Episode One of "The Midwich Cuckoos" opens on a tense note, with soldiers patrolling the streets, their shadows lengthening in the dwindling daylight. Zoe and Sam, a couple on the brink of escape, stealthily gather their belongings, their hearts racing as they strive to evade the watchful gaze. But their path is abruptly blocked by a mysterious young girl, her voice eerie as she poses the haunting question, "Mummy, what have you done?"
Flashing back five years, we find Zoe and Sam embarking on a new chapter, driving towards the picturesque village of Midwich, their promised land of tranquility. Yet, Midwich harbors secrets beneath its quaint facade, its residents grappling with their own demons. Charlotte, a troubled youth, seeks solace in therapy; Cassie, estranged from her mother Susannah, who is embarking on a romantic sojourn to London. And amidst the village's tranquility lurks Stewart, a sleazy politician indulging in a clandestine affair with his alluring aide, Amrita.
As if nature itself were forewarning of impending doom, animals in the village exhibit strange behavior—electricity fizzles, birds fly erratically, and horses whinny anxiously in their stables. The unexplained electrical disturbances captivate the attention of DCI Paul Jaynes and his police force, who scramble to unravel the enigma. The power, however, remains ostensibly intact, substations functioning without a hitch.
As twilight descends, Midwich is plunged into darkness, its inhabitants powerless against the sudden blackout. Zoe and Sam, seizing the moment, indulge in a passionate embrace, their bodies entwined in the dimly lit living room. Little do they know, their intimacy has unwittingly become the spectacle of a prying neighbor, Rachel, who spies on them from the shadows of her window.
But the night holds far greater horrors in store. Horses break free from their confines, unleashing chaos, and a bizarre purple-orange aura blankets the village, casting everything in an ominous glow. In an instant, all life within Midwich comes to a standstill, as people and animals alike collapse to the ground, inexplicably slipping into unconsciousness. The horses, too, succumb to this strange malady, their mighty frames lying still amidst the eerie silence.
Yet amidst this turmoil, Susannah remains an untouched enigma, venturing forth on a date with a suitor named Michael. Their encounter, however, strays far from the romantic path, ultimately leading Susannah home, her heart heavy with disappointment. As if fate were conspiring against her, her misfortunes amplify at the station, where an ominous announcement echoes: all trains bound for Midwich are indefinitely halted. (In the UK, train cancellations? A weary norm, alas!) The entire locale is cordoned off, a police blockade erecting an impassable barrier. Even as a local resident, Susannah finds herself rebuffed, directed towards the town hall's impersonal confines. Stubbornly, she rejects this directive, sneaking past the confines of civilization through the verdant woods. Within this secluded path, she observes a disturbing sight: individuals clad in hazmat suits, their protective gear seemingly futile as one man succumbs to the environs, collapsing before her very eyes. Once spotted, Susannah's flight is fruitless, as she becomes entangled in the mysterious blast's embrace, losing consciousness herself.
Meanwhile, beyond Midwich's troubled borders, Paul Haynes and Bryony Cummings, a youthful MI5 operative, grapple with the gravity of the situation. Haynes grimly informs that an alarming 11,000 souls within the town's vicinity stand perilously close to being consumed by this anomaly. The epicenter of this bizarre calamity appears to converge upon the preparatory school, a surreal backdrop for such dire events.
Arriving at the heart of the chaos, Paul and Bryony encounter Susannah, who has miraculously regained her senses. Paul's instincts drive him to orchestrate a full evacuation, a proposal that meets with swift resistance. Instead, a helicopter is dispatched, its arrival marred by a catastrophic crash-landing and subsequent explosion, raining death upon the already beleaguered region, its occupants consumed by the same dark force that had enveloped Midwich.
Paul's pregnant wife, Deborah, stands as one amidst the women ensnared within the ominous zone, her condition a weighty concern for him. His anxiety escalates when the evacuation order resounds, devoid of any news pertaining to those trapped in the blackout's ominous embrace. It's a dire imperative, yet its execution spirals into chaos.
Amidst the tumult, Cassie, awakened on the desolate streets, miraculously manages to connect with her mother over the phone. Suddenly, and inexplicably, those within the confines of the affected area, including Cassie, stir from their slumber, their consciousness restored. Even the noble white horse awakens, a breath of relief amidst the turmoil.
Bryony, swift in her actions, rushes to Deborah's abode, only to be met with a dire sight—the stove's flame still flickering, a deadly trail of gas creeping through the kitchen. Jodie, despite the peril, manages to escape unscathed, but Deborah's fate is sealed. When Paul arrives, his heart shatters into a million pieces as he confronts the tragic reality of his wife's passing.
As the episode draws to a close, a peculiar scene unfolds: several women, their hands gently caressing their swollen bellies, reveal a stunning revelation—they too are with child. The mystery deepens, their pregnancies a puzzle waiting to be unraveled. How? Why? The answers linger, teasingly withheld, leaving us to ponder and await the next chapter's illumination.
