameraperson is named George, possibly a reference to George Romero, a producer of the original film.
- During her transmission, Sandra is seen using the ashtray from "Father's Day".
- Nepotism: Alex became an astronaut like his father before him in an attempt to impress the man. Seeing that he has no discernible talent other than being a pilot, it's likely he was only hired because of his famous father.
- Nice Guy: Even if he turned out to be an alien and was essentially doing a Secret Test of Character, Ted is arguably one of the nicest characters ever featured in 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. He even tells Alex that he didn't get a lot of "attaboys" either, but they both had a dream to travel the stars, meet creatures from other worlds, and be part of history, vowing that they'll do it together and telling Alex that he will be in the history books. It makes his death all the more tragic.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: One of the biggest examples to date in the series. In the throes of an envious rage, Alex murders Ted so he alone can make first contact with aliens and have people sing his praises, like they did with his late father. He discovers too late that Ted was one of the Gorangi in disguise, and by abusing their gravity wave to kill him, he's thrown the moon out of orbit and caused it to collide with Earth.
- No-Respect Guy: Alex, who never got a single pat on the back from his emotionally abusive father. He also gets a lot less respect and recognition than Ted, even though he's Ocula's captain. When his murder of Ted is broadcasted to the world, he becomes outright Hated by All.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: 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 unending desire to be "the first".
- Rewatch Bonus: After discovering the truth about Ted, those unearthly noises Alex hears throughout Ocula could easily have been Ted himself, speaking in the language of the Gorangi and detailing his findings to his superiors.
- Rhymes on a Dime: Ted humorously cracks a rhyme while detailing the capabilities of the gravity wave.
- Sanity Slippage: While Alex's sanity was already on edge with all of his jealousy towards Ted and his traumatic childhood, it plummets when he hears that Ted is the sole person to make contact with extraterrestrials.
- Second Place Is for Losers: One of Alex's main traits. His father was the first man on Mars, and he relentlessly forced 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.
- Secret Test of Character: Ted, 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.
- Shout-Out:
- The story's title is a reference to The Right Stuff.
- The transport beam that takes Alex to and from the Gorangis' ship is a clear homage to Star Trek.
- One of the monitors on Ocula reads "HAL", the name of the rogue AI from 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Ted's last name of Lockwood is a nod to Gary Lockwood, who played Dr. Frank Poole in the above film. Both characters end up murdered while on a space mission.
- 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 that provides special effects for the series.
- The Gornagis' heads, with large exposed brains and skull-like faces, are heavily reminiscent of the Martians from Mars Attacks!.
- The malfunctioning device that traps Ted inside the gravity chamber is designated CRM-114. This is the same name as the communications device from Dr. Strangelove, which also indirectly brings about the end of the world.
- Shown Their Work: The astronauts experience what is deemed a "1202 alarm" a few times in the story. This was the designation for an actual alarm that was experienced by the crew of Apollo 11.
- Sinister Silhouettes: The shadow of Alex's father continually appears on the walls and floor to taunt his son, demanding him to measure up.
- Smart People Wear Glasses: Scientist Ted wears a pair of thick glasses that he never removes, except when he's killed via intense gravity.
- Space Episode: This is the first episode of the series set in space, allowing Creepshow to join the ranks of various other horror franchises that have already done the same.
- Space Madness: It's gradually revealed 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 you wonder how he was able to pass the psychiatric evaluation needed to be an astronaut in the first place.
- Starfish Aliens: The Gorangi.
- Sufficiently Advanced Aliens: The Gorangi are shown to have invented machines that could work wonders for humankind, including one that can control and direct gravity in any given location.
- Tears of Blood: Ted gains these from every part of his face as he is crushed under the intense pressure of the gravity wave.
- Telepathic Spacemen: The Gorangi are shown to be telepathic, able to scan Alex's mind and witness his murder of Ted for themselves, as well as the reasons why he did it in the first place.
- Thousand-Yard Stare: To illustrate how deranged he's become, Alex watches Ted die with an unchanging stare while bumping his head on the window.
- Tragic Villain: Alex spent his entire life being unappreciated and dismissed by his emotionally abusive father, and desperately wants the respect his old man never gave him, including a reputation as one of history's greatest figures. To this end, his mind utterly clouded with envy and jealousy, murders his more recognized copilot and only companion so he alone can make first contact with aliens. As a result, he kills who was revealed to be an ambassador to said aliens, and has thrown the moon out of orbit, causing it to crash into Earth. His last moments, staring where Earth once was in silent grief, is enough to make you give the guy a hug.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: 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 snap, and ultimately leads to him causing the end of the world.
- Michael Toomey is an arguably bigger example, as Alex's actions resulted largely from him being a crappy father.
- Unwitting Pawn: Ted is a celebrated scientist on Earth and a disguised Gorangi ambassador. Combined with the Government Conspiracy evidence above, it would seem that Alex is only a 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.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Michael Toomey. The photo of him that Alex keeps as a souvenir has him smiling pleasantly for the camera, which is a direct contrast to the emotionally abusive father he was to Alex.
- Voice of the Legion: The Gorangi possess them to showcase how otherworldly they are.
- We Come in Peace — Shoot to Kill: Type 1. The Gorangi initially contacted Earth as a goodwill gesture; an exchange of technological and cultural knowledge. Alex, whose mind had been clouded by envy, ended up killing Ted, an ambassador to the Gorangi, to make a name for himself by making first contact with alien life. Having overexerted the gravity wave the Gorangi invented to do so, they inform Alex that in doing so, he's thrown the moon out of orbit and sent it on a collision course with 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.
- You Are Number 6: The Gorangi refer to Ted as "Ambassador Seven".
- Your Head A-Splode: Ted's head ends up bursting like a melon 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, thereby implying that the story takes place in an alternate timeline instead of the future.
