S02.E09: The Red Door

[Tara Ariano]

Barbie is apprehended by a group of mysterious men who interrogate him about his connection to the Dome. Meanwhile, Big Jim makes a deal that could determine the fate of the Chester's Mill residents forever.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Meanwhile, Big Jim makes a deal that could determine the fate of the Chester's Mill residents forever.

 

Um, oh I doubt know, who could Big Jim be making deals with, could it be ..... Satan !!!!

 

 

 

Barbie is apprehended by a group of mysterious men who interrogate him about his connection to the Dome.

 

I don't get this at all.  Barbie was at the family day get together at the Dome's edge (before they launched the missile), and he was communicating with people on the outside.  Military people.  All of that was probably recorded visually, so they know his connection to the Dome -- he was inside it..  Of course the mysterious men have to be from Barbie's dear old dad's company Aktaion if they aren't military.  Why would military be handing over Barbie to a contractor ?  I would think the FBI or CIA would want a word first.

Edited August 21, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[Totale]

Um, oh I doubt know, who could Big Jim be making deals with, could it be ..... Satan !!!!

 

 

Or CBS.  Same difference.

[formerlyfreedom]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDMfi84mdQ&list=UU7sYaVuUqiM9e4fn13h22LQ 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPhAtS4kLik&list=UU7sYaVuUqiM9e4fn13h22LQ&index=1

[Dobian]

This being a Stephen King story, I'm waiting for them to open the door, and on the other side is written, "Redrum".

[bmoore4026]

Only caught the tail end of this show, can someone tell me how Barbie got free?  Did his cute friend Hunter free him?  Did they make out?

[ottoDbusdriver]

I like how they changed the intro from 2 weeks ago to a few weeks ago.  Way to keep up show producers !

 

Pauline's red door postcard changed during her conversation with Sam and Lyle -- from an open red door, with a dark shadow behind it to a fully closed door.  Did the continuity guys go on vacation ?

 

Barbie's dad is an evil Dick Cheney-esque CEO of a Haliburton-like energy company with its own Blackwater-style security force. That's not a good combo.
I'm still confused how he even knows about the egg, let alone that it's an energy source.

 

Big Jim: "It's my job to lead the people of Chester's Mill to freedom."
Is Big Jim the William Wallace of Chester's Mill ?  You can take away my Dome, but you can't take away my freedom !!

 

Too many creepy old guys hanging around that playground where the Dome exit portal is located.  Though that kid that was inside the mini-barn did find Joe's drone ?

 

How convenient that they gave Barbie enough play on his chains to throttle that guard ?  Oh, that's right it was intentional.  What if he had accidentally killed the guard ?

 

Hunter was Pauline's best art student when she taught at Zenith High. Was it remedial art class ?

 

Finally !!  After 2 weeks of show-time, someone goes to the Dome's edge with a pad and paper, so they can communicate through the Dome like the GR on the Leftovers.  Of course it's Big Jim bargaining for a way out of the Dome.  Somehow Aktaion can track the egg so Big Jim knows that it's in Angie's house.

 

These people really are stupid -- Pauline says that she has get back inside the dome to atone for her sins.  Huh ? Where is she pulling this idea from -- out of her ass ?

 

Barbie figures that the Red Door they are looking for is the one in the woods by his father's house.  Of course it is. It's the only very special red door in all of Zenith.  Once down in the root cellar under the red door they find a tunnel, and everyone in the tunnel gets attacked by the swirling vortex of doom -- because the Dome literally sucks that much. 
You get a flashback and you get a flashback and you get a flashback -- everyone gets a flashback, except Lyle and Hunter.
Sam flashes back to a little meet and greet with Junior after Pauline's funeral.
Barbie flashes back to an single encounter with Drownsie at least 25 years previously where she helped him paint his hand print on the red door.  And Drownsie mentioned to Barbie that they would meet again some day.  Funny thing, Barbie's dad looks exactly the same in the flashback as he does in current day.
Pauline gets a flashback to the pit where they found the egg for a brief encounter with Drownsie, and Drownsie tells her that 'this is where it began and this is where it will end".  And, so what ?

Before they all end up swimming in the lake inside the Dome, and Lyle goes MIA (he never surfaces in the lake).

 

Pauline goes to Big Jim's house to see Junior, and encounters Big Jim -- who is absolutely dumbfounded, either because his wife is alive, and under the dome, or maybe both. I think Big Jim might just be a little angry that she faked her death to get away from him and to save Chester's Mill from the pending Domepocalypse.

Edited August 26, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[Accidental Martyr]

Only caught the tail end of this show, can someone tell me how Barbie got free?  Did his cute friend Hunter free him?  Did they make out?

Instead of just handcuffing Barbie to the table they made sure he had about 8 feet of chain hanging off his arms to choke the guy that was questioning/smacking him around. Apparently, he then just got up and walked out of the facility because the next time we see him he shows up at Pauline's apartment.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Apparently, he then just got up and walked out of the facility because the next time we see him he shows up at Pauline's apartment.

 

It did initially seem weird that he was able to stroll right out of the Aktaion security building (or wherever he was being kept locked up).  Then again, it turned out he was let go intentionally so that they could follow Barbie (Barbie didn't really pick up on that fact that it was TOO easy to escape).  One correction -- that was Hunter's place, since they weren't able to go back to Pauline's apartment since the guys at the playground had IDed Pauline, Sam and Lyle..

[Accidental Martyr]

It did initially seem weird that he was able to stroll right out of the Aktaion security building (or wherever he was being kept locked up).  Then again, it turned out he was let go intentionally so that they could follow Barbie (Barbie didn't really pick up on that fact that it was TOO easy to escape).  One correction -- that was Hunter's place, since they weren't able to go back to Pauline's apartment since the guys at the playground had IDed Pauline, Sam and Lyle..

I missed a couple of minutes because I was moving between the living room and the kitchen. Obviously, this was the the stuff I missed. Thanks for the clarification!

[Kris117]

Oh, dear God, this just gets better and better. And by that, I mean dumber and dumberer. Where to begin?

Are there any characters who haven't said, "I feel the dome is telling us to do [something really nonsensical]?"

Hey, Pauline, you remember that cute little guy you deserted to spare the town from the dome that imprisoned the town anyway? Yeah, well, he's turned into a repulsive kidnapper and stalker and all around dope. But we're supposed to ignore that. I hope she takes one look at him, says, "I brought you into this world, so I'd better take you out," and pulls him into the sand vortex. Or the lake. I'm not fussy.

I really got creeped out when Melanie said she just wanted to lie down with Junior. I shudder just thinking about that scene.

I had to stop my recording and laugh when Big Jim said to Junior, "We're the only two lawmen left." Rarely have there been so many things wrong in a six word sentence.

Barbie was at the family day get together at the Dome's edge (before they launched the missile), and he was communicating with people on the outside. Military people. All of that was probably recorded visually, so they know his connection to the Dome -- he was inside it..

But that was last year. I think the "writers" have made it clear that we're not supposed to be remembering anything earlier than the last commercial break.

Big Jim: "It's my job to lead the people of Chester's Mill to freedom."

Followed by, "Luckily, I've been able to kill a lot of them, which will make it easier to lead them all to freedom."

I was so glad that Rebecca didn't follow the pattern of everyone else in town, and believe Big Jim even after all the times he'd lied.

[bmoore4026]

I was so glad that Rebecca didn't follow the pattern of everyone else in town, and believe Big Jim even after all the times he'd lied.

 

Such people should be dominated by evil overlord Barbie's Dad (forgot what his name is)

[Dowel Jones]

It's good to see that even the SmokeMonster got a new gig after Lost. 

 

Unfortunately for Lyle, he popped up in Branson, Missouri.

 

I can't believe (maybe I can), that, FINALLY, someone, even if it was Jim, thought to communicate with the outside by writing.

 

So, uh, Barbie, does calling out Sam as a murderer somehow cloud your own recent past?

[Cigale]

Pauline, Pauline... She is supposed to be such an interesting character...

But Sherry Springfield, IMHO, is soooo bad in this role, it isn't even funny. Pauline is supposed to be a seer, a person in contact with the weirdness that is the Dome, but Springfield is completely flat, she recites her lines like a bad actor in a Junior High play.

ETA: SmokeMonster! Good one, Dowel Jones : D

Edited August 26, 2014 by sisterspoon

[marieYOTZ]

This shouldn't have irritated at me, but when Big J was writing his notes i was like "you don't have to rip each page off, ahole - the rings at the top of the pad are so you can flip the pages. We only have one little dome town (okay 'dome town of variable size'), stop littering all over it"

I'm soooooo disappointed we didn't get a triumphant Julia/Barbie reunion! The great several-week love story of our time!!

Melanie's gone full on creepy. She doesn't trust Julia?? Scuse me, Julia is the monarch fool!! Or maybe Barbie is, i forget. But julia is definitely a REALLY VIRTUOUS PERSON! Go back in the lake Melanie, you don't know what you're talking about.

[DrLar]

Nice all the returnees to the Dome were nice swimmers, if not what a surprise appearing in mid water and not being able to swim! at least the surprise to appear under the water should have them gasping for air or something but all appeared very calm. Then they get to the shore and appeared they were swimming for miles. (going through wormholes must be very tiresome)

[tv echo]

Sigh... Are the writers making this stuff up as they go along?  Because it sure seems like it.  I confess, however, I'm starting to enjoy the ridiculousness of this show and how stupid the characters act -  although Barbie showed some signs of intelligence in not falling for his dad's fakery (something Julia failed to do).

 

Junior is an idiot for trusting Big Jim.  Does Big Jim have a magical aura that compels people to tell him secrets?  Every time I see Big Jim now, I just want someone to push him off a cliff - one that isn't a magical portal.  He's an egomaniac and an idiot - although he at least thought to bring paper and pen to the Dome perimeter to communicate (something Barbie failed to do).

 

Julia is an idiot for being so willing to give up the egg for Barbie (and I can't believe I just wrote this sentence).  Maybe if they had developed a more believable love story between Barbie and Julia, then I could buy Julia's desperation to save Barbie.  As it is, I found Rachelle LeFevre more believable as a vampire in Twilight.

 

The Dome taketh away and the Dome giveth back.  Angie was murdered.  Poor Junior - who's he going to obsess about now?  Oh wait, there's perpetual teenager, Melanie (Drownsie).

 

How convenient that Junior's mom knows Hunter, the computer guy working for Barbie's dad.  Yes, they're allied through thehoundsofdiana, but of all the computer guys that could be working for Barbie's dad, there's this same guy?  So then they can conveniently meet up with Barbie, who recognizes the red door (marked with his childhood hand print), and they can all return to the Dome together.

 

When Barbie, Sam, Pauline and Hunter emerge from the portal through a lake, I thought, I've seen this before (people going through a portal and emerging in a lake) - but I can't remember where.  Does anyone remember this 'trope' happening on another show or in a movie?

 

If I were Hunter, I wouldn't stay by the lake with the man who brutally butchered a teenage girl.  And I hope his computer was in a waterproof-tight bag.  Speaking of Sam, Junior's mom sure got over finding out that her brother (or is it brother-in-law?) is a murderer pretty quickly.  Her reaction was like she had found out he had stolen a car.  One second she's all anguished "did you kill Angie?", with shirt grab.  The next minute, she's all "you stay at the lake and look for Lyle" (presumably, so no one in Chester Mills knows he's back and strings him up on the nearest tree).  With Pauline and Big Jim for parents, it's no wonder Junior is such a morally ambiguous creep.

Edited August 26, 2014 by tv echo

[Tippi Blevins]

I just need somebody... anybody... on this show to express shock and dismay whenever Pauline mentions she's an art teacher. 

[indeed]

I'm finding it hard to believe Julia would just give over the egg to save Barbie when she was perfectly fine protecting/hiding the egg while Barbie was off being executed by hanging! at the same time. And for goodness sake, why don't they just toss the egg back in the lake again? For that matter, why did the brainiac four have to recover it in the first place?

Ugh, Barbie SO take back that sheriff's badge in the most public and humiliating way possible. I'm so sick of Big Jim. I just hope he doesn't toss his wife down the stairs before Junior gets a chance to see her. It's Big Jim, so there's a good chance of that!

[Primetimer]

The resurrected return to Chester's Mill in an Under The Dome that's chock full of eggs-position. Get it? Matt doesn't.

Read the story

[DrLar]

Resurrected means they died and were brought to life, none of the returnees died (as least on screen), only resurrected person is Drownsie so far..

[ae2]

 With Pauline and Big Jim for parents, it's no wonder Junior is such a morally ambiguous creep.

 

"Morally ambiguous" is way too generous. There is no ambiguity there at all. He's a horrible person who had a girl chained in a cellar for a week.

 

Speaking of the cellar - didn't Big Jim tear it apart when he had visions of Dodee, and then use a grenade to blast his way out? Or was that somewhere else?

 

And while I'm at it, can anyone remember back to all the mentions of Junior's mom in season 1? I thought it was heavily hinted at that Big Jim made her disappear? I could easily be mixing this up with something else. 

[Dowel Jones]

One other thing I noticed at the end.  Pauline must have stopped off at the hair stylist on the walk back to her house.  And the laundermat.

[ottoDbusdriver]

And while I'm at it, can anyone remember back to all the mentions of Junior's mom in season 1? I thought it was heavily hinted at that Big Jim made her disappear? I could easily be mixing this up with something else.

 

Back in the Season 2 premiere, Big Jim was locked in the fallout shelter, had a vision of Dodie and used 4 grenades to blow the door open. The shelter was left in a colossal mess -- yet when Junior and Drownsie hid the egg, the shelter was cleaned up and somewhat organized.  Who wants to bet that the door is back to being fully functional next episode as well ?

 

One other thing I noticed at the end.  Pauline must have stopped off at the hair stylist on the walk back to her house.  And the laundermat.

 

Big Jim's house actually is across the road from the lake, so she wouldn't even have had to run that far, but her hair was dried and coiffed and her clothes were all dry.

 

Here's another plot thread that was completely dropped -- remember when Rebecca was examining Drownsie's blood under a microscope to find out what the deal was with her ?  Completely forgotten and never mentioned since once they found the tunnel at the school.

Edited August 26, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[izabella]

And for goodness sake, why don't they just toss the egg back in the lake again? For that matter, why did the brainiac four have to recover it in the first place?

 

I believe that was Melanie's doing.  She has been super-attached to that egg from the start, she is the one who keeps talking about protecting it these days, and she is the one who was highly dismayed that Julia was thinking of handing it over to try to free Barbie. 

 

I don't trust Melanie at all, and wish Norrie was still interrogating her in every single episode.

[indeed]

Right, but the egg's OK in a lunch box in Big Jim's fallout shelter? I know she probably wants to physically hold onto the egg, but if she really wanted to protect it, the egg would be harder to find in the lake. Julia and Big Jim aren't a part of the special hands club. But, yeah, something's up with Melanie, so...?

Edited August 26, 2014 by indeed

[ElTVaddict]

From marieYOTZ: 

This shouldn't have irritated at me, but when Big J was writing his notes i was like "you don't have to rip each page off, ahole - the rings at the top of the pad are so you can flip the pages. We only have one little dome town (okay 'dome town of variable size'), stop littering all over it

 

I agree I hate litter even on tv. I was yelling "just flip the page!" Now who's going to clean it up.

 

from tv echo:

I confess, however, I'm starting to enjoy the ridiculousness of this show and how stupid the characters act

 

Like you tv echo, i just watching this because of the ridiculousness of it.

 

My nitpicks:

 

Why has the government abandoned the town? Why is Barbie's father able to control security around the dome?

Edited August 26, 2014 by stacey
Using quote boxes

[thuganomics85]

Late for this episode, because of the Emmys last night.  A lot happened at least, but most of it was dumb as expected.  Barbie, Pauline, Sam, and this Hunter fellow are all back under the dome, thanks to the mysterious red door dumping them into the lake.  Lyle's whereabouts are unknown though, so who knows what going to happen over that.  And, they all had visions thanks to the Smoke Monster from Lost!  Sam remembers when he failed Little Junior, Pauline went back to when she found the egg, and Barbie went back to being a kid, where he met... Melanie?  Did not see that coming.  Don was also in that scene, so I wonder what his part is in that aspect.

 

Speaking of Don, so, yeah, he's clearly not a good guy.  He knows a lot more then he's letting on, and wants to power source/egg for himself, and will do anything to get it.  Hey, if it involves ridding this show of an annoying character or two, I'll root for him!

 

Pauline and Big Jim reunite at the end.  Nothing against Sherry Springfield, but that scene just really made me wish they got Betsy Brandt instead, so we could get a Hank and Marie reunion.  You were so much better on that show, Dean Norris!

 

Melanie is a nutter who is falling for Junior.  I loved how she said the bunker was peaceful and everything, because I was just thinking that Angie would really disagree with that statement.

 

Of course, Julia would contemplate throwing everything a way to save Barbie.  Any logical Julia we saw in S1 has been killed off a long time ago, and now it's all about "Emotional Julia", and her "love" for Barbie.  Not surprised Joe and Norrie also were backing her up, but at least they have the excuse of being teens.

 

Of course, Jim is going to try and get the egg for himself.  That really isn't new for him.  At least Rebecca didn't fall for his act.  It's too bad the only other viable option is Julia.  Really, no matter what side you pick, you are going to lose.

[ae2]

and Barbie went back to being a kid, where he met... Melanie?  Did not see that coming.  Don was also in that scene, so I wonder what his part is in that aspect.

 

There were a couple "hints" at this. But the writers are about as good at subtlety and foreshadowing as they are at compelling romances. I believe when Melanie and Barbie first met she said something about him looking familiar. It was deliberately put out there that they're from the same city. And when she watched the video from Don she said his voice sounded familiar. At that point I figured they were going to end up being brother/sister somehow. Not sure yet, but at least the surprise reveal had some buildup.

 

Did Barbie realize that his dad was behind the black ops security team? He would have had to, right, otherwise there was no point sneaking around his dad's house security?

 

There is something up with Hunter. There was no reason for him to want to get in the dome, and every reason for him to want to stay out of it. It seems unlikely that he is a double agent secretly on Barbie's dad's side, so maybe there is yet another outside force that he is working with to get in the Dome (and get the egg?).

 

Turns out Peter Weller (Robocop) directed this episode. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000693/

[Blue Plastic]

I guess there's going to be a rift in the teen group now once Joe and Norrie (plus Julia the Useless Monarch) realize that Melanie and Junior have stolen/hidden the egg.

 

That was a very uncomfortable scene to watch with Melanie and Junior lying there and Melanie saying she finds it so peaceful while I'm thinking of what Angie went through down there.  All those scenes with Angie trapped in there REALLY upset me and I would have stopped watching if it had gone on much longer.  I have never had anything like that happen to me or anything, it is just very upsetting and for some reason my imagination takes off in a bad way and I can really imagine how panicked I would be in that character's shoes.  So the whole thing with Junior and maybe the writers trying to redeem him sticks in my craw.  It's kind of fun to laugh at how dumb he is, but if they're going to try to turn him into a hero eventually or something, I'd hate that.

 

Agree that Sherry Stringfield's acting on this show seems off.  Maybe it isn't just her acting.  The character herself doesn't really do anything for me.  She's supposed to be kind of a wacky hippie mom who's in touch with the dome way before it even appeared and paints pictures that are beneath the ability of a 6-year-old AND managed to fake her death and leave her son with his ebil daddy etc.  Just...whaaaat?  Even for this show she's kind of out there.

 

Earlier in the episode Big Jim said Pauline's body was so mangled that a closed casket was required, no viewing.  How did that come about?  Do we know what body it was?  Or was the undertaker in cahoots with Pauline or something?

[Black Knight]

I just realized that the conflict between Big Jim and Julia boils down to this: Hair.

 

He has none. She has the most perfect and beautifully conditioned long flowing locks in the town.

 

They are complete opposites!

[Desperately Random]

I was really close to giving up this show but the last couple of episodes have been pretty enjoyable. Of course the stupidity is still in high gear but I am interested in seeing where this goes with the smoke monster, the egg and the fight for control over it. I agree that Sherry Stringfield is not doing a very good job as Pauline and I can't seem to figure out why. It could be that her reason for faking her death and leaving her son with Big Jim are both so dumb and selfish that she became an inherently unlikeable character and yet the show wants us to sympathize with her.  Which I don't. I wish the show had given the reason for her leaving was that Big Jim was definitely going to commit her and that's why she left. Her leaving because she thought the dome would follow her is so stupid I can't believe it made it into the script. She believed that a dome was going to come down wherever she went so she moved to a crowded city so they could be trapped? I'm sure all the citizens of Zenith can't wait to thank you for that one Pauline. And leaving her young son with Big Jim seems really selfish. She couldn't confide in her brother so at least he could have looked out for Junior? Sam seemed like a decent guy back then but poor Junior got stuck with Big Jim and look how well that turned out. I can see this show going for another season but I kinda hope that next year is the last one. Any longer and I think that they are really going to have to rely on the crisis of the week and that is what almost got me to stop watching. Seeing the dome create havoc and have Rebbecca come up with one of her instant Science Cures every week is boring and not what I want to see.

Still like looking at Barbie and Sam so I'm glad that they are both part of the main story. I'm actually looking forward to next week.

Edited August 26, 2014 by Desperately Random

[izabella]

Melanie is a nutter who is falling for Junior. 

 

I don't think she's falling for him at all.  I think she is using him, and is using her feminine wiles to get him to do her bidding which is holding onto the egg.  She went after Joe the same way, and it was working until Norrie had a few things to say about that.  She probably would be snuggling up to and kissing Julia, Big Jim, Barbie and Norrie if they were the ones protecting and holding onto the egg, but Junior's got the ball right now.

[Kris117]

Gee, it would be just terrible if Melanie victimized Junior the way Junior victimized Angie. I would laugh so hard if that happened, and then feel guilty for laughing at a kidnapping, and then laugh some more. 

 

 

And while I'm at it, can anyone remember back to all the mentions of Junior's mom in season 1? I thought it was heavily hinted at that Big Jim made her disappear? I could easily be mixing this up with something else. 

 

No, I remember something like that as well. Did the minister tell Junior that he needed to ask his dad what really happened? Or the guy with the fuel depot that blowed up real good (SCTV™)? Whoever it was, Big Jim killed him. 

 

"Under the Dumb" is the name I have in my head for this show, to the point where "Dome" looks wrong. 

[Jordan27]

Oh, the show continues it's silliness....

 

(To Julia) Big Jim:  Give me a call if you see anything unusual outside the dome. 

 

Uh, why?  What is he going to do about it and why would she call him?

 

When Pauline says she will bring Junior back and is asked about bringing Big Jim back...."I can't think of that right now."

 

Do you have something else to do?  It takes 10 seconds to think about and answer.

 

Big Jim: "It is my job to lead the people of this town to freedom."

 

Except when the militia won't swap the egg for the town, it becomes him and his son.

 

Pauline, Sam and Lyle show up at the park with two threatening guys sitting on a bench who might as well have been holding signs that said, "We are here to follow you."  Sam and Lyle go in opposite directions and they follow, leaving Pauline to search inside the Red Door.  Why?

 

The Scooby Gang just happens to check the computer when messages come in.

 

And more from the worst character dialogue on the show....

 

Joe:  We can give them the egg and then we can escape.

 

How about just escape?  Why do you have to give them the egg?

 

When Big Jim makes a deal at the dome, he asks them to direct him to the egg.  How does he know they can find the egg and just happen to have an egg GPS available?

 

Pauline(To Sam):  You killed that girl because of those pictures I drew.  We must return to the dome to attone for our sins. 

 

Drawing pictures is a sin and it's your fault he committed murder?!??! Oh my.

 

Did you know an internet image search can find all the red doors in town?  Really?!?

 

Junior(back on the daddy train): My dad's done a lot for this town. ( Ran drugs and killed people.) I know a lot of people don't trust him. ( I wonder why?)..but I'm still trying to believe in him.  (You're as good s judge of character as you are a police officer.)

 

Why does the whole security force need to run to the front gate just because the owner's son shows up?

 

Junior:  "We can protect the egg together." 

 

What does that even mean?  Just hide it.  It sounds more like a come on.

 

Didn't Barbie forget his bag of tools outside the Red Door?

 

Red Door?  Hatch?  Smoke Monster?  Dirt Monster?  This seems very familiar.

 

Pauline(after coming out of the water):  I had a premonition, but Lyle should have been there.

 

If it was a premonition, how was Lyle supposed to be there?

 

This is the worst written show on television, but it's worth watching for the snarkworthiness.  The show is laughably bad. 

 

And King and Spielberg are associated with this?  They should hide Under The Dome.

[Gudzilla]

 

Pauline's red door postcard changed during her conversation with Sam and Lyle -- from an open red door, with a dark shadow behind it to a fully closed door.  Did the continuity guys go on vacation ?

Pauline's art is so realistic that the door can actually open and close.

 

Junior is an idiot for trusting Big Jim.

Julia is an idiot for being so willing to give up the egg for Barbie

Those aren't the only reasons. ;)

 

 

Drawing pictures is a sin and it's your fault he committed murder?!??! Oh my.

Well the way she draws..........

 

Hooray! Junior found a girl who wants to be locked in the bomb shelter.

 

I still can't believe the writers think they can 'redeem' Junior. I don't care how many scenes of little Junior not wanting to be left with Big Jim or how many creepy girls say being in the shelter is awesome and it's okay to do messed up things for love. I'm not going to be convinced that he's just misunderstood. 

 

That being said, don't ever change Junior.

[Blue Plastic]

No, I remember something like that as well. Did the minister tell Junior that he needed to ask his dad what really happened? Or the guy with the fuel depot that blowed up real good (SCTV™)? Whoever it was, Big Jim killed him. 

I think it was that water hoarder/crop guy.  But I guess the surprise circumstance was supposed to be that she had been acting crazy and then killed herself?  I guess before that Junior had always thought she just died of a physical illness or accident?  I don't know anymore.  But yeah, although it is trope-y I would have bought that Jim murdered his wife more than I buy this whole Pauline faked her death for some pitifully thin reason.

 

I feel like I keep going back to this, but...  If Melanie is crazy/ebil/whatever and not on the up and up, why would she apologize to Linda for getting crushed against the dome?  Nobody was around to see her do that, so it wasn't for appearances.

[Jordan27]

I like how they changed the intro from 2 weeks ago to a few weeks ago.  Way to keep up show producers !

 

And it already needs updating.  Barbie is doing the voiceover and says, "We'll doing anything to get out of the dome."

 

Well, you already have and now you're back in it.

[Jordan27]

I was so glad that Rebecca didn't follow the pattern of everyone else in town, and believe Big Jim even after all the times he'd lied.

The bad news is that Rebecca's expression in the whole episode was one of a child when a parent is scolding them.   Almost looked like she was about to cry in every scene.

Pauline goes to Big Jim's house to see Junior, and encounters Big Jim -- who is absolutely dumbfounded, either because his wife is alive, and under the dome, or maybe both.

 

I think he was stunned that after climbing out of the lake, her clothes were dry and he hair was done.  The magic of the dome.

It does drycleaning and haircare.

It's good to see that even the SmokeMonster got a new gig after Lost.

 

That's actually the Smoke Monster's nephew.  The Lost Smoke Monster retired after the show.  Wanted to spend more time with his little smokies. 

 

Unfortunately for Lyle, he popped up in Branson, Missouri.

 

Could have been worse.  Could have popped up in Ferguson, Missouri.

[opus]

I just need somebody... anybody... on this show to express shock and dismay whenever Pauline mentions she's an art teacher.

Your best bet is Norrie.

[Dobian]

These people know that they get intermittent wifi access (obviously controlled by Dick

Cheney dad). Why haven't they made videos of the dome and telling the story of the conspiracy outside, and at the moment of opportunity, post them to you tube?

[ottoDbusdriver]

These people know that they get intermittent wifi access (obviously controlled by Dick

Cheney dad). Why haven't they made videos of the dome and telling the story of the conspiracy outside, and at the moment of opportunity, post them to you tube?

 

 

If you go to the houndsofdiana.com website (it's for real), Joe and Norrie posted several vlogs (I wish people trying to make 'vlog' work, just like fetch, it ain't gonna happen.  It's a video) that showed how magnetism works inside the Dome (I wish I was making that up), who ate the last grilled cheese sandwich while arguing about revealing Drownsies' origins, how to make windmills, using the drone to measure the height of the dome, or an experiment to show how you can walk on water (it's more like pudding, actually) while discussing where Drownsie came from vs. something along the lines of "help, get us out, Big Jim is killing people, the military won't help us, we're running out of food, the Dome is trying to kill us everyday".

 

Since he vanished into the Dome, that web site refers to Hunter as Dromas, the founder of houndsofdiana.com, who has gone missing.

[Dobian]

I haven't been on that site, I'll have to check it.  But you're right, the site really exists to provide fans of the show with "fun facts" as opposed to advancing the story.  The problem is, the site is "in character", and like you said, the first priority of these kids would be to get the word out about how dangerous the dome is, Big Jim, and the government conspiracy.

[Notwisconsin]

How come no one else knows anything?

[Cyranetta]

I can't remember a show where the dialogue fell out of the actors' mouths like bricks in quite the way UtD demonstrates -- it's truly a wonder.

 

As someone upthread said, it's viewable for the snarkworthiness, and in addition to the PreviouslyTV recap and commentary, Grady Hendrix at Tor.com keeps forging courageously (and hilariously) ahead:

 

"...the three Domers head to the playground they emerged into after escaping the Dome through the tunnels behind dead Angie’s locker [NOTE: after typing that sentence I was confronted with the futility of human existence and spent some time weeping quietly]...

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/08/under-the-dome-recap-the-red-door

[DrLar]

I'm still waiting to see where's the real military, did they abandon the Dome after the MOAB? maybe in shame?

Or maybe I missed it and the government contracted Barbie Sr. security company to guard the Dome?

[bmoore4026]

When Pauline was drawing the spiral in the mud, my first thought was "Oh.  Is this show going to turn into Uzumaki now?  Is Julia's hair going to coming alive and suck the life energy out of people?  Is Big Jim going to do freaky things with his tongue and eyeballs?  Is a spiraling black hole going to develop on Norrie's forehead?  Are rescue copters going to get sucked into vortexes?"  Then I thought, "No.  That shit is too clever for this show."

 

For those who don't know, Uzumaki is a (rather good) Japanese horror comic about an isolated costal town that quickly becomes obsessed with spiral patterns.  Highly recommended (if you don't mind body horror and nausea fuel).

Edited August 28, 2014 by bmoore4026

[Camera One]

Big Jim "hasn't seen the guards this close in weeks"?  Suddenly, they pay attention to this?  The government is able to "distance themselves" from the Dome by hiring private contractors?  Could they give a slightly less idiotic explanation for why Barb's father holds all the cards?  Or maybe he doesn't, since that Random Extra Soldier outside the Dome negotiating with Big Jim apparently has the authority to make deals.  

 

Big Jim "can't bring everyone".  If everyone jumps onto the playground, what can Barbie's dad do about it?  As someone else pointed above, why do Joe, Julia, etc. have to bring the egg with them anyway?   Just drop the dumb thing in the Lake and get the hell out of there.

 

Pauline wins the awards for the funniest (aka the dumbest) lines this episode.  Here's a sample of the most Emmy worthy.

 

"Why red?  Why door?": Who knows, you're the one who drew it, lady.

 

"Art Theory 101, a door always symbolizes a way in somewhere":  Well no duh, you don't need to take Art Theory 101 to figure that out.

 

"We HAVE to go to the Dome to atone for our sins":  Nice illogical jump to conclusions there.  Maybe stick to asking dumb questions.

 

Sam was pretty funny when he implied that it was Pauline's fault that he killed Angie.  "YOUR journal made it seem like the 4 kids were making it happen." 

 

Junior is so stupid.  He just spills to dear ol' dad and then regrets it after?  Is there a brain cell in that head?  Maybe not, since he acted like he was made out of wood as a kid.

 

Joe, Norrie et al sitting there staring at Outlook waiting for email.  I think that's the definition of no life.  He never opened the HoundsofDiana email and Norrie tells him to open it with no internet connection?  There wouldn't even be a cache copy of the message to look at.

 

Let me guess, the Egg Detector software won't work when the Egg is placed in an underground location?
 

What a wonderfully useful app for finding all the Red Doors in Zenith.  What's the point when Barbie already knew where it was, even though the yellow dot in the postcard wasn't even at the same position as Barbie's yellow hand.

 

Pauline's amazing swirl in the mud got it right down to the crappy CGI details.  Why on earth would that vortex give them a flashback?  I have never watched a clumsier way of shoe-horning in flashbacks as that vortex of suck.

 

"Keep a low profile, and once I have a plan, I'll find you."  Great plan, Barbie.  I'm sure keeping a low profile will help you find them, especially in a highly tense, high stakes moment when Big Jim is trying to kill you (again).

Edited August 28, 2014 by Camera One

[shapeshifter]

Right, but the egg's OK in a lunch box in Big Jim's fallout shelter?

Unless Junior leg-irons Drownsie and she gets hungry.
BTW, good thing she didn't notice the leg iron. Hmmm...maybe she did and in the next scene, Junior will be stuck down there.
And where did the leg iron come from anyway? Or, at this point, is the question: Where did it go?

[Johnny Dollar]

Since when had the dome been ten feet from Julia's front door?

Did anyone else think that The Hipster Hacker was somehow Pauline's love child? The timeline doesn't work (not that it matters on this stupid show), but I initially though he was the result of a stomach-churning night of passion with Lyle.

Dean Norris has got to work on another facial expression than the "I'm About To Kill You Face" that Big Jim is always wearing. Even when he saw Pauline at the end, I thought he was about to strangle her.

I was shocked at the way Melanie was able to so easily pull the wool over Junior's eyes. He had a one episode steak going of not being so easily manipulated. How funny would it be if they sleep together and she turns into her "real" age while taking on Junior's Junior? And if she aged as poorly as Lyle instead of as hotly as Sam?