S05.E06: Respite

[MostlyC]

Tom takes refuge with a family that has distanced itself from the fight.

 

 

 

[TVSpectator]

Maggie in this episode made me so mad. 

[xaxat]

Did Michael Bay direct the wrong Sunday TNT show? Because that whole retro rural Americana is straight out of his oeuvre.

 

I actually thought it was a relatively strong episode. . .  that should have aired in season two or three. Before we had seen Tom abducted by aliens, waking up to find himself in an idyllic situation where only he knows the truth for the nth time.

[TVSpectator]

Did Michael Bay direct the wrong Sunday TNT show? Because that whole retro rural Americana is straight out of his oeuvre.

 

I actually thought it was a relatively strong episode. . .  that should have aired in season two or three. Before we had seen Tom abducted by aliens, waking up to find himself in an idyllic situation where only he knows the truth for the nth time.

 

Actually,  Jonathan Frakes is listed as the director for this one. And yes, this Jonathan Frakes!

 

As with the rest of the episode, I actually did like seeing Tom in an idyllic setting that wasn't a) a dream, b) Esh collaborators, and/or c) a ghetto. Also did anyone else noticed that the mother in this episode had her hair tied up, for some of the scenes? Amazing to see someone with so much more common sense than Maggie, Anne, and now Isabella letting their long clean glossy hair down . 

Edited August 3, 2015 by TVSpectator

[spaceystracey]

So did we just end one love triangle to start another?  Is this a love square?  I'm not here for this.

That said I actually liked most of this episode, but it did kind of feel like this should have happened before now.  Three years seems too long for them to have actually kept that war a secret.

[Dowel Jones]

Why is it that whenever the group pulls into a town, which obviously had some development prior to the war, they neglect the hotels/motels/apartments, etc., and set up shop in the drafty, uncomfortable warehouses?

 

So putting your hand on the dome gives you some insight as to the Espheni plans.  I've seen this plot device somewhere, let me think.....

 

Home schooling is one thing, but neither the mother nor the son had the faintest idea of how to apply a dressing and a bandage?

[thuganomics85]

Eh, I was kind of bored with this one.  We're at the halfway point of the final season, and the show's wasting time on Tom meeting some family we probably won't see again, and I don't feel like there was any real movement in Tom's story.  It was fun seeing The Apprentice from Once Upon A Time, as the old man.  He really can rock that beard.

 

So, one love triangle dies, because Maggie finally gets her spikes out and it seems she really does "love" Hal and not Ben.  But wait! Hal has already started macking on Isabella in record time!  She is so doomed.  I totally think the show wants it to be Hal/Maggie now. I wish I could care, but come on: it's Catalina Sandino Moreno.  Maggie's become such a bore now.  Also, I wish we had spent more time on Anne/Maggie's relationship these past few episodes (or seasons, really), because I felt like I was suppose to find the whole thing to be a dramatic betrayal, but I'm struggling to think of the last time they really had a big moment together.

 

I did love Cochise being all awkward when everyone was arguing, and him being all "Oh, shit!" when the surgery starting going south and he had to find Anne.  I really wish we had more fun Cochise in the past.

 

Weaver's new buddy finds some kind of dome (ha!), that allows them to see what the Espheni are planning.  I really hope this means we're going to be getting back to the war now.

 

Oh, and I didn't not miss Pope or Anthony in the slightest.  They could kill them off-screen, considering how poorly used they are now.

[Isazouzi]

Also did anyone else noticed that the mother in this episode had her hair tied up, for some of the scenes? Amazing to see someone with so much more common sense than Maggie, Anne, and now Isabella letting their long clean glossy hair down . 

 

Yep, noticed it. I also noticed that the first thing Maggie did when she woke up after her surgery, was to untie her hair instead of, you know, thoroughly checking if her legs were OK. Some priorities this girl has. And I'm not even going to mention her eye makeup. I don't get why this show (and others) refuse to appear believable on those matters. Are the actresses afraid to look ugly?

I wish both Hal and Ben would tell Maggie to go toy with some other guy, they both deserve better.

 

Anyways, I also cracked up at the little shrieks the spikes let out when they were being removed. I guess they all have tiny vocal chords. And what are they going to do with them? If I were Ben, I'd want them back. Or are they going to keep them in case someone else needs some healing? Can they survive without a host? It'd be fun to see Ben "connect" with some old dude. Or Pope!

 

Talking about Pope, I agree, he was not missed at all. He does not make for a good villain: too cliché and so boring. Now is not the time for this little useless feud.

 

I have to say I totally understood Tom crying when he sat at the dinner table. It was very believable, I felt for him. But I'm not sure how it was possible for these people to hide the truth from the eldest son. 3 years before, he was going to school and had a normal life. What did they tell him to justify this sudden sheltering? And where did they find their gas?

[MrHufflepuff]

I can just imagine the conversations around the farm...

 

"Mommy, how come we don't get mail anymore?"

"Well, remember that time you didn't eat your peas?"

 

Or maybe...

 

"Mommy, how come we never visit our friends anymore?"

"Because all your friends hate you."

 

I mean, come on.  No mail anymore, no visits to town anymore, no visits to friends anymore, no packaged frozen foods or candy bars anymore, no television, no radio, no internet, no cell phones.    Those must be the stupidest kids alive not to realize what had happened.

Edited August 3, 2015 by MrHufflepuff

[MDL]

 

So, one love triangle dies, because Maggie finally gets her spikes out and it seems she really does "love" Hal and not Ben.  But wait! Hal has already started macking on Isabella in record time!  She is so doomed.

Yeah. Poor Isabella and poor Ben...maybe somebody should introduce them???   :)

 

Actually, I felt that there was too much "soap opera" type BS in this ep.

 

BTW, a question, as I was away last week: Based on the "previously on FS:. it looked like Poe Shot Tom in the Leg, and Tom put a round into Pope's chest. Is Pope dead?

[I-Kare]

Also did anyone else noticed that the mother in this episode had her hair tied up, for some of the scenes? Amazing to see someone with so much more common sense than Maggie, Anne, and now Isabella letting their long clean glossy hair down . 

 

I know to some it's a minor point. But as someone who has long, thick hair it's always been something I marvel at with this show. The first sign of heat and I'm grabbing for something to tie my hair up into a bun to get it out of my way and be cooler. I can't imagine going into battle(s) with my hair down in my face all hot. But god forbid I be taken out by aliens while not looking my best, am I right? 

[iMonrey]

 

Is Pope dead?

 

I wish. Somehow he survived a direct hit to the chest. Either bullet-proof jacket or it hit something in his pocket, I don't. know. In any case he was standing up yelling Where's Hal at the end of that episode.

 

And nope, didn't miss him this episode at all. In fact his absence made this episode stronger IMO. 

 

This family though was kind of out of left field and I kept expecting it to be some kind of illusion. How on earth can they keep their kids in the dark about the alien invasion if they've got those flying things close enough for them to even rescue Tom in the first place? And if the teenager is going far enough out to find abandoned cars on the highway how has he never run across a mech or a Skitter before?

 

It also makes me wonder if there are supposed to be "pockets" of civilization that have remained untouched by the war. Like, surely the Espheni haven't conquered every square inch of the planet. Maybe they never bothered conquering Iowa, or Alaska, or Siberia.

 

Maggie's sudden desire to remove her spikes also seemed like it came out of the blue and only served to service the Hal/Ben triangle. We so don't need that crap. 

[TVSpectator]

I know to some it's a minor point. But as someone who has long, thick hair it's always been something I marvel at with this show. The first sign of heat and I'm grabbing for something to tie my hair up into a bun to get it out of my way and be cooler. I can't imagine going into battle(s) with my hair down in my face all hot. But god forbid I be taken out by aliens while not looking my best, am I right? 

 

Yes, I do know that it's more of a  quibble, but staring at Maggie's long blonde locks of hair, and seeing her getting surgery, on her spine, with long hair was eye rolling indeed. As another person with thick hair, I usually like to get my hair cut, usually above the shoulders, to get some cool relief (especially in the summer time). Seeing that the mother, on the farm, had more common sense than Anne, Maggie, and even Isabella was, IMO, funny. 

 

As with Anne well, I am liking her more in this episode because she basically flat out told both Ben and Maggie that they can't go out looking for Hal and Tom. Then she had the nerve to mentioned that their spikes are an asset to defeating the Esh. Overall, IMO, it only looks like that Weaver and Anne are the only two that are focusing on defeating the Esh and everyone else is just acting like they are in some kind of soap opera.  

Edited August 3, 2015 by TVSpectator

[Gudzilla]

Count me in the didn't miss Pope club, It would be great if the show wrapped up without ever seeing him again.

 

They've started a new triangle so I guess we'll get to see if Ben is as whiny as Hal was.

 

I might not like Maggie all that much but that girl can really wear a pair of jeans.

[BooksRule]

When that kid ran off, I thought to myself that it was a shame that there were no more Mechs stomping around in the woods, because meeting one of those would have been a heckuva way to get introduced to the war.  And then he runs into a Mega Mech!  Inactive, but still scary.

 

I spotted a goof during the dinner scene.  Between the prayer and the serving of the potatoes, I noticed that the little girl leaned over the table and helped herself to the wedge of cornbread that had the pie server (or fork) under it, leaving a empty section.  From the next scene on, the pan of cornbread was shown sitting there with the cut wedge ready to be served, but no pieces were missing.  I assume there were multiple takes.  Picky, but I noticed it.

[terrymct]

I can just imagine the conversations around the farm...

 

"Mommy, how come we don't get mail anymore?"

"Well, remember that time you didn't eat your peas?"

 

Or maybe...

 

"Mommy, how come we never visit our friends anymore?"

"Because all your friends hate you."

 

I mean, come on.  No mail anymore, no visits to town anymore, no visits to friends anymore, no packaged frozen foods or candy bars anymore, no television, no radio, no internet, no cell phones.    Those must be the stupidest kids alive not to realize what had happened.

 

 

I think the show kind of hinted that the grandfather and Mother were telling the kids that this was the End of Times somehow, rather than an alien invasion.   "All our neighbors and the mailmen were heathens and taken away to eternal damnation.  Now we have this beautiful place all to ourselves.  Isn't that great?"

[MrHufflepuff]

It's an interesting theory, but I don't think it works and points the sloppy writing in a different direction.   The farm just doesn't really line up with most End Times beliefs held by various denominations in the US, and trying to make it do so just raises a a new set of questions for the kids.

 

Take the the type of End Times (PMD) presented in the "Left Behind" series.  That's Rapture, followed by Tribulation (and takeover by the Anti-Christ and persecution of Christians) and then the final battle and return of Jesus.  So, my pretend questions just become different:

 

"Mommy, how come we don't get mail anymore?"

"Because the Antichrist stopped all mail delivery."

 

"Mommy, how come we never visit our friends any more?"

"Because they all were raptured, and you weren't, sweetie.  You must be a terrible sinner."

 

Of course, the family might have a completely different version of the End Times than any I've read about.  Maybe they believe in something like "Supernatural" where everybody gets their own personal heaven.  But, I still think the writers were being sloppy and didn't really care to make the scenario plausible.

 

ETA:  If they are telling their kids this:

 

All our neighbors and the mailmen were heathens and taken away to eternal damnation.  Now we have this beautiful place all to ourselves.  Isn't that great?"

 

Then they aren't really sparing them any horror.  They've just shifted the horror from aliens to vengeful God.

Edited August 4, 2015 by MrHufflepuff

[tanyak]

I thought it was funny when I showed grandpa reading the newspaper. Was that to fool the kids into thinking things are still normal? It was a three-year-old newspaper.

I also thought it was interesting how the stuff on the farm was shot "normally." As in real color, maybe even a little brighter. In general the show seems to have a very drab look to it, but I never noticed how drab until contrasted with this. And I get it, war is gritty and on the farm is a piece of heaven. I know it's cliché, but still I noticed.

[TVSpectator]

Of course, the family might have a completely different version of the End Times than any I've read about.  Maybe they believe in something like "Supernatural" where everybody gets their own personal heaven.  But, I still think the writers were being sloppy and didn't really care to make the scenario plausible.

 

Your line  just made me thought about this fictional question:

 

"Mommy, if we are in our own personal heaven but we don't see Daddy. Is he in Hell, Mommy?"

Edited August 4, 2015 by TVSpectator

[Joimiaroxeu]

When someone in this episode mentioned going to Norfolk, VA, I immediately wondered if some of the 2nd Mass people could run into some of the gang from the Nathan James.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Joimiaroxeu

[TVSpectator]

When someone in this episode mentioned going to Norfolk, VA, I immediately wondered if some of the 2nd Mass people could run into some of the gang from the Nathan James.

 

Wouldn't they be out at sea during all this time?

[MrHufflepuff]

"Mommy, if we are in our own personal heaven but we don't see Daddy. Is he in Hell, Mommy?"

 

"Of course he is, sweetie.  And you'll join him if you don't eat your peas.  Don't you feel safe now?"

[Joimiaroxeu]

Wouldn't they be out at sea during all this time?

Since they're both TNT shows I'm sure if the network wanted to they could contrive a way for the ship to swing back up to Norfolk again. The conversations would be funny though. The 2nd Mass people would be spilling all these stories about fighting aliens and spaceships while the Navy people would be like, "Great, on top of the worldwide killer virus now there's aliens too? WTF?"

[TVSpectator]

Since they're both TNT shows I'm sure if the network wanted to they could contrive a way for the ship to swing back up to Norfolk again. The conversations would be funny though. The 2nd Mass people would be spilling all these stories about fighting aliens and spaceships while the Navy people would be like, "Great, on top of the worldwide killer virus now there's aliens too? WTF?"

 

And also a crazy English submariner, running around the CONUS, who wants to control the new president!

 

This family though was kind of out of left field and I kept expecting it to be some kind of illusion. How on earth can they keep their kids in the dark about the alien invasion if they've got those flying things close enough for them to even rescue Tom in the first place? And if the teenager is going far enough out to find abandoned cars on the highway how has he never run across a mech or a Skitter before?

 

It also makes me wonder if there are supposed to be "pockets" of civilization that have remained untouched by the war. Like, surely the Espheni haven't conquered every square inch of the planet. Maybe they never bothered conquering Iowa, or Alaska, or Siberia.

 

Maggie's sudden desire to remove her spikes also seemed like it came out of the blue and only served to service the Hal/Ben triangle. We so don't need that crap. 

 

Right now everything feels like it is coming out of the left field. Officially, I think that this show has jumped the shark seasons ago (I would say that it started when the Esh wanted the adult humans to do their bidding, but honestly it could've started earlier), but now it just seems  crazy and random (and it seems that  in each season it just cranks the crazy and random aspects to a new degree). Like how in this episode Tom is rescued (off screen) by an old man, who takes him to his farmhouse, that is magically untouched by all the crazy shit that is going around it. Plus, he has his daughter and her three kids, that are also magically living and are not harnessed/mutated/killed/suffering from PTSD by the Esh. I was kind of half expecting that the farmhouse part, of this episode, would be either a dream that Tom came up with or was an illusion. But once I saw Hal looking for Tom, I kind of realized that they weren't going down the, "it's all a dream/illusion" route. Although, I was also wanting to see if they would revealed that this miraculous family were actually Esh collaborators (and they do exist in this universe, because they actually did story arcs about them) or that they were actually living in one of those Esh ghettos. But no, and it was just, IMO, weird and out of left field because it wasn't one of the other, way more plausible options. 

 

The idea of having people living in small groups, untouched, IMO, does seem a bit off. YMMV, but I do remember that in the early first season they mentioned that the Esh motherships landed in all cities, and that was why civilization fell so quick (and also that it took the Esh about 6 months to just attack as well) and why most of the children were taken so quickly. Although, I can totally buy that there are small pockets of survivors eking out a living and also defending against the Esh, Skitters, Mechs, every single mutated  creature, dangerous people, etc... could throw at them (I like to picture this hypothetical settlement(s) as something that would be totally walled off and having posted sentries guarding it and also working farms for food and a major untouched river for water)- at this point. Although, in this hypothetical settlement(s) these people would obviously know about the aliens and about the invasion. 

 

As for Maggie, YMMV, but I felt that she got rid of her spikes so Anne would let her go and find Hal and Tom. 

Edited August 5, 2015 by TVSpectator

[Latverian Diplomat]

Anyways, I also cracked up at the little shrieks the spikes let out when they were being removed. I guess they all have tiny vocal chords. And what are they going to do with them? If I were Ben, I'd want them back. Or are they going to keep them in case someone else needs some healing? Can they survive without a host? It'd be fun to see Ben "connect" with some old dude. Or Pope!

 

When they dropped the last one in the bowl the previously removed ones looked dead. Whether that was intenional or a budgetary limitation is a guess.

 

So, I think that homecooked meal had all three of potatoes, cornbread, and corn. Nothing says country living like starches.

[Scott]

My main takeaway from this episode was that the prop department screwed up.  Their copy of Democracy in America had the author listed as "Alexander DeTocqueville", instead of Alexis.

[Shimmergloom]

I feel like Hal was in character.  Historically whenever he's 10ft away from his girlfriend, he forgets she exists and moves onto which ever woman is nearest to him.  This time it was Isabella.  I feel like Maggie couldn't help what was happening to her and went so far as to have the spikes removed and risk never walking again to save her relationship with Hal.  Maybe she remembers how Hal completely forgot about Karen when she(Maggie) showed up, but still, it seems like this is all on Hal.

[CaptainE]

I would talk about the Hal triangle/rectangle whatever garbage but it's not worth my time.

The writing on the show is so simplistic and juvenile it's unbelievable. The whole point of the farmhouse crap was to show how absolutely desirable Tom Mason is (as a leader and now a man) and that he is, of course, always right about everything. I mean, he even had to bandage up momma's hand!?!

The kid wanted to go and fight and Tom was right to tell the mother he has to make his own choice, but of course that choice was not the correct choice as the great Tom Mason pointed out.

The last straw of stupidity was grampa pulling up the old truck and just giving it away. Two minutes later, they reunite with the 2nd Mass.

How much of this is left?

Edited August 5, 2015 by CaptainE

[TVSpectator]

I would talk about the Hal triangle/rectangle whatever garbage but it's not worth my time.

The writing on the show is so simplistic and juvenile it's unbelievable. The whole point of the farmhouse crap was to show how absolutely desirable Tom Mason is (as a leader and now a man) and that he is, of course, always right about everything. I mean, he even had to bandage up momma's hand!?!

The kid wanted to go and fight and Tom was right to tell the mother he has to make his own choice, but of course that choice was not the correct choice as the great Tom Mason pointed out.

The last straw of stupidity was grampa pulling up the old truck and just giving it away. Two minutes later, they reunite with the 2nd Mass.

How much of this is left?

 

Yeah, the writing on this show does suck, and it can get really nonsensical (and sometimes comes along with eye-rolling stupidity) when it comes to how awesome and wonderful Tom Mason is and how awesome the 2nd Mass is (well at least the ones who chose to stay with Tom and not go withPope).

 

Although, this show has also been able to do certain things right. Like showing us how wired and mess up the "spikes" on Maggie's back, actually are. IMO, it was actually cool seeing how they would squirm and squeak once they were removed from her body, or showing things like mutated flies with human eyes, or setting up an atmosphere of suspense and fear (like when they were hunting that Overlord in the HS, back in the first or second episode of this season), or the humming noise of the Mechs from Season 1, etc... IMO, it just shows how the writing would hold back on Tom and the 2nd Mass because they are the main characters. Which results in stupid stuff, like having the scout from Charleston, SC that said how amazing the 2nd Mass is and how lucky they are to have Tom Mason as their leader, to Weaver, or having Pope become evil, or having a four way love triangles that involves Hal, Maggie, Ban, Karen, Lourdes (back in Season 1 before Karen was taken by the Esh), and now Isabelle (and to be far only Hal was in all of them), etc...

 

As with how many episodes are left, well I think that TNT gave this show, about 10 episodes, for this season. So I would guess that we are about halfway through the final season and all I want it to see is the final battle and to see how the humans would rebuild.  No, I don't care about Hal, Ben, Maggie, and now Isabella's love life and I don't care about how amazing Tom Mason is. All I want to see is how this war ends and how the people rebuild. 

Edited August 5, 2015 by TVSpectator

[Mecca]

One random thing that kind of bugged me is that they didn't wash the farm mom's hand before bandaging it.  Maybe the son wouldn't have been so freaked out over the sight blood if they had attemped to wash a little of it off first.

[xaxat]

As with how many episodes are left, well I think that TNT gave this show, about 10 episodes, for this season. So I would guess that we are about halfway through the final season and all I want it to see is the final battle and to see how the humans would rebuild.  No, I don't care about Hal, Ben, Maggie, and now Isabella's love life and I don't care about how amazing Tom Mason is. All I want to see is how this war ends and how the people rebuild. 

 

This season has lacked focus considering it is the last. It feels like the last episodes going to be rushed, and the series is going to end like the finale of season three(?). Seemingly out of nowhere there was a plan that put Pope and Weaver on a speeding train, Tom and Cochise on barge, everybody was giving "honor to serve with you" speeches and boom! Victory!

[Isazouzi]

Yeah, I don't see how the humans (and by humans, I mean the 2nd Mass) could win this war, in 5 or 6 episodes no less. When Weaver touched the Eshpheni communication device, I didn't count but there seemed to be A LOT of overlords. If more advanced civilizations like the Volm are still at war with them, how could we win anything?

So maybe Tom's new friends will save us. The alien/wife told him they didn't exist on the same plane of existence or something, like they moved on to a more advanced state. It makes me think of the Ancients on Stargate, who had moved on to become pure energy (or something. It's been a while) but who could manifest themselves to humans in the form of a physical body.

[iMonrey]

 

One random thing that kind of bugged me is that they didn't wash the farm mom's hand before bandaging it.

 

I noticed that too! Geez lady, at least hold your hand under some running water since you seem to have it. (How that's possible I have no idea.)

 

The other thing that continues to bug me is the never-ending supply of bullets everyone seems to have even when they are off on their own and separated from the 2nd Mass. Hal and his new squeeze happen upon a mostly-dead flying skitter (or whatever the hell those are) and Hal pumps the thing full of lead with his machine gun like he's got bullets to spare. WTF are are these bullets coming from?!?

Edited August 6, 2015 by iMonrey

[TVSpectator]

I also thought it was interesting how the stuff on the farm was shot "normally." As in real color, maybe even a little brighter. In general the show seems to have a very drab look to it, but I never noticed how drab until contrasted with this. And I get it, war is gritty and on the farm is a piece of heaven. I know it's cliché, but still I noticed.

 

I have been complaining about the "drab" color for awhile. IMO, it's probably a blue filter (or a teal filter) being used (since right now just about everything is blue/orange while a lot of apocalyptic shows/movies have that gray/yellow overtone) but I think that they were following a trend that is still going on (and I would say that on TV BSG was the one that started it). 

Edited August 9, 2015 by TVSpectator

[RustbeltWriter]

I'm giving Tom full credit for not initiating a conversation with the mother about keeping her kids in the dark. He didn't say boo until she drew him into a conversation and then started giving him hell for criticizing her. You could tell she wanted to have that fight.

[Ottis]

Yeah, the writing on this show does suck, and it can get really nonsensical (and sometimes comes along with eye-rolling stupidity) when it comes to how awesome and wonderful Tom Mason is

 

 

Let us count the ways in this episode:

- Tom can bandage injuries

- Tom can parent another person's child, and the mother is grateful and not mad as hell that he had the audacity to do it before talking with her

- Tom is so hot the mom wants to bang him

- Just the presence of Tom makes another family glow with gratitude, and give him a book "for the road"

 

Absolutely nothing meaningful happened in this episode, aside from a suspension of disbelief the size of the Grand Canyon. And that's for a sci-fi show about alien invasion.

 

Finding the Espheni device resulted in ... nothing so far. I suppose it will become the Enigma of the resistance. Tom will probably figure out how to use it through his presence alone.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Ottis

[TVSpectator]

Don't forget that

 

-the grandfather actually gave Tom his working car

 

-and that Tom, at the last minute, put his foot down and said that the oldest son can not join the fighting because he thought that his fighting/leaving was a mistake.