Review: Falling Skies, S2 Premiere, Pt. 1 “Worlds Apart” and Pt. 2 “Shall We Gather At The River”
Air Date: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 9:00 – 11:00PM E/P on TNT
Rating:
“We have no patience for empty bravado.” Alien Humanoid via Karen
It’s been three months since Tom (Noah Wyle) boarded the alien craft with a harnessed Karen (Jessy Schram). The season two premiere jumps head first into the line of fire as Cpt. Weaver (Will Patton) leads Pope (Colin Cunningham), Anthony (Mpho Koaho), Hal (Drew Roy), Maggie (Sarah S. Carter), and Ben (Connor Jessup) into battle with a band of Skitters and Mechs.
Falling Skies roars back with just as much drama, angst, triumph, and heart as we saw in season one. It’s one of the best shows on television this summer, in my estimation. And this two-part premiere is just a taste of what’s in store for us this season.
If you’ve watched the recap of season one above and read my review of the first season finale, then you know I’ve been ready for season two since the show ended last August. Like the other resistance fighters of the 2nd Mass, I was shocked to see Tom return. It was also a huge shock for his two oldest sons, Hal and Ben, especially when Ben accidentally shoots Tom.
I love that we dive into the action so quickly. These people are fighting for survival and it’s refreshing to see them look like they’ve been struggling. Forget the coifed hair and make-up for the ladies; they don blood, sweat, and tears instead – love it or leave it. And the guys…well, there is no mistaking they’re dudes…rough, gruff, and badass to the core. If you’re squeamish about violence, like gun fire and bloodshed (human and alien alike), this may not be your cup of tea. However, if you like grit and grime, then this troupe of modern day warriors should give you the weekly adrenaline rush and heart pounding drama you’ve been looking for!
As “Worlds Apart” progresses, we get glimpses of what Tom went through on the alien ship as he slips in and out of consciousness while Dr. Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood) desperately tries to save his life. During Tom’s stint on the craft, the alien humanoid uses Karen to communicate with Tom. It’s really creepy when Karen hugs Tom and says, “Whatever you think they’ve done to me, I’m still Karen,” because it’s obvious she isn’t. The ceasefire, of sorts, that the aliens propose—putting the surviving humans in a “protected area”—sounds too much like a “prison camp” to me. The parallels of Falling Skies to our American Revolution are evident. It’s cool that the writers are able to integrate U.S. history into the aliens’ negotiations with Tom. But as Tom points out, the aliens are citing from some of our “darkest moments,” like “Cambodia and Nazi Germany.” I think it’s curious that the aliens are trying to negotiate at all. I take it as a sign of fear on their part. They know we are capable of inflicting more damage on them.
Jamil (Brandon Jay McLaren), the new face in the 2nd Mass is the new tech guy now that Uncle Scott (Bruce Gray) is gone. You may recall McLaren from his role as Bennet Ahmed on AMC’s The Killing. Jamil and pre-med student/2nd Mass medic Lourdes (Seychelle Gabriel) seem to be hitting off. And Hal and Maggie seem to have a more flirtatious friendship, too. It’s nice to see these love connections amidst the turmoil and doldrums. Even the weather is a character – the grey skies, cold air, and bleak surroundings provide extra atmosphere for a seemingly desolate situation.
Through a flashback, we see Tom being released from the alien ship, in Michigan of all places, where he must make his way back towards Boston. But like many others may be wondering, especially Pope, what really happened to Tom on that ship?
***
Pt. 2, “Shall We Gather at the River,” continues with Tom recovering from his wounds while Anne fills him in on what’s been going on during his absence. Not only did many people die, like Scott, but some, like Rick (Daniyah Ysrayl), who was harnessed just like Ben, left. “One day he was there, the next he was gone,” Anne admits reluctantly, but that doesn’t provide much comfort for Tom. And with Ben’s increased strength, vision, and stamina, you have to wonder how much those residual spikes are ingrained into Ben’s mind. We know Ben is still affected by the aliens when he tracks down the alien ship Dai (Peter Shinkoda) shoots down over the bridge earlier in the day. I think Ben’s strange connection to the aliens could be used to the 2nd Mass’ advantage but he’s still fearful of admitting he is influenced by them. I don’t think he’ll be able to keep this secret for long.
Weaver desperately clings to hope as he tries to move the remaining members of the ragged 2nd Mass across the only bridge the aliens haven’t destroyed. I found this tidbit intriguing because it seems like the aliens are trying to prevent the humans from converging into larger groups by destroying any means they might have to assemble.
While Jamil and other members of the group try to patch up the damaged bridge, Tom must contend with a new problem – an alien parasite. It’s grueling to watch Anne extract the parasite from Tom’s eye, and Wyle effectively conveys, both physically and vocally, a man in immense, tortuous pain. It kind of gave me the willies. Just saying.
Observations/Thoughts:
When the escaped parasite lands on a Skitter, I can’t help but notice it’s the same Skitter from the alien ship when Tom was being held captive. As the parasite crawls into one of the Skitter’s eyes, I noticed the other eye isn’t quite alien yet – it still looks…human. Could this Skitter be…Rick?
I’m wondering if they’ll try making another transmitter like they did in season one.
Remember they used it to jam the Skitters communication frequencies with the Mechs.
***
I’m so excited for this season of Falling Skies! I’d love to hear your thoughts and theories on Pope and his future with the 2nd Mass, Skitters and Mechs, and Ben’s strange connection to the alien outpost in the woods. Comment below and/or tweet me @judybopp!
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.
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Photos ©2012 TNT/Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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