Air Date: Sunday, July 17, 2011 10PM E/P
Rating:
Anne (Moon Bloodgood, L) examines Eli (Gage Munroe, C) while his father (uncredited) stands uneasy
“Sanctuary – Part 1” focuses on the human condition when tested and how it can alter lives forever. While Anne (Moon Bloodgood) examines a young boy, Eli (Gage Munroe), his parents are planning to steal the drugs that the Fighters confiscated for the harness removals. With Dr. Harris (Steven Weber) being killed by the Skitter last week in “Silent Kill,” I can totally understand Eli’s parents’ fear but stealing from those who’ve provided you with food, shelter, and clothing is just plain wrong. It was foolish for Anne to try escaping with Eli’s father brandishing a gun. I think she tries because she feels she has the power to do something while in other situations, like losing her family, she had no power at all.
Margaret (Sarah Carter) puts on such a heavy façade of being a hard-ass but it’s obvious she cares for people. She’s just having a difficult time expressing it in a congenial way. She shows Anne how much she cares by giving her a gun and shooting lessons. I mean, nothing says “I care” more than a loaded gun, right? I love the reference to Terminator, by the way.
Anne: “Shouldn’t I, I don’t know, like take a stance?”
Margaret: “You’re not the Terminator, honey; you’re just looking to protect yourself.”
Margaret (Sarah Carter, R) offers Anne (Moon Bloodgood, L) some advice and protection
Even though we are aware other groups like the 2nd Mass exist, we haven’t seen much of those groups until now. Terry (guest star Henry Czerny) from 7th Mass unexpectedly arrives to inform Captain Weaver (Will Patton) and Tom (Noah Wyle) about new orders from Col. Porter (Dale Dye). I knew something was immediately off when Terry says he’ll take “all the kids under the age of 20” with him. Say what? After all they’ve gone through to get some of these harnessed kids back, including Tom’s son Ben (Connor Jessup,) does this Terry guy really think it’s going to be that easy for these people to relinquish their children? Terry tells them his squad was ambushed by an alien team – one Mech and one Skitter. Thank you, Tom, for not immediately caving to this idea. I don’t care how long Mike (Martin Roach) or Weaver have known him, things just aren’t adding up.
Hal (Drew Roy, L) asks Anne (Moon Bloodgood, R) if she's noticed anything unusual about the harnessed kids
Hal (Drew Roy) is concerned about Ben. After overhearing a conversation Ben has with younger brother Matt (Maxim Knight,) Hal talks to Anne to find out if she notices anything odd. Of course, not knowing Ben intimately like a sibling would, I don’t know if Anne can give him answers to Ben’s character, but perhaps she can run more tests on these harnessed kids. It’s a bit abnormal that Ben can do over 100 push-ups without breaking a sweat, don’t you think? What other strange anomalies will the rescued kids manifest now that they are harness-free?
Mech attacking the school bus with Jimmy (Dylan Authors) inside
And if you recall a comment I made in my review for “Grace” regarding Pope (Collin Cunningham) – “I think it’s surprising that there aren’t more people like Pope in Falling Skies but it’s still early in the season.” – well, Terry is turning out to be just such a person, perhaps even more despicable than Pope. We don’t know exactly what happened to the 7th Mass, we are only going on what Terry has said. But after seeing why he wants to take all the kids with him, I think it’s safe to say Terry is not to be trusted. However, Pope does have a part in the treachery. He’s Terry’s prisoner and in exchange for his freedom, Pope tells him about all the kids of the 2nd Mass. I knew Pope was a sleaze ball but this deplorable. Did he really think he was going to be set free after giving up this information?
L-R: Tom (Noah Wyle) and Weaver (Will Patton) discuss sending the kids away for their protection
I’m pleased we get to see a slightly softer side of Weaver. An alien team, eerily similar scenario to the one Terry mentions, attacks one of the security posts at JFK high school. Weaver saves Jimmy (Dylan Authors) from being taken by the Skitter. Clearly Jimmy is shaken up. He’s only 13 for Pete’s sake. As he begins to sob, leaning into Weaver, I’m so glad Weaver doesn’t pull back or put on some macho routine, but instead, consoles the poor kid. By the way, did you notice when a globe of the Earth rolls out from one of the classrooms, the Skitter crushes it in the palm of his…claws. Symbolic of what the aliens really want to do to Earth or just my imagination reaching?
Tune in to Falling Skies Sundays at 10PM E/P only on TNT.
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Judy Manning
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