S04.E04: Evolve or Die

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

 

After breaking out of the Espheni Ghetto, Tom and the 2nd Mass seek refuge in a Volm hideout, where tensions run high between the Volm and humans. Tom sets off with Weaver and Cochise to find Matt, leaving Hal in charge. Meanwhile in Chinatown, Anne is reunited with Lexi, and comes to realize that the little girl she saw 6 months ago is now a grown woman.

[Maverick]

 

Anne is reunited with Lexi, and comes to realize that the little girl she saw 6 months ago is now a grown woman.

Gee, what was her first clue?  That her onesie didn't fit anymore?

[FormerMod-a1]

I'm usually one of the (seeming) few who just enjoy this show - nitpicks, plot holes and continuity aside.  However, this episode seemed off - kind of slow, or something.  Just odd pacing, maybe?   

 

Saw the Captain Weaver and daughter thing coming, of course.  Glad that it's over.  Hal and not sure in himself, check.  Tom saves Matt, check.  Did like the girl acting as a distraction though.  Hope she can her head and not be brainwashed.  Hope we see her again, actually.  Still liking Ben, wish he was tied up with Maggie.  She's still my least favorite.  Why do some many of the other women get killed off, but never her?  (rhetorical).

 

Not sure what to make of that odd Espheni communication scene.  What an odd way to show how they communicate - the both need to make chunks of coal and mentally projects to a flaming, primordial space?  Huh.  I guess, what we got from that is they are both lying to each other?  And there's dissent in the ranks?  I don't know...

[Bill C.]

I kind of loved Mira Sorvino's Sarah here, but...Popette.  You're welcome.

 

Jeannie Weaver's reveal and fate being so abrupt seemed downright strange to me, but I can't pin down why.  Not that Will Patton didn't sell the hell out of it, though.  That said, when Matt gave Weaver a hug later, all I could think was "You're a Mason now, man."

 

On the bright side, I think Bishop and I get to call halfsies on Budget Khaleesi (or should that be Storm?) indeed being an Espheni weapon experiment, even if it was outed via that conference call in goddamn Mordor between her "friend" Espheni--Geminus?--and some other one in a hood.  Now we just need to know who's working towards what end...

 

And on the brighter side: Tom punched Espheni Youth Camp Guy the fuck out.  Automatic episode pass!

[thuganomics85]

The Espheni pow-wow really did feel like it was happening over in Mordor.  But, I'm just glad it might finally start going somewhere with the Lexi story-line.  All that stuff is still the weakest part of the show.  Although, it might almost all be worth it, if this story ends up with either Anthony or Anne socking Lourdes in the jaw, at one point.

 

Kind of figured they were going there with Jeannie/Weaver's daughter.  So, the Espheni's are turning humans into some kind of creatures, in order to control them?  But, it looks like they aren't fully there yet.  Hmm... that might actually be interesting.

 

At least Matt is out of Evil Nazi Alien Youth Camp.  But, why do I have a feeling the next time we see his friend, she's going to end up actually being brainwashed, and betraying everyone.

 

Mira Sorvino was fun and made me laugh a few times, but it was totally obvious that she's the female Pope.  Those two were pretty much made for each other.

 

Hal is over there having to be a leader and not fully succeeding, of course.  Wished I cared more.

[tv echo]

Whoever came up with and approved the Lexi storyline should be fired.

 

Why is the Mason family so special?  Tom gets to stop the group's flight to go off and rescue his son.  Yet no one else gets to go off on their own and rescue their loved ones while the rest of the group waits in a dangerous area.  And he only rescues Matt.  What about all the other children?  And of course, Matt's young girlfriend stays to provide a distraction because we can't have another regular added to the main group.  So heroic Tom leaves behind a child to save himself and his son.

 

Also, when Tom and Weaver leave, young Hal is left in charge.  Aren't there older, more experienced people that could've been left in charge?  If Tom, Hal and Weaver go off and leave the group in the future, is Matt going to be left in charge?

Edited July 14, 2014 by tv echo

[BooksRule]

Finally, a couple of Mechs make an appearance.  I was beginning to think that they were all at the repair shop or something.  I'm still not sure if I like the new design.  They are getting too close to the whole Transformer look, in my opinion.  That being said, they do still give off a creepy vibe to me when they just kind of appear and start shining those spotlights around.  Do these 'hum', though?  I didn't hear anything from them.

 

I didn't make the connection that the creature was Jean until I realized that it was stalking Weaver and not the group.  

 

I'm also glad they finally explained the whole 'moon gazing' thing.  I had seen so many instances where one character or another was staring at the moon.  I was beginning to think that it was some sort of mass hypnotic thing that hadn't been explained yet. (Unless there have been other characters besides the Masons who have been looking.  Then, it might mean something more.)

[wmdekooning]

I'm also glad they finally explained the whole 'moon gazing' thing.

 

They also explained the same 'moon gazing' thing on this week's "LastShip".

[FormerMod-a1]

Isn't that sentiiment also the lyrics in a John Denver song?  (also - Why do I know this?)

[mattie0808]

Whoever came up with and approved the Lexi storyline should be fired.

 

You got that right. I was a little pleased that Anne didn't go soft when Ben and Maggie told her about Espheni Guy and Lexi, and that Ben knows Espheni Guy is lying and said so. Of course, that doesn't help if Lexi is too dumb or too programmed or too Espheni to listen to what any human around her or human member of her family has to say, so bleh. I'm getting bored watching her go all Carrie-at-the-prom every time she's upset.

 

 

Tom gets to stop the group's flight to go off and rescue his son.  Yet no one else gets to go off on their own and rescue their loved ones while the rest of the group waits in a dangerous area.

 

I need to lessen my capacity for disbelief, but I couldn't BELIEVE that when told Matt's being held by the Espheni with a bunch of other kids, 1) they only send 3 people to go on the rescue mission. 3! and 2) only one of them was armed with something more substantial than a smallish knife, and 3) they had no real plan about what to do when they got there. COME ON.

 

 

 

And he only rescues Matt.  What about all the other children?  And of course, Matt's young girlfriend stays to provide a distraction because we can't have another regular added to the main group.  So heroic Tom leaves behind a child to save himself and his son.

 

Between this and Jeanie, I think it may be time for me to take a break from the show. Okay, so ALL THE KIDS IN THE BARRACKS except for the Holy Mason Child and his sort-of girlfriend have been completely brainwashed (without actual mind control being used at all, apparently) in like, 5-6 months. As soon as they literally tuned into whistleblowers, Tom -- who didn't seem to go with any plan to get all the kids/as many as he could out, whatever he said to that one boy -- immediately gives up any notion of trying to save anyone. And, after seeing what's been done to all the other kids, he allows a child the same age as his son to sacrifice herself (at best, she's putting herself at risk at being completely brainwashed), create a distraction, and have herself left behind. W.T.F. Tom?!?!?

 

Poor Jeanie and poor Weaver. That was...just awful...I mean, did he even get a chance to bury her? I was kind of assuming he would bring the body back with him so that our savior Lexi could bring her back from the dead AND "cure" her back to human, but geez, not even a chance of that now. Oh, and Jeanie's an older teenager, right? So, she gets the new, super-duper, "perfected" skitterization process, and STILL retains enough of her own self-awareness, identity, and free-will to follow her father and die saving his life...but the kiddies at Hitler Junior High can't withstand some propaganda videos and living in a boot-camp atmosphere? Really?!

 

I should add here that whatever I think of the storylines, the actor who plays Weaver knocked everything with Jeanie and later with Tom right out of the park. Very moving performance, very well done.

 

 

Never in the 3+ years I've been watching this show have I thought, "Boy, you know what's missing? A love interest for Pope!" or " Man, imagine if Pope was a hot blonde with great hair!" (aside from diesel and prescription drugs, that house must have had quite a bit of Pantene lying around).

 

Sigh...

Edited July 14, 2014 by mattie0808

[Iamsweetdee]

Why is the Mason family so special?  Tom gets to stop the group's flight to go off and rescue his son.  Yet no one else gets to go off on their own and rescue their loved ones while the rest of the group waits in a dangerous area.  And he only rescues Matt.  What about all the other children?  And of course, Matt's young girlfriend stays to provide a distraction because we can't have another regular added to the main group.  So heroic Tom leaves behind a child to save himself and his son.

I hate the Mason family so very much. I think this was it for me. I couldn't believe that no one on the staff with any kind of clout thought this was a good idea. Only Mason children matter. Anne? She can hijack the crew that's with her to FIND LEXI. Nothing is more important. Tom? Only saving the fruit of my loins, the rest of you too bad, so sad. UGH, I hate the Mason family.

[xaxat]

Anne? She can hijack the crew that's with her to FIND LEXI. Nothing is more important. Tom? Only saving the fruit of my loins, the rest of you too bad, so sad. UGH, I hate the Mason family.

 

And she stab a mind melded Denny through the brain!

 

While I hate Tom and Anne, I kind of like the boys. Hal sucks as a leader, but I can see that as being inexperience/youth. I don't like the Lexi plot, but do like Ben as the only rational adult in the room. And Matt should explain to Tom that he was so loyal to the friends Tom was willing to leave behind that he allowed himself to be locked in solitary confinement in order to protect them.

Edited July 14, 2014 by xaxat

[NurseGiGi]

I used the fast forward through several of the scenes and when I start doing that it's my cue to take it off the DVR list.  I keep saying "just one more episode" but I'm pretty tired of looking at the alien apocalypse which seems to revolve around the whims of the Mason family.

 

Speaking of the female Pope and her endless supply of Pantene, I was noticing this episode that most of the women seem particularly well groomed, especially in the Garden of Lexi.   They have hot showers so why not an endless supply of Max Factor?

 

I was really hoping someone would shoot Lexi during that meeting.  And it would have been extra special if the bullet ricocheted off her thick skull and hit Anne.

[xaxat]

Speaking of the female Pope and her endless supply of Pantene, I was noticing this episode that most of the women seem particularly well groomed, especially in the Garden of Lexi.   They have hot showers so why not an endless supply of Max Factor?.

 

They also have a lot of toothpaste. There was a dimly lit scene featuring an appropriately grimy looking Pope, but his teeth were so white they were almost glowing.

[sjohnson]

"Okay, so ALL THE KIDS IN THE BARRACKS except for the Holy Mason Child and his sort-of girlfriend have been completely brainwashed (without actual mind control being used at all, apparently) in like, 5-6 months."

Or they were afraid it was a trick and if they didn't whistle they'd be punished (starved, whatever.) 

 

"As soon as they literally tuned into whistleblowers, Tom -- who didn't seem to go with any plan to get all the kids/as many as he could out, whatever he said to that one boy -- immediately gives up any notion of trying to save anyone. And, after seeing what's been done to all the other kids, he allows a child the same age as his son to sacrifice herself (at best, she's putting herself at risk at being completely brainwashed), create a distraction, and have herself left behind. W.T.F. Tom?!?!?"

He doesn't know which ones are sincere and which ones are just afraid, nor does he have any way to handle that many kids he can't be sure of. As for risking the girl who might not be believed after all? Oh yes, that was definitely preferential to Matt and completely unheroic. The show may gloss it over but I don't see any reason to. Good people do bad things and you can forgive them, or not.

[shapeshifter]

Tom did promise Matt he was coming back for "all" of the other kids.

Maybe he's planning some mass electro shock therapy?

[LittleIggy]

I wanted Anthony to whack Lourdes with his rifle butt. I hate her.

[shapeshifter]

I wanted Anthony to whack Lourdes with his rifle butt. I hate her.

But that would make Anthony look bad. Better to have one of the space critters literally bite her head off (as opposed to Cochise figuatively bite her head off with a withering remark).

[tv echo]

And why was Anne in charge of her small group and not Anthony?  

 

I am now hate-watching Falling Skies as well as Under the Dome.  I'm still hoping Falling Skies will turn things around - kill off Lexi and Lourdes, bring down that Hitler Youth camp and rescue the other kids (so that those two stupid story lines can be put in the past and forgotten); then give us some coherent story line that makes sense and makes us care again about these characters.  Just my opinion. 

[iMonrey]

I've been pretty patient with this season, but at this point, it really does feel like the show is suffering from a lack of cohesive vision. I understand that there have been different show-runners each season, but it's a lot more obvious now that they keep changing what this show wants to be about.

 

The Espehni's motives seem to change to the point where they're all over the place anymore. Weren't they going to build some kind of grid last season that would have eradicated all life on Earth? Why have they moved away from that plan, especially now that most of the Volm have abandoned Earth? Now they want to use adult humans as their drones, but for what purpose if they were originally trying to wipe out all life?

 

The Volm themselves are also a problem. It feels as if the new show -runners saw them as an inconvenient plot point and tried to get rid of them without actually writing off Cochise. So, we have just a few Volm left behind, to do what exactly? They're not much use anymore at this point.

 

There are three different stories going on here and they feel like they should be on three different shows. The Nazi Youth camp thing seems to contradict what the Espheni told Tom they wanted to do by turning people into Jeannie-monsters. And their own description of that plan was contradicted by Jeannie herself. Then there's Lexi, supposed to be some kind of ultimate weapon, but how? That also seems to contradict both the plan to monsterize humans like Jeannie and train the youth to become Nazis. None of this really meshes.

 

I'd also add that the last thing this show needed was a love interest for Pope. And that Mina Suvari is apparently pretty hard up for a job these days.

[Bishop]

Well perhaps I'm in the minority, but I think the show so far is moving along just fine.  I think the stories work together, and the writers are giving us information as we need to know it.  This episode worked on a few levels:

 

First, I like seeing Pope having to deal with someone else other than the 2nd Mass, and more interestingly, someone he has to CONVINCE to help him.  That's usually not something Pope does.  Usually, he takes things for himself and doesn't worry about it.  He did it in the first and second season.  He has grown as a character, but he's still prickly.  He didn't want Hal's permission to do anything, and i don't blame him, but he was also very clear to Sarah that he needed the extra gas for "his people."  I like that.  Baby steps.  I also like that Hal sort of apologized for trying to pull rank.  He shouldn't have said it the way he did, but the same applied to Pope, and Pope agreed.  I actually liked Sarah.  She's a bit of a loon, and she's selfish like Pope, but she clearly likes him.  He needs someone to bounce off of because every character has that right now.

 

Rescuing Matt was okay.  As for Tom not rescuing all the kids, it's difficult to rescue them when they are blowing whistles in unison to alert the Skitters.  Color me crazy, but if I were Tom, I would grab my kid and run too.  Also, Tom didn't leave the girl behind, she took off blowing her whistle to be a distraction, and Tom started to go for her, and Matt held him back.  I get that there is a lot of focus on the Mason family, but it's from their perspective that the story was being told.  Weaver and his daughter were also part of that story.  The bottom line is that the rest of the characters did not originate with any family (Pope, Tector, Anne, Anthony, even Weaver).  Also, Tom admitted to Hal that the mission he was going on was a personal one (even a selfish one), and he was leaving Weaver behind to take care of the 2nd Mass.  Weaver then opted to go with Tom.  Like Weaver said, he understood Tom's motivation.  I love the Mason clan - AND Weaver, Anne, Maggie, Anthony, Tector, and Pope.  That's basically the cast of characters right now because many have been killed off.  Anne, Maggie and Anthony have their story with Ben.  Tector and Hal have their story.  Weaver and Tom have theirs, and then Matt had his.  Again, I find Matt to be the weakest link in the FS list of characters, and although I know Tom wouldn't leave his youngest behind, I'm not enthralled by Matt's story.  I do, however, feel it fits into the overall narrative.  The Aspheni are basically trying to weaponize human beings and stripping them of their free will.  They are brainwashing the children to do their bidding and to lure their loved ones to the Skitters.  Eventually, all (children and adults) will be "processed."  So that part of the story makes sense to me.  I just don't find Matt, specifically, all that engaging.

 

The Ben/Lexi/Anne storyline progressed nicely.  I like that Anthony got in Lourdes' face and that Anne wasn't drinking the kool-aid either.  She had everyone position themselves outside Chinatown WITH their weapons.  I was afraid that Anne might have people surrender their weapons to be with Lexi.  She didn't.  She actually camped outside with the rest of her team.  I also like that secrets are not kept for long.  Ben told Anne about Lexi meeting with the Aspheni, and then once again the Overlord took control of Ben to speak.  My favorite part about that entire scene was that Ben was able to feel the Overlord's duplicity during the mind meld, and was able to relay that it was lying about its peaceful intentions.  

 

The scene between the Overlord "brothers" (I think they are brothers) was interesting.  I agree with those who state that we need more information on the Aspheni, but we got a peek into their world.  It looks like their world is all but destroyed.  Why else would they meet (visually) in that place?  I can't really see them calling a molten lava planetoid home.  So maybe their world and it's resources are all but destroyed, and they ventured out to build new colonies in other galaxies.  The brief conversation also showed that the Overlords are competitive with each other.  I got the sense that Scorch is the younger brother and Geminus is the older brother.  Geminus was mocking his "brother" for allowing the humans to escape and for getting burned by a human and then gloated that HIS plan regarding Lexi was moving along as planned.  So I am seeing an arrogance with that race which I had seen all along.  This just confirmed it.  I do want to learn more about these two and their people.

 

Lastly, this was Weaver's episode.  We all knew that "thing" following him was Jeannie, but it was no more horrific when she finally showed herself to him, and he couldn't do anything to protect her.  He couldn't prevent her from being taken and processed, and he couldn't save her life, but he was glad she hadn't survived.  It wasn't cruel to say that because no one would want to live like that, and he knew she didn't.  Jeannie giving her life to save her father showed Weaver that the "processing" doesn't work.  It's flawed.  A part of the human essence remains, and it's something the Aspheni are not aware of.  It's why the humans have proven to be so difficult for the Aspheni.  They were able to turn the Skitters and other species, but the humans keep fighting in one capacity or another.  It was still devastating to watch Weaver hold his daughter as she died, and then tell Tom that she was gone.  It was worse when Matt came up and hugged him because Weaver has lost everything now.  

 

I do think that Tom needs to lose one of his sons this season.  Although he has lost his wife, he hasn't suffered the devastation that others have suffered on that emotional level.  Watching Weaver lose his only living connection while Tom still has four kids made it apparent that a death needs to occur.  I would prefer it to be Matt, but I can see Hal dying too.  The one who can't die, imo, is Ben.  Lexi may need to be sacrificed at some point, but I don't really consider her family the way I see the three sons.  I've watched them for four seasons whereas Lexi has only been around for four episodes or so.  So if Lexi dies, I think a Mason son still needs to go.  I don't dislike the Masons the way some do, quite the opposite, and I don't think they are "special."  They are simply the pov from which this story is being told and it involves the people they meet and grow to love along the way.  I'm fine with that.

 

I think season four has been very good so far.  The story is moving along.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Bishop

[BooksRule]

Jeannie giving her life to save her father showed Weaver that the "processing" doesn't work.  It's flawed.  A part of the human essence remains, and it's something the Aspheni are not aware of.

 

That was a very well-acted scene.  It reminded me a little of how the Goa'uld in 'Stargate SG-1'would insist that 'nothing of host remains' when they would infest a human--and they were wrong.  The alien bad guys always underestimate us!

Edited July 15, 2014 by BooksRule

[Isazouzi]

That was a very well-acted scene.  It reminded me a little of how the Goa'uld in 'Stargate SG-1'would insist that 'nothing of host remains' when they would infest a human--and they were wrong.  The alien bad guys always underestimate us!

 

To be fair, they also underestimated the rebel Skitters, even if the new skitterization process seems to be working just fine on them now.

[Sader87]

Mira Sorvino???? This is such a bizarre show....you nevah know who's going to turn up on it next.

 

It's allllll ovah the place but it's a guilty, summah pleasure of mine....onward ho!!!!

[Bishop]

That was a very well-acted scene.  It reminded me a little of how the Goa'uld in 'Stargate SG-1'would insist that 'nothing of host remains' when they would infest a human--and they were wrong.  The alien bad guys always underestimate us!

Hey, another Stargate fan.  Yep, and they were wrong.  I agree it was well acted too, and I think Weaver suspected all along, since his daughter disappeared and that humans were being "processed" that he may have lost his daughter.  But when he actually saw what they had done to her, it was heartbreaking.  It must be devastating to not be able to protect your child.  In the end, Jeannie gave her father the information he needed - that something of the host remains.

 

To be fair, they also underestimated the rebel Skitters, even if the new skitterization process seems to be working just fine on them now.

The Skitters were all able to be turned, except for only a small group, and they were ultimately punished.  Red Eye mentioned that all the species that the Aspheni had conquered had been turned, except for the humans, who continue to fight.  Keep in mind that the rebel skitters never turned against their masters until they found their ally in the humans.  Red Eye mentioned that they had built up resistance to the harness over time, which is why the handful of rebel skitters were able to circumvent the conditioning of the harness, but they were not a large number.  The harnessing of human children took too long, and then the humans were able to figure out a way to deharness them.  The Volm technology helped speed up the process.  So now the Aspheni are left with this new process of trying to mutate the humans, much the way they did the Skitters, but this time stripping all species of their free will.  The problem is that, at least with some humans, their free will isn't going quietly.

 

See, this is what I love about science fiction.  Yes, all the shows have flaws, but the premise of the storylines I always find intriguing.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Bishop

[shapeshifter]

I do think that Tom needs to lose one of his sons this season.  Although he has lost his wife, he hasn't suffered the devastation that others have suffered on that emotional level.  Watching Weaver lose his only living connection while Tom still has four kids made it apparent that a death needs to occur.  I would prefer it to be Matt, but I can see Hal dying too.  The one who can't die, imo, is Ben.  Lexi may need to be sacrificed at some point, but I don't really consider her family the way I see the three sons.

Having him lose Hal or Matt while still having Lexi seems a little like cruel and unusual punishment for both Tom and the audience. Heh.

[Bishop]

Having him lose Hal or Matt while still having Lexi seems a little like cruel and unusual punishment for both Tom and the audience. Heh.

LOL, yeah, no I'm thinking he needs to lose Lexie AND a son.  Tom barely knows his daughter, and I have a feeling he and the 2nd Mass (and Anne) are going to have to make a difficult choice concerning Lexie at some point, especially if she's going to be used as a weapon against humanity.  I can see Lexie inadvertently getting one of her brother's killed, which then forces the hand of Tom and the 2nd Mass.  Heck, it could be Ben that kills her for the greater good since he is somewhat like her.  There are a lot of directions that the story can go.  I just feel that Tom needs to lose one of his kids by season's end.  He has powerful enemies, and I just don't see them all of the Masons surviving until the end of the season.  Scorch has a personal score to settle against Tom, not just for burning him but for humiliating him in front of his "brother."  So the best revenge is to kill someone he loves rather than hurting Tom physically - emotional torture rather than physical torture can be more painful, especially for a parent..

 

I think that the death of a Mason kid would change Tom, affect the 2nd Mass (since many have developed friendships with them) and also shake up the show. 

Edited July 16, 2014 by Bishop

[iMonrey]

 

The Aspheni are basically trying to weaponize human beings and stripping them of their free will.  They are brainwashing the children to do their bidding and to lure their loved ones to the Skitters.  Eventually, all (children and adults) will be "processed."  So that part of the story makes sense to me.

 

Bishop - is there a reason you keep spelling "Espheni" with an A? Everywhere I've read the name it's spelled with an E.

 

In any case, this latest method of "processing" humans just feels redundant to me. At first, the Espheni were capturing human children and harnessing them. That, in effect, accomplished the same goal as this new "process" aims to do - it took away their free will and made them mindless drones. Yes, the humans figured out a way to remove the harnesses, and the Volm help speed up that process, but the process itself still works. And with the Volm largely gone, I don't see why the Espheni need a new process to accomplish the same goal.

 

In fact, in the first season when Anne discovered that the Skitters themselves were harnessed, it was largely apparent that the harnesses physically transformed their wearers (in the case of the Skitter, the harness was discovered under its skin; in the cast of Ben, Ricky, et. at., it was apparent they were becoming super-humans with alien-like strength and abilities). Whatever was done with Jeannie physically transformed her into some other kind of humanoid creature. This, presumably, is the same thing they envisioned the harnesses doing back in Season 1.

 

So here, again, it just feels like new writers, new show runners, etc., wanted to come up with some new horror the Espheni could inflict upon the humans, yet it's basically a rehash of what the harnesses were doing.

 

 

It's why the humans have proven to be so difficult for the Aspheni.  They were able to turn the Skitters and other species, but the humans keep fighting in one capacity or another.

 

So, why not just kill all the humans? After all, they killed something like 90% of the human race already in their initial invasion, didn't they? And wasn't the point of the third season to bring down this giant weapon that was going to activate this grid that would destroy all life on our planet? Either the ultimate goal of the Espheni is to wipe out humanity entirely - as it was in Season 3, or it's to harness or otherwise co-opt the human race into becoming their loyal worker bees. They can't have it both ways.

 

That's why I said I don't get what the Espheni want, anymore. Their goals and motives seem to change from season to season. Not coincidentally, the show runners do as well.

[sjohnson]

The planetary force field being built with the giant projectors was a defense grid, meant to prevent a Volm landing. Killing off the rest of unharnessed humanity was just a side effect. When the Volm scouting party used local resources to trash the defense grid, the Espheni had to change plans since they don't have enough resources to rebuild the grid. (No, that doesn't make sense, but all space war is fundamentally nuts.) 

 

As to relying on harnesses, the Volm tech left behind means that harnessing can end up reinforcing the human resistance with more Bens. It's now a negative, hence one project is skitterization without harnesses, though even it seems to be failing. Yes, this is another version of the failed harness, but I really cannot understand how this is inconsistent, but is an example of consistency. The idea of trying to force willing cooperation from some humans so they can tap into fighting abilities seems to me to be motivated by losing a planetary defense grid.The Espheni managed to divert the original Volm task force by striking their home base, But now they need some sort of defense against another Volm invasion. Hence the efforts to build superior fighters with skitterized humans first led by forcibly coopted adults, then later, the grown children indoctrinated using human techniques. 

 

Another project is Lexi. I think she is supposed to be a biological replacement for the defense grid, and her full powers are meant to be used to prevent a new Volm landing. At a guess, surrounding the planet with any kind of energy field is apt to do Very Bad Things to surviving humans without skitter armor. 

 

I think it's clear that both projects are being pursued, with the project leaders competing personally. 

 

In other words, I don't think the inconsistency is in the Espheni's motivations or goals. The problem is the inconsistency in the tech. If they can go to another freaking star why do they need to scavenge local resources? And if they are defending against yet another enemy, how does it help to conquer Earth? Fundamentally I think space war makes no sense. 

 

I think the end game for the series is the Espheni withdraw to fight elsewhere (and the Volm pursue.) THE END.

Edited July 16, 2014 by sjohnson

[mattie0808]

He doesn't know which ones are sincere and which ones are just afraid, nor does he have any way to handle that many kids he can't be sure of.

 

I agree that once he's in there and the kids turn on him, there's little Tom can do for the majority of them. I think I'm irritated more by the fact that all those kids have somehow supposedly been so thoroughly brainwashed and by the fact that Tom (and Weaver and Cochise) went there without even the vaguest, simplest, notion of a game plan to get Matt or to help the other kids. A three-person rescue party, two-thirds of which are effectively unarmed, is supposed to do what at a Epsheni run Nazi Youth Camp? That the kids didn't want to be rescued and Tom only had to beat the hell out of one teenager are not things they could have anticipated, so I didn't get what they were trying to do at all, aside from this being Tom's version of Anne's "I have to find Lexi no matter how ridiculous my actions are or what effect it may have on my team or others I might encounter!"

[Iamsweetdee]

so I didn't get what they were trying to do at all, aside from this being Tom's version of Anne's "I have to find Lexi no matter how ridiculous my actions are or what effect it may have on my team or others I might encounter!"

 

Nail? Meet head. 

[ganesh]

Just odd pacing, maybe?

 

The Lexi scenes just grind the show to a halt. It's a terrible trope no one likes and adds nothing to the show.

 

 

Jeannie Weaver's reveal and fate being so abrupt seemed downright strange to me, but I can't pin down why.

 

Because she's had next to nothing in terms of character development, or anything to do really, so the new TPTBs decided to kill her off because she's a little more than an extra but not a main character and Non Mason. They killed her basically for exposition. 

 

At least Matt is out of Evil Nazi Alien Youth Camp.  But, why do I have a feeling the next time we see his friend, she's going to end up actually being brainwashed, and betraying everyone.

 

She's been Touched By Mason, so she should have enough to fight it. 

 

Also, when Tom and Weaver leave, young Hal is left in charge.  Aren't there older, more experienced people that could've been left in charge?

To be fair, who though? Anthony is with Ann. No one knows the new South African guy that well. Hal actually has a decent amount of war experience, and he did survive the ghetto and was able to lead the people out and fight off a skitter invasion into their tunnel while they were waiting. I actually don't have too much of a problem with this. 

 

I've been pretty patient with this season, but at this point, it really does feel like the show is suffering from a lack of cohesive vision.

 

There's really no directive narrative this time around. I think they want that to be the Lexi plot, since Hal heard Lourdes on the radio, so it seems that everyone is heading there.

 

The three plots are too much for this show. TPTBs don't have the chops to balance and develop them deftly. I don't really have a problem with the Hitler plot, if they got rid of the Lexi plot and actually developed it. It's been presented only superficially and there's a lot of legit questions and how it fits into the overall Esph motives.

 

Take out Lexi and the unseen new Big Bad. You have the Esph realizing that fighting the humans and the Volm is not working and wasting resources. So they want to make the population docile; i.e., the Hitler camp, and they skitterize the adults after rounding them up and putting them into the ghettos. It's less resources wasted overall. And that's not a bad show. Plus, the changing tactics reflect that "humans are special and won't stop fighting." Even having the Volm abandoning Earth is ok because the space war is still going on.

 

It's not that fucking hard. The more you need the audience to suspend disbelief the more you need to ground the show. You don't need to throw everything at it.

[Bishop]

Bishop - is there a reason you keep spelling "Espheni" with an A? Everywhere I've read the name it's spelled with an E.

Just an error on my part.  I couldn't remember if it was with an "A" or an "E."  Thanks for the clarification.

 

In any case, this latest method of "processing" humans just feels redundant to me. At first, the Espheni were capturing human children and harnessing them. That, in effect, accomplished the same goal as this new "process" aims to do - it took away their free will and made them mindless drones. Yes, the humans figured out a way to remove the harnesses, and the Volm help speed up that process, but the process itself still works. And with the Volm largely gone, I don't see why the Espheni need a new process to accomplish the same goal.

The Overlord explained all of this to Tom in the first episode of the new season.  Capturing human children and harnessing them was proving difficult because the children were still growing and maturing, which made them unpredictable.  Some would do what they were told, and others (like Ben and Danni) would not.  This is why the Overlord wanted to now focus on the adults because they had already reached maturity and would not develop further.  As for the harnesses transforming the children, yes it did, but over time.  This new "processing" does it fairly quickly from what I've seen.  The problem is that the Overlords think that it's a permanent solution and Jeannie proved otherwise.  I don't think becoming superhuman was something that the Espheni were not expecting.  It was a surprise to the humans, but the Espheni were not surprised.  I think that's also why they wanted the humans.  

 

I think the writing has been consistent on that part, and what we are seeing is the Espheni trying all the tactics they have used on other species that apparently worked without a problem but is not working on the human species.  I think that's a credible point.  I think it's possible for one species to be problematic, and the Espheni are simply an arrogant race who doesn't seem to calculate human defiance into their plans.  Since they have conquered other species, they expect the humans to fall in line eventually too.  For now, they are proving very difficult.

 

The Espheni have an enemy and they need resources to fight that enemy.  That was also explained in the season premiere.  I think initially the Espheni were interested in just plundering the Earth for resources, but this new enemy is now coming, and they need to have a better fighting force.  It's possible that the Espheni are spread too thin by sending their soldiers out to distract the Volm away from earth in one part of the galaxy while using up Espheni resources trying to conquer earth itself.  Now they have a new threat coming, and they need more fighters.

 

I agree that once he's in there and the kids turn on him, there's little Tom can do for the majority of them. I think I'm irritated more by the fact that all those kids have somehow supposedly been so thoroughly brainwashed and by the fact that Tom (and Weaver and Cochise) went there without even the vaguest, simplest, notion of a game plan to get Matt or to help the other kids.

 I don't think Tom ever planned to save all the kids.  He can't save everyone, and if he had saved all the kids, he would probably be getting flak for being too perfect and a savior of everyone.  Tom (and Weaver) have changed.  They are devoted to the 2nd Mass, and yes, they will help where they can help but not against ridiculous odds.  First, Tom has an entire contingent of Skitters and Espheni hunting him and the 2nd Mass.  It's why Hal, Tector, Pope, and the rest of the 2nd Mass were staying put.  It wasn't because Tom wanted them to wait while he ran off to save Matt.  It was because they were told that there was a mass of ships looking for them after their prison break.  Tom chose to risk his life to get his son back, and Weaver wanted to back him.  Second, if Tom and Weaver had "saved" all the kids, how do they get all these kids back to their base camp without being seen AND feed them and protect them?  Lastly, the kids were mostly brainwashed.  He didn't have the time to figure out who was loyal and who wasn't.  It would have been stupid for him to bring back all these kids to the 2nd Mass' hideout and then have the kids alert the skitters.  Rescuing the kids, I don't think, was ever on the table.  Getting Matt back was the plan.  The other girl was going to go with Tom and Matt too, but she chose to be a diversion, one that Tom did not know about until the last minute.  He couldn't tackle her and bring her back with them.

 

There's really no directive narrative this time around. I think they want that to be the Lexi plot, since Hal heard Lourdes on the radio, so it seems that everyone is heading there.

 

The three plots are too much for this show. TPTBs don't have the chops to balance and develop them deftly. I don't really have a problem with the Hitler plot, if they got rid of the Lexi plot and actually developed it. It's been presented only superficially and there's a lot of legit questions and how it fits into the overall Esph motives.

I don't agree.  The season opened with the 2nd Mass being separated, and now they are simply trying to get back together.  The Nazi camp is simply where Matt ended up, but i'm guessing those kids will play a part in the story later on.  Hal and the 2nd Mass are heading towards Ann, Ben and Anthony following Lourdes' transmission, and Ann and Ben are already reunited with Lexi.  So really there is only one plot point:  Lexi and the Espheni plans regarding this new enemy.  The show did not waste a ton of time in bringing the groups together, which is good.  I'm guessing the second half of the season will be about the Epheni enemy and Lexi's participation in that plan.  I agree with you that Lexi is a sci-fi trope, but I like the show and the characters enough to continue on the ride.  I think this season has been exciting, and it's kept my interest.  Sure there are plot holes, but I'm watching the Last Ship too, and that show has plot holes too, but it's exciting,  I still find Falling Skies very entertaining and I do love the characters so I'm in it to the end.

[spritz]

I do think that Tom needs to lose one of his sons this season.  Although he has lost his wife, he hasn't suffered the devastation that others have suffered on that emotional level.  Watching Weaver lose his only living connection while Tom still has four kids made it apparent that a death needs to occur.  I would prefer it to be Matt, but I can see Hal dying too.

 

LOL, yeah, no I'm thinking he needs to lose Lexie AND a son.  Tom barely knows his daughter, and I have a feeling he and the 2nd Mass (and Anne) are going to have to make a difficult choice concerning Lexie at some point, especially if she's going to be used as a weapon against humanity.

 

You have such morbid thoughts.

 

But you are nevertheless spot-on. So far, Tom has lived a relatively charmed life on this show, compared to the other non Mason characters. He is not a sympathetic character at all. He needs to feel some pain.

 

Any one of the Mason boys would do, although I prefer that it be that rugrat Matt.

 

Matt seems to be the holiest one of the trio. How come Matt is the only (along with his girl friend) child that has not succumbed to the brainwashing. How incredible, the boy is incorruptible. I guess it's part of the holy Mason gene. Matt is too good to be true, so I say Matt has to be the one to go.

 

It would be even better if Matt turns into one of those mutants that Jeanne turned into.

 

 

 

 

[shapeshifter]

The problem with getting rid of a Mason boy is that it upsets the visual balance. We have Matt and Ben, who look a lot alike and really could be brothers, and then we have Hal, who looks like the spittin' image of dear old dad. If they get rid of Matt, Ben will look like he doesn't belong. If they get rid of Hal, none of Tom's sons will look like him.

[bluebonnet]

Ugh, I feel the same way.  I'm actually hoping that Matt's superpower against brainwashing turns out to be a ploy and we kick the next episode off with him blowing that annoying whistle and then Pope's pantene hair lady shoots him in the face.  

[iMonrey]

 

The Overlord explained all of this to Tom in the first episode of the new season.  Capturing human children and harnessing them was proving difficult because the children were still growing and maturing, which made them unpredictable.  Some would do what they were told, and others (like Ben and Danni) would not.

 

So, is this the Espheni's first day at the rodeo? We already know they've done this before, on other planets, to other species. What - the children of other species don't grow? Are human children unique in that respect? 

 

Also, Ben, Danni and Ricky were no different from any of the other harnessed children until their harnesses were removed. We saw no examples of harnessed human children who were able to overcome the affects of the harness on their own. We saw examples of harnessed Skitters who were willfully able to disobey the directive of the Overlords, so this apparently escaped the notice of the Espheni for some length of time. 

 

So, if the Espheni are moving away from harnessing children because they found out some of the Skitters were able to overcome it, why not just come up with a better harness? If they've decided adults are better suited to be processed into drones, why didn't they start with adults in the first place? It all sort of makes the Espheni look like they're completely new at this.

 

Oh, sure, humans are "special" and unlike anything they've ever encountered, which is why the Espheni should just throw in the towel and annihilate the human species altogether rather than constantly try to tame and control them. And we know they have the ability to do that. 

 

Ultimately, what do the Espheni want? We've been led to believe (up 'til now) they want our planet's resources, and they use what's left of the planet's population to do their bidding. Now it seems like it's more important for them to control humans through a myriad of ways, none of which is proving 100% effective. 

[Bishop]

You have such morbid thoughts.

 

But you are nevertheless spot-on. So far, Tom has lived a relatively charmed life on this show, compared to the other non Mason characters. He is not a sympathetic character at all. He needs to feel some pain.

I don't agree that Tom is not a sympathetic character.  In fact, Tom was the character that suffered the most during seasons one and two as his son was the victim of the Skitter mutation, and then having people treating him like a freak.  Then Tom suffered a worm implant and that whole storyline.  I don't think Tom is not sympathetic.  I think it has more to do with the fact that at THIS point in the story, having four surviving children is a bit unrealistic.  Everyone has lost someone, and so it makes sense to me that he would have to lose one of his children.

Any one of the Mason boys would do, although I prefer that it be that rugrat Matt.

Agreed.  I think Matt is the weak link, and his youth would be devastating.  Plus, Matt has had a connection to Pope and to Weaver at different times.  So his death would have a bigger impact than Hal or Ben.

 

The problem with getting rid of a Mason boy is that it upsets the visual balance. We have Matt and Ben, who look a lot alike and really could be brothers, and then we have Hal, who looks like the spittin' image of dear old dad. If they get rid of Matt, Ben will look like he doesn't belong. If they get rid of Hal, none of Tom's sons will look like him.

I don't think they look alike at all.  Ben is blond, and Hal doesn't look like Tom, imo.  Matt is the most different, visually.  They need Ben from a story point of view, I think.  He is the "in" to the Espheni in the way he can deal with them and fight them.  Hal is okay.  I simply find him too good and even-handed at times.  For me, I'd be okay with either Hal or Matt going.  

 

So, is this the Espheni's first day at the rodeo? We already know they've done this before, on other planets, to other species. What - the children of other species don't grow? Are human children unique in that respect?

They might be, which is why they are having such a difficult time of it.  

 

Also, Ben, Danni and Ricky were no different from any of the other harnessed children until their harnesses were removed. We saw no examples of harnessed human children who were able to overcome the affects of the harness on their own. We saw examples of harnessed Skitters who were willfully able to disobey the directive of the Overlords, so this apparently escaped the notice of the Espheni for some length of time.

True, but Rick couldn't deal with being removed from the harness while Ben was able to do so.  So it tells me that each person is going to react differently.  I think the reason the Espheni never notice such things is because they don't actually do any of the heavy lifting themselves.  It's a flaw in their character.  They assume much.  I don't think the Espheni as a whole are great strategists.  Some are very smart, and some aren't.  

 

So, if the Espheni are moving away from harnessing children because they found out some of the Skitters were able to overcome it, why not just come up with a better harness? If they've decided adults are better suited to be processed into drones, why didn't they start with adults in the first place? It all sort of makes the Espheni look like they're completely new at this.

Why come up with a better harness?  They've been using the harness for a long time.  It makes more sense to try something new.  If they are going to make a better harness, why not make a better process?  That's what they are doing now with mutating the human adults and skipping over the children.  That makes sense to me because even if a human child is fully compliant, they are still children.  They have to grow stronger.  An adult is basically "ready to go."

Oh, sure, humans are "special" and unlike anything they've ever encountered, which is why the Espheni should just throw in the towel and annihilate the human species altogether rather than constantly try to tame and control them. And we know they have the ability to do that.

True, but I think the Espheni are too arrogant to believe they've been beaten or that a species is too difficult for them to tame.  That's just my opinion.  Also, if my other below theory is correct, and they need more soldiers, they my not want to cut their losses considering how much time they've taken to corrupt the human species.  Cutting their losses and wiping out the human species would be considered a mark of defeat, I think.

 

Ultimately, what do the Espheni want? We've been led to believe (up 'til now) they want our planet's resources, and they use what's left of the planet's population to do their bidding. Now it seems like it's more important for them to control humans through a myriad of ways, none of which is proving 100% effective.

A thought occurred to me the other day regarding Falling Skies and the Espheni.  What if their army is solely comprised of the aliens they conquer?  What if the Espheni have no army of their own?  What if they deem themselves superior to the idea of being a "soldier?"  So they conquer other species and use them to fight their battles?  I've always wondered why the Espheni waste their time mutating other species.  Red Eye stated that his people had been prisoners of the Espheni for hundreds of years.  (I believe that's what he said).  So why do the Epheni keep mutating species?  Maybe the resources they need from earth ARE the humans to build up their army that was lost over the last few battles.

 

I come to this theory because we've never seen the Eshpeni other than the Overlords.  Where are their lower soldiers?  Where are the other "ranks" of their species?  Perhaps it's because only the Overlords exist, and they fight each other over other planet resources, hence the reason for the animosity between Scorch and Geminus.  It's just a theory.

Edited September 19, 2014 by SilverStormm
Quote formatting fixed.

[Ottis]

I get that there is a lot of focus on the Mason family, but it's from their perspective that the story was being told.  Weaver and his daughter were also part of that story.

 

 

Not really. Mason doesn't know where his son is, and turns to Cochise to find him. Then when he is told of Matt's location, Tom drops everything - leadership of the larger group - to go get his son. Meanwhile, Weaver wants his daughter, but for some reason doesn't ask Cochise for help, doesn't run off to look for her and only leaves the larger group behind to go help ... Tom (not a decision I agree with, but whatever). Like with everything on this show, for some reason people follow Tom (and Ann) despite the fact that Tom and Ann seem to be mostly concerned with getting their own family members back and heck with everyone else.

 

Meanwhile, that scene at the end with the molten planet ... what? I get there is a rivarly among the Espheni. Not a big surprise. That planet was supposed to be ... what? Their ruined homeworld? And they communicate by turning soil into ... what? Ash? So they are a firebased life form? But Tom burned one with a flamethrower?

 

And so Ben was actually in Espheni Brother's mind, knows he is lying and ... no one believes him? Why not? Didn't we learn before that through that link, humans and Espheni share thoughts? And why no time given to that discussion?

 

And how strong are skitters, anyway? Super Tom brushes them off while on his motorbike. But Weaver's daughter, now modified into a super human crossbreed, is tossed like a toy by one? As is Weaver?

 

And the Volm keep pulling incredible technology out of their butts (flying drones smaller than house flies), but they share almost none of this sith the humans? OK, fine, don't fight for humanity but someone should be asking the Volm for technology by now.

 

I laugh at or say, "What?" at least 3-4 times an episode of this show. At its heart, FS is still an alien invasion/humanity triumphs story. And I like that part. But the stuff that happens each episode ... good grief.

[Bishop]

Not really. Mason doesn't know where his son is, and turns to Cochise to find him. Then when he is told of Matt's location, Tom drops everything - leadership of the larger group - to go get his son. Meanwhile, Weaver wants his daughter, but for some reason doesn't ask Cochise for help, doesn't run off to look for her and only leaves the larger group behind to go help ... Tom (not a decision I agree with, but whatever). Like with everything on this show, for some reason people follow Tom (and Ann) despite the fact that Tom and Ann seem to be mostly concerned with getting their own family members back and heck with everyone else.

If the story is revolving around the members of the Mason family, which it is, then it's largely being told from the pov of that particular family.  Of course, the rest of the characters play a role as well, but Falling Skies has always been about how one family, in particular, tries to survive the alien invasion.  It's why the storytelling is told from the perspective of each of the Masons:  Tom's predicament with Hal at the ghetto prison, Ben (and Lexi's) predicament at Chinatown, Matt's situation at the Nazi camp, etc.

 

Meanwhile, that scene at the end with the molten planet ... what? I get there is a rivarly among the Espheni. Not a big surprise. That planet was supposed to be ... what? Their ruined homeworld? And they communicate by turning soil into ... what? Ash? So they are a firebased life form? But Tom burned one with a flamethrower?

I didn't overthink that point (not that you're wrong for trying to do so), but I just took it for what it was - two brothers (still think they are brothers) who are rivals.  I think they do come from a homeworld that they, themselves, destroyed. 

 

And so Ben was actually in Espheni Brother's mind, knows he is lying and ... no one believes him? Why not? Didn't we learn before that through that link, humans and Espheni share thoughts? And why no time given to that discussion?

They did believe him.  It's why the Overlord was tied up afterwards.

 

 

And how strong are skitters, anyway? Super Tom brushes them off while on his motorbike. But Weaver's daughter, now modified into a super human crossbreed, is tossed like a toy by one? As is Weaver?

Skitters were strong but not ridiculously so, although stronger than a human.  They can be defeated, but I don't recall the scene you are referring to with Tom because I can name MANY times that Tom got tossed like a rag doll by a Skitter.

 

And the Volm keep pulling incredible technology out of their butts (flying drones smaller than house flies), but they share almost none of this sith the humans? OK, fine, don't fight for humanity but someone should be asking the Volm for technology by now.

Here you have a valid point.  I think the biggest mistake of FS was introducing the Volm and then NOT really introducing them.  I don't think it helped that a new showrunner came and decided to essentially retcon that particular part of the story.  I think FS is a decent sci-fi show, but it suffers from too many cooks in the kitchen, with each new one changing the story every season.  I still find the show fun and interesting.  The basic concept of the show remains the same, and I like all the characters.  I want to see how this is going to end.