That Volm Vibe

I'm Getting that Volm Vibe Again.

My "Vadar" (that's Volm radar) has picked up some reverberations in the Falling Skies ether again and I think we are getting a step closer to the mysteries behind the Volm thanks to the last episode, "At All Costs".

Let's start with the heavy handed bluster of General Donovan (played by Battlestar Galactica veteran Michael Hogan) when he sees that Tom Mason has brought Cochise with him.  He and President Hathaway go into instant paranoia mode.  This serves to demonize the Volm in the eyes of these characters; characters we are led to believe stand for the true United States and therefore legitimize the mistrust for the new alien species.

I feel this is part of a misdirection campaign to taint our perspective of the Volm as viewers.  We've already seen this mistrust by General Bressler, John Pope and Colonel Weaver.  All major characters or significant supporting characters that have stated their mistrust of the Volm.

Seeds planted to grow our own mistrust.

Speaking of seeds, let's get right to Cochise's "Flower Speech" where he entails his feelings for the planet he's never seen.  It's a stirring oration where Cochise outlines the love for his home planet.  There, grows a flower he's never seen in person but he hopes future generation of Volm will return to see.

The speech serves to melt the heart of President Hathaway (Stephen Collins) and he sees reason to believe the Volm can be trusted.

Misdirection!

As viewers we can see this speech in two different ways.  We can either buy into the speech by Cochise and also be stirred by its impassioned resonance or we can cry BS and claim that this story is just a lie and the Volm are trying to sell us a false bill of goods.

I'm willing to believe that the writers are hoping we'll see it as the latter and not the former.  The old "too good to be true" story.  It did sound a little too sweet didn't it?

Here's another tact, have you ever wondered what's behind the accusation towards the Volm of, "What do they really want"?  Colonel Weaver has repeated this several times as has John Pope.  It's all part of a concerted plan to sow mistrust of the Volm.  Surely they must want something.

Really?  A burned out husk of a planet with a dwindling population and a determined foe already in place?  That's their plan?  We don't even know why the Espheni are here.  (Although I believe it is to gather enough resources and slave labor to continue their flight through space.)  This question as to the Volm's intent has been repeated in every episode and I'm thinking the writers are using this question to sow the seeds of doubt in out own minds.  The question is even asked on the Falling Skies Facebook page!

Has anyone else noticed the subtext of prejudice in this show? 

The aliens are consistently derided as fish heads or bubble heads or some such.  Young Matt characterizes the Skitters as "Slimey Cowards" as we open the show, even though they are former beings that have been enslaved against their will.  His own brother was nearly a Skitter yet Matt and his friend derides them even as a disemboweled Skitter is dragged in front of him.  Pretty callous.

Pope is famous for his intolerance of the aliens and even Col. Weaver is guilty of thinly veiled racism.

Do I think Falling Skies is intolerant?  Absolutely not.  I'm just saying it's another way the aliens are painted as characters we can't trust because the shows principles don't trust them.  All part of the plan.

Where is this headed?

I've stated this before and I'll repeat it here, the Volm will be fully demonized by the end of this season.  So   overwhelming the mistrust for them will be that they will be forced to leave.  Only too late will Earth's survivors realize they were our legitimate allies all along and by then it will be too late.

Goodbye Volm and hello doom.

Then the writers will be able to say, "Gotcha".