S04.E03: Exodus

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

 

Tom and the 2nd Mass hatch an elaborate plan to escape the confines of the Espheni Ghetto. Meanwhile back in Chinatown, after learning from Ben that Lexi has been keeping a deadly secret, Maggie confronts Lexi publicly. At the Espheni Youth Camp, Matt tries to talk Mira out of a dangerous escape plan. While trekking through the woods with her guerilla fighters, Anne has a flashback to her time in the Espheni Tower with Karen, where a terrifying secret about Lexi is revealed.

[sjohnson]

A war plan in which everything goes wrong and they still basically luck out. A piece of rebar with a chunk of concrete that acts exactly like a sledgehammer? Must be the Hand of God! Everything going wrong was a hint of realism. Taking time to show the old folks was the sort of thing that makes me like Falling Skies even when it's lapsing into age-yellowed pulp.

 

Space baby is at least moving along. Can Lexi talk to Ben's skitter radio? It seemed to me that the Espheni was talking to Lexi that way?

[thuganomics85]

Oh, Anne.  If you knew the full story, you would have probably smacked Lourdes, instead of hugged her.  I'm glad they're in Chinatown at least, so maybe Anne will quit be so damn annoying.  It sucks when I find myself disliking a Moon Bloodgood character (looking at you, Burn Notice!)  But something has to happen with this story-line.  It's just too ridiculous for my taste.  Now that we know Lexi is a product off the Espheni (even got a Karen cameo!), I'm sure it's only going to get weirder.  Sigh.  I do not like this one bit.

 

Matt's plan has already backfired, thanks to his buddy being a moron and stealing that tool.  Now, it looks like he's off to someplace bad.  Good new for him is Cochise seems to have found him.

 

So, the brilliant plan of Tom and the gang, managed to hit every obstacle out there, but they still pull it off with minimal losses (I think that old man might have been the only causality.)  The Masons clearly have a horseshoe up their asses.  Also got time to have Pope be the "big damn hero", which, for him, means that he doesn't do something selfish.  Congrats, Pope!  You acted like a human being!  But it sounds like something is following them, so we'll see how that goes.

 

I miss Dr. Kadar already.

[Bill C.]

I couldn't help wondering if Pope's unabashedly extended Big Damn Hero moment (complete with not one but two near-swerves) effectively wrapped up his character evolution, but that's me.  Comparatively, Tom somehow long-jumping backwards off a building before it exploded so he could land in a pond...dude's indestructible anyway, but that...wow.

 

Matt...yeah, just like dear old Dad.

 

And now that we know Budget Khaleesi, er, Lexi is indeed an overt Espheni experiment (hi, Zombie Karen!)--and presumably a valuable one--I'm torn over whether this is veering further into Starchild territory or Founder (DS9) territory.  If she's this valuable, why haven't the E just stormed Chinatown to get her?...then again, combined with EYC (Espheni Youth Camp), maybe they're still in the middle of this apparent policy shift...?

[xaxat]

So the writers take a POC, whose experience and engineering skills are crucial to the plan, and break his hand so Pope can have a BDH moment? Not cool. 

[mattie0808]

Well...that was the best episode of the season, though for my part, that's rather damning with faint praise. At least the part of the ghetto escape felt connected to what we've known of this show in the previous three seasons. Tom randomly and lengthily lecturing on a somewhat-related history lesson? Pope being an annoying pain, but coming through when it counts? The 2nd Mass leading an action when they're outgunned (this time they literally had NO guns, lol) and otherwise against the odds? Check, check, and check. So that was somewhat helpful.

 

Not to say the ghetto-escape plan was without its problems. I mean...Tom is truly, honestly, for real a full-blown superhero now?! That last jump away from the explosion? Into some apparently really deep water we hadn't seen on the side of the building before (or at least, I hadn't)? And I thought the explosives they were using were highly sensitive, which my South African homie thought was crazy, given that he was going to be trying to climb/crawl over an electrified fence while possibly being attacked by skitters. So...Pope gets jostled by a flying skitter, drops the bag which snags near the bottom of the fence, falls from the top of the fence and the bag hit the ground (and Pope), and...nothing? Okay. South African homie couldn't have put the suit on while they were waiting for the go signal from Tom? After they're successful, they stand altogether, at what looks like a distance of 3 feet from the fence? They aren't worried about being attacked? Speaking of which, are the Espheni unarmed this year completely, am I missing something? All those skitters following Superhero!Tom these three episode haven't been shooting at him, right? The ship didn't shoot at the ghetto while Pope was trying to unplug the extension cord (did they shoot in the last episode when Tom was on the ship and they were throwing rocks)? The truck and the skitter Anne's group stopped didn't appear to be armed, right? And the only mech I think we've seen this season is the shut-down one in Chinatown with Lexi? What's going on?

 

Okay, so Anne and her group have found Chinatown, so that's got to help move things along. I hope! So now Anne remembers that the Espheni straight up messed with her pregnancy directly, and it looks like the same dude who's been talking to Tom and Lexi this year. Not a big shock. I didn't much understand the rest of the Chinatown scenes -- still not clear where Maggie's head is at, or what everyone else in Chinatown actually thinks of Lexi, or why they aren't bothered by her sneaking around to chat with Esphenin guy, or what.

 

And Nazi Youth Camp continue to make the least sense to me of all. Are we supposed to think our head youth Aryan guy has switched sides without any type of forcible mind control? Same question for the girl who brought in her parents? Matt's little girlfriend isn't that bright, is she? Sigh. Cochise in the house though, so that might get interesting. The camps just seem like a really, truly weird use of the Espheni's resources and attention, and I'm still not sure to what end they're aiming at. What does trying to convince kids about how awesome the Espheni are, and to snitch on their parents (and each other) have anything to do with; 1) turning every able-bodied adult into a harnessed soldier or grunt worker anyway, or 2) creating a wonderful, idyllic peace with hybrid Lexi as the leader? (Hell, what do those two ideas have to do with each other?)

 

Still waiting for that new, major threat. And...the West...

 

[jcin617]

Hollywood writers, I beg you, retire the "X hours/days earlier" framing; it is so tired!

[ganesh]

Ugh. I know. They didn't need to do that. Usually it's a sign that the episode will be overly shitty. I don't think it was needed in this case. 

 

This wasn't that bad though. In terms of the plan, it was Farscape-esque. That's what sci fi action adventure is though. Blow shit up, big fucked up plan. I can roll with it. At least there was some effort to deal with all the obstacles. 

 

Tom Mason, 2. Overlords, 0. If this was the World Cup, we'd be assured of victory.

 

I don't like that everyone has to be in every episode. This is a big problem when you split the cast up into so many groups. They could have easily spent the entire episode on the breakout and one scene in the Nazi camp. However, I will give the show credit for getting Ann and Lexi reunited and the ghetto plot wrapped up in 3 episodes.

 

Matt's plan has already backfired, thanks to his buddy being a moron and stealing that tool.  Now, it looks like he's off to someplace bad. 

 

The thing I do like about the nazi camp is that we get some glimpses of the outside world beyond the Masons and 2nd Mass. I think that's good for world building, which is sorely needed. 

 

Comparatively, Tom somehow long-jumping backwards off a building before it exploded so he could land in a pond...dude's indestructible anyway, but that...wow.

 

This wasn't quite launching yourself out of a space pod and *blowing up an entire moon* but I'll take it. He beat an Overlord in hand to hand combat. All he had to do was fall this time. 

 

And now that we know Budget Khaleesi, er, Lexi is indeed an overt Espheni experiment.

 

Not really a surprise there, given, oh I don't know, every single alien show where a baby is force grown. I did really like Maggie's "oh fuck off *Lourdes*". I thought Maggie was going to shoot Lourdes for half a second. I really don't care about this story line. Especially in this episode with the high octane break out, these scenes ground the show to a halt and just shouldn't have been included until E4. 

 

Are we supposed to think our head youth Aryan guy has switched sides without any type of forcible mind control?

 

No, I don't think so either. It's a fanwank to think *something* had to be done to the older kids. It's not too too much of a stretch for me, but I expect the show to confirm this at some point because this is something TPTB would/should have worked out in the show bible. We actually may get more of a peek into what's going on since they took little Mason into the other building. 

 

I can buy that they are brainwashing the younger kids though.

 

We have *got* to make Budget Khaleesi a thing.

 

The show needs to do more asskicking and blowing shit up. At this point, the Esph aren't leaving the planet. They may not have the means to right now anyway. 

 

This show is older than it's younger and I can't see much beyond an S5. There better be some endgame.

[LittleIggy]

I just want to see the head Hitler Youth wanker's head blown off his shoulders with pieces of meat and blood flying everywhere. What a dick.

Maggie should have shot Lourdes. Hate her. And Low Rent Khaleesi with her Miss Piggy nose.

Pope rocks.

Edited July 8, 2014 by LittleIggy

[bluebonnet]

Er, did we just get our first glimpse at an Espheni penis?  Also, when was Anne supposed to have been away from the group for this Espheni fetal surgery thing to have taken place?  I binge watched all of the seasons last week so I thought I would have all of the pertinent details still fresh in my mind but this seems like a major and illogical retcon.  I'm also not sure how the skitters got so easy to defeat.  Remember in earlier seasons when Tom Mason was viewed in awe because he took down a skitter single-handedly and then dragged it back to their base camp?  That was back when they were eagerly seeking the best way to kill them because skitters didn't go down easily.  Apparently, all it takes is Hal Mason and his stick and Tom Mason and a fire gun.  Too bad they didn't have sticks and fire guns at the start of the invasion....

 

I really enjoyed the first three seasons.  I found them fun and entertaining and even got enthused with the cheesy and inconsistent stuff.  Nothing killed my interest more than the quickly maturing hybrid kid.  It was so disappointing because fast growing hybrid kid is never interesting or good.  I could have dealt with Lexi being some chosen baby destined to save the universes or something.  It would have been interesting if something about her was the 'flower' the Volm have been seeking for centuries.  But seriously, the Budget Kahleesi crap is...crap.  I hate it so much.  

[Bill C.]

It's the waiting for the full explanation that kills it for me.  At least Lexi isn't running around saying "pretanama," though I'm glad that her insistence on peace between mankind and the Espheni is rightfully falling on mostly deaf ears.  (Shut up, Lourdes.)

 

That said...

 

Er, did we just get our first glimpse at an Espheni penis?

 

Ew.  Since E technology is uniformly industrial-organic, though, I'm inclined to think "conduit" or "extension cord," but because of the way that scene was shot.....ew!

 

Also, when was Anne supposed to have been away from the group for this Espheni fetal surgery thing to have taken place?

 

I'm fuzzy on this, but after reading up it appears that this had to have happened when Tom, Anne, Hal and Maggie were all captured in the second-season finale.  Zombie Karen straight up threatened Anne's pregnancy, AIUI, so she and the E knew--which brings us back to why they would want to screw with it in the first place.

[ganesh]

It was shown that Ann was taken at some point and I recall Karen being there.

Of all the things planned out in advance, the "star child" trope makes it all the way to now.

How awesome would it be if a show just had the aliens kill the baby?

[3jt]

Budget Khaleesi is cracking me up! I really like the show and the premise for the show, but I think that it is dragging a bit.  I am creeped out by the Nazi camp, and that whole story line. I will continue to root for our 2nd Mass gang, but I hope that the story moves along a little bit faster now.

[bluebonnet]

It was shown that Ann was taken at some point and I recall Karen being there.

 

But when was it shown?  I'm guessing we are to assume that somewhere between when the 2nd Mass was attacked by Skitters and then hung up in cables at the end of season 2, Anne was supposed to be removed from the group for a period of time? This would mean that they were all down for the count for that same period of time and then forces us to wonder why (1) didn't just kill everyone and (2) why they didn't remove the bombs the 2nd Mass had already placed on the Eshpeni weapon.  They are going really far out of their way to make things incredibly illogical in order to push the dumb hybrid Budget Khaleesi thing.  

[ganesh]

I don't know. I remember at some point Tom either goes back on one of the ships or into the Esph lair and Ann is like frozen up in some pod. They didn't show it as part of the regular action iirc.

Edited July 8, 2014 by ganesh

[sjohnson]

Sorry to show my ignorance, but who is Khaleesi? 

 

I admit the space baby all growed up is really disheartening but I've got to say that for me this show still makes me care more than Defiance, Dominion and The Leftovers. People alienated by Lourdes really need to check out that last one!

[bluebonnet]

I don't know. I remember at some point Tom either goes back on one of the ships or into the Esph lair and Ann is like frozen up in some pod. They didn't show it as part of the regular action iirc.

That was when Anne and Lexi were missing.  He thought Karen killed them.  But Lexi was already born so Esheni penis in embryo couldn't have happened then.  

[Ottis]

I don't understand why no one asks this obvious question of Lexi: If your big dream is the three species living in harmony together, why are only humans there? Why wouldn't you also appeal to and have some Espheni and Volm there, in the open, acting like the harmonized collective you keep insisting your sanctuary is for? It is a simple question. And the fact it isn't happening makes all of this beyond fishy. And yet no one asks. Closest they came was Maggie asking why Lexi went behind their backs to meet an Espheni, but that addresses the specific instance, not the wider claim by Lexi.

[3jt]

Very good point Ottis- I didn't even think of that.  I guess that I'm just trying to etcha-sketch the whole plot line mess out of my head. It is interesting though that no one has asked how peace would be established between the three VERY different races- especially since two of those races have been at war for who knows how long.

[ganesh]

This is classic, 'no one asks questions plot' and 'cryptic answers given' because the story line is paper thin. It's good that Ben was under for a while because he's the viewers 'in' to the scene there, but why isn't he locking Lourdes in a room and asking her why she went nuts, when exactly did the baby grow, etc.

 

Even if you do by the hybrid theory, who is going to want to settle down with aliens who experiment on children? 

 

 

 

It is interesting though that no one has asked how peace would be established between the three VERY different races- especially since two of those races have been at war for who knows how long.

This is why I want Tom et al., to just start blowing shit up left and right and pull a B5 'get the hell off our planet.'

Edited July 8, 2014 by ganesh

[Dowel Jones]

Regarding Pope's Climb to Fame, if I'm climbing up a steep gradient of any kind, I would sling a bag over both shoulders and free up my hands plus securing the bag.  But that's just me.  Mythbusters did a show on jumping off a three story building into a pool vs. landing on an air mattress.  Their conclusion was, with a water landing, if you don't do it just right, as in stuntman ability, it will likely be fatal.  But that's just Tom.

 

I liked that ending scene, with Tom and his buddy looking off into the woods.  Good lead-in moment, kind of like "It's quiet out there".  "Mmm, Kemo Sabe;  Too quiet."

[Isazouzi]

Mythbusters did a show on jumping off a three story building into a pool vs. landing on an air mattress.  Their conclusion was, with a water landing, if you don't do it just right, as in stuntman ability, it will likely be fatal.  But that's just Tom.

 

Yes, if you jump into a pool from the 10 meter board, you enter the water at around 30 mph and the water feels like it's solid. Tom jumped from way higher and probably landed on his back at great speed, but hey, it's TV!

 

This is classic, 'no one asks questions plot' and 'cryptic answers given' because the story line is paper thin.

 

Well, that's the Lost way. How else are you going to last 6 seasons?

 

As illogical and moronic as the show can be sometimes, I really enjoyed the 3 first seasons, but this one with the Star child and the Nazi youth camp is making it harder. I think the show would be better if everyone was reunited.

[feverfew]

I guess I'm rather easy to please, because I'm just as entertained this year as I was last year. Of course I have some issues with the show: as the rest of you guys I find the SORAS-as-plot to be annoying, and Anne pissed me off during the whole "wheeere's my baby!"-thingy (another rip-off from GoT, I guess?) - especially because Anthony is one of my favourite characters, and it would have made so much more sense if he was the one leading the squad. But on the whole I love the show. I love the characters.

 

But. Lexi. (Budget Khaleesi - ha!). I know we have new showrunners now, but neither a new big bad or Lexi's new age mumbo-jumbo will convince me that the Espheni just are misunderstood, woobie characters who just want to sing kumbaja with the humans. After three seasons of (attempted) genocide, nothing will, I guess. It just doesn't make any sense.

 

What does trying to convince kids about how awesome the Espheni are, and to snitch on their parents (and each other) have anything to do with; 1) turning every able-bodied adult into a harnessed soldier or grunt worker anyway, or 2) creating a wonderful, idyllic peace with hybrid Lexi as the leader? (Hell, what do those two ideas have to do with each other?)

 

It could be an attempt from the new showrunners to create a fraction within the Espheni (like the rebel skitters) who want peace yadda yadda, but that doesn't make sense either, since the Karen-Overlord definitely wasn't part of any rebellion and she was the one who 'impregnated' Anne with alien sperm. 

 

So there's only one option really: Espheni are still the bad guys (never mind the new big bad) and either Lexi's duped into thinking she's saving makind and alien alike, or she's actually evil. I would love for the last option to be true, but unfortunately I think she's as stupid as she looks. Although the whole "breaking Maggie's wrist" sorta tilts toward evil. I mean, she crossed right into crazy for me with that one...

 

Edit to ask: How do you get the name of the person you are quoting to show up in your post?

Edited July 8, 2014 by feverfew

[Isazouzi]

Edit to ask: How do you get the name of the person you are quoting to show up in your post?

You click on the " button at the bottom of the posts you want to quote. It opens a little window which says something like "reply to (x) quoted posts", and when you click on this, it opens up your response window with the posts quoted and the names. I'm not sure if I'm clear!

[feverfew]

You click on the " button at the bottom of the posts you want to quote. It opens a little window which says something like "reply to (x) quoted posts", and when you click on this, it opens up your response window with the posts quoted and the names. I'm not sure if I'm clear!

You were! And thank you!

[ganesh]

Having a new big bad, and one that "you couldn't possibly comprehend" is just terrible story building. New show runners want to take the show in a different direction, but you've already said that the Volm pulled out because the Esph assaulted one of their critical strongholds. You can just make the new thing that the Volm and Esph have upped the fight in this sector of the galaxy and therefore the Esph don't want/need to fight on two fronts: Earth and Volm, so they want to subdue the population with more extreme measures. It's far simpler and treats the show more holistically.

 

I've said a lot of times before that TPTBs just don't know anything about television. They couldn't possibly think that 'hybrid, force grown alien child was unique to this show' right? So, no one said, "let's see if that's been done before. Oh, it's been universally derided and mocked. I don't want people to just mock the show, I want them to enjoy it. Maybe we should try something else."

[jcin617]

Sorry to show my ignorance, but who is Khaleesi? 

It's the title/honorific of a female character on Game of Thrones;  said character also has platinum blond hair.

[iMonrey]

I, for one, was hoping that Anne would shoot Lexi on sight, after remembering that she was really an alien baby produced by Karen and the Espheni. That would have been awesome. I'm just sick of this stupid storyline and we're only three episodes in.

 

Worse, still, is the Nazi Youth Camp. My God, even the Team Leader and his Aryan Hitler haircut. Could they hit us over the head with this any harder? It would have made much more sense to have too-good-to-be-true "team leaders" killing them with kindness and brainwashing them into being pacifists - sort of like what Lexi and Lourdes are doing only without the Alien Star Child Goddess Leader. The Nazi propaganda parallels are mind-numbing.

 

At least we got some decent action with the ghetto camp escape, but yeah, that last bit with Tom leaping out the window of the exploding building was just silly. I guess he's Die Hard now.

[bluebonnet]

I feel like the writers perhaps don't recall their own canon.  And that lack of recall led them to choose hybrid girl to tell this storyline they felt would be interesting for the show.  The thing is, they didn't need fast-growing hybrid girl for it.  We've already seen that the harnesses significantly alter the bodies of some people.  We've also already seen that one of the humans can serve as a unifying force between two sides.  Ben served in that function before and the reason we were able to feel comfortable with it is because we'd already developed a relationship with Ben. We weren't left rolling our eyes or wondering about Ben's motivations because we had been given prior reason to trust that he would remain consistent.  

 

So, we already know that the Espheni have the tech to alter the human body and we've seen that a human can serve the function of unifying two opposing forces.  But it appears the writers thought "hey, we want to tell a story of a genetically modified person who could maybe be a uniting force but we can't quite figure out how to do this since we don't recall our own canon but here, let's grow up Lexi and just use her and pretend we are doing something completely new and mysterious."  It would have been easy to take an existing cast member.  It would have made the sympathies that much easier to deal with.  I can believe that Maggie would have a hard time shooting Matt, for example, but it's harder to understand why she wouldn't shoot this alien girl who was a baby six months ago.  She doesn't know her (well, technically she does but it happened during a time jump so the viewer wasn't allowed to witness it so doesn't quite count), so there is little reason for us to care about the safety of Lexi.  Ben has also spent maybe five minutes with Lexi, from baby to adult, so there's nearly no true connection there other than the whole "society tells me I should care about my sister so I'm going to have to care" bullshit.  

 

However, if it's someone like Matt that this has happened to, it changes the entire perception of the plot.  We immediately sympathize not only with Matt because he's been there from the beginning, but also with the other characters and how they anguish over what to do.  If we can believe that the Espheni can alter the genetics of a human in utero or alter the skeletal make up of a human with a harness, then there's little reason for the viewer not to buy that they can do something significant with a child.  There's no reason for the dumb hybrid Lexi, which only serves to make the motivations of the characters around her more confusing because we don't know her and the assumption is that the others don't really know her either.  

 

They also need to spend a bit more time developing the aliens.  I got the impression that the Espheni were typical conquerors, the type that expanded out into the universe because they needed more resources or were escaping their own form of persecution and genocide by another conquering force.  It didn't feel unusual that they would treat the conquered lifeforms as disposable resources, because that's pretty par for the course with conquering.  However, this whiplash with the Espheni seeming to do and about face is just needlessly confusing.  It lacks any air of mystery because there was no build up to it.  It's like they picked the idea out of a hat and decided to just go with it and ignore all of the previous seasons.  Even if the Espheni are escaping from another conquering species, I can't sympathize with them.  It's possible to sympathize with asshole aliens, as evidence with the Volm.  We had very little screen time with them but we did get to know Cochise a bit and so when his father talked of corralling the humans in one location and then hit Tom, we were angry but not immediately turned against the Volm as a whole.  

 

I don't know, I didn't get involved in the show until a couple weeks ago when I binge watched, but I still feel really let down with how things have gone.  

[ganesh]

I feel like the writers perhaps don't recall their own canon.  And that lack of recall led them to choose hybrid girl to tell this storyline they felt would be interesting for the show. 

 

You know why they don't? Because there's no show bible. There is absolutely no reason for a crime/medical procedural to a scifi show not to have a bible in this era of tv. However, the original TPTBs said they always intended to have a baby. Which is ridiculous anyway because there's only one direction you can go with a baby on a scifi show. Not to mention it's ridiculously OTT for a *doctor* and college professor wouldn't be taking precautions because pregnancy risk during an alien invasion where kids are abducted? nbd.

 

She doesn't know her (well, technically she does but it happened during a time jump so the viewer wasn't allowed to witness it so doesn't quite count), so there is little reason for us to care about the safety of Lexi. 

 

I have to give Maggie some slack because she has been there for the time jump. She can't just shoot Lexi because Lourdes would whip up the crowd and tear her to pieces. She should have never pulled the gun in the first place. She should have trusted Ben to be able to confront Lexi about the Esph. 

 

I got the impression that the Espheni were typical conquerors, the type that expanded out into the universe because they needed more resources or were escaping their own form of persecution and genocide by another conquering force.

 

I don't see why this can't be sufficient motivation. There's a nice interesting allegory to imperialism that's still relevant today, with USA military presence everywhere and Russia annexing Crimea. That's a good, classic scifi story. It's already been established that the skitters' homeworld suffered a similar fate. Now the Esph ran into Earth, and hey, the native population isn't rolling over so easy. Then the Volm came in and said, hey, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Do you want some weapons, Earth people? And you've got a nice cold war allegory going. You're not quite sure that the Volm are the 'good guys' but you don't have options. 

 

New showrunners want to put their own stamp on the show, but another thing I always say, 'know the show you have.' The show's a mess now. 

[sjohnson]

It's the title/honorific of a female character on Game of Thrones;  said character also has platinum blond hair.

Thank you!

[mattie0808]

No, I don't think so either. It's a fanwank to think *something* had to be done to the older kids. It's not too too much of a stretch for me, but I expect the show to confirm this at some point because this is something TPTB would/should have worked out in the show bible. We actually may get more of a peek into what's going on since they took little Mason into the other building. 

 

I can buy that they are brainwashing the younger kids though.

 

I might be able to buy brainwashing of the younger kids in the camp (who aren't very young, kind of teens/pre-teens) if this was something that was started at the beginning of the invasion and they had been working on them for more than 4 months or so after several years of the kids living in a war against the Espheni, one where one of the major fears (aside from the complete annihilation of humanity) was of kids being harnessed and genetically engineered into drones. In any event, I'm with you -- I'm not sure it'd make the storyline work, but a later revelation that at least some of this kids are being forcibly brainwashed might help. Maybe?

 

 

It could be an attempt from the new showrunners to create a fraction within the Espheni (like the rebel skitters) who want peace yadda yadda, but that doesn't make sense either, since the Karen-Overlord definitely wasn't part of any rebellion and she was the one who 'impregnated' Anne with alien sperm.

So there's only one option really: Espheni are still the bad guys (never mind the new big bad) and either Lexi's duped into thinking she's saving makind and alien alike, or she's actually evil. I would love for the last option to be true, but unfortunately I think she's as stupid as she looks.

 

 

Not only was Karen around for the pregnancy-messing-with party, I thought that was the same Espheni guy who was talking to Tom and met with Lexi secretly (right?). Meaning that "harness all the adults and no more remnants of free will for you humans" guy is also "let's create a Chinatown haven with this hybrid I created where all you humans will choose to put down your weapons!" guy. Which makes no sense, even assuming that he's tricking Lexi and the Chinatown haven humans for some nefarious purpose. If there really are three very separate avenues being pursued by the Espheni, I guess I'll just continue to hope that the writers have any idea why any one of them would be pursued -- after what's happened over the last three seasons -- much less all three at the same time.

 

 

I'm trying to figure out how the 2nd Mass will now get to either Chinatown or the Nazi Youth Camp. I guess Tom has some sort of thing that Cochise gave him that lets him know Cochise is around, maybe it'll start glowing again if they start walking in the direction of the camp? Also, I assume Anne isn't leaving Chinatown to look for anyone else now that she's found her Lexi...I actually thought Anne might wind up at the Youth Camp before Chinatown since they intercepted that truck full of kids, and I assumed they were going to the camp. Maybe Anthony will take some folks, wind up at the camp, find Tom/Weaver/Pope/Hal and the 2nd Mass there, and take everyone back to Chinatown. I'd prefer we didn't have the major action of the season (once everyone's back together again) happen there, but I don't see where else this might lead?

Edited July 9, 2014 by mattie0808

[Bill C.]

I don't know. I remember at some point Tom either goes back on one of the ships or into the Esph lair and Ann is like frozen up in some pod. They didn't show it as part of the regular action iirc.

 

You may be thinking of the third-season episode where the E stuck Tom in that VR/dream world to try to get him to reveal where the Volm anti-ship weapon would be used, and where they convinced him that Anne and Alexis were dead--we did briefly see him standing over a pod that theoretically had Anne in it.  The S2 finale, as said earlier, appears to be the only (known) point where Anne was captured by the E while pregnant.

[ganesh]

It was probably the VR episode. I don't even rewatch the show that has the actual, real Khaleesi. I sure as hell haven't rewatched this.

 

I guess Tom has some sort of thing that Cochise gave him that lets him know Cochise is around, maybe it'll start glowing again if they start walking in the direction of the camp?

Tom did contact Cochise via short wave radio/CB as well as his magic stick. So he could presumably find another radio. Now that they are free from the ghetto, there's a lot of people to worry about, and I would think finding a stable settlement would be wise.

 

And again, like when the 2nd Mass was going from Boston to Charleston, it's a good time to do some world building because you're bound to meet people along the way, but last time, no. 

[Bishop]

I loved everything about Sunday's episode (for the most part).  I thought everything that happened in the ghetto was well done and fleshed out well for the characters.   I missed Tom's history lessons (didn't realize I did) when he was laying out his plan to the guy from South Africa (can't remember the name), and although the plan was very risky, it made sense to me.  I like that the plan involved everyone, just like old times with the 2nd Mass.  It was confirmed that the prison ship was simply a vessel in charge of that one camp, and so i don't think that Aspheni is a major Overlord, but now he has a beef with Tom - and I like that.  Tom should always be in their faces as far as I'm concerned, for killing his wife, and changing both his son and his daughter into hybrids.  It's very personal for him, and it should be.  I was very happy to see Pope step up, and more importantly, for the ice to break a little with him and Tom.  I like those two (and Weaver).  Lastly, I have a feeling that the "thing" that Weaver was seeing or thought he heard at the end of the episode, was Jeannie.  I have a sinking feeling, she's been changed into a "humanoid skitter."  

 

The only thing I'm enjoying about Lexi right now is Ben and Maggie.  I want them out of that Chinatown place and kicking butt like they normally do.  It was great to see old Maggie reemerge, and I am anxious to see where this is leading.  As for Anne, i was glad she found Lexi because her hard-core attitude was a put-off for me, mainly because she only seemed focused on Lexi and no one else, not even Matt.  It was nice that she was thrilled to see Ben again.  What was disturbing about Anne's dream was I was wondering if the Aspheni who she was hooked up to was female.  No reason to assume that the Aspheni Overlord Lexi was meeting with was not female.  Granted, we need much more information about the Aspheni than we are getting, but nothing that takes away from me enjoying the show.  It would simply make the show better.

 

Last, the only storyline that I find drags for me is Matt.  I just don't find that character compelling at all.  So the sooner he gets out of wherever he is and back with the 2nd Mass so he can stay on the side-lines, the better.  

 

Overall, I thought the episode moved fast, was exciting and action driven, and we got some more information.  Now that the 2nd Mass is mobile, I'm curious to see where the story leads now.  So far, I'm enjoying this season a lot (much better than last).

Edited July 9, 2014 by Bishop

[ramble]

The good: the crazy-but-it-always-works Mason plan. Tom being his indestructible self & the good guys making it clear regardless of ridiculous odds. It's cheesy & unbelievable but I liked it. And there was Pope.

The mediocre: the Nazi youth camp makes me mumble, "I don't care" a lot. I don't care enough to yell. I just Don't. Care. I would like Matt to head butt his new girlfriend for being such an idiot.

The bad: Anne & Lexi. I hate this storyline. Anne has worn through my good will in 3 episodes. That was quick. Hopefully now that she's found her stupid daughter she'll not be so flipping annoying. I have my doubts though.

I have no interest or investment in Lexi. We met her as an infant & when we next saw her she was five. Now she's a teenager & she talks in dumb, incomplete thoughts, stares off in space & is generally an unlikable brat. I suppose if I wanted to watch a reality show about self-absorbed teens I'd be a happy girl. "You... don't understand. Only I... can know. Peace... is needed. Feel... peace. Listen to... the world." Oh good grief shut up! Kill her or give her a kaleidoscope & blow her mind. Just do something to make her be quiet & fade away for awhile.

I wonder if the noise that Captain Weaver heard at the end of the episode was his daughter. Didn't they show an outline of a skitter type creature? They've been hinting that something bad has happened to his daughter & that humans are being skitterized in some fashion.

[Bishop]

I guess I'm rather easy to please, because I'm just as entertained this year as I was last year. Of course I have some issues with the show: as the rest of you guys I find the SORAS-as-plot to be annoying, and Anne pissed me off during the whole "wheeere's my baby!"-thingy (another rip-off from GoT, I guess?) - especially because Anthony is one of my favourite characters, and it would have made so much more sense if he was the one leading the squad. But on the whole I love the show. I love the characters.

 

This is how I feel too.  Love the show and the characters, and yes both have flaws, but I find the show entertaining.  With so much drivel on television, there are a handful of shows that I look forward to each year, and Falling Skies is one of them.  I love post-apocalyptic themes and survival.  I think the characters on the show work well, and the skitters are such a creepy alien species.  They are like the "older" version of the alien in Aliens (with Sigourney Weaver).  Remember how they use to crawl along the floor and then throw themselves at their target and wrap itself around their face?  That's what the Skitters remind me of - only larger.  Creepy.

The bad: Anne & Lexi. I hate this storyline. Anne has worn through my good will in 3 episodes. That was quick. Hopefully now that she's found her stupid daughter she'll not be so flipping annoying. I have my doubts though.

I have no interest or investment in Lexi. We met her as an infant & when we next saw her she was five. Now she's a teenager & she talks in dumb, incomplete thoughts, stares off in space & is generally an unlikable brat. I suppose if I wanted to watch a reality show about self-absorbed teens I'd be a happy girl. "You... don't understand. Only I... can know. Peace... is needed. Feel... peace. Listen to... the world." Oh good grief shut up! Kill her or give her a kaleidoscope & blow her mind. Just do something to make her be quiet & fade away for awhile.

 

Yeah, I have to agree about Lexi.  I'm hoping there is a better storyline for her down the road, but this Zen-like way about her (and Lourdes) annoys.  I also didn't like Anne's tunnel vision.  Since when doesn't she care about Tom or the boys?  She hasn't uttered one word about their well being while Tom has several times about her.  He needs a new love interest maybe.

 

I wonder if the noise that Captain Weaver heard at the end of the episode was his daughter. Didn't they show an outline of a skitter type creature? They've been hinting that something bad has happened to his daughter & that humans are being skitterized in some fashion.

 

 

I think it was Jeannie too.  I think she was "processed."  The Aspheni wanted to weaponize human beings.  They do it to every species they conquer.

[ganesh]

I have no interest or investment in Lexi.

 

That's what happens when you force grow a baby. It's like a new character is inserted into the show and we're supposed to have some pre existing attachment. It never works. 

[Bill C.]

Bishop might be on to something...

 

The Aspheni wanted to weaponize human beings.  They do it to every species they conquer.

 

Lexi might have been an Espheni experiment in a new method of weaponizing a captive species.  Instead of/in addition to converting the native species once they've reached a certain age, why not convert them before they're even born?  (This unfortunately doesn't counteract the Starchild aspect.  It just enhances it.)

[Bishop]

 

 

Lexi might have been an Espheni experiment in a new method of weaponizing a captive species.  Instead of/in addition to converting the native species once they've reached a certain age, why not convert them before they're even born?  (This unfortunately doesn't counteract the Starchild aspect.  It just enhances it.)

Interesting idea.  Maybe Lexi is the first prototype.  They had a pregnant female in Anne, whose baby was still forming and growing, and they added alien DNA to the growing fetus.  The problem is that Anne was never on the Aspheni spaceship while she was pregnant or am I remembering it wrong?  Then again, Lourdes was infected with eye worms at the time of Anne's pregnancy, and she could have drugged Anne, brought her to the Aspheni, who then added the DNA.  On top of which, Tom Mason is the head of a fierce resistance movement with the 2nd Mass.  So corrupting his child is just an added benefit.  It is also what drives Tom to hate them so much.  

 

This COULD be interesting if done right, but I still hate the super aging alien baby stuff that shows like to throw into their storylines.  I agree with ganesh that they can't make me love Lexi simply because she is Tom and Anne's child.  I have to knwo and learn more about her, but it could be intriguing.  We're only three episodes in (nine more to go - God these seasons are too short).

[millennium]

This show has become seriously boring.  BOOM.

 

I am right now trying to watch this episode on the tntdrama.com website.   The tedious plot is bad enough, but the site is fraught with glitches, lags, and has twice the commercials of the broadcast.   BOOM.

 

I finally gave up.  BOOM. 

 

Turned it off.  BOOM.

 

It perplexes me why a show that has two good, solid characters like Weaver and Pope would basically sideline them during the first three episodes of the season.  Noah Wylie is coma-inducing.   They need the more mercurial, dynamic characters to offset Tom Mason's pedantic droning.   BOOM.

 

And this Hitler Youth thing is beyond bullshit.    There should be a coda to Godwin's Law that says whenever a TV show not set during World War II introduces a Nazi plotline, the show is already lost.   BOOM.

 

I have a suspicion that Falling Skies will experience Falling Ratings.  

 

BOOM.

[Bishop]

It perplexes me why a show that has two good, solid characters like Weaver and Pope would basically sideline them during the first three episodes of the season.  Noah Wylie is coma-inducing.   They need the more mercurial, dynamic characters to offset Tom Mason's pedantic droning.   BOOM.

And see I find Pope very one-note.  Pope is certainly mercurial, but it makes him annoying, imo, rather than interesting.  He creates tension just for the sake of creating tension rather than actually having a reason.  Being angry at the world is not a good reason for me, but of course, we all have our faves.  I do think we need to see more of Pope, and I believe that's coming up.  I find Weaver to be far more a better fit to offset Tom Mason's calm demeanor, but I do want to see more of Tom and Weaver interacting like they use to in season's one and two.  I think Tom Mason grounds the show, but again, we have our different opinions.

 

I think Sunday's episode was great; liked the premiere as well.

[iMonrey]

I agree with you about Pope, Bishop. (Ha ha, that sentence turned out funny.) He's more of a trope in a dystopian society story than a fully fleshed out character. By nature these types of characters tend to be dynamic and humorous, hence their popularity, but I see him as a bit too cartoonish.  

 

 

You... don't understand. Only I... can know. Peace... is needed. Feel... peace. Listen to... the world." Oh good grief shut up! Kill her or give her a kaleidoscope & blow her mind. Just do something to make her be quiet & fade away for awhile.

 

LOL! And honestly, why did she suddenly turn into a platinum blonde Aryan after looking like a typical hispanic baby and five year old? That doesn't even make sense in regards to her having Espheni DNA. They're certainly not Nordic in appearance. 

[bluebonnet]

Haha, yeah, I have been pretending the Budget Khaleesi look doesn't exist, save for when I want to call her Budget Khaleesi.  It's like they thought the audience was too stupid to realize they were making this character as something otherworldly, because apparently her controlling the elements and growing up in a couple of months wasn't enough, so they stuck a wig on it.  

 

Also, I'm sort of disappointed with Pope of this episode.  I like Pope best when he's a self-serving asshole.  I wish there had been a better reason for him to have risked his hide for the group, though I suppose I can just shrug it off and believe he did it since he's completely incapable of being alone.  

[Bishop]

Also, I'm sort of disappointed with Pope of this episode.  I like Pope best when he's a self-serving asshole.  I wish there had been a better reason for him to have risked his hide for the group, though I suppose I can just shrug it off and believe he did it since he's completely incapable of being alone.  

I want to see growth with Pope.  If he remains the ever-constant self-serving asshole then he's just a caricature.  I actually look forward to watching any growth with Pope because he's the most damaged of the characters (apart from Maggie).  I want to see him get better.  I don't need him to be a good guy, but he should learn to embrace humanity more since the Aspheni are hell-bent on exterminating the species from the face of the earth.  I appreciated that Tom actually went over and shook his hand, and they had a very brief bro-hug.  It was just enough for Tom to acknowledge that Pope went above and beyond, and that Pope saw that Tom genuinely appreciated it.  Since Pope and Tom have the most prickly of relationships, I want to watch that relationship change and grow too.  I don't need them to be best buds, but I don't want constant animosity and lack of trust either.  

 

I remember in season three when Tom came back from seeing Karen and he believed that Lexi and Anne were dead, and he wasn't sure if he had any Aspheni technology in him, and he asked Weaver to kill him if it proved true that Tom was a mole, but Weaver couldn't do it.  So Tom went to Pope.  He wanted his reassurance that if Tom had been turned that Pope would take care of it.  What I liked about the scene was there was no nastiness between them, no anger, no disrespect when Tom asked.  Pope was basically "I'll do what needs to be done to protect this place." and Tom was "Good.  That's what I needed to hear."  I like watching that relationship unfold.

 

I agree with you completely that for all of Pope's bluster, he hates the idea of being alone.  

Edited July 10, 2014 by Bishop

[millennium]

None of the characters are very good on their own, which is why I think it's important that the scripts incorporate as much of the ensemble as possible.

 

But really, Tom Mason comes off like he's on Zoloft or something.   Take the scene where he's talking to the guy who has to wear the Faraday suit and go through the fence.   The guy's not too keen on the idea.   In fact, he thinks it might be better to bug out before all the shit comes down and save himself.   And Tom is like, "Well, gee, you could do that but in 48 hours we're all gonna be skidderized, so why not take your chances with the fence?"  

 

I don't know about you, but I find the idea of all those people being genetically transformed into hideous alien slaves (and the resistant ones in less conscious forms) pretty fucking horrifying.   And in Tom's case, they threatened his kids specifically.  But Tom is like, yeah, whatever, same shit, different day.   I guess you could argue that after everything he's been through nothing fazes him anymore.   But for the sake of drama, shouldn't there be some urgency?  Some concern?   Instead, Tom comes off the ship like it's just business as usual. 

 

If the main character isn't too worried about his fate, why should I be?

[bluebonnet]

I want to see growth with Pope.  

 

I guess my thing is that growth doesn't really need to be in one specific direction.  I like negative growth (for example going super bad) just as well as positive growth. Both work for me.  I just think Pope is most believable when he's an asshole.

 

 

 

I don't know about you, but I find the idea of all those people being genetically transformed into hideous alien slaves (and the resistant ones in less conscious forms) pretty fucking horrifying.   And in Tom's case, they threatened his kids specifically.  But Tom is like, yeah, whatever, same shit, different day.   I guess you could argue that after everything he's been through nothing fazes him anymore.   But for the sake of drama, shouldn't there be some urgency?  Some concern?   Instead, Tom comes off the ship like it's just business as usual. 

 

If the main character isn't too worried about his fate, why should I be?

I find it horrifying as well.  But I can also understand why Tom is all "same shit, different day".  They been dealing with the harnessing since the aliens arrived.  One of his kids was harnessed, another had a control worm in his brain, the youngest was nearly harnessed.  With Ben, the harness has significantly altered him.  I honestly can't tell the difference between what the jail keeper said was going to happen to what had already happened.  Plus, Tom doesn't have much need for concern since he left the ship knowing they were going to escape and also knowing how and it was necessary to keep moral up and extra stress as low as possible.  

[ganesh]

I forgot to say, I do like how Tom went to meet the Overload and said, "the deal is off." The Overlord was shocked! He didn't even say, 'I thought you might say that. We have a bunch of skitters guarding the post.'

[Bishop]

But really, Tom Mason comes off like he's on Zoloft or something.   Take the scene where he's talking to the guy who has to wear the Faraday suit and go through the fence.   The guy's not too keen on the idea.   In fact, he thinks it might be better to bug out before all the shit comes down and save himself.   And Tom is like, "Well, gee, you could do that but in 48 hours we're all gonna be skidderized, so why not take your chances with the fence?"

Yeah, but at this point in the story, four seasons in, Tom IS a soldier.  Remember how Weaver was in the beginning and Tom was more of the new guy who wanted to do things right and hold onto his morals, etc.  A lot of that has changed due to the fact that the war has beaten him down.  He's not going to sugar coat things.  That has been a change in his character since season one, and it makes sense to me.  Weaver, too, is different.  He started the show with no family, and so he threw himself into the fight.  Once Jeannie came back to him, his responsibilities split in two, something he wasn't accustom to, I think.  So he's actually a bit more emotional.  I like all those changes.  Regarding the Faraday suit, the guy thought staying in the camp was a better choice than risking his life going over the fence, and Tom wanted him to know that staying in the camp would reduce him to a drooling mess once the Aspheni were done with them.  I actually loved his entire conversation with the guy, especially the history lesson.  I missed that stuff.

 

I don't know about you, but I find the idea of all those people being genetically transformed into hideous alien slaves (and the resistant ones in less conscious forms) pretty fucking horrifying.   And in Tom's case, they threatened his kids specifically.  But Tom is like, yeah, whatever, same shit, different day.   I guess you could argue that after everything he's been through nothing fazes him anymore.   But for the sake of drama, shouldn't there be some urgency?  Some concern?   Instead, Tom comes off the ship like it's just business as usual.

But he's already had TWO of his kids transformed.  It's not horrifying as it once was because it's already happened.  He's found children that have been almost completely morphed into Skitters.  So he's seen it before.  In the back of his mind, I would guess that he thinks it's something they can manage and fight.  Maybe when he actually SEES what they are doing to the humans, he will have an actual horrific reaction, but right now, the Aspheni are making threats, and the 2nd Mass has been able to stay ahead of them.  I don't think Tom is ignoring the problem because he mentioned it to the people in the ghetto several times as a legitimate threat.  He just has no idea what it means exactly.  So he can either worry about it constantly or take action.  He chose the latter.

 

 

I forgot to say, I do like how Tom went to meet the Overload and said, "the deal is off." The Overlord was shocked! He didn't even say, 'I thought you might say that. We have a bunch of skitters guarding the post.'

Yeah, I loved his "I take that as a "no" before he fried his butt.  We need those moments every once in a while.  As for the Overloard, it just confirms my feelings that the Overlords are just arrogant bastards.  I think they are so use to taking over species and having them capitulate to their demands that they don't really think that anyone is going to dare double-cross them.  

 

I guess my thing is that growth doesn't really need to be in one specific direction.  I like negative growth (for example going super bad) just as well as positive growth. Both work for me.  I just think Pope is most believable when he's an asshole.

He's still an asshole, and he probably always will be, but his constant selfishness in the face of an alien invasion can prove grating after a while. It would make me question why they would ever allow the guy to stay with the 2nd Mass if he's that problematic.  I actually like the Pope we are starting to get.  He's still an asshole, and he's still selfish, but when the chips are down, he'll step up.  He's still going to be a jerk, but he's a jerk you don't mind having your back.  He's always going to be prickly.  I don't want Pope to go all bad on us because I already had that with Karen.

[shapeshifter]

So the writers take a POC, whose experience and engineering skills are crucial to the plan, and break his hand so Pope can have a BDH moment? Not cool.

I'm guessing the earlier version of the script had the POC dying as he completed the mission but that someone said, "Seriously?" so they tweaked it.

When the bomb left a strand of the fence power cable intact, I was wondering WTH they didn't just blast it with the cannon they were already using.

Er, did we just get our first glimpse at an Espheni penis?

Wait. What? Where? When?