Air Date: Sunday, July 10, 2011 10PM E/P
Rating:
When I watch Falling Skies, I’ve noticed little things left behind that showcase the Americans’ naivety along with their patriotism. The JFK High School walls have painted murals of the country’s founding fathers, and on the school’s bulletin board there are magazine clippings of articles about the aliens coming to Earth. One in particular, which Anne (Moon Bloodgood) thrusts her alien blood-stained hand upon, is titled, “They Come In Peace?” My question – at what point did the humans grasp that the aliens weren’t here to make nice?
Sarah Sanguin Carter as Margaret
Margaret (Sarah Sanguin Carter) is an intriguing character. One of the things I love about the show is how they keep us in the dark about each of the characters’ entire back stories. I like the slow revelation of how Margaret knew so much about where the local drug dealers keep their stash and the layout of the local hospital where Tom’s (Noah Wyle) son Ben (Connor Jessup) is being held. Although she has a tough exterior, it doesn’t completely hide her vulnerability. She’s seems to a free spirited person who doesn’t want to try to fit in anywhere. But of course, as with most devastating situations, such as an alien invasion, you tend to make friends even if you don’t want to. I think as much as she wants to be a loner, staying with the 2nd Mass would be in her best interests. Cancer has a nasty habit of being hard to kill.
Tom (Noah Wyle) thanks Anne for safely removing the harness from Ben
Our resident arrogant doctor, Michael Harris (guest star Steven Weber), may be brilliant but his bedside manner is cold. His lack of humanity will be the cause of his painful demise. As much as I love Weber, he plays his character too well. So well in fact, he makes me truly dislike Harris. I found myself rooting for the Skitter as it choked the life out of him. I only hope Anne can work through her fear to perform the harness removal when Tom rescues Ben and the other kids. However, if she isn’t able to address her inner turmoil, she may not be of any use to anyone. There’s a reason she doesn’t put a photo of her son on the bulletin board – she doesn’t have anything left of her former life and that has to be eating her up inside.
Despite his age, Hal (Drew Roy) comes with a fresh perspective about saving his brother. After making small talk with Rick (Daniyah Ysrayl), Hal believes he will have a better chance of rescuing Ben than his father would. Of course, Tom isn’t willing to give in. Tom thinks it’s a crazy idea but I love the response Captain Weaver (Will Patton) gives, “I don’t know what’s crazy anymore. We’re fighting aliens from outer space. We got an army half full of kids.” Crazy definitely has a new meaning.
Hal (Drew Roy) makes a risky move trying to save his brother Ben
The dramatic rescue of Ben and the other harnessed kids sheds a new light on the aliens. Their interactions with the kids are similar to a parent with children (sans the spinal décor). It’s as if they’ve adopted these young humans as their own. As the Skitter gently caresses Hal’s head as the kids are circled around like a litter of sleeping kittens, it shows such genuine caring I wouldn’t have thought possible. I almost feel sorry for the Skitter as Hal goes in for the “Silent Kill.” Could the aliens be more compassionate than originally thought? There have been many quarrels between civilizations due to communication barriers so perhaps the lack of understanding led to the misinterpretation between our two species.
As I’ve mentioned in earlier reviews, there are some slightly cheesy moments that make my eyes roll a bit. It’s not that they are unrealistic; it’s just that they are a bit over the top as if you walked into a living Hallmark™ store. The sweet sentimental advice to mom-to-be Sarah (Melissa Kramer) could cause cavities.
However, there are some moments that tug at the heartstrings – Hal cleaning Ben’s wounds after harness surgery; the actual preparation for the baby shower; the pain within Weaver’s eyes as he plays an old vinyl record, “Many Rivers to Cross,” by Jimmy Cliff.
One thing I’m very curious about is how Ben awoke so soon after the harness removal while it took Rick days to come around. Could Rick’s illness have caused the harness to connect more, thereby increasing the neurological chemical being secreted to make the bond stronger with the Skitter?
Falling Skies continues to intrigue me. While I get answers to some of my questions, it seems I have more questions after learning the answers to others. I suppose that’s a good thing, right?
Tune in to Falling Skies Sundays at 10PM E/P only on TNT.
For more on Falling Skies go to http://www.tnt.tv/series/fallingskies.
Follow Falling Skies on Twitter @FallingSkiesTNT and LIKE them on Facebook
Photos © TNT – “We Know Drama.” All Rights Reserved.
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Judy Manning
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