The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 4: What Will Be the Biggest Reveal?
The aerospace billionaire Robert Bigelow purchased the Skinwalker Ranch from the Sherman family for $200,000 in 1996, a year after he had founded the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) to advance studies of ufology. According the NIDS Deputy Administrator Colm Kelleher, the organization also focused on various anomalies other than UFOs. Purchasing the Skinwalker Ranch seemed to be the right move for Bigelow for the property had always been busy with rumors of flying saucers, paranormal activities, unexplained cattle mutilations, and phenomena of unknown origins. In short, the ranch made for a perfect NIDS proving ground. Let’s delve into the big reveal of The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 4!
However, NIDS went defunct in 2004 although Bigelow maintained ownership of the property until 2016 when it changed hands to real estate magnate Brandon Fugal for reportedly $4.5 million. Fugal said he became interested in the property when two researchers formerly working for Bigelow made a strong case to continue the study of anomalies in the land. Just a few years later, the History Channel green-lit the development of a new series chronicling the investigative journey inside the ranch. The pilot episode aired on March 31, 2020. It turned out that the same people behind The Curse of Oak Island developed the show, so both series used a similar format and episode-by-episode plotline. In August 2023, The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 4 concluded. There has been no official statement about renewal or cancellation.
Ever since the days of the Sherman family, the ranch keeps popping up on paranormal outlets, UFO websites, and sometimes mainstream publications to deliver news of sightings or encounters with otherworldly incidents. The news is not merely about flying saucers but also bright lights that look like portals in the sky, unexplained cattle mutilations with no trace of blood, frequent electromagnetic disturbances, and a cryptid known as “skin-walker” from Navajo folklore.
Theories abound about every bizarre story from the ranch. Some believe it is on a spot in the universe where an interdimensional gate stands – it is a wormhole so anomalies are to be expected – while others assume everything is nothing but a big lie. The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch attempts to put every anomaly encountered on record and provide analysis from a scientific point of view using modern technologies. From the premiere to the most recent episode at the end of Season 4, the series’ biggest reveals include some “potential” discoveries:
An alien base buried deep underground. The base has been mentioned multiple times and can possibly be accessed through a network of hidden tunnels.
Sophisticated light emitter device (there might be more than one in the land) responsible for displaying bright lights in the mesa.
Buried spacecraft or some form of other alien technologies. A large structure underneath the ranch might explain the underground profile exposed during a subsurface investigation. Dr. Travis Taylor, the team’s leading scientist, once mentioned the possibility of a ship.
The existence of a wormhole or a portal for interdimensional travel above the ranch.
Extraterrestrial or interdimensional lifeform in the property. Although never captured on camera, the team did in more than one occasion tried to capture the mysterious being on foot.
Other than light emitter, the ranch might hide other sophisticated technologies such as underground transformers and broad-spectrum radios which have caused sudden spikes of electromagnetic energy. For some reason, nearly all the potential discoveries based on strange encounters and sightings are never been fully explored. Either the strangeness serves only as cliffhanger for the show, or the researchers still have not had the chance to acquire the right tools to conduct further investigations.
Taking a more realistic look at the nature of such docuseries, true discovery is a genuine rarity. In fact, it is safe to assume that people watch The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch only to get a glimpse of the mystery and entertain some bizarre ideas of their own. They tune in without even a shred of hope to witness groundbreaking footage of little green creatures or real skin-walkers; it is the same thing with those who watch other shows of similar fashion like Finding Bigfoot or Ghost Adventures. They are drawn into the questions and mysteries, not the probability of finding answers.
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 4 (the latest) is still mainly about educating the public about the theories, possibilities, history of the land, and the investigative journey rather than putting the anomalies to the true test of science. Most analysis results in something baffling, interesting, shocking, or downright nothing without the much-needed follow-up. Assuming the series is renewed for Season 5 or more afterwards, the best thing viewers can hope for is a refreshed approach to the investigative method. There are mysteries and secrets in Skinwalker Ranch – that much has been established. It is too soon to debunk everything, but there are better proofs yet to be found.
We think The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch falls in the same docuseries category as other nonfiction series aired on History Channel for example The Curse of Oak Island and Ancient Aliens. They are not exactly hard science in the sense that every episode doesn’t put heavy emphasis on the scientific methods, at least not the type of scientific analysis conducted at Caltech or MIT. That said, the show serves a good purpose as a platform to inform the public about the land’s history and the potential risks associated with exposure to extraterrestrial technologies and phenomena.
Are you a fan of The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 4? What do you think Season 5 will be like? We’d love to hear from you.
Other things you might want to know:
How many episodes are there in the show?
The show has so far run for 4 seasons for 44 episodes.
Is there any other team investigating the ranch?
Not at the moment unfortunately. Skinwalker Ranch is a private property so taking an independent team to the area would require permission from the owner. However, there was once a team of government-approved researchers investigating the land for a brief period. They came up with Skinwalkers at the Pentagon report (cleared for release by the DoD) which confirmed incidents of UFO sightings and poltergeist activities. It remains unclear if the document contains the full report of the inquiry.
Will they renew it for Season 5?
Words are scarce about Season 5, but History Channel has confirmed there will be a spin-off and currently in production series called “Beyond Skinwalker Ranch”.
