A FORGOTTEN TV SHOW PREDICTED 9/11 ALMOST VERBATIM: Coincidental or Inspirational?

We react in real time to learning that The Lone Gunmen’s 2001 pilot centers on a plot to steer a plane into the World Trade Center to jumpstart a war. Shock turns into a live research session as we weigh coincidence, influence, and how fiction can mirror risk.

• context on X-Files and the Lone Gunmen spinoff
• summary of the pilot’s WTC plot and timing
• quick dive into ratings, writers, and sources
• questions about coincidence versus foreknowledge
• personal memories from the morning of 9/11
• comparisons to Pearl Harbor and public mobilization
• doubts about building collapses and narratives
• open ask for listener perspectives and leads

Let me know what you think. Did you know about this? What are your thoughts?

Chapters

• 0:00 Opening Shock And Setup
• 2:14 Remembering X-Files And The Lone Gunmen
• 3:41 Discovering The Pilot’s 9/11 Parallels
• 5:26 Live Wikipedia Dive
• 8:31 Ratings, Writers, And Missing Details
• 10:44 Could Ideas Leak Into Scripts
• 13:19 Government Plot Or Wild Coincidence
• 16:12 Personal 9/11 Memories And Aftermath
• 19:42 Pearl Harbor Parallels And Motives
• 22:45 Building Collapse Questions
• 26:36 Terrorism Logic Versus Outcomes
• 28:26 Does The Pilot Help Or Hurt Theories

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:08

You were listening to the objective jerk, and I am said jerk. What's going on? Man, I am a little in shock right now, to be honest with you. Let me paint a little picture a little, I guess. Who here uh remembers uh X-Files, you know? That's great show. I think that's a show where a lot of people developed their conspiracy theory and kind of ideas or their interest in it, you know. I wasn't a fanatic, but I I I watched it quite often. Like the movies. Anyway, on that show were occasionally on the show, I don't know how many times a year or whatever, there were these characters that were the lone gunmen, and they were like conspiracy tech nerds and stuff like that. Now, so I was watching, I don't know what I was watching. I was watching some YouTube channel or the guys talking about old shows that didn't make it or whatever, and it was talking about the Lone Gunman, and I was kind of doing something, I was I was listening, but you know, it's just kind of like it's just background noise, sort of. And then it was like, you know, saying like, well, part of the reason maybe it didn't work is because, you know, six months after the show premiered, 9-11 happened, right? And the the pilot episode for the lone gunman was a government conspiracy to fly a plane in the World Trade Center to start a war. And I'm like, what the what? For real? Now, some of you are like, yeah, no shit, dude. I I never heard that before. I don't know. Like, I was I was like, what? You know, I mean, I'm not I do like conspiracies and I follow some, but I I'm not like a big rabbit hole chaser of, you know, I do a little bit or I I don't know. So people that do probably like this is old news, probably. I don't know. I'd never heard it. That is crazy. That is crazy. Now I haven't I haven't pulled up anything to look at it yet. So I might be kind of going, you know, reacting, overreacting, really, when it's maybe not, I don't know. So I was gonna pull up information on the show, the pilot, the plot, and read it and stuff and just kind of talk about it. But if it's if that's what it is, basically, that's insane. That's that's too that's too I don't know what to think, man. That's crazy. But let me let's see, I'm gonna pull up good old trusty Wikipedia. Excuse me. And just look up the show. Like, this is insane. Lone Gunman TV Sherries. But that's just too coincidental, man. It probably even sit talks about it on here. Okay, so similarities. Yeah, so I I never heard this before. And I remember the show. I remember I remember the Lone Gunman on the X-Files, and they were even in the first movie, if I remember right. They had a small part in the first X-Files movie. So I remember wanting to watch this. I just never did. I kept missing it. I don't know. I I had just moved to Utah and was just trying to get you know established and get a job and everything, and you know, I don't know. I just I wasn't really into, you know, I I don't know. I used to kind of know TV and I would know stuff that was on and know what days, oh today's Wednesday, it's whatever, you know, and I don't know. But by this time, I was kind of more into film, I guess, than what was on TV. Maybe that's part of it. But I remember I did want to watch it. I just I just never did. I kept missing it, forgetting it, whatever. But so I was watching this YouTube channel where guys talk about different shows and stuff from the past, and it was like failed TV shows from 2001. And yeah, so I had this one. I was like, oh yeah, lone gum, I remember that. And then when it when it brought this up, I was like, what the what? Like this, I'm you know, I don't know. I I'm I'm a little behind, apparently, but like 20 years behind. But holy shit! Like, what there's no way that this is a coincidence. Some I'll talk about, I guess, I don't know, but let's see. So, anyway. I already kind of talked about so I'm gonna read this real quick the similarities, and then I'll go more into the actual episode. I'm kind of wondering if if the show was viewed by more people. Okay, I'm getting ahead of it. But anyway, in the pilot episode, which aired March 4th, yeah, six months to September 11th, rogue members of the US government remotely hijack an airliner flying to Boston, crashing, planning to crash into the World Trade Center to let anti-American terrorist group take credit in order to gain public support for a new profitable profitable anti-terrorist war following the Cold War. Like, hold that's what happened! Like, that's what happened. I mean, maybe not, you know, remote, whatever this and that, but you know, I've always said I've always said that I believe this was a plot by you know terrorists and the government probably learned of it, and then when you know, decided to take advantage of it and and allowed it to happen. But now I'm kind of thinking, I don't know, man. This is crazy. And I know some of you, some of you were like, dude, this is such old news. You're a retard. I yeah, okay. I I'll I'll I'll agree. I just I never heard this. I maybe it I don't know, maybe I just missed it somewhere. I don't know. But yeah, I never I never it never clicked or something, but I just I never I never heard of this. And this to me is insane. Like this is crazy. So yeah, I thought maybe I would just kind of read about it because I know my listener, he likes it when I, you know, learn about stuff in real time. But so here we go. The pilot episode. Oh, it doesn't have like a plot, like a detailed plot. I was kind of hoping it had like you know, like on a movie. I guess maybe shows don't really oh that kind of sucks. Because it talks about let's see, Nielsen re okay hold on, Nielsen ratings. So at 13 million viewers. See the debut episode 13. That's a lot of people. Like that's before I talk about what I want to talk about, I want to make sure that there isn't like a detailed plot description of it. Let's see. I wish I had a little more detailed. While the lone gunmen are thwarted in their attempt to steal a computer chip, Ariz receives news of his father's death, and the trio soon find themselves unraveling a government conspiracy concerning an attempt to fly a commercial aircraft into the World Trade Center, which increased arms sales for the United States as an intended result. A little different, but. Now, a lot of people think conspiracy theory is just like a crazy theory. But it just means that there's some sort of plot that is planned and executed by a group of people. Doesn't mean it's a crazy theory or a real theory or whatever that you know, because I think a lot of people think conspiracy theory means just outlandish theory, you know. But what the crap, dude. Like this is like I'm tripping. I really am. I I have never heard this. I was kind of hoping there was a little more already read the similarities of 9-11. Dude, that's insane. So I don't know. Let me know. My listener, did you know this? Or anybody else that happens to catch it? Did you I I'd never heard this before. But doesn't isn't this a little too coincidental to anybody? Like did ah man, I really I mean Chris Carter, like who wrote the episode? Directed by written by Chris Carter, Vince Gilligan. Gilligan? John, whatever. See, I wish there was a little more detail on the background of it. Gosh, let me see. I'm gonna look up on IMDB to see what that has to say. Cause this is crazy. This is crazy. Because if you know, when this happened, I you know, other than the X Files, I didn't really what? I didn't really I didn't start really getting into conspiracies. I mean, okay, yeah, I remember when the JFK film came out and that kind of was like the first time I ever I guess entertained the idea and and all that stuff, but like he I don't know, man. Let me try this one more time. No, this ain't working. This is what happens. Alright, I'm gonna look up this is crazy. I'm gonna look up real quick just the writers and just kind of see. I mean, Chris Carter. I don't know. Dun dun, early life, surfing. Or is it let's see. I don't know much about him. Yeah, I know he's always kind of done. You know, he was into all that stuff and Twilight UFOs and all that stuff, obviously. But I'm just there's no way that 9-11 and this happen without one influencing the other. Like, I just don't like either one of these writers knew somebody that knew somebody that got wind of something and heard about it and was like, oh man, that'd be a good plot or something, and then wrote the story, you know, or they wrote the story and then it inspired the government to do exactly that. But man, that just kind of seems a little, you know, six months ago, there was a show that was watched by 13 million people. I won't at the like how did I don't know, I don't remember. You would think that at the time that this would have been, I would have heard about it. I remember 9-11. I think I talked about before. It's on my way to work. I was listening to, you know, I always listen to like the radio just to get traffic input to see if I needed to, you know, there was basically if there's an accident on any uh interstate that I had to drive and I would bypass it or whatever. That's basically why I, you know, I'd listen to any kind of whatever. And they were just all talking about this, you know, world trade and building, this and that. And it was like every station, I was like, what? Something is going on. This is crazy. And I was just getting it, you know, little, I don't know, let's see, this would have been like six in the morning central time. So yeah, you know, it wasn't too long after it happened. So they weren't they weren't really sure. And I was just like, what is going on? So then I remember I called my dad. I was like, hey, turn on the news, something's going on. I I don't know what it is. And and then I think by the time I got to work, they were listening, you know, so it was just it was a huge deal, right? Obviously. But I don't remember, I didn't I don't remember hearing anything about whatever. And it was just like, you know, it wasn't long, so it happened in September. By yeah, within you know, a couple months, I was joining the army, going through MEPs. Had my date for January is when I started, you know what I mean? Like it inspired me to join the military. I mean, you know, I the military was always kind of a possibility for me. It wasn't like I would never like ew, the military. And then when it happened, I was like, I'm gonna do it. You know, it was always kind of there, but it did, it was like the final nail in the coffin or whatever. But I yeah, I never I just never heard this. So man, I wish there was a little bit more information. I was kind of hoping there was like a detailed plot of the episode. Oh, that's right. I was gonna check out the other the other writers. Let me see. Just trying to see like who breaking bad, better. Oh, okay. So he writes for like breaking bad. Uh early life. I don't know. I'm trying to just see. Goanman. I know I gotta try and trying to like read and scan and then talk because this is a podcast. It's hard to do, yo. I don't know. I'm just trying to see if something stands out. I guess I could have done this before, but I don't know. Like I said, my my listener, he likes it when I do it. Like, who is this guy? Oh, he does for Hell on Wheels, too. God, there's lots of good writers, man. I mean, they're currently working and writing good stuff. Maybe not stuff that I watch all the time, but stuff that I know is considered good. Okay, last guy. American Television Producer, X-Files, Lone Gunman, Man in the High Cat. Yeah, see, people still Dang it, man. So 13 13 million people watched it. Okay. Like I said, let's let's I'm gonna look at this as objective as I can, right? So let's say let's say this was a conspiracy by the government, okay? Let's just pretend that. I mean, it could even be that they knew about it. Maybe it was terrorists or something, maybe I don't know. But let's just say there was there was information out there that this was a possible plot, you know, because there are plots and ideas and plans and people that that have been attempted or tried and and whatever that have been thwarted, did I say that right? By you know, the FBI and stuff that we've never even heard of. So I mean, could it have been somebody in a position had heard about it? You know, all there's you know, talking with a friend, you know, hey, don't, you know, and it's just a friend, not like a reporter or not anything, but just you know, just talking over some drinks and you know, talking about their jobs, and he's like, Man, dude, that's pretty cool what you do, and this and that. He's like, Yeah, it's it's kind of crazy, you know, there's lots of this and that. You know, there was this this person that thought it was a good idea to try and do this and that, and blah, blah, blah. Like, what? That's crazy, man. Yeah, he got arrested and whatever, blah, blah, blah. He's like, What's the most crazy one? Like, well, supposedly, like, they heard there, or there's some the rumblings about you know, hijacking a plane and crashing it in the World Trade Center. What? That's crazy. What would that accomplish? And well, I mean, you know, it could be the business side, whatever. I don't know, you know, they just talk about it, and then that gets, you know, somebody he talks to one other friend, and this other friend, and that friend happens to know one of these riders, and they heard it and they're like, man, that would be a cool plot to the show. To a show, and then that's kind of where they went from it, you know. Now, could that have happened? Maybe. I mean, would the I don't know. I'm kind of thinking, I don't know, maybe gosh. That's just kind of crazy. So let's say you're the government and this is completely planned. It is a conspiracy. This is our plan to get get the people on board to get involved in the Middle East. If, you know, come to find out that this show comes out and they're like, what crap, this is exactly, you know, you would think that they would probably not do it. Or maybe they thought it'd be so crazy. There's no way that they that people would think. So, you know, we can't, we we gotta let it, we gotta keep going. I don't know. You know what I'm saying? Do you understand what I'm trying to say? Like, I'm trying to just look at first, I'm just trying to see how it's possible a show six months before 9-11, basically the same plot would happen. I don't know. You know, and I always say, like, I, you know, I yeah, I don't know, the government, you can't trust government. You know, what I will it wouldn't, it would I wouldn't be surprised if eventually it was like completely admitted that they, you know, like it'd just be like, hmm. Like I'm in more shock now. I'm in I'm more in shock about this show having the same plot than I would be if it was like, oh yeah, the government they knew and this, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know what I mean? Because it wouldn't be the first time, like, supposedly Pearl Harbor. I never looked into Pearl Harbor, and I actually was gonna record a podcast talking about that. And I mean, you had Japan involved in it. Japan to me seemed more, and a lot of people are like, man, they they knew it was coming, and they again allowed it to happen because America didn't want to join the war, you know. So, and then as soon as that happened, bam, everybody's on board, everybody's joining the military. The exact same thing. Pearl Harbor and 9-11 are are the exact same thing. And when 9-11, they knew it would work because of Pearl Harbor. Supposedly, I don't know. I haven't I haven't researched too much of it because again, I like to do it as I'm re doing the podcast for that one listener. What's up? But I don't know, yeah. I was gonna I was actually gonna do that a while ago, but then some crap came up. I'll still do it. But yeah, it's like I don't know, man. Like it's just kind of crazy. So, but at first I was like, dude, man, they knew, but now I'm kind of thinking, like, could it I mean what was I mean if you think about it? I don't know, it's just the way the buildings went down. I I'm not an engineer, but still, it's just it seems like the top would have just kind of crumbled and fell over, and the and most of the building would have stayed up. The way it just kind of came down is very odd to me. Do I know for a fact that that would not happen? No, I don't. But you know, you've seen other things happen to other buildings and this and that. I mean, look at Oklahoma, you know. I mean, granted that was from the bottom, but there was st it's it still stood up. Wasn't as tall. I don't know. It's just kind of crazy. And then building seven, like what? That just hold on, you know, like that just seems like, you know, and then the Pentagon, where's the, you know, all the kind of weird stuff? It looks like a rocket and all that kind of stuff. So it does kind of seem like, you know, it just seems like, you know, the rumblings were, you know, true, and then maybe they just they kind of they just they just helped it and allowed it. And they were like, we need building set, like building seven was the actual target. Building seven was the target. But how you know it wasn't that tall, so you can't get a plane to fly in it. So what do we do? We have a plane, okay, hit the World Trade Center, that'd be easier, and then it comes crumbling down, and then when it crumbles down, it takes out, you know what I mean, and then that's how they kind of justify it. Like to me, that makes more sense than, you know, because you know that they wiped, they cleared it. It was almost like filing for bankruptcy, you know what I mean? They cleared a bunch of debt, governmental, you know, money and receipts and paper trails just gone because of it. They don't have to worry about it no more. And you know, plus then it got them to to go and invade and make money from the war and get some more, you know, all that crap. It's it's just so that's kind of you know, that's kind of what I think with that. So I mean, but it's just crazy to me that that if that is the case, if if if that, you know, if that conspiracy idea where the government allowed it to happen and it was, you know, maybe not the idea didn't come from us. Maybe that it was like they heard about it, you know, through whatever, and they're like, oh, okay. And they're like, oh man, you know what? If they actually did this, we could use that as a way to do this and that because it worked for Pearl Harbor, and then we can get rid of this and this, and everything's cool, and people are getting rich. If that's the case, I don't think, I mean, you know, things are not, you know, people didn't have wiretap bugs in their pockets back then, but still, I would think that the government would have would have heard about a show and they're like, dude, this is just like, you know what I mean? And they're like, man, we gotta tell them not to do this. Or can we, or how do we I don't know, you know what I'm saying? Or maybe, maybe they thought, you know what? It could they could use that to be like it influenced the terrorists, but as the terrorist, okay, this is the this is the other thing too about, you know, you have the buildings collapsing, you had building seven, and they're all just like, well, it doesn't seem right. But from a terrorist point of view, there's no way they knew, like, let's say, oh, how can we do it? We can we can crash the planes. They they that they wouldn't know that they would collapse and this and that, and you know, like I don't know. To me, it just seems like, yeah, it's easier because they're up taller, and it, you know, yes, terrorism is fear. It's not necessarily taking out whatever and it would cause, but I don't know, it just kind of seems like there'd be better ways to go about it if you're you know, from a terrorist standpoint, you know? I don't know. Yes, I mean the definition of terrorism is to cause destruction, fear, and people, and you know, doing that, crashing planes into the towers, whether they collapse or not, would cause a lot of fear in people, and but I don't know. It just doesn't seem like other than that, how do they benefit? Like they just don't really I don't know. So that's why I kind of think it was and I think a lot of people think it was it's just crazy to me though, how the show, like that just that's insane to me. Does that does that help the conspiracy or does that hurt it? You know what I mean? What do you think? Man, I don't know. It's it's a little I'm a little dumbfounded, I guess. It's I don't know what to think. It's crazy. I don't know. But in the I don't know, the crazy thing is I never heard of this either, too. So anyway. But that's kind of it. I just wanted to talk about it. Let me know what you think. Did you know about this? Did you hear about this? What are your thoughts? Appreciate it. Thanks for hanging out. I'll see you next time. God bless. Alright, bye.