Air Date: Sunday, August 7, 2011 9PM E/P
Rating:
From the beginning, I was intrigued by the premise of Falling Skies. Having the opportunity to watch episodes 1-7 in advance gave me a better picture of what was to come, but last week’s episode, “What Hides Beneath,” and this two-hour finale really surprised me. Throughout the entire season, I’ve been asking myself questions about why the aliens invaded Earth. Just as we feel we are the superior beings, the aliens may feel the same way. Ours is not so unlike their behavior. We as humans have committed the same acts throughout history by invading other countries and oppressing other people just because one race feels superior to another. Is Falling Skies a cleverly disguised metaphor for prejudice?
Capt. Weaver (Will Patton) orders Lt. Danner (Diego Klattenhoff) to take Tom (Noah Wyle) prisoner after Tom confronts Weaver about the pills
“Mutiny” gives us a very tense situation between Captain Weaver (Will Patton) and Tom (Noah Wyle), his second-in-command. Tom is rightfully concerned about Weaver’s mental state and whether he’s fit to lead after learning from Lourdes (Gabrielle Seychelle) he has been self-medicating. The entire episode is mostly about getting Weaver to realize the bigger picture. When an injured Dai (Peter Shinkoda) returns from a rendezvous with a possibly deceased Col. Porter (Dale Day) with critical information about being attacked and the continuation of their mission, Weaver chooses to ignore it, insisting they proceed. I know everyone wants to retaliate because of the pain they’ve endured at the hands of the aliens but going in blind without any confirmed support is a suicide mission.
Weaver (Will Patton, L) and Tom (Noah Wyle, R) address the 2nd Mass to tell them the plans for attack about about Col. Porter
Weaver is out of his mind! After an armed stand-off and breaking Tom out of the boiler room prison, Weaver finally listens to reason. I don’t understand why he is so dead set on going ahead with the mission when he has so little information. Both Weaver and Lt. Danner (Diego Klattenhoff) have prior military experience, but they both overlook the obvious just so they don’t have to admit a military history professor is right. It’s ludicrous.
There seems to be a dim light of hope beaconing from the distance that the humans may survive when Ben (Connor Jessup) and Scott (Bruce Gray) discover that Ben can hear the Skitters via radio frequencies. But if history has taught us anything, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. I find it curious when Ben mentions he wants the Skitters out of his head. Can he hear them without the transmitter? Were they able to read his thoughts? It seems doubtful, otherwise the aliens would have found where they were hiding, which to me isn’t an innocuous location – it’s a local high school. Does anyone else find it strange the aliens communicate using what’s seemingly archaic technology when they have such advance weaponry?
Tom (Noah Wyle) brings a confused Rick (Daniyah Ysrayl) back to the school after he's told the aliens where they are
“Eight Hours” continues where “Mutiny” leaves off with a deranged-looking, wall-crawling Rick (Daniyah Ysrayl) ambushing Scott and stealing the transmitter. Rick has really gone off the reservation! His near insatiable desire to be reunited with the Skitters and to reattach the harness is borderline insanity. But Rick is in for a very rude awakening. I’m appalled at how readily Rick gives up information on the 2nd Mass to a harnessed girl he runs into just so he can go back with the aliens and re-assimilate. I know he was a sickly kid – born with cystic fibrosis – and has made a full unexplainable recovery, but betraying the people who’ve sheltered you and loved you without a second thought is horrible. Does he really think the aliens can love him like humans do? Thankfully, Tom doesn’t abandon Rick despite what he’s done.
Scott (Bruce Gray) gets patched up by Lourdes (Gabrielle Seychelle) as he explains to Tom (Noah Wyle), Ben (Connor Jessup) and Anne (Moon Bloodgood) about Rick stealing the transmitter
With the approaching threat of a Mech attack, Pope’s (Colin Cunningham) new Mech bullets will definitely come in handy now that Tom has to evacuate the civilians thanks to Rick. Pope may not be a total degenerate but I think Margaret (Sarah Carter) knows much more about Pope than she’s let on. Their hushed but fervent discussion regarding the consequences Pope would face if he crosses the 2nd Mass makes me even more curious about what happened to Margaret when Pope found her. I think Pope has more humanity in him than he cares to admit. You could see it when he interacts with Tom’s youngest son Matt (Maxim Knight), telling him to listen to his father so he won’t end up like him. My only issue with this is that I don’t want the writers to soften Pope up too much. I like him grizzled and jaded. I think it’s these qualities that make the show even more dynamic. If everyone got along or did the right thing it would become too complacent.
Falling Skies explores the humanity of those who’ve suffered the same consequences on a global scale. It’s like September 11th – no matter your race, gender, creed, or age – people gathered to help another human being. I also believe there is an underlying morality lesson with each new obstacle the 2nd Mass has to endure. My concern is, however, painting these aliens as ‘the enemy’ may not be the right thing to do. We see them as a threat but perhaps we are the threat to them. We have to look at both sides of the coin and I’ll play Devil’s advocate. I love a show that makes you weigh both sides.
Tom fires an RPG at one of the smaller flying alien crafts and makes a direct hit
After blasting one of the smaller alien ships with an RPG causing a chain reaction of more explosions, Tom and Weaver celebrate briefly but have a strange encounter when they see Karen (Jessy Schram) in the middle of the road. With her harness, she communicates a message from the Humanoid alien in the large aircraft behind her, “They didn’t expect resistance on this level. They find it…interesting and want to talk.” Of course, to make matters worse, if Tom doesn’t go with them, the aliens will take Ben back. I want so badly to say Tom’s been abducted by aliens but unfortunately he went willingly. This may seem like coercion, and on some level it is, but perhaps the humans’ anger prevents them from seeing the bigger picture. The Humanoid wants to talk. It’s the subject of that talk that worries me.
As an aside, if the harness is a process and Ben isn’t free, then obviously Rick isn’t either. So, why didn’t they take a more than eager Rick back? Is there something special about Ben that’s yet to be revealed?
Moon Bloodgood as Anne and Noah Wyle as Tom
One of my favorite ‘aw’ moments comes when Tom approaches Anne (Moon Bloodgood) about watching over his boys so he can go after Weaver. You can feel the primal sensual tension between them –along with respect and adoration for one another. Sometimes words just can’t convey what a kiss can. What a blissful, expected yet unexpected, passionate moment. What I like about their burgeoning romance is that it is so understated. You know it’s there, you can sense it, yet they don’t fawn all over each other. It’s realistic to the situation they are in.
What were the Skitters before they were harnessed? Were they humans captured in the very beginning of the invasion? How long is the harness process before the children become unrecognizable? Why have the aliens come to Earth? Do they want to make it their new home? So many questions…damn it! I don’t think I can wait until next summer to find out what happens!
Falling Skies returns Summer 2012 only on TNT.
For more on Falling Skies go to http://www.tnt.tv/series/fallingskies.
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Photos © 2011 TNT – “We Know Drama.” All Rights Reserved.
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Judy Manning
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