Netflix’s The Manhattan Alien Abduction Is Dividing Audiences

The Manhattan Alien Abduction debuted on October 30, 2024, instantly soaring atop Netflix‘s most-watched new TV shows. The docuseries retraces the time a woman named Linda Napolitano was allegedly abducted by aliens from her apartment window in 1989. Pushing back on Linda’s testimony is renowned skeptic Carol Rainey, whose husband and paranormal investigator Budd Hopkins becomes consumed by Linda’s case.

Despite shooting to the top of the Netflix TV charts upon its premiere, The Manhattan Alien Abduction has polarized viewers regarding Linda’s account. Viewers either tend to side with Linda and believe her account or disbelieve her testimony and side with Carol. With zero persuasion toward the middle ground, it’s worth wondering why such a show was made beyond reinforcing confirmation bias. More curious yet, Budd Hopkins has a major conflict of interest that renders the entire series dubious at best.

What Is The Manhattan Alien Abduction About?

From directors Vivienne Perry and Daniel Vernon, The Manhattan Alien Abduction is an American documentary TV series that recounts Linda Napolitano’s alleged alien abduction in November 1989. Known as the Brooklyn Bridge Abduction, Linda claims she was yanked out of her apartment in Lower Manhattan, where she was held in a levitating trance for several minutes. Following her abduction, Linda explained her experience to Budd Hopkins, a professional UFO expert.

After conducting hypnosis to tap into Linda’s subconscious and trigger repressed memories for more answers, Budd claims to have found 23 witnesses who were present at the time of Linda’s abduction. The witnesses confirmed that they saw Linda floating outside her window for a prolonged period. Conveniently, only one witness participates in the docuseries, raising questions about the truthfulness of Linda’s claim.

Enter Carol Rainey, Budd Hopkins’ wife and paranormal skeptic who denies Linda’s claim at every turn. The short and suspenseful docuseries traces the combative relationship between Carol and Linda dating back to the ’80s, when they aired public grievances about each other through high-profile media shows like The Geraldo Rivera Show and Ricki Lake. 25 years later, the grudge continues to divide Linda and Carol’s testimony, without Budd (who passed away in 2011) mediating between them or speaking for himself. This becomes highly problematic when attempting to convince audiences one way or the other.

Old Grudges and Conflicts of Interest Strain Credulity in Netflix’s Docuseries

What begins as an intriguing alien abduction account quickly devolves into a grudge-holding game of “She Said, She Said.” Far too much time is spent on Linda shading Carol and vice versa, both of whom sink into shallow, sophomoric personal attacks rather than focusing on the abduction’s veracity. Now that Budd is no longer around to defend himself or add to the discourse, the series seemingly functions as a rekindled grudge match 25 years after it started. As such, viewers are left siding with either Carol or Linda without ever getting to the bottom of the latter’s alleged abduction.

Even more problematic, Budd Hopkins has a massive conflict of interest that negates his and Linda’s claims. As a professional UFO researcher and author, he benefits from perpetuating beliefs in Linda’s claims. The so-called proof Budd gathers helps him sell books and keep his profession successful, even when his wife Carol does not support his theory or believe Linda.

Worse yet, Budd’s professional obsession with Linda becomes a romantic infatuation, straining his marriage to Carol. In turn, Carol has every reason in the world to turn her back on Budd and completely disavow Linda’s testimony. Therefore, the docuseries becomes less about getting to the bottom of Linda’s abduction and more about working out Carol’s jealousy, betrayal, and ill will about Budd’s consumption of Carol.

Why The Manhattan Project Is Polarizing, Explained

A tabloid tale of juicy gossip, rumors, and hearsay, The Manhattan Alien Abduction has divided viewers. With almost no gray middle ground, viewers either believe Carol and disavow Linda or vice versa. For instance, a Reddit thread opens with, “Just Finished Alien Abduction. I’m On Carol’s Side.” The main argument made by the OP reads:

“I think the whole series showcases societies inability to differentiate compelling circumstantial evidence from verified fact. EVERYTHING deemed as evidence to support Linda’s claim was subject to corruption and manipulation. Carol demonstrated that perfectly with the alternative explanation of the x-ray.”

The X-ray referred to is something Linda claims was implanted in her nose. A doctor told her that she had a medical procedure done, which must have utilized a medical scalpel to cause the small scar on the inside of her nose. Linda maintains that the large bump on her nose is an alien device implanted during her abduction. Yet, as the Redditor notes, the device has not been removed 35 years after Linda’s alleged abduction or tested and examined.

Unfortunately, almost every response to the post supports Carol over Linda, with another adding:

“Just finished bingeing it. I’m not sure she [Linda] had
any
experience. Who tells their 6-year-old their nightmare was
real
and f***s them up like that? The whole time watching I was expecting to hear that she and Budd were having an affair or something. Nothing real happened from her b******t story imho. And when challenged by Carol she responds with insults and threats.”

While rarer, those on Team Linda can be found on Reddit. One such example states:

“It’s compelling. This person and her whole family were terrorized. An implant, many witnesses. Oprah and mainstream media even covered the story. Also a connection with a UN big wig, who was also a witness. She describes going into a “volcano” mouth of the ship. The Phoenix lights peeps also said it looked like “’ava tubes’ under the ship.”

However, the same poster edited their post with the addendum:

“After getting further into it… I would say could very well be a grift. Glad I kept watching. The book deal thing is just to convenient leaning toward a hoax.”

Lost in the discussion is the fact that Carol Rainey passed away in 2023 after complications from a heart attack. While it’s a shame her marital problems were prioritized over Linda’s alleged alien abduction in the disturbing Netflix docuseries, at least most viewers side with her debunking skepticism. It’s also worth noting that Linda Napolitano sued Netflix days before the docuseries was released (via Forbes). The Manhattan Alien Abduction is available to stream on Netflix.