- The Control Voice: Is man the center of the Universe made in the image of his God? Or is mankind merely the temporary occupant of an insignificant world about to be extinguished?
A new President must decide how to respond when spaceships are spotted heading towards Earth.
- The Control Voice: To those who would fail to heed their own words be warned: you never know who's listening.
Tropes by Fire
- Category Traitor: Russia declares that anybody that does not help fight the aliens is a traitor and must be punished.
- Deadly Closing Credits: The President succumbs to peer pressure and orders a nuclear strike on the aliens, as does Russia, only for the aliens to instantly destroy the nukes and retaliate with bombs on Washington DC and Moscow. The episode ends with a white flash across the screen, indicating the bombs have hit.
- Ironic Echo: President Charles Haisley's campaign slogan was "Let me be your friend". When the aliens' first message is finally translated, it turns out to be "Let us be your friends".
- My God, What Have I Done?: The President and the military members are regretful when they learn the aliens were peaceful and they had just doomed them all by attacking them.
- Poor Communication Kills: Due to the humans not understanding the aliens' language at first (they were actually speaking English, but their messages were distorted due to speaking through water and encountering several Earth transmissions) and some of the aliens' questionable activities like apparently destroying a satellite by accident, the humans jump the gun and attack them. The aliens, who had earlier sent a message of peace, retaliate and cause a lot of destruction.
- Powered by a Black Hole: The aliens drop a contained black hole on the moon. The scientists suspect it is a gift that will grant a practically limitless source of power.
- Warhawk: The military members of the bunker constantly urge the President to attack the aliens while his wife and the scientists urge a peaceful solution. He ultimately chooses war, which turns out to be a huge mistake when the aliens prove too powerful.
- You Are Too Late: A few minutes before some experts decipher the aliens' message to reveal it was one of peace, the President dooms them all by ordering an attack on the aliens and causing them to retaliate.
