Falling Skies - Reunion

Really?  Just like that he's gone?

Falling Skies had it's series penultimate episode with the entry, "Reunion" this past Sunday and what a reunion it was.  Making their return was none other than Lexi, Anthony, Pope and Rebecca or as we've been taken to call her, "Fauxbecca.

But what of Pope?  That's it?  No mano a mano fight with Tom Mason?  Isn't that we've been waiting for?  Wouldn't Pope want to dispel all his demons in a last grapple with Tom?

"From Hell's heart I stab at thee."

No?

To die in massive explosion seems rather impersonal.  So generic.  And what, no body?  I think we all know on TV if there is no body then there is no death.

But wouldn't that be insulting to the viewing audience to have Pope crawl out from the rubble to make one last stab at Tom?  We've seen that a million times and would reduce his "death" to a B level horror movie trope.

Not that I mind seeing Pope go.  He was always my least favorite character.  A square peg endlessly being fitted into the round hole.  From villain to hero to villain once again.  An inconsistent story line to the end.

But as much as I disliked him I thought his end would garner more meaning.  No last thoughts of Sara?  No final insult to Tom and his family as he rode his bike off into the sunset?

 It's a little difficult to walk (crawl) away from a blast like that.

Even seen from another angle the destruction seems pretty complete.

Pope also got his "send off" reaction shots from most of the series principles.

Tom and Weaver.

Hal and Maggie.  (You'd think Maggie would take the time to spit on the ground.)

Ben and Matt.   

Everyone got a last good look.

Here's our last look at Pope.  Spinning away from the fire.  No doubt that pillar saved him from the enveloping flame and the concussive blast.

Just a scratch! 

You won't hear me lament Pope's fate.  You will hear from me if he crawls out from the debris.  The last episode is titled, "Reborn."

God please no.

And speaking of flames, Lexi's back!

The awful platinum hair is gone too!

I guess the thinking that Weaver's old girl "Katie" was a one off experiment from the Espheni was wrong.  Here they are again with a "Lexi look a like."  Boy, they almost had me.  Maybe I just wanted it to be true.  

* Quick aside, can we see Lourdes again? *

Lexi made like a Trojan Horse and managed to worm her way into the Mason compound.  (Sorry 14th Virginia.) all courtesy of Matt Mason.  I have to say, ol Matt got off pretty lightly at the end when it was found Lexi was just another plant from the Espheni.  Everyone knew she was just a fake to worm her way into everyone's heart.  Hmm, if they have ear worms on Falling Skies does that make Lexi a heart worm?  There's pills for that you know.

So I guess that's it for the clones right?  Maybe Lourdes?

Or....

 

Aw, c'mon, no!  They wouldn't.  Would they?

Kind of a nasty send off for the Look-alike-Lexi.  Maybe we should call her Sparky from now on.  I do think it was a nice touch from the people at Falling Skies to give actress  Scarlett Byrne one last scene. They must have really liked her.

Speaking of likable cats.  Yay, Anthony gets redemption!  He takes a bullet for Anne and gets to issue an apology.  Good, he didn't belong with Pope's hateful fight gang anyway.  More points for the Falling Skies people.  (All to be deducted if a real Pope crawls out from the rubble.)

Here's Fauxbecca in all her porcupine-ish six legged glory.  She didn't seem to have her usual effect on Tom.  He seemed pretty stable for this episode.  Resisting Lexi's allure, not going all Mad Max warrior on Pope.

She brought her ultra cool spaceship too and with the beamer in tow.

Think we'll see these two craft play a role in the finale?  I do.  


Who will be in the final roll call?

Okay Dave, we get it, you want to see Lourdes again.

Anyone else we may see in the finale as a clone, dream sequence or hallucination?

 
They have to give Karen her due.  She went from cute girlfriend to major nasty.

Dai should get a homage.

Tector too.

Please, Deni also.  I hated the way she went out.

Seeing Jeanne again would be nice.

Anyone else?  

Would you like to see Porter one last time? Kadar? Uncle Scott? Crazy Lee? Marina Peralta, Jimmy, Rick or even Sara?

Just not you know who.  Please I'm begging you, no.

I said no!

Falling Skies Final Fallout Part Two

Hey, Where Did My Volm Vibe Go?

Readers of this blog may remember my bold prediction on how the third season of Falling Skies would end.  The Volm would be come so disillusioned and dispirited with the suspicions of humanity that they would leave mankind to their own devices and in the hands of the treacherous Espheni.  Good riddance to us all!  

Well, it didn't quite turn out that way.  In fact, what happened was totally predictable and then totally unpredictable and safe.

This is going to be a Volm-centric article so warn me if I tend to stray.

Let's get right to the Volm developments from the Falling Skies season three finale.  All through the season the viewing audience was treated with the suspicions by some of the main characters.  Specifically Colonel Weaver, who was never comfortable with the Volm and also Pope with his special brand of thinly veiled racism.  It was a drumbeat of doubt to build a dramatic tension that led us up to the season finale.

As it turned out they were right!

I actually found this to be a bit anti-climatic.  As we learned, the Volm, led by Papa Volm, father to Cochise, informed Tom Mason and Col. Weaver that the 2nd Mass was to be transplanted to Brazil.  This was spun instantly and a bit mysteriously by Pope (who has turned into the shows "panic button") into a type of internment camp relocation.  Where's Ben when you need him to slap Pope across the face?  This show needs a lot more of that.  Come to think of it, Pope is a lot like Joffrey from Game of Thrones.  Just give him a good slap when he gets out of order.  (Which is all the time.)

Tom was naturally stunned by all of this.  (Why would he question a free trip to Brazil to loll on the balmy beaches of Rio?)  Seriously,  Tom and the 2nd Mass felt betrayed.  They assumed they would be allied with the Volm and fight along side them.  Was not Cochise completely truthful with them?

It seems the Volm didn't have much respect for the human race.  The fighting was to be theirs and theirs alone.  As far as the Volm were concerned humanity was just going to be in the way.

I have no doubt that the Volm had earned their grudge with the Espheni and perhaps this grudge blinded them to any help mankind could be.  You'd think you'd want the help of the indigenous people with your fight.  You know, get the lay of the land etc.  But judging by the way the Volm mothership landed in, I mean, on Boston, no help was needed.

Crunch!

I've always wanted the show to return it's roots in Boston but it looks like that's not going to happen now.

Flat as a pancake!

That was a bit arrogant.  The Volm arrogance continued with the dismissal of the 2nd Mass and to my chagrin, Pope's dire predictions rang true.

The Volm explained to Tom that they never had any complaints with their relocation plans and most races were thankful to put out of harms way.  They intimated that most rescued races were inferior technically or in matter of civilizations and that Tom and his ilk should be a little more appreciative.

This is where I have a major problem.  Not so much with the arrogance, that is to be expected from a superior race, but with The Volm's explanation that no one ever refused their relocation plans and were happy to leave the field of battle.

Haven't they ever heard of these guys?  The Skitters obviously have a vigorous rebel spirit.  So much so that despite their enslavement and indoctrination they still found the will to strike back at their masters.  The Skitters didn't always look like the above picture also.  That's just the effect of the harnesses they had to wear.  As far as we know they could be just as humanoid as Earth's inhabitants or the Volm themselves.

I'm not sure this was an oversight of the writing staff or just plain blind arrogance by the Volm but I have to tell you I think the writing staff forgot all about the Skitters.  And once again, when I say Skitters, I mean the amalgamation of all the conquered races of the Espheni that have been distilled into what we know as the Skitters today. 

The Skitters even suffered  a blow to their leadership when Red Eye went down and he was supplanted by a guy I call "War Paint".  Does that sound like a group of people that would go meekly into the night and do whatever the Volm say?

I think not. 

So what are we left with here?  The Volm with their supreme arrogance or a major goof up by the writing staff?  There is evidence to indict the writing staff for this oversight. 

The Volm had a quick change of heart most of which happened off camera.  Tom gave a heartfelt speech to Papa Volm about the human spirit and no doubt Cochise prevailed upon his father to let the 2nd Mass go on their merry way, weapons and all.  All of which I found a bit unpredictable and a bit safe.  It all happened so fast!  How convenient it was for the 2nd Mass to get their weapons back so they could exact their revenge on Karen. 

Are you telling me all the surviving races that eventually became the Skitters couldn't have done the same thing?  I find that hard to believe especially considering their fighting spirit.  Even War Paint sacrificed himself in order to help the cause.

Sure, maybe the writers want to put humanity in the cross hairs between the Espheni and the Volm.  But it doesn't seem likely that the meager remnants of humanity would have any bearing on a set piece battle between the Volm and Espheni.

You may argue that the Volm are here to stay and their true motive is to settle on Earth and make it their own.  But then why are they hopping from planet to planet in pursuit of the Espheni?  Why not settle on one of those past planet where they've relocated the indigenous folk?

I'd like to see Falling Skies write their way out of this one.

Next up, revenge upon Karen and the future of humanity.

Falling Skies Finale Fallout Part One

The Merry Wives Of Prince Hal.

I thought I'd try something different here and speak to some of the salient points of the Falling Skies season finale, Brazil, instead of trying to cover the entire episode all at once.  This wasn't exactly a Hal-centric episode but it did deal with all the woman in his life and they in turn were central to the plot of the episode.

Let's start with the character of Maggie who is the current paramour of Hal.  I thought she was oddly written in this episode especially considering her closeness to Hal in the last episode when they were trapped beneath the rubble together.  She seemed skittish and paranoid. It's as if the writers wanted to characterize her as Pope saw her when he predicted she would come crawling back to him some day.

Hal sensed there was some thing wrong with Maggie as the two marched towards Boston.  Victory was in the air and Hal mused over what life would be like once things got back to normal.  Maggie instantly challenged him that he wasn't a split level house type of guy and that he would be, essentially, too restless for that type of life.

I thought this rather strange since the "Xibalba" episode characterized her as someone willing to die in his arms with her last breath of air.  She's often stated she'd rather go out fighting but if that was going to be the way the went out, then there was no one she'd rather be with. 

Her discomfort with the "suburban" life was painfully obvious as she marched with Hal.  But instead of confronting the problems as her own she projected them on to Hal.  As if on cue, Pope caught up with them and validated her misgivings over a peaceful future.

I don't blame Hal for being confused.  It wasn't long ago they were going to hang in with each other through thick and thin.  Doesn't Maggie realize that rebuilding in a shattered world can be just as daunting as fighting the war day after day?

It's as if the writers insist on seeing Maggie through Pope's eyes now.  It's almost like they want Pope to be right about something to validate the constant barrage of cynicism and negativity and therefore legitimize his role on the show. You should be able to guess by now that I have no patience for Pope on Falling Skies.  He is a constant irritant with no redeeming value.  Do we really have to see Maggie become so difficult in order to justify his presence?

Hal didn't exactly have a romantic relationship with Lourdes but it was pretty clear she had a crush on him.  Hal was aware of this also.  As season one progressed Lourdes was constantly trying to do things to impress Hal and this theme continued into season two.  Hal tolerated Lourdes' advances and was often teased by Karen or Maggie about it.

That is why Hal had a soft spot for Lourdes as she lay chained and caged in the thrall of the Espheni "insects".  Lourdes managed to utter a few things to Hal in her more lucid and less tortured moments that spoke of their past "relationship".  This touched Hal as he was well aware of her feelings for him.  This proves that that an insect "infected" person can still draw on their past personality and not be totally "gone". 

Seventy five per cent gone but not completely.

You probably noticed, as I did, that Maggie was quite impatient with these proceedings even though she waited outside the tent.  She seemed jealous and possessive over Hal despite the fact that her "competition" was locked in a cage and half crazed with her torment.

Hal was again positioned as a touch stone for a female character.  I'm not convinced Hal has a real purpose on Falling Skies.  I suspect he is being maneuvered as a "romantic lead" in order to develop the more interesting female characters around him.  Something that was hinted at in the "Strange Brew" episode.  Hal was busy chasing skirts as Ben became the confidant to Tom.  (His brother, Ben, is quickly surpassing Hal as a far more compelling character)

Anyway, speaking of the "competition".

Karen at last appears on the screen, the final piece of the triumvirate romantically connected with Hal.  I really enjoyed Karen's snake like charm.  When she met small band of 2nd Mass survivors led by Tom she instantly went to work on Hal.  "Good to see you Hal, I've missed you." she taunted.  I have no doubt this is true if only partially.  They once were lovers and then she became infected by the Espheni harness, then they were lovers again!  Karen could play both sides of the coin as the "before and after" girlfriend which I'm sure was intended to infuriate Hal.  It certainly had an effect on Tom.

Tom, his trap played to exquisite perfection, puts a bullet into Karen as an act of cold revenge.  Here Karen has a moment of lucidity.  I totally bought into her sincerity as she confessed her feelings towards Hal as he knelt over her.  Maybe undergoing extreme physical duress has a way of bringing out the former humanity of those infected with Espheni technology.  She certainly sounded like the old Karen to me just as Lourdes did when she spoke to Hal.

In that moment of brief humanity Maggie loses hers and puts an end to Karen.  So now Maggie is a stone cold killer? Did you see the shocked look on Hal's face?  Maybe he'd be better off putting some space between him and Maggie.  And if I were the newly renewed Lourdes, I would be watching my back.  Maggie seems a bit unhinged.

As I stated at the start of this essay, Hal wasn't exactly the central player of this little drama but everything had a way of revolving around him.  At least through some twisted romantic lens.  I'm sorry to see Karen go, she was deliciously evil.  I guess that will be Maggies role now.  Okay, maybe not evil but way too close to the Pope side of the equation for my liking.  It'll be good to have Lourdes back again.  Her character has matured and Seychelle was able to expand upon her acting spectrum with some really juicy evil stuff.

Does this mean Hal is down to two girls now?  Should Ben be more protective of Denny?  (That is one relationship that is far more interesting).  Maybe the writers will have Hal torn between the Angel that is Lourdes on one shoulder and the Devil that is Maggie on the other.

Next up, the Volm dilemma.  

Falling Skies Hits The Big Screen!

I Went To Watch A TV Show And A Movie Broke Out!!!

Imagine the horror!  Survive the unthinkable! Say goodbye to everything you know! And, oh yeah, grab your popcorn!

Falling Skies to a trip back to Seventies last Sunday night with the episode, "Journey to Xibalba".

This was actually a fairly decent episode.  Jonathan Frakes is no slouch when it comes to building dramatic excitement. To me, this one hour episode had all the flair and nostalgia of a 1970's disaster movie.  Let's start with the incident that sent everything tumbling downward when we experienced a...

Buildings toppled! Glass shattered! Lovers are trapped in a lasting embrace!

Actually, it was the Espheni ant farm also known as Lourdes.  That little sneak planted a bomb that brought down the house.  I think it was her plan to take out as many of the 2nd Mass as she could in hopes that her own limp frame would be placed some where near Cochise.  Guess that worked out pretty well.

Anyway back to the romance!

I think Frakes wanted to put some of our principle players in jeopardy so they could work out their respective difference and conflicts.  An experiment of sorts but on a smaller scale instead of the larger ensemble working together.

Naturally, Hal and Maggie found themselves together.  As it turns out Maggie did resent being left behind when  the Masons went off in search of Anne and Lexie.  She doesn't like being the lone wolf after all.  Hal, for his part, exorcised his demons about everything being his fault.  Now on top of all that he's doomed the one person he loves.  Maggie provides solace for the two of them when she exclaims that she'd rather go out like this instead of alone.  It seems to sooth Hal's guilt ridden heart.

But wait!  What of our leaders!?  Who's in control!? It's almost like were flying on a wing and a prayer.  Could this be a disaster at the....

Who's piloting this thing anyway?  Are they OK!!!????

The two pilots that are supposed to be leading our hardy band of survivors, Tom and Marina, are also trapped together.  Taking out the leadership of Charleston is a good way to topple the resistance.  Lourdes was pretty lucky in this regard.  Like any good disaster flick, one of the pilots is blinded.  Try landing your 747 of plucky outcasts without being able to see.  Fortunately for Marina, Tom has a knack for getting out of tough scrapes.  Did I tell you how Tom got back from Boston?  He managed to right the ship as if it were the....

So if Tom isn't the President anymore can we at least make him a Captain.

I was wondering how Tom was going to make it back to Charleston in a hurry.  It's not like he had the Fringe Monorail that could get from Boston to New York in the blink of an eye.  Sailing will do.  No doubt Tom made it in record time, probably sometime around the morning after. 

Tom's unique survival skills also set up the plot line wherein he can't be trusted again.  Sure is convenient how this guy keeps popping up.  Something that isn't lost on our resident berserker in chief.  It looks like Pope is ready for....

Hold it, hold it, hold it!  That's not a seventies disaster movie.  Nice try Pope, you're not the leader yet.  Can we get back on track here.

So where were we?  Oh yes, shattered glass, crumbling concrete, flames licking about!  It's as if the whole world of Charleston is about to come tumbling down like it was a...

Oh please, no one really dies in these movies.  Not if you're pure and innocent.

Or if you hang around with rats...

Do you suppose Kadar ever saw the movie Willard?

Happily, all's well that ends well.  Lourdes was finally outed and captured as the mole.

I guess you could say her plans went down like the......

Ha, ha, you knew I had to work that one in somehow!

I Dreamed I Saw the Best Falling Skies Episode of the Season.

Was that not the best episode of the season?

I'm not sure it advanced the plot line all that much but it gave us a window into what might of been, and where Tom's true love really lies.

Our favorite lapdog to the Overlords, Karen (I'm sorry Karen, was that harsh?) was up to her old tricks again.  This time she employed some face hugging technology in order to extract information from the captive Tom Mason.

The results were quite revealing.

Let's start with the most surprising reveal into the psyche of Tom Mason.

In this iteration of Tom's "world that could have been" his current love, Anne Glass, is the "other woman".  She's a temptress of sorts.  She knows all about him, and in a way, could lead to the destruction of the family life Tom holds so dearly.  She's intimate, sly, naughty and at the end, a little scary.

Why is this?  Is this the way Tom really sees Anne?  An interloper threatening to wreak havoc on his normal happy life?  We could excuse this paradigm shift as a machination of Karen's torture device.  Perhaps the face-hugger has a way of manipulating what you think and turns what you hold dear into something so unsettling.  That's not the way it played out for the rest of the characters so we'll have to keep an eye on the Tom/Anne relationship once they are reunited.

Speaking of the "Face Hugging Device" it looks a little Alien doesn't it?  Pun intended!  This device is obviously intended to delve into the sub-conscious mind.  In the movie Alien it was the host that impregnated the carrier with the Xenomorph entity. In this show it is the conduit to Karen's machinations.

Right?

I'm not sure of this but Karen does seem to have some influence on it's operation.  Maybe not total control but enough to "Police" it's purpose.  That's why we see her as pictured above. 

It's a tough question.  Is this Tom's mind acting independently or is Karen's device influencing his thought?  The answer to which will be crucial to the future of Tom and Anne's relationship.

Ok, before I get to spinning my wheels on that conundrum let's talk of the Greek Chorus that is Weavers' vagrant.

I loved this.  As the avatar of Tom's conscience, Weaver is constantly warning Tom to wake up.  This goes to show how close the two of them have become.  We've often heard from each of them how indispensable the other has become.  Here, Tom's sub-conscious seems to be acting independently of Karen's device.  Weavers' voice is full throated and ustakeable with it's intent, "Wake up Tom!"

So why is he a vagrant.  Filthy, downtrodden, abandoned by society.  Why should you trust him?  Ah, perhaps this is where the device has some input.  The message is getting through but make the messanger unreliable.  I think it's no coincidence that Karen is the trusted Cop in this scenario.

Devious.

So let's take a look at the rest of our cast and crew.

So Pope is a philosophy professor.  How charitable.  I guess that still makes him the free thinker in Tom's mind.  The agitator and counter culture voice that Tom deems invaluable.  Still a cad though!

What does Tom think of Lourdes?  Well, she's not working in the medical or counseling department.  Instead she seems second tier, a mere student.  One that is willing to sleep with her teacher also.  Tom doesn't seem to have a very high opinion of her.  Is this the Device's way of protecting her role as the mole?  Maybe so.  Pope"s "dream world" role seems about right but Lourdes?  Something doesn't ring true.  Device or dream?

How about Maggie's role?  She seemed a little flirty herself didn't she?  A little, in-your-face, I-know-what you're-thinking-professor type of gal.  Sure she's a confident go getter that predicts an easy A on the exam.  But, damn, that was a little too close girlfriend.  Dial back the charm a tad.  Is this how Tom sees Maggie?  We got a quick look on how Tom sees Hal's dream girlfriend.  Is this a bit of transference to Maggie?  I'm hoping not. 

Hopefully Tom sees Maggie as a true leader and that explains her can-do attitude.  It may come off a little strong but no harm intended.

It was funny how Tom saw Matt as his little "mole".  Tom's subconscious knows to look for the mole but under the influence of Karen's face-hugger his thoughts are sublimated to poor little Matt.  It's no surprise that "Mole Matt" is spying on Hal who was thought to be the original mole.  Nice touch.

Hal's a playboy in Tom's dream world and Ben is the sensitive one.  The boys seem happy and healthy just as Tom would wish them to be.  Hal seems independent but reckless (wear your rain coat son).  Ben is different now that he is harness free in real life.  The same but different, maybe better.  Is that why Tom's subconscious allows Ben to confront Tom in his office?  That's the professor's inner sanctum but Ben fears it not.

Impressive.

Let's look at the rest of the characters in Tom's dream world.

Good for Anthony to be held in such high regard.  He's leading the investigation to uncover the mole and according to Tom's subconscious he's the Dean of the School.

I miss Dai.  I still can't understand why they had to kill him off.  Well, he's back for this episode and he's the angry husband.  This could be some transference over Dai's death.  Tom feels responsible for the loss of Dai so his subconscious has brought him back to scold Tom for his irresponsibility.  Guilt can be an overpowering emotion.  You need to get over this Tom.  (And find more ways to bring back Dai.)

Jeanne Weaver plays a supporting role in Tom's dream world.

Literally.

She's his secretary.  OK, not to demean Jeanne, we could see her a as filter of sorts to protect Tom.  In that she is a gatekeeper to keep Tom from ill will.  It almost worked but Anne got through anyway.  (So if Jeanne is the Gatekeeper then is the Keymaster?)

Here's the toughest one of them all.

I love Jennifer Ferrin.  I first swooned over her for her role on "Life on Mars" (USA version).  I was happy for her when she landed a role on "The Cape".  When "The Following" came knocking I was thrilled to see her again.  Has that been cancelled?

Jennifer Ferrin gives such soulful performances.  Maybe it is her expressive eyes.  As Tom's wife, Rebecca, she still has a hold on Tom's memories.  This was the saddest part of the episode.  Tom finds his old home in Boston, complete with Christmas list left on the Fridge.  Tom wanders up to the bedroom when he hears a noise.  Finding nothing he lays his head on the pillow he once shared with Rebecca.

Her spirit pleads with him to move on, there is nothing here for him anymore.

"You're here".

Too bad they don't give out Emmy's to science fiction characters (right, John Noble?) Tom looked so incredibly sad and I'm sure everyone in the viewing audience felt his pain.

So, best episode of the season?

I still haven't decided which is more responsible for Tom's dream world.  The face hugging device or his subconscious.  I'm leaning towards the subconscious.  The device may have induced the state but the world building was up to Tom. 

It's a long walk back from Boston Tom, you're going to need the rest when you get to Charleston.  Try not to dream so much when you do.