"Let's be honest with ourselves. We're both trying to take from this animal what we don't have. That's what human beings do. It's what we've always done."
Jordan Peele: At the bottom of the world, a group of scientists is about to encounter an entity of vast intelligence. What they're about to learn will go further and deeper than anything they hoped to learn. Beyond science, beyond fear, beyond humanity... in the Twilight Zone.
At the outer reaches of the world, a team of scientists discovers a new highly intelligent species, but its existence may endanger more than their research.
- Antagonist Title: The episode is named after the octopus 8.
- Downer Ending: It turns out that 8 will evolve to breathe and walk to the surface and will share its genetic influence to its brethren to begin their purpose, invade the land, and devour the surface dwellers.
- Kill All Humans: This is likely the end of humanity itself, as 8 and its brethren are about to walk on land to kill every human being on Earth.
- Mythology Gag: The music from the documentary the crew is watching comes from one of the soundtracks of the original Twilight Zone, along with the narrator who sounds like Rod Serling.note
- Stealthy Cephalopod: A very dark example. Researchers in an underwater station discover a large, preternaturally intelligent octopus has snuck aboard after possibly killing one of their colleagues. They attempt to study it, only for it to escape and wreak havoc, sneaking through the pipes to make another kill and even hacking into the station's computer. By the end, the researchers realize that the octopus is part of a newly-evolving species, preparing to adapt to dry land and replace humanity as the dominant lifeform.
- You Are Number 6: This is why the scientists named the special creature 8.
Jordan Peele: What if our role has always been not to rule this world, but to prime it? To lay the foundation for the true inheritors of the Earth? The reign of humankind has come to a close today, here in the dark, icy waters... of the Twilight Zone.
