Ep 2. Resurrection Row, Operation Brainwash, Rabid Roulette

In season 2 episode 2 of Dark Matters: Twisted But True, viewers are taken on a journey through three distinct tales of the bizarre and inhumane: Resurrection Row, Operation Brainwash, and Rabid Roulette.

The first story, Resurrection Row, explores the dark history of the 19th century medical practice of grave robbing. Scientists and physicians of the era, desperate for fresh cadavers to study, often paid criminals to unearth bodies from local cemeteries. But when these illegal activities were discovered, the consequences were dire. The episode investigates the story of Burke and Hare, grave robbers turned murderers, who sold the bodies of their victims to doctors for dissection. The tale takes a macabre turn when the doctors who purchased the corpses are implicated in the crimes. The episode questions the moral boundaries of scientific experimentation, as well as the ethical implications of the use of human remains in medical research.

The second story, Operation Brainwash, reveals the shocking truth behind a top-secret government program, designed to turn ordinary citizens into brainwashed operatives. The CIA's notorious MK-Ultra program aimed to develop mind control techniques for use against foreign enemies during the Cold War. The episode delves into the disturbing experiments carried out by the CIA, which involved the use of LSD, electroshock therapy, and sensory deprivation. Viewers are introduced to individuals who participated in the program, and whose lives were forever altered by the traumatic experiences they endured. The episode raises important questions about government intrusion into personal lives and the limits of human experimentation.

Finally, Rabid Roulette tells the bizarre story of a group of scientists in the early 20th century who took a radical approach to studying the deadly disease of rabies. James Bordley, a prominent physician at the time, believed that the only way to understand the virus was to deliberately infect human subjects and observe their symptoms. He recruited a group of volunteers, including his own daughter, to participate in a bizarre game of chance. The participants would spin a wheel, and whoever it landed on would receive an injection of the rabies virus. The episode follows the experiences of the volunteers, many of whom suffered terrible consequences from the experiment. The story raises important ethical questions about the role of science in society and the value of human life.

Overall, season 2 episode 2 of Dark Matters: Twisted But True offers a fascinating, if disturbing, glimpse into the often-dark world of scientific experimentation. Viewers are forced to confront the ethical implications of some of the most bizarre and inhumane practices in human history. The show invites viewers to question the limits of scientific progress, and to consider the moral boundaries of experimentation on human subjects.