Posted by Dustin on 08.21.2012 at 2:03 pm

Perhaps it was because I was really tired, and ready to just pass out, but I felt like the season finale of “Falling Skies” was a bit jumbled. A lot was going on, but I didn’t feel like I was getting many answers.

For instance, Military Leader Max Headrom (I still don’t know his name) kept locking people up, and then letting them out, every five minutes. I was confused!

Nothing much bad happened with Arthur either. He was locked up, then let out, apparently asked to step down as leader, but asked Tom to take his place. Tom however said no. If he had a deal with the aliens, it didn’t come out in this episode.

Tom was told to meet with the Rebel Skidders, but then he was locked up, then he was let go, then the entire 2nd Mass was held at gun point after the Skidders and Ben showed up in Charleston to deliver a message. It was just nuts! I think the power went to Max Headrom’s head and fast.

The Skidders and Ben showed up with a message, and the 2nd Mass surrounded them to protect them from Max Headrom’s men. They told of a new weapon being built that had to be destroyed. They also told Tom that it’s unfortunate that he had the Overlord he did and let him go, he didn’t know what he really was holding. It seems this was the Overlord who oversaw all the plans for the eastern part of the U.S., and all the plans were held in his head. If they had killed him, everything would have been thrown into chaos for awhile. It seems the fish head overlords are all psychically linked or something.

Tom and the 2nd Mass, after being locked up and let go a few times, went out to destroy the weapon. The weapon was a huge gun pointed at the sky, and Ben made a comment that it wasn’t for them . . . Hmmmm. During the fight Red Eye got killed, which was a sad moment. Tom bashed the Overlord’s head in, which was a great moment. Karen got away, and I kept wondering why nobody just shot her instead of watching her climb up and over a huge wall. Something happened to Hal and he collapsed. Oh and Tom found out that the Doc was pregnant with his child, which she hadn’t yet told him. He was happy of course.

As the show came to a close, Hal was in some kind of a coma. The Doc didn’t know what was wrong, but they’d keep monitoring him. Ben told his family that he would be sticking around for awhile, he didn’t need to run off to the rebellion again just yet. However Tom and Weaver felt maybe Charleston wasn’t for them, and they should pack it up and head out.

Then in the final moments all hell broke loose. Hal woke up, looked very creepy, and one of those implants crawled out of his eye and into his ear. Gross! Meanwhile outside they heard explosions and everyone ran to see what was going on. Ships were raining down to earth, and out of one walked an entire new species of alien in full metal body armor.

Bloody hell! Is this a good alien or a bad alien? My guess is this is what the cannon was aimed at. The minute they destroyed that cannon, the new aliens could then land. Will they be on the side of humans, or are they even worse than the overlords? At the beginning of the season the overlords did tell Tom that he really didn’t know what was going on, and as soon as they accomplished their mission then they would leave this planet. Could this be a huge twist? Are the overlords not the real enemy? Could the humans just have gotten caught in the aliens battle with each other?

Posted by Dustin on 08.13.2012 at 8:36 pm

So there is only ONE more episode left of “Falling Skies” this season. How will they wrap this up? Apparently the last five minutes of the next episode are going to be a game changer. The sneak peak seemed to show hundreds of ships? falling to earth. Oh dear!

In the latest episode the 2nd Mass finally made it to Charleston where one of Captain Weaver’s old friends was (Jim I think? They met him on the road awhile back). Weaver’s daughter Jeannie had made it too, but she was none to pleased with how things were going there. She wanted to fight the aliens and work to rescue others, but the leader was against this. The dude who played “Max Headrom” was the military leader in charge, but the real leader was Tom’s old college professor Arthur (Lock from “Lost”).

Arthur seemed completely opposed to military action at all against the aliens. He felt they were safe, the aliens thought Charleston was dead, and if they laid low it would be okay. Tom disagreed with him publicly, which he did not approve of. He then went on a fishing expedition for anything he could use against Tom, and of course found it. HE learned about the implant in Tom, and Ben being harnessed. All this, and a de-harnessed kid showing up with a message from Red-Eye was too much for Arthur. He had Tom and his men jailed, then anyone from the 2nd Mass quarantined and guns pointed at them . . . even the kids. This was the last straw for Max Headrom, who declared Marshall Law and put Arthur in jail! He then suggested Tom and his men make that rendezvous with Red-Eye . . . he was on their side and wanted to fight!

I think it’s pretty clear that Arthur has a deal with the aliens. He kept making mention how HE and his people, civilians, built this entire compound . . . not the army. That is why he was in charge. He was clearly not willing to challenge the aliens at all, he kept saying they didn’t know they were here and wanted it kept that way . . . Really? Advanced aliens with scanning technology don’t see an entire city of people? I don’t think so! I think Charleston IS the camp the Overlord told Tom about. I think that Arthur was told to find Tom and lead him and the 2nd Mass there, as well as all the other armies fighting the aliens. He has a deal to keep humans safe, as long as they don’t pose a risk. I think this must mean he knows what the bigger plan is too.

How they will wrap this up, I still am unclear about. Something huge has to happen though, really shocking. A rebellion, or a new alien threat?

Posted by Dustin on 07.23.2012 at 7:46 pm

This is another catch-up post as I didn’t post about “Falling Skies” last week. Basically both of these weeks were very Karen focus, as Hal’s harnessed ex returned. Last week she was found alive with a bunch of dumped de-harnassed kids, but she had not lost her link. Her soul purpose was to lure Ben away. She did so under the guise that they’d join the rebellion, and were a danger to the 2nd Mass because of their link to the aliens. However once away, Karen showed her true colors. She was luring Ben away because they wanted to use him to find Red-Eye and the rebels. Fortunately, Hal and others showed up to save him before they could re-harness him. The fish head overlord was taken into custody by Tom and the others. This sent Karen to negotiate for his release. Tom and the 2nd Mass tried to use this to get them time to make it south to Charleston, but then a new alien showed up . . . spider aliens! Tom talked with the Overlord, through Ben, who told him that they go from planet to planet, usually ones whose population have squandered their planets. What they do, we don’t know yet. The Overlord assured Tom just like the other places they go, they do their work and leave, they weren’t there to conquer them. Tom wasn’t sure he was getting the truth, and ended up shooting the Fish Head! They used his wounding to make a real deal with Karen to buy them time to flee, as they knew they couldn’t trust Karen. The show ended with the 2nd Mass moving south, and Ben saying goodbye to strike out on his own. Ben knew his leaving would keep them safe, and he had to join the rebellion and try and pull other de-harnessed kids into it.

So those spiders were horrific! It was like sci-fi horror meets urban legend, with them spawning inside of you. Poor Jamal though, that actor can’t get a break. Killed off on ‘Harper’s Island’ and wrongly accused and nearly beaten to death on ‘The Killing,’ and now an alien spider’s nest! I have a feeling Captain Weaver’s death is imminent at this point.

I don’t know what to make of what the Overlord Fish Head revealed to Tom. I’m wondering if what they want is some kind of energy source or mineral? Their towers do look like drills. Maybe they target worlds where their inhabitants have already destroyed the ecosystem to a point that the Fish Heads feel it’s doomed anyways?

I have a feeling Charleston is either going to be a huge trap, or they are going to arrive there and find the Doctor’s husband and son alive and waiting there. I think she claimed she saw them shot down? But Weaver thought his family was dead too. I found it odd that her husband and son were brought up in this episode by Lourdes just as Tom and her have finally started, you know, touching each other . . . and by touching I mean hugging and acknowledging what they are feeling. A monkey wrench is coming for them, I am sure.

Posted by Dustin on 07.09.2012 at 12:40 pm

So I am just writing some quick recaps and general thoughts here on the last two episodes of “Falling Skies.” I didn’t see last week’s episode until the other day, which is why I didn’t blog about it before.

Last week mainly centered around the return of Captain Weaver’s daughter Jeanie. She thought he was dead, and he thought she, her mother and little sister were dead. She had been living with a group of teens and kids who were on their own without any adults, which is how they wanted it. They ended up getting themselves all kidnapped by the skitters and taken to the harness factory. During the rescue Ben’s big brother saw his spikes glowing and realized Ben had been lying . . . . Jeanie meanwhile decided not to stay with her dad’s group and rejoined the kids.

This week was primarily about Ben and his spikes. They ended up finding the other kid Ben was friends with who was also harnessed (I can’t remember his name) and taking the red eyed skitter hostage. The friend talked for Red-Eye. It was Red-Eye who apparently saved Tom on the ship and helped him get free, he did so because they saw something in Tom. He says he’s part of a resistance movement that has been working for over 100 years to over throw the real threat to them all. When their planet was conquered, their children were taken an harnessed much like what has happened on earth. However they were too weak to fight back on their own. They believe with Tom’s help, the humans can team up with them and they can overthrow their masters. Tom didn’t know why they needed their help. Red Eye said their technology was no match for the oppressors, but with the Skitter Rebels’ help they can supply them with technology and intel on how the oppressors work.

My Thoughts . . .
So Red-Eye did in fact turn out to be good. I don’t think any of us were shocked by this. However Tom doesn’t think he can trust him, and it appears Ben is going to run off as he was saying goodbye to Matt at the very end. I guess he’s going to join the Skitter Rebels? He could also maybe going to join Jeanie’s group? I’m assuming we’ll eventually see Jeanie again, otherwise what was the point of having her show up? Pope is also still MIA, so I wonder when we’ll see him again.

There was a side story where we learned Hal’s gal-pal Margaret had some kind of brain tumors she was slowly dying from. Oh no! I wonder where this is going to lead? His old girlfriend is still harnessed and working for “the oppressors.” I guess this could be a way for them to eventually reunite? However, I have a suspicion that Red-Eye will offer a way to save Margaret in order to prove he is on the up-n-up.

Posted by Dustin on 06.25.2012 at 3:47 pm

So last night on “Falling Skies,” a woman in a plane landed in camp with a message. A new continental congress has been established in Charleston, and they have been in contact with survivor groups in Europe. She asks them to head to Charleston and join up. She then had to head out, leaving the choice to Weaver. After consulting with Tom, it seems they will be heading south.

Pope continued to become too big for his britches, and still didn’t trust Tom. Tom asked to be assigned to the Berserkers so he could watch Pope, and Pope could keep an eye on him. However Tom proved to be a great asset and leader, so when Pope threatened to ditch the 2nd Mass . . . well he expected his men to follow him and they didn’t! So he went off on his own, and another guy offered to go with him (but really just to look out after him).

Finally Ben and his friend Jeremy killed a bunch of skidders, but then Jeremy got himself killed. The skidder with the red eye then activated Ben’s spikes and made them glow. Later the skidder met up with Ben again in the woods and did the same thing, seemingly telling him something?

My thoughts . . .
I’m wondering if the red-eye is not bad, but is trying to warn Ben in some way? Or give him a message? Again it seems the skidders are enslaved, and I think this one may be trying to help Ben and the humans.

I can’t help but wonder if the woman in the plane is a trap. The aliens wanted Tom to take his group to a camp where they would be allowed to live in peace. The pilot could have been harnessed and simply directing them to the camp so that the aliens could trap them.

Posted by Dustin on 06.18.2012 at 11:55 pm

Last night “Falling Skies” returned for its second season. Off topic, but why do all shows during the summer have to air on Sunday nights? Anyways, I really enjoyed the two hour premier. Here is a brief recap on what happened, as well as some quick thoughts.

In a nutshell, three months have passed since the season 1 finale, which had Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) getting on the alien ship. The 2nd Mass moved on, with Tom’s oldest son Hal taking up his dad’s role in the group as Weaver’s 2nd in command it seems. Pope has formed a new motorcycle gang of mercenaries known as “The Berserkers.” Ben, the middle kid, is still fighting the skidders’ mind control, but he still hears their calls and his scales are spreading on his back. Meanwhile on the ship, Tom met with a new type of alien we haven’t seen, this one a very tall humanoid kind. Last season they hypothesized about the aliens and why the mechs were more humanoid looking than the skidders, and now we know! The alien, talking through Hal’s captured and now harnessed girlfriend, offered Tom a deal. They said he and the rest of the human survivors could choose to move to an area they set aside for them to live in in peace, basically a concentration camp. Tom said no way. The next we knew, Tom and many others held on the ship were released into a field. Every human except Tom was then gun downed as they tried to flee, obviously a message to Tom. Tom then made his way back to the group, but not everyone trusted him, and he didn’t trust himself. As it turned out, the aliens put this nasty parasite thing in his eyeball, which the Doctor managed to remove. But then it escaped, flew away and made contact with this odd looking skidder who had two different color eyes . . . .

So a lot of questions, the biggest one that remains is what do the aliens want? Why are they here? Early on in the first hour, when everyone was fighting, there was some graffiti on some buildings. One was an image of a humanoid alien, but none from this show. At first I thought it was a Taelon from the old show “Earth Final Conflict.” Was it a clue? If you never saw the show, basically a group of aliens came to earth under the guise of friendship and peace. However they really needed help, as they were infertile and dying out . . . and another alien race was coming to exterminate them. Hmmm, I thought maybe this was some kind of hint that we’d learn of yet another alien race out there? But when I went through to watch it again, I felt the graffiti looked more like the aliens from the 80s movie “Cocoon.” In this case they were aliens who wore fake human skins. This seems to hint at the story that the skidders are transformed humans or other beings the aliens have enslaved? Of course maybe I’m reading into this way too much!

After going back and watching it on TNT’s website, I captured an image and it’s clear that its an alien meets Mona Lisa graffiti, but again . . . where is the alien from? Is it a clue? I definitely think it’s “Cocoon!”

The only other thought that comes to mind is that if Ben ends up turning into a skidder, I’m going to be really pissed! Also at the very end, the skidder with the funny eyes . . . I’m wondering if this is supposed to be someone we’ve met in season one?

Posted by Dustin on 07.25.2011 at 12:45 pm

Color me shocked when after last nights “Falling Skies” we learned there were only two new episodes left. WOW! that was one seriously short season.

The last two episodes left me a little flat, especially given there are only two episodes left. The humans betraying humans to survive . . . I think we knew that was a given. Did they need two whole episodes to explore that?

We have found out that Mike’s kid is far more connected to the Skidders than some of the other kids. I have a feeling with his dad now dead, he’s going to go back to them.

We still are no closer to learning what the Skidders want, though the teasers show something horrifying being learned. The doctor was dissecting one it seemed when she learns this secret.

What could the secret be? They were once humanoids who evolved this way? That could be why their mechs have two feet like humans?

Posted by Dustin on 07.04.2011 at 2:33 pm

Anyone still watching “Falling Skies?” on TNT? I am, and paid closer attention this week than last week – color me shock to learn that the one young girl was kidnapped by the skidders!

I enjoyed last night’s show. I felt the plot is moving, just very slowly. We know the skidders are using kids because it’s psychological warfare, humans are less likely to shoot at the kids shooting at them.

The Skidders also can communicate, with the kids they’ve braced and through static frequencies that can be picked up over short wave radios.

I would like to get more answers on why they’ve invaded. What it is they want? With the communication breakthroughs in this episode, hopefully we’ll find out.

Also Pope has quickly become my favorite character, even if we are supposed to not trust him and despise him given his introduction on the show.

Posted by Dustin on 06.20.2011 at 4:58 pm

So did anyone tune in for “Falling Skies” last night? It came up against a lot of other TV unfortunately, such as the finales of “Game of Thrones” on HBO, the finale of “The Killing” and the premier of “Drop Dead Diva.” Some quick thoughts on alllllll of these . . . .

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” quickly became my new favorite show to watch. Sadly it was only a 10 episode first season. Wayyyyy to short! It has been renewed for a 2nd season, and hopefully it will be a much longer season. I have just started book 1, which this season was based on. A friend said they did an excellent job staying true to the books, but have left a whole lot out. A lot of important back stories. For example in this episode as the younger Starks were in the Stark tomb, they quickly told some of these back stories by pointing to statues and saying who they all were.

I knew Ned Stark as going to be killed, I accidentally read that spoiler. But then in the finale they went and killed off Khal Drogo too. Geesh! These were some of the major stars as far as US/Hollywood goes. Hopefully fans will not flee the show come season 2. I absolutely loved the end with Dinaries (spelling probably wrong) went into the fire and hatched the dragons eggs. Even though her brother was an ass, and her father was the Mad King, she is one of the few people on this show I think is likable and I can root for.

John Snow is another, along with the young Stark girl (whose name I’m forgetting, Anya or something). Sansa . . . I actually did feel sorry for her when Jeoffrey made her look at her father’s head on the spike in the final episode. But she has been so horrid that pity does not come easily from me. I did love that she finally found some spirit when she said perhaps her brothers would bring Joeffrey’s head on a spike to her, which was in response to Joeffrey saying his men would bring the rest of her family’s head on spikes to him. Maybe there is hope for her yet!

Over to “The Killing,” well I’m not surprised that they did not reveal who killed Rosie Larson. After taking viewers on such a ride, spending most of the season focusing on the wrong suspect, I started to get the feeling this would not be neatly resolved. And it wasn’t. While the congressmen is clearly a sex pervert, whether he killed Rosie is unknown. It looks like his current girlfriend Grace could be the killer, but also the other campaign assistant who had always been kinda creepy. However we won’t know till season 2! Of course there was such a backlash from people last night on Twitter that who knows how long Season 2 will last . . . a lot of people vowed to not bother watching. I myself only half-watched a lot of the episodes. I felt it dragged on a little too much, and some episodes were just boring. You could fast forward to the very end of most of the episodes and that’s basically when they would find a clue to lead into the next episode. I’ll probably watch up until we learn who did kill Rosie, but the producers and writers are saying part way into Season 2 a new murder mystery emerges. Right now I’m kinda feeling “Thanks, but no thanks!”

I started watching “Drop Dead Diva” somewhere during the second season and got hooked. I watched off an on during the first too. I guess it was too good to be true to expect Grayson to remember seeing Jane as Deb, or to remember anything that happened before the accident. Now poor Jane has not only agreed to be his best man, but it looks like she gets sucked into planning his wedding to that Vanessa (or whatever her name is). I guess we’ll be spending the season having Grayson get subtle hints as to who Jane really is, like when she plans the wedding Deb would have planned.

Finally we come to “Falling Skies.” Had the previews for what to expect this season not had been as awesome as they were, I don’t know if I would have given this show another chance. This was a very very slooooow two hour pilot, which basically just consisted of a whole lot of fighting. The fact that I had just failed to be able to sit through the movie “Battle: Los Angelos” probably wasn’t helping here. The first few minutes basically consisted of kids drawings and voices telling us what had occurred. Basically it’s a complete rip-off of “V.” The aliens came in peace, but soon took over. They blew up the major cities and armies, forcing the everyday man and woman to fight.

In a “V” divergence, the aliens (which come in two forms: Insect like “Skidders” with six legs and their robotic mech/droids, on two legs) are kidnapping children and bracing them. That is they attach these things to their spines, which turns them into slave labor. Why kids? That’s a big question.

The show takes place in and around Boston. A history professor (Noah Wyle) is part of the 2nd Massachusetts, a resistance movement. He has three kids, but the middle kid was taken by the aliens. The oldest spots him in the pilot, which leads up to Noah leaving the resistance at the end with a small band of soldiers to try and find and rescue his son.

As I said, the show was sloooooowwwwww. And it focused way too much on fighting. The little mysteries, such as what the heck the aliens really want, and why kids, are keeping me interested. That, and like I said, the previews looked great. I just hope the rest of the shows aren’t as slow as these first two were.