S02.E06: The Tree

[AnimeMania]

As they try and fail to open the seed box, Sue and Paul realize they need Marcus’s help. Sue makes a plan to break Marcus out of the brig while Mother is distracted with the imminent birth of Tempest’s baby. But when Sue, Paul and Marcus finally open the seed box, they make a horrifying discovery.

Original Airdate: Thursday, March 3, 2022     

[peridot]

The ancient robot is interesting.  When Mother and Father were scanning her, I saw an image of the merman creature.  After she shut down, I wonder if she broadcasted that a baby was coming to the creature?  It was creepy how it snuck up on Tempest.  I don't understand why the acid water from it's skin wasn't burning the baby.

I thought it took the baby away to eat it, but from next week's preview, it doesn't look like the case.

The mystery of the planet and Sol is dragging, and it hard for me to stay interested in this show.  The Sol fanatics are so annoying too.

[snickers]

this show keeps getting weirder and weirder, but I keep loving it

it's not everyday you see someone transform into a tree

i don't know what to think of what i was watching with Tempest's baby, did the creature want to steal the baby? or protect the baby from Sol?

is Grandmother created by Sol too? I have a feeling though, they are going to need her to help "heal" whoever ends up eating that fruit, which looks to be quite a few people and she has no weapon system so, she seems to be opposite of the tree

RIP sue....it's too bad she met her final demise after becoming a believer.....is it bad that i would feel no remorse if Paul devolves????

[Nicmar]

9 hours ago, peridot said:

The ancient robot is interesting.  When Mother and Father were scanning her, I saw an image of the merman creature.  After she shut down, I wonder if she broadcasted that a baby was coming to the creature?  It was creepy how it snuck up on Tempest.  I don't understand why the acid water from it's skin wasn't burning the baby.

I thought it took the baby away to eat it, but from next week's preview, it doesn't look like the case.

The mystery of the planet and Sol is dragging, and it hard for me to stay interested in this show.  The Sol fanatics are so annoying too.

I saw that as well and yes the acid water didn't harm the baby but it hurt tempest. Why was the snake reacting to the box being opened? 

[SaucyA]

Did anyone else see the headless character in the background right after tempests baby was stolen? I watched it again and I can’t figure out who or why that character is there? I am so confused I hope someone has an idea!

[cdnalor]

Mother has to have the worst posture I've seen.  When she's shown from the side, it's all I can think of.  Pull in that pelvis and stop slouching!

The Grandmother android is intriguing and I hope we get answers before the finale.  I'm getting tired of all the unexplained mysteries and the seemingly magical happenings.  It's been said that any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic, but a giant snake that floats through the air better have a good explanation.

[maystone]

I really liked this episode, but I'm sorry to see Sue's story arc go to seed. She was one of my favorite characters. I think her relationship to Sol was different from Marcus and Paul's. They believed that Sol was God, while Sue believed it was some sort of alien being or technology; she was happy to call it Sol. I know, I know - I'm being picky.

When Tempest was briefly in the presence of Grandmother, Grams sensed that Tempest was pregnant and did something to the fetus. Tempest felt it and grabbed her abdomen. (Also Tempest had ingested raw meat from the devolved human in Paul's trap back in S1.) My theory is that the creatures in the acid ocean and the creatures found in S1 and the one Marcus found in his deep dive are all remnants/mutations of the humans who originally ruled the planet. And Grandmother was their protector or maybe their interlocutor with Sol . She speaks ancient Mithraic, and the place seems to be lousy with Mithraic relics. She seems to have the same energy/affect as Mother does when she's in Necromancer mode. I sense a hell of a showdown coming.

But anyway, I think that Grandmother did something to the baby's genetic makeup to make it invulnerable to the acid in the ocean. I think the creature was just waiting to hear the baby cry before she snatched the baby and took it home. It's got to be a boy because my guess is all the talk/signs of a king were pointing to Tempest's baby. Oh! And maybe that son-of-a-bitch Otho really did hear Sol tell him to rape those young women in hopes of bringing a live birth to whatever the hell Sol is.

There had to be another force in play eons ago on this planet. The seed to the Tree was in a nearly impenetrable device. Maybe the seed couldn't be destroyed, so the device was the next best thing. I'd really, really like to get the history/mythology of Kepler-22b.

Scott is setting up some twisted Christian imagery. The serpent and the Tree, except here the serpent is looking like the good guy and the Tree of Life will be . . . mind controlling anyone who eats of the fruit? Sue was Eve; Marcus is Adam; and Paul & Campion are Cain & Abel?

I don't know how they're going to wrap this up in two more episodes. I'm hoping for an S3, but nothings been confirmed yet.

Edited March 4, 2022 by maystone

[hurrrz]

Grandmother talked about heathens. I suspect she's Sol in the before times, and humanity moved off planet at some point.

[Ottis]

This was my favorite episode of the entire series. Lots of symbolism and progress. 

On 3/3/2022 at 7:58 PM, snickers said:

it's not everyday you see someone transform into a tree

Unless you watched Game of Thrones. And I believe Lord of the Rings. Actually I think it is fairly common in scifi and fantasy. Though this time it has the added weight of the Garden of Eden.

19 hours ago, maystone said:

I'd really, really like to get the history/mythology of Kepler-22b.

Yes, this is way more interesting than the religion vs. nonbelievers angle. Also, it is curious that Scott chose nonbelievers vs. followers of a different religion, which has actually been the cause of so much suffering through human history.

Edited March 5, 2022 by Ottis

[marinw]

On 3/3/2022 at 10:58 PM, snickers said:

it's not everyday you see someone transform into a tree

Reminds me of the awesome (to me) 2018 film Annihilation.

[maystone]

5 hours ago, marinw said:

Reminds me of the awesome (to me) 2018 film Annihilation.

Yes! (Awesome to me, too.) It does have some of that vibe to it, you're right.

[marinw]

On 3/4/2022 at 7:48 PM, maystone said:

I really liked this episode, but I'm sorry to see Sue's story arc go to seed. She was one of my favorite characters.

If something horrible happens to Father, I'm out. This was an episode or two ago, but I loved his fourth-wall moment when he noted he didn't have any pockets.

Edited March 6, 2022 by marinw

[Tachi Rocinante]

Tree. Snake. Fruit.  Where have we heard this before?

{Obscure J. Geils Band reference} "O my God, that tree! It's my wife!"  Yeah, I'll show myself out . . . 

 

[Dewey Decimate]

On 3/4/2022 at 2:55 PM, SaucyA said:

Did anyone else see the headless character in the background right after tempests baby was stolen? I watched it again and I can’t figure out who or why that character is there? I am so confused I hope someone has an idea!

I did a double-take on that as well, then realized it must have been the android that the oldest boy (think his name is Hunter) was working on/recreating?

I continue to love this show, and enjoy how it might be living adjacent to the Alien universe. The only flaw imo is the actor playing Paul - he's not the strongest compared to the rest of the cast. (His character being a little shit doesn't help.) Unlike some other grand mythology/mystery-type shows, I feel like there's solid action every episode, even if it introduces new questions.