The penultimate episode of Dark Skies has a couple of weaving narrative threats as John Loengard (Eric Close) and Juliet Stewart (Jeri Ryan) are given a new mission by Bach (J.T. Walsh). They have to head into the Soviet Union to investigate what has happened at Majestic’s Russian counterpart.

Written by Brad Markowitz, this episode first debuted on 24 May, 1997.

It’s August, 1966, and the pair find themselves accompanying Major Colin Powell (Wolfgang Bodison). The Majestic group finds themselves in a tense situation, as they try to understand what is going on at the institute. The Hive definitely seems to be at work here.

Among the files, John finds pictures of Kim (Megan Ward) and his child! But that’s one quiet moment for John as things escalate dangerously, as they have to track down the Russian version of the nuclear football, avoid getting blown up with the base when it self-destructs, and learn what their Russian counterparts were working on.

Back in America, Bach has brought in Carl Sagan (Joe Urla) for a bit of a discussion on alien life, and what it could mean for mankind. And does he know about the actual invasion and war that is happening around them? Bach hopes Sagan can help Majestic figure out where the Hive and the Greys come from.

Bloodlines closed out the series on 31 May, 1997. Written by the series creators Bryce Zabel and Brent Friedman and plunges our characters right into the Summer of Love.

Sagan and Bach investigate a video signal sent from somewhere else in the solar system; a tenth planet? Which means to learn about it, Albano (Conor O’Farrell) has to go talk to the captured Grey but that doesn’t work well.

Juliet and John investigate a dangerous drug, call Brown Cubes, that the Hive is spreading and causing bad trips which will make them more malleable to their alien intentions. They encounter Timothy Leary (Don Most) who points them to a dealer… Steele (Tim Kelleher) and Kim.

As Steele and Kim run, Steele kills a man to assume his identity, that man, Charles Manson.

When the pair escape, having dosed John, the Majestic agent goes on a horrible trip, and believes his son is on a Hive ship. He’s determined to find and rescue him, even if it may be too late for Kim. He confers with the captured Grey who reveals more of the video message, they were a peaceful species until the Hive conquered them. The Grey warns him that Loengard’s bloodline will decide the outcome of the coming conflict with The Hive.

Sagan briefs Loengard on what to expect on his intrusion to the Hive ship, though they don’t know a lot, He’s being trained and prepped, and when the opportunity presents itself, he and Juliet are going to take the place of an abductee (and you won’t believe who it is) and get aboard the ship.

But he’s not ready for what he finds…

As Majestic waits and watches, the council works to remove Bach from controlling Majestic with Albano taking over in the interim, and right into Hive hands!

Man the series is really leaning into playing with this alternate history! It’s too bad that the series never got to continue, it’s left the characters and the series in an interesting place.

But we’ll have to leave Dark Skies behind now, and continue our journey without them. So, what’s next?