Review: Falling Skies, S2, Ep. 207 “Molon Labe”
Air Date: Sunday, July 22, 2012, 9/8c on TNT
Rating:
As I suspected, Karen’s (Jessy Schram) sudden reappearance was merely a ruse to find out what the 2nd Mass was up to and moreover, what Ben (Connor Jessup) knew about the Skitter rebellion. When you see Ben and Karen walking through the snow covered forest, they encounter a group of Skitters accompanying the Humanoid alien over-lord, or who Karen lovingly refers to as “my master.”
Karen’s elation as she’s reunited with her slimy and creepy looking harness is disturbing. And when she whispers to Ben about their deep connection they shared back at the hospital, Ben’s reaction is telling. He’s not too keen on being reconnected with the harness and is very much afraid of the possibility it may happen again. One thing is for certain, with only his spikes, Ben is more connected to the aliens, including the Humanoid, than he would like.
Observations/Thoughts:
Tom and Weaver have a discussion about their new POW
Tom (Noah Wyle) and several members of the 2nd Mass are immediately rewarded when they capture the over-lord Humanoid being as their prisoner. But taking the over-lord prisoner spells more harm than good for the 2nd Mass. And sadly, it costs lives. In thinking back to my interviews at Comic-Con with the executive producers Remi Aubuchon and Justin Falvey, they did mention someone we know will die and sadly, we lose Jamil (Brandon Jay McLaren).
Poor Jamil. His death was tragic and disgusting. Think Alien during the stomach scene, except these came out of his mouth. I can’t believe how many of those things were inside him. But one of the tenderest moments comes when he, with his last ounce of lucidity, tells Lourdes (Gabrielle Seychelle) “I love you.” After seeing her reaction to his death, I think Lourdes’ positive outlook will darken. Her once bright, bubbly optimism and faith will be tested.
I don’t think Cpt. Weaver is 100% yet. Is that alien virus really cured?
Cpt. Weaver (Will Patton) seems a bit leery of keeping the “fish head” as a prisoner but this is the leverage they’ll need later in order to get on the road to Charleston, SC. And, I know Weaver is tough as nails but his miraculous recovery seems a bit far-fetched. He shouldn’t be up and about, let alone leading his team into any kind of stand-off with Karen and the aliens. Just saying, writers; there’s a realistic point of view about Falling Skies that keeps people dialed in. Don’t go off the rails too much. And I don’t believe Weaver is at 100% just yet. I think we may see more of his illness working itself into the story arc in later episodes.
Lourdes, Anne, and Matt are trapped in the hospital basement after an explosion
Anne (Moon Bloodgood), Matt (Maxim Knight) and Lourdes are trapped in the basement after Tom unknowingly blows up a Mech near their location. Now Anne and Lourdes are depending on Matt to crawl through a ventilation shaft to get help before the creepy mini-aliens that crawled out of Jamil chew through the door. Matt is the youngest hero. It’s a shame how quickly the children have to grow up, take up arms, and face imminent danger. This is another aspect of the show that provides the realism of what could happen if earth was invaded by hostile alien forces.
Karen’s white flag approach to negotiating the release of her “master” is arrogant. Her concern over Hal (Drew Roy) and Ben’s safety is both ironic and disingenuous. Schram gives a very convincing portrayal of a devoted follower, but she also gives in to the allure of command, as if she’s one of the more elite human captives. Her speech to Hal was very revealing: “You see, every living thing, every grain of sand on a beach, every star in the sky is linked by an intricate web of causality. If you can comprehend that web in its entirety, down to the movements of the smallest sub-atomic particles, then you can predict the course of events and alter them.” What events have already been altered? Could the 2nd Mass’ journey to Charleston be a set-up elaborately orchestrated by the aliens to gather all the rebellious humans in one location?
Ben prepares to leave without saying goodbye
Obviously, the alien invasion is global and through Ben, we learn that the Humanoid is afraid of the rebellion, which means hope for not only the rebellion but the 2nd Mass. When Tom speaks to the Humanoid captive via Ben, we learn how much control and power this being has as he causes Ben to drop to the ground and convulse. What I didn’t expect is Tom’s reaction. He shows us the meaning of hostile negotiations. It’s true what Weaver said, Tom’s too close to this – he’s too emotionally invested for the obvious reason – Ben is his son. During the initial conversation with the Humanoid, it reveals to Tom that they don’t want to annihilate earth, they only want to complete their “tasks” and be on their way. What tasks? Does it have anything to do with all the copper they collected in season one?
The heartfelt and tearful (mostly Tom) farewell between Tom and Ben was touching. No parent wants to let go of their children before it’s time. Ben is only 15 years old and he’s acting like a man. His leaving the 2nd Mass on his own to search for other children like him seems dangerous but staying with 2nd Mass may be even more dangerous.
I’m so excited for this season! Things are really getting grittier, darker, and more intense. I’m looking forward to seeing what lies ahead, especially in Charleston. I’m still not sold on it being a safe haven for the 2nd Mass. In fact, I think it will be quite the opposite.
Tune in to Falling Skies, Sundays at 9/8c, only on TNT.
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Photos ©2012 TNT/Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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