Welcome back rebels! Last week – Weaver and the 2nd Mass received an unexpected visitor from the skies. Nope it wasn’t a beamer or a Skitter. It was an actual human in a plane and she brought news of a resistance/new government building in Charleston, South Carolina. The promise of food, hot water and safety in mass numbers persuades the group to head south. (That, my friends, is one helluva trip – over 900 miles if they’re still in the Boston area!)
SYSTEM WARNING – SPOILERS
This week’s episode opens with Matt riding a scooter around a school yard like a normal kid. (Is this a dream? It feels like a dream.) A Skitter peaks around a corner then begins stalking him. (The dream is turning into a nightmare. Does Matt even SEE the Skitter? Faster Matt!) Another Skitter joins the hunter as they corner Matt against a wall. (Where is everyone? Why is Matt out alone?! Somebody save him!) BLAM!! One loses its head. Second BLAM – off with the other’s head. We look to the roof to see two of the Berserkers, Tector and Boon, high fiving over one seriously huge gun. Our little M&M, Matt, is still below now covered in Skitter blood. He’s sportin a grin like a kid that just got off the best roller coaster ever, “That was AWESOME!”
Hal and Ben are scouting a warehouse that seems to have power. All they see are a few Mechs on patrol. While they’re having a little brotherly bonding time some kids steal their bikes. (I guess in a world overrun by alien invaders you tend to forget there might be people around that’ll steal your stuff. Way to go guys.)
The 2nd Mass is setting up camp in a nondescript city area. Tom brings good news, a choco pie, and a kiss to Dr. Glass. The scouts found an untouched grocery so the groups got food for a week. (Happiness!) The kissy kissy love birds get busted by an embarrassed Lourdes. Look at the time! Tom’s gotta go.
Hal and Ben track down the stolen bikes using Ben’s new and improved super hearing. They find them in a warehouse full of kids – kids that are packin some heat. Hal goes in to try and talk but the leader, Diego, and his crew aren’t willing to discuss the matter. (It’s a dog-eat-dog world now so what is Hal thinking?!) Diego changes his mind when Ben shows up in the rafters with his gun pointed directly at him. When asked where all the adults are one kid replies, “Adults get us killed.” (So they’re taking the Peter Pan with his Lost Boys route? Interesting. Looks like a delicious kid target for Skitters harnessing.) Hal offers them bike parts, food and water – whatever their already strapped supplies can spare. Diego agrees to take a few kids with him to check it out.
Busta rhyme Berserker style! What’s left of the Berserkers (sans Pope and Anthony) are sitting around a fire exalting little Matt as the hero of the day. Oops! Tom wasn’t aware they were using Matt as Skitter bait. Tom blows a gasket! He was supposed to be a runner, that’s all! (WTH were these guys thinking!! The kid is only 9 years old! I know its war and all but you don’t drop a kid in as bait!) Tom takes the guys off sniper duty, puts them on sanitation and grounds Matt to base (probably for life). Looks like Tom’s in charge of the Berserkers now that Pope’s gone. (I’m not sure I like the idea of Tom leading this little group. He doesn’t have the grit for it. I also don’t like that there is absolutely ZERO Pope in this episode!)
Hal and the Lost Boys arrive. OMG! Shocker of the season!! The girl with Diego is Weaver’s missing daughter Jeanie! (I think this is the happiest moment I’ve seen in this show!! I have wanted a little bit of happiness for Weaver for a long time now and I’m happy they finally gave it to him.) And this happy news is followed by super sad news. His wife is dead – stroke.
A bunch of the kids from the 2nd Mass join the new kids for a game of Skitter ball (kind of like soccer and maybe kickball – just a bunch of fun kicking a ball with a Skitter face on it.). Hall goes over a map with Diego to get the 411 on local Skitter activity. Tom invites Diego to join them on their trip to Charleston but Diego wants to think about it. He then rounds up his group to head back to their camp.
Tom tries to apologize to Matt for embarrassing him earlier in front of the Berserkers. Tom, “You could have gotten yourself killed. It wasn’t smart.” Matt, “Well neither was getting onto an alien spaceship, dad.” (SNAP! One for M&M!)
Diego pops into Weaver’s tent to collect Jeanie. The little bomb is dropped that he is her boyfriend. Weaver doesn’t go off like a normal tv dad. He keeps his cool and admits he’s ok with Diego. (Good for him for not starting a fight. He just got her back so it’s no time to be judgey.)
Lourdes hears Diego speaking Spanish so she introduces herself. She asks if he’s heard any news from Parras, Mexico. He tells her unfortunately that area was destroyed. (Oh geez, Poor Lourdes. We haven’t learned much about her but I’m sure this means family.)
Peter Pan Diego and his Lost Boys, including Jeanie, pull out with a pickup load of supplies. Weaver seems to think Jean’s just going to drop them off then return. (I don’t think that’s the way it’s going to happen. It’s never that easy in TV-land)
The Lost Boys, along with Hal, Ben, and Maggie, return to the warehouse to find it torn to shreds and everyone gone. They find one kid left behind. He says it was Skitters. Ben reminds them why Skitters take kids – to be harnessed.
They head back to the 2nd Mass to make plans. Their best guess is that factory was made into a harnessing facility. (If so why didn’t they see any harnessed kids when they scouted the place? I get the feeling the show is starting to cut the effects for budget. I hope this isn’t a trend.) Weaver asks Ben if he remembers anything from his visit to Skitterville but Ben either doesn’t remember or doesn’t WANT to remember the details of that visit. Diego and Weaver have an alpha dog disagreement on how to handle the situation until Jean breaks them up. Diego wants to storm in while Weaver wants to scout it out first. Jean storms out like a typical teen accusing her dad of being a control freak as usual. (Hello! Weaver is a military leader! He’s been around the block a few times here little girl. You might want to listen to him.) Diego and the Lost Boys take off to storm the factory. He invites Matt along. (Oh dear. Matt got his first taste of killing Skitters and liked it. There’s no way he’s passing up the chance to do it again.) Weaver has no choice but to follow them. Tom’s nervous about Ben going back to a harness facility.
The 2nd Mass unit arrives to find Matt’s hat in front on the sidewalk. No time to waste – they gotta go in hot and blind.
Matt wakes up face down bolted to a table. (This can NOT be good.) All around him are other kids on tables already harnessed. Jeanie and Johnnie are harnessless on tables nearby. And so now we get to see the harnessing process. ‘Harnesses’ are swimming around in a giant murky tank. A Skitter walks up to Johnny and starts petting his head. We hear the hiss of a door opening and a harness comes sliding out of the tank and down a shoot. It eventually slithers off the end of the shoot onto Johnny’s back. Johnny begins screams in terror until the harness sinks multiple gruesome spikes into him. (Ok THIS is where production dropped the cash on FX. The images and sounds had my skin crawling!)
Hal and Maggie are able to find Diego and some of the Lost Boys in a back room. (Where the heck are all the Skitters and Mechs?)
The Skitter walks up to Ben next. Hiss, swoosh goes the door. The other half of the 2nd Mass arrives just in the nick of time! Weaver takes out the Skitter and Tom takes care of the harness that’s about to sink its spikes into Matt! Timing is everything! A harness is on its way down the shoot towards Jeanie but Weaver shoots it before it even gets half way down. Ben calmly walks up and puts his hand on the tank – his spikes begin to glow blue. The glowing is not lost on everyone – Hal gets to see the event. One of the harnesses swims up to the glass to say hello and welcome back. Ben emptys a clip into the tank shattering the glass and dumping water and slugs everywhere. Everyone starts shooting the flopping harnesses. One slimy bugger is able to take a bite out of Weaver’s leg though. (Oh this can’t be good at all. What happens when you get bite by a harness slug?)
Dr. Glass patches up Weaver and gives him a dose of antibiotics. Jeanie comes to check on him and admits he wasn’t a great dad but he’s a great leader and the older she gets the more she can appreciate it. Weaver promises to change for her. (UGH! This breaks my heart because you KNOW she is not going to stick around. I think he knows this too.) The Lost Boys don’t want anything to do with the resistance so they aren’t staying. Before he passes out from exhaustion he gives her the compass.
Hal shares a rare treat with Ben. He was able to score some gum. (It’s funny how we take these little things for granted but if the world falls apart a tiny stick of gum can be a treasure.) Then he asks about the glow. Ben justifiably doesn’t want to talk about it. Everyone hates him enough as it is.
Tom gives Tector his job back as sniper – AFTER he does the Berserker’s laundry and promises to keep Boon in line. Tector is happy as a dog with two tails!
Jamil finds Lourdes sitting sorrowful in tent city. She had an aunt and uncle in Parras. (Poor Lourdes!) He tells her to not stop hoping. Hopes all we got. (That right there is what this show is all about! Hope.)
Jeanie leaves a note for her dad. She’s not going to Charleston. She has her own life and the Lost Boys need her. (Poor Weaver! The anguish! )
Man I love this show! I’m all about the power of hope and the ability for humans to survive anything! It’s not the best written show nor is it the best produced but it’s a joy to watch, at least for me. I care about these characters. I can relate to a few. My heart goes out to them all!
P.S.
Pope. Bring him back now. Please and Thank you.
Try to catch Wil Wheaton’s “2nd Watch” at www.fallingskies.com immediately after Falling Skies airs. It’s a great follow-up interview with actors and/or directors.
Keep the resistance strong!
