S05.E05: Non-essential Personnel

[MostlyC]

The 2nd Mass leaves Chinatown; a deranged gunman takes Weaver hostage; Tom sets out to rescue Hal

 

 

Forget it, Tom. It's Chinatown.

[mythoughtis]

So, Anthony is taking Weaver hostage?

[Garnett7]

Yes, show, we get it. Tom Mason is it. The only man anywhere ever that can save the world. In all of humanity that is left on Earth, no one can do anything but Tom Mason. Nope, not one other soul can save the planet. Has to be the Super Special Glitter Snowflake Unicorn that is Tom Mason. WE GET IT! Ease up on the anvils thrown at our heads every week, thx.

 

I guess Pope is now the big bad for the rest of the season. Cause mutant aliens from outer space wasn't enough. And Hal will hook up with Not-Nurse to pave the way for Pedophile Maggie and Ben or whatever the middle Mason is named. Thank God this show is ending soon.

[TVSpectator]

Well, it wasn't Anthony that took Weaver hostage (which, IMO, is good since I felt we dodge a bullet tonight); although, it seems that they have decided to drag the Pope vs. Tom storyline. Maybe this storyline will continue to the finale where Tom or Pope will kill one another, in a final battle?

 

Speaking about Anthony and Pope was anybody kind of excited that it was Anthony that rescued that group of humans from the crazed Skitters, and drove them to a new Pope gang (that, IMO, seemed to be less rapey)? I have to be honest, I was disappointed that Pope rejected some of the people, but I felt that it wasn't a too big of shock to that group, assuming that Anthony already discussed that Pope will decide who will stay and who will go, ahead of time; personally I was hoping that he will be better and formed his own 2nd Mass-ish group that will take over when the war is finally won.

 

Overall, I don't want Pope dead. What I want is a spin-off, with him being a leader and learning what to do in that situation. Maybe he will be better than Tom (okay, this show has explicitly  said that no one is as good as Tom, over and over again, but still maybe he can be a half-decent leader who won't run off, alone and risk dying (and even that dream Skitter mentioned to Tom that risking his life is also risking losing the war), etc...) You know, in a sort of anti-hero way, but I do doubt that we will see Pope alive at the end. 

 

 

As with the new character of Isabella, I have to say that the track record for the 2nd Mass, this season, for any new person, is limited (at best) and I do hope that we get to see more of her before the writers will decide to kill her off. Why, because this season we have seen many people being killed off (since it is the last season) and I hope that at least some of these new characters (and old characters) and get to survive rebuilding civilization. 

 

Also what Pope said  to Hal, about Tom wanting to rebuild civilization, yeah he kind of does want that job. Tom may act like he doesn't want it, but you kind of know that he actually does want to rebuild civilization. 

Edited July 27, 2015 by TVSpectator

[thuganomics85]

I'm pretty sure Isabella/Not Nurse was Catalina Sandino Moreno, which is both awesome and sad, since I think she is much better then being what will probably be Hal's love interest.  But if this is the case, good for Hal.  Don't consider it a consolation price, Hal!  Since Maggie's just become a boring cipher who has the hots for Ben, Isabella would be a massive upgrade!

 

So, Anthony actually joined Pope on the Hal kidnapping and everything?  Of all the things this twist has caused, this is really annoying me.  Sure, I get that this was always in Pope, so even if the reasons were stupid, him being a baddie makes sense.  But them suddenly turning Anthony bad is just cheap and lame.  It really feels like the writers completed the outlines for all of the main characters, and then one was like "Hey, we forgot Anthony.  What are we going to do with him?"  And the rest just shrugged and were like "Eh, just make him into a bad guy!", and that was it.  Because all of this is because Weaver took his gun from him?  Yeah, not buying it.  Not one bit.

 

The aliens really are playing second fiddle in the "final battle", at the current moment.  Show sure is pushing Tom vs. Pope instead. I foolishly thought they would end it tonight, but nope.  Tom somehow only wounds Pope at close range (really?!), Pope shoots him in the leg, and then some winged aliens grab Tom and takes off.  Of course!

 

The stuff involving Weaver and the rest of the 2nd Mass was mainly filler, but at least Will Patton acted the hell out of it.  Plus, it actually provided some decent laughs, like Weaver and Anne pretending to be married, and Cochise "back-seat" driving.  Actually, the latter kind of felt like the show missed a big opportunity for the show.  I would have enjoyed more scenes of Cochise bonding with the humans and being flummoxed by their customs and phrases.  Instead, he was mainly used to spout scientific exposition and finding different ways to dramatically say "Tom Mason."  Too little, too late, I guess.

Edited July 28, 2015 by thuganomics85

[shrewd.buddha]

It is kind of sad to think that with 99% of the population destroyed and in the middle of an alien invasion/war, that the remaining humans would not put their differences aside to fight a common enemy. ..which is how the writers appear to think when it comes to Pope and Tom.

 

..Or are we supposed to believe that Pope has just gone insane due to grief - -  and over-exposure to the Mason family's radiation of awesomeness? 

[Garnett7]

I'm not sure the show even realizes how much it's re-enforcing all of Pope's accusations against Tom putting his family above "the greater good" vs others. For all of Tom's claims that he'd risk his own life to save his loved ones but he wouldn't risk the mission -- well, guess what he does? This week he's told that he's the Special Snowflake Unicorn Baby Jesus, the only one who can save the world. And his response is a basic "Screw the world, I'm going to save Hal". Who cares if there's no world left for Hal (and his other kids) to live on afterwards. Guess the 2nd Mass shouldn't be so picky about the planet it wants to reside on.

 

ITA that making Anthony a villain is just cheap writing. Pope, ok. He's always had the potential to turn on Tom. But Anthony? That one is out of the blue.

[MsFlibbles]

You know how you hate to see a show end. Like Eureka, White Collar and Warehouse 13. Well, I can't wait till this show ends. If it weren't for the fact that this is the last season. I would not be watching it now. I quit watching Royal Pain a couple of seasons ago. Lots of other shows after years of watching, because they jumped the shark. Or just got annoying. Also, I just quit watching Suits.

I just want to smack Tom. Also, if you are going to make someone a villain don't make him a cartoon. Pope was just over the top. I half expected him to start twirling his mustache.

[iMonrey]

 

I guess Pope is now the big bad for the rest of the season. Cause mutant aliens from outer space wasn't enough.

 

And just to make sure you get it, Pope now has a shaved head, because the show thinks a house has to fall on you before you get that he's evil and crazy now. And what better way to short-hand evil and crazy than to have a shaved head?

 

Seriously, I do not want to spend the rest of this season watching the Tom and Pope battle when there are mutant aliens from outer space to fight. That's the story I signed up for, not this cartoonish and unoriginal pissing contest.

[anarchyangel84]

No wonder this is the last Season- they've run out of things to write about! They COULD write about the aliens- that's just a suggestion.

I try not to complain or nitpick about a show, but this episode was such a WASTE!

When Tom was talking to the alien posing as his dead wife...I don't think I'll ever say that sentence again.... He should've gotten them to go to Pope as Sara and told him to let Hal go. That would've been simple...

I always figured Pope was eventually going to hget worse- but Anthony? Just because they €wouldn't give him his gun back, he becomes a complete ass? That crap with Weaver@ was ridiculous. He should've just killed that dude- whatever his name is. But Weaver said that he "Had the look". A had a look too- of disgust.

By the end of the show, I was only half paying attention. I saw the winged alien grab someone, but I didn't realize it took Tom.

Of course I'll watch next week. I just hope it's a lot better than last night.

[Gudzilla]

Pope shows his excellent "keep people alive" skills by sending away 3 unarmed people and killing one of his own.

 

Didn't the 2nd Mass only have 1 vehicle a week ago ?

 

I think this show will end with the Masons all becoming lumberjacks.

[TVSpectator]

Pope shows his excellent "keep people alive" skills by sending away 3 unarmed people and killing one of his own.

 

Didn't the 2nd Mass only have 1 vehicle a week ago ?

 

I think this show will end with the Masons all becoming lumberjacks.

 

1). I thought that one of his guards was injured (and pretty severely injured) in a surprised Skitter attack?

 

 

2). Yeah, I thought that too becauseTom said, that the food truck was their only vehicle last episode or in the episode where Sarah died, to Pope. Then again, it was shown that through this show, that the 2nd Mass has basically enough vehicles to pack up and move at will, but in this season (and in the last) I guess they lost them. Although, we only  so far know about them finding two vehicles this season, the food truck (the one where they found at the food bank with the girl and her Skitterized brother) and the blue muscle car. IMO, it's either that they somehow were able to fix up all of those cars that were rotting away in Chinatown- in an extremely short time, or Tom lied to Pope. 

 

3). No, the Masons will not be lumberjacks. Instead  all, except for Ann (and Maggie/Isabella, if they become Masons in the future) become the President of Earth! Tom will be the first President of Earth, then Hal, then Ben, and then Matt. In addition, they will all be unanimously elected as president Just like good old General George Washington. 

Edited July 27, 2015 by TVSpectator

[BooksRule]

I might not be so ticked off at how the episode plots are going, if this was a show about a world where the aliens are long gone, but people have to try to get along, survive and rebuild.  However, as someone mentioned above, this is supposed to be a show about aliens invading.  I keep looking for actual aliens except for the occasional skitter roaming the rooftops (once the first assaults on the 2nd Mass camp were over).  And, I miss the Mechs (the original recipe--not the 'super' Mechs that came later).  I watched the very first episode and kept watching because I liked to see them humming to themselves and clomping around.  It's not the same now.

 

As for this episode, I laughed when Tom and Pope just kept shooting at each other, just like they were in an old western.  It just seemed so 'staged' to me.  I also thought that Anthony had spotted Tom when he crept into the van and was going to circle around and confront him.  Then, Anthony would say that he was totally over how Pope was running his camp and was ready to help Tom rescue Hal and to get far, far away from crazy Pope.  I'm pretty sure that Anthony is having second thoughts, but he's not sure how to get away.

Edited July 27, 2015 by BooksRule

[Latverian Diplomat]

Remember in the first season, when they sent out scouts and carefully planned their routes, assuming all territory was hostile territory. Now they manage to drive in such a tight formation that they get "boxed in" by one guy. Somehow? (I guess he did "have the high ground" as Obi-Wan would say). Of course in that season, this story would have been about one of their scouting parties, and it would have made more sense that way. 

[Dickens]

I think that the aliens planted a bomb inside Tom when he was out in space, and he will have to deliver it to the Espheni in the end.  

[tv echo]

I also found it hard to believe that they only had one vehicle in that previous episode, but now miraculously have several vehicles.  As leader, Tom could've continued with the mission but allowed Pope to take a second vehicle to go rescue Sarah. 

 

It's not a good sign when I start thinking of other shows and movies while watching an episode. Pope - he's now like the Governor of FS.  But the Governor (from TWD) was more nuanced and played by a better actor. Tom seeing his dead wife (alien) - Rick Grimes kept seeing his dead wife (hallucination).

 

When FS first aired, I really wanted to like Tom.  I liked the idea of a history professor getting caught up in a human resistance movement against the aliens and using his history knowledge to help his group combat the alien invasion.  He was just a regular guy with a regular family.  Now he's like John Connor (the one from the original Terminator, not the Genisys remake), the leader of the remaining human survivors fighting against extinction.  Except that John Connor was willing to sacrifice family for the greater good - he sent his own father back in time knowing he was sending him to his death.  The present version of Tom is not noble.  He comes across as condescending and hypocritical.  I like Rick Grimes because, despite his many flaws and mistakes in leadership, he's sympathetic and genuine.  I like John Connor (again the original, not the remake) because he's a real leader. I don't like Tom Mason - whether it's due to the writing or the acting, Noah Wyle's characters from Dr. Carter on ER to Tom Mason on FS all seem a bit smug.  But that could've fit his character if he had just stayed a regular guy, even a leader, and not become some messianic figure that will save the world.  Just my opinion.

Edited July 28, 2015 by tv echo

[bsur]

I thought - and I could totally be making this up - that when they were heading out to take out the skitter birthing-barn, they only had enough *fuel* for one vehicle.  By the time they were leaving for DC or wherever, they had found more of that magical non-expiring gasoline and were able to get more of their vehicles rolling.

[iMonrey]

Not only do they have an unlimited supply of fuel, they also have a never-ending supply of ammo, which I find even more amazing. And how on earth did Pope and Anthony manage to leave the 2nd mass with a whole armory full of weapons and an unlimited supply of ammo themselves? I guess Pope could have been hoarding all this stuff but how did they get it out of there on foot? And where did they get the police vehicle?

 

I'm not annoyed with these episodes because of Tom or the Masons, I'm annoyed because of Pope. I've been annoyed with this walking talking cliche since Season 1 and now they've doubled down on his usage. 

[ganesh]

I'm not even halfway in and I strained my eyes from rolling them so hard. This is quite a chore to watch. 

 

Except for "Ann, honey." That was hilarious. 

[ganesh]

I also found it hard to believe that they only had one vehicle in that previous episode, but now miraculously have several vehicles.

 

To be fair, they did find a bunch of vehicles last week, when Weaver found his car. And they made a big deal about showing that they had found gas too. 

 

In a long drawn out war, there's going to be factions. I'm inclined to listen to literally the only person on the planet who has killed two Overlords. I mean, yeah, they're basically under the Rule Of Mason, but he's not a dictator keeping anyone there. Anyone can leave. This seems like a 3rd season plot though. You go through these factions, etc., and get over it because it sinks in that you're fighting a larger enemy. This is just an ill-placed plot for the final season.

 

Seriously, again though, Pope outlived his usefulness a long time ago. The fact that Tom and Weaver didn't give him an ultimatum, stay and contribute or leave, is just absurd. Which, again, this is something to wrap up in the 3rd season. 

 

It's not even original. Pope had his little gang shadowing the 2nd Mass before. Also, he's an idiot. You can't fight, so you have to leave. Oh, my engineering PhD isn't useful. Ok, bye. You need scouts, engineering, medical. Everyone can take a turn cleaning and cooking, but come on. They're not even letting Pope be a halfway decent warlord. The "nurse" escaped in 20 minutes. 

 

I mean, I try. It's not my fault the show isn't good. "Don't you DARE say her name." If I was CC I would just flat out refuse to say just garbage dialogue. 

[TVSpectator]

To be fair, they did find a bunch of vehicles last week, when Weaver found his car. And they made a big deal about showing that they had found gas too. 

 

 

Yes, they did find a bunch of police vehicles some weapons, some none lethal equipment, some radios, and  some gasoline but the 2nd Mass was driving from Georgia to DC. I don't think that they found that much of gas and most of the cars that they did find, in the last episode, came were police cars (minus of course, the blue muscle car which I was wondering was probably used by that PD as a unmark car for everything from speeding tickets to undercover work). From what we know, they found a police paddy wagon, the blue muscle car, and a few police cruisers (and Pope and his gang might have at least one PD Bronco) . From the look of the 2nd Mass caravan, IMO, it looks like that everyone has their own  car and only a few are police cars. 

Edited July 29, 2015 by TVSpectator

[Bishop]

I've been really enjoying this last season of Falling Skies - lots of action and drama and the pace is excellent.

 

The Weaver/2nd Mass storyline was okay.  I'm not sure we needed an entire episode of watching Weaver try to talk down a despondent father and husband who lost his family, but I guess it was important to show that the 2nd Mass, and Weaver in particular, was making "rescuing" humans a priority because once the war is over, it WILL be up to humanity to rebuild.  So all human life, at least the sane ones, are essential.

 

The best part of the episode was the Tom/Pope/Hal story, and it was done really well.  Regarding the complaints that Tom is like Pope said and would sacrifice humanity for his son, two things:  1) Tom has NO idea if this alien that has been talking to him is on the up and up.  Why the hell would he believe her and risk his son just because she's telling him that he's the only one that can man a weapon?  Tom said it himself "She's being too cryptic," and he doesn't have the time for it.  I agree.  Maybe she's trying to feed his ego to get him to do what she wants.  Regardless, Tom didn't take the bait because she's not telling him everything he needs to know, and I think that's a smart move.  Either give him the WHOLE story or shut it; and 2)  Tom puts his own life in danger regarding his sons.  He never asks someone else to go into danger to save them, and I would never fault a parent for wanting to save their child's life.  I'd be more worried if they didn't.  As for Tom being "special," he HAS been special.  He's the human being, like it or not folks, that has been the focal point of meeting ALL other aliens.  Tom was the guy that was brought before the Overlord in season two.  He's the guy that risked an alliance with Red Eye when no one would listen that resulted in allowing the Volm to land.  He's the guy that formed a relationship with the Volm and became friends with Cochise.  If the alien Skitter has been watching, and if Red Eye passed word of Tom, I can see why she would reach out to him.  He's also got a good track record of killing Overlords and taking out vital enemy targets.  My only question is WHY does it have to be Tom?  I'm wondering if DNA is involved.  I guess we'll find out, but I don't mind that Tom is the guy the aliens want to use to wipe out the Espheni.  He's earned it, and the entire show has been shown from his pov.  It's amusing how some people just don't get that.

 

Pope was wonderfully evil.  I guess it was inevitable that Pope would go off the rails, but he's REALLY going off the rails.  He is actually quite psychotic in that he shows himself to very calm when talking to people, but you can see the "crazy" behind the eyes.  Colin did a great job, and I loved the entire cat and mouse thing with Pope and Tom, and when they accidentally stumbled upon each other, both men are surprised and momentarily caught off guard.  Then both react by shooting each other.  I was very surprised when the hornet scooped Tom up.  I'm wondering if the Skitter alien had something to do with that, but I'm guessing "no," and that Tom kills the hornet at some point. 

 

Hal was a nice surprise in this episode.  He's usually less animated and just sort of following orders, but Hal REALLY showed that he has grown into his own man.  I thought the scene with him and Pope - where Pope wants him to confess that Tom is trying to make himself leader and/or that he is responsible for all bad things in the universe - was done extremely well.  Pope just loses it on Hal when he refuses to say what Pope wants him to say, and then when Hal starts screaming in his face the exact OPPOSITE of what Pope wants to hear, which sends Pope almost over the edge and pulling his gun on Hal.  I couldn't make out everything Hal said.  I got "He's the only reason we're still alive . . . "  but I couldn't make out the rest.  Pope was wild eyed in that moment and REALLY looked crazy.  I think the only thing that saved Hal was the hornet assault.

 

Side notes:  I do like Isabella.  She would have been a nice addition last season, but whatever.  I'm guessing she's the new love interest for Hal, but I would find it hard to believe that he falls for her after only a few episodes when he's been with Maggie for years.  I don't know.  Also, Anthony continues to disappoint.  He is the only character that is not being fleshed out as to motives because I have NO idea why Anthony would throw in with Pope against the 2nd Mass and Tom and Weaver and Hal and Anne just because they took his gun away from him.  I can only guess that he has suffered an actual head trauma and he's not himself.  That bandage on the back of his head hopefully means that he suffered a real head injury.

 

Next week looks good.

Edited July 30, 2015 by Bishop

[Julie23]

Count me on Team Mason. I have always liked Noah Wyle, but I think he has done an excellent job in portraying Tom as a slightly nerdy history professor that has reluctantly become a rebel leader. He didn't ask for it, and didn't want it. Weaver pretty much kept pulling him in to strategy sessions and valued his opinion. Weaver lost it when his daughter became a skitter, so Tom became the "leader". 

 

Pope ran a gang of rapey thugs before connecting with the group and has not really improved much since. If he didn't like it, he could have left at any time. Would have made the show much better in my opinion if I didn't have to listen to his whining all the time, or see his greasy stringy hair. At least he shaved that off.

Edited July 30, 2015 by Julie23

[Bishop]

Count me on Team Mason. I have always liked Noah Wyle, but I think he has done an excellent job in portraying Tom as a slightly nerdy history professor that has reluctantly become a rebel leader. He didn't ask for it, and didn't want it. Weaver pretty much kept pulling him in to strategy sessions and valued his opinion. Weaver lost it when his daughter became a skitter, so Tom became the "leader". 

Count me in too.  I love how Noah portrays Tom.  He's a man who started out just trying to survive and fight for his country, and now has become a leader with all the consequences and hard decisions that that implies.  Throw in three sons (two of which have been victims of the aliens), and it makes his job even harder.  I think all things considered, Tom has been a good leader, and I don't see anyone else chomping at the bit to take the position.  Heck, Weaver seems happy to have Tom take the lead, and I agree, it's probably over the loss of Jeannie, but make no mistake, Tom always confers with Weaver.  In many ways, they are one leader together.

 

Pope ran a gang of rapey thugs before connecting with the group and has not really improved much since. If he didn't like it, he could have left at any time. Would have made the show much better in my opinion if I didn't have to listen to his whining all the time, or see his greasy stringy hair. At least he shaved that off.

 

 

Pope has never emerged as leader material.  If it was going to happen, it should have happened in season two, but Pope enjoys being an outlaw, being the guy that always wants to stir the pot and challenge authority, even when it's not necessary.  Pope stayed with the 2nd Mass because it suited his needs and not because he necessarily wanted to help.  I say this because Pope's history has always been one of conflict.  Rather than join the Charleston government in any capacity or become a leader in any capacity, he opened a bar and took bets against who would die next.  Who does that?  When they were stuck in the Espheni ghetto, Pope was off by himself making a home for himself watching old tv shows.  He wasn't actively trying to work with the 2nd Mass to get out - not until he accidentally stumbled upon the plan to escape.  He has always been Tom's adversary, either openly or quietly.  I was hoping Pope would evolve, but he really has just been a criminal that has made whatever place his home for as long as it lasted.  I also think that Pope lost his grip on reality with Sarah's death.  She was his road back to full humanity, I think, and once she died, he was done.

[ganesh]

That's the thing. I never felt the relationship was earned. All of a sudden she was his One. Same thing with Anthony.

[TVSpectator]

 I think that the in-universe explanation of why did Tom allowed Pope to stay in the 2nd Mass, until this point was that- Pope was kept around, by Mason, so he can be in charge with the unsavory members of the 2nd Mass. Not that Pope was leading his own gang/rebellion group side-by-side, but that Pope was more or less supposed to just watch over/command the people that were more like him but also wanted to fight the Esh (or to put it better, he was Tom's irregular general) and that whatever Tom ordered Pope to do, he was to relay that back to his group (or at least that was how I felt it was back in season 3, while they were in SC).

 

Although, IMO, the writers of this show seems to want to have their cake and eat it too with both Tom and Pope.

 

They first wanted us to hate Pope, but later they showed us that hey, he taught the 2nd Mass how to kill the Skitters, did a little bonding with Matt, and  solved/came up with the bullet coating.  Plus, they tried to redeemed him by showing us that he really didn't know what Maggie went through but later they decided to make Pope a bad guy, again, by having him take Hal and to throw out the ones that can't/won't be a good fighter because....I don't know why they would  do that? Another aspect is that they went to all the trouble of setting up the situation/plot of this story by having Pope say that Tom does/will risk everything (including the war, people, and the 2nd Mass) for his family and to hell with everything else.

 

Now, in this episode they showed us that the alien that is showing up in Tom's mind, who literally told Tom that if he dies then the Esh will come back and win, but they go ahead and basically vindicated everything Pope said to Tom a few episodes back (and they, IMO, have been doing this a lot for a while. In past seasons, it was Pope who would say something like something is wrong or pointed out how stupid everything, have him leave (voluntary) then would come back when it hits the fan), showed us that Tom just choose his son over defeating the Esh for good. Then again, they also want us to believe that Tom has always made the hard decision. IMO, to leave his son  would have been a hard decision but the point was that Tom will make the right choice, which is usually referred to as "the hard decision".

 

 

 

The best part of the episode was the Tom/Pope/Hal story, and it was done really well.  Regarding the complaints that Tom is like Pope said and would sacrifice humanity for his son, two things:  1) Tom has NO idea if this alien that has been talking to him is on the up and up.  Why the hell would he believe her and risk his son just because she's telling him that he's the only one that can man a weapon?  Tom said it himself "She's being too cryptic," and he doesn't have the time for it.  I agree.  Maybe she's trying to feed his ego to get him to do what she wants.  Regardless, Tom didn't take the bait because she's not telling him everything he needs to know, and I think that's a smart move.  Either give him the WHOLE story or shut it; and 2)  Tom puts his own life in danger regarding his sons.  He never asks someone else to go into danger to save them, and I would never fault a parent for wanting to save their child's life.  I'd be more worried if they didn't.  As for Tom being "special," he HAS been special.  He's the human being, like it or not folks, that has been the focal point of meeting ALL other aliens.  Tom was the guy that was brought before the Overlord in season two.  He's the guy that risked an alliance with Red Eye when no one would listen that resulted in allowing the Volm to land.  He's the guy that formed a relationship with the Volm and became friends with Cochise.  If the alien Skitter has been watching, and if Red Eye passed word of Tom, I can see why she would reach out to him.  He's also got a good track record of killing Overlords and taking out vital enemy targets.  My only question is WHY does it have to be Tom?  I'm wondering if DNA is involved.  I guess we'll find out, but I don't mind that Tom is the guy the aliens want to use to wipe out the Espheni.  He's earned it, and the entire show has been shown from his pov.  It's amusing how some people just don't get that.

 

 

Speaking about the alien, to be fair she/he/it has been so far helpful to Tom and to the 2nd Mass. She/he/it basically left clues to where to find the Overlord and also left visions for Tom warning him about his son being injured, in the episode where hoards of crazed Skitters attacked Chinatown. So, why would this alien all of a sudden turn evil, on a dime notice? All advice/warnings (so far) from this alien, has come true, in one way or another. Which I do wonder if this alien if from the future or can see the future and it trying to relay information to Tom?

 

As with your second point, yeah he has been special but this show wants us to think he is special. I get that he is the main character, but I do think that the writing has always been nothing but one giant circle jerk for Tom, his sons, and for the 2nd Mass. 

Edited August 1, 2015 by TVSpectator

[spaceystracey]

Ugh.  I feel like Tom vs Pope isn't how we should be spending this last bit of time we have, but I can't say I care all that much about Pope being evil.  He started out as a horrible human being, stayed a horrible human being, and no one can convince me he wasn't lying when he claimed to not know what his gang was doing to Maggie.  Please.

[Ottis]

Sorry, just catching up ... Oh the blaring hypocrisy, of Tom saying he has to go after Hal "this time." You have ALWAYS gone after your various captive family members, Tom, regardless of the needs of anyone else. It's what you do.

 

Ugh.  I feel like Tom vs Pope isn't how we should be spending this last bit of time we have, but I can't say I care all that much about Pope being evil.

 

 

Complete waste of time. Especially when Evil Pope often slips back into Normal Pope during a scene. There are so many better ways to wind down this series.