Bugalugs (species)

The Bugalugs were a parasitic insectoid species that invaded the Earth, after their landing in Toronto, Ontario, in 1906. They quickly possessed the populace and set about taking over the entire planet, planning to end the human race to allow the remaining life forms on the planet to thrive.Sir. Sir? Sir!!! - Peter Mitchell - Murdoch Mysteries S12 E06 - CBC Television - Airdate 29 October 2018 - Retrieved 30 October 2024
==History==
===20th century===
====Invasion of Earth====
Travelling in their organic cocoons as part of a meteor shower, the species crashlanded in and around the city of Toronto, Ontario in 1906. On the night of the meteor shower, disturbances were reported around town. On a call to investigate loud noises outside of a bar, Toronto Constabulary Constable Henry Higgins was almost immediately possessed by a member of the species. 
Higgins returned to Station House No. 4 the next day, bringing a house plant with him for sustenance. The alien within him began trying to ingratiate itself with Inspector Thomas Brackenreid and was dismayed to see that Detective William Murdoch had discovered the cocoon it had emerged from. Brackenreid assigned Constable George Crabtree and Detective Llewellyn Watts to investigate a disturbance on a farm. While Crabtree and the farmer worked to prevent the aliens from escaping the crater in his barn, Detective Watts encountered and was overcome by the aliens. Meanwhile, Higgins had another alien possess Violet Hart.
The aliens quietly spread across the city over the next few days, taking control of the populace. Murdoch and Crabtree returned to the farm crater and captured an alien, as well as recording the clicking of the creatures from within the pit. When Hart watched the captive alien die under Murdoch and Dr. Julia Ogden's eyes. Higgins, Watts, and Hart convened a meeting of their kind within the city, unaware they were being watched by Crabtree. Crabtree attempted to return to the station to solicit Murdoch's help, but Murdoch was overpowered and forcibly converted by Hart, Watts, and Higgins. Crabtree resolved to resolve the alien invasion on his own, and briefly but unknowingly watched the conversion of Inspector Brackenreid by his wife, Margaret Brackenreid. Crabtree brought recorded audio of the possessed Higgins, Watts, Hart, and Murdoch speaking in the alien tongue to Dr. Ogden, but she refused to believe it and returned home. After finally seeing his unusual behaviour for herself, she shot him reluctantly.
Crabtree attempted to trap Watts, Hart, and Higgins inside the station house cells, but Higgins' strength allowed them to escape easily. Crabtree discovered not only that Brackenreid had been replaced, but that alcohol could kill the aliens. Retrieving all the spirits he could find, he raced to the Murdoch home. (TV: Sir. Sir? Sir!!!)
=====Triumph=====
Crabtree arrived at the Murdoch residence to find that Ogden had been converted by Murdoch and was cornered by the aliens. They explained their motives to Crabtree and possessed him, renaming their race after the nickname Brackenreid often referred to Crabtree by Within the coming days, they had taken control of every person in Toronto, with the last, Eddie Crawford, having run into the Station House seeking sanctuary. (TV: Sir. Sir? Sir!!!) 
==Notes==
===Behind the Scenes=== 
*"Murdoch Mysteries" prop master Craig Grant spoke with Greg David of TV, Eh? about the "bugs" and the episode they appeared in, and the process by which the aliens had been designed.Murdoch Mysteries: Props master Craig Grant gets buggy over “Sir. Sir? Sir!!” - Greg David - 29 October 2018 - TV, Eh? - 15 July 2020
===Trivia=== 
*Having taken over the entirety of the main cast of the show, the only recurring characters left that could possibly do anything would have been Terrence Meyers, James Pendrick, and perhaps Sherlock Holmes. James Gillies would also have been a contender, though, assuming the episode shared the same timeline as the canonical series, Gillies would have been dead by that time.
==Appearances== 
*Murdoch Mysteries
**Sir. Sir? Sir!!! (first and final appearance)
==Links== 
*Bugalugs on the Murdoch Mysteries Wiki
==References==
Category:Species
Category:Interstellar travellers
Category:Species that invaded Earth
Category:Herbivorous species
Category:Insectoid species
Category:Parasitic species
Category:Television species
Category:Foes of William Murdoch