Genre: Sci-Fi | Action | Drama
Air Date/Time: Sunday, July 8 at 9/8c
Network: TNT
Created by: Robert Rodat
Written by: Joe Weisberg
Directed by: John Dahl
Summary:
Falling Skies chronicles the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. In the nine months since the initial invasion, the few remaining survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers work to protect the people in their care while also engaging in an insurgency campaign against the occupying alien force, whose nature and purpose remains a mystery.
As the second season of Falling Skies opens, three months have passed since Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) went willingly with the aliens in one of their ships. Nobody has seen or heard from him during this time, and his absence has taken its toll on his sons. Tom hoped that by agreeing to a dialogue with the invaders, he would not only free his son Ben from the invaders’ influence but also get a better picture of the aliens’ overall plan.
Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) also stars as Anne Glass, a pediatrician who works with the survivors to help them cope with the traumatic upheaval in their lives. Will Patton(Armageddon, TNT’s Into the West) plays Weaver, a fierce military leader of the resistance and Tom’s commanding officer. The series also stars Drew Roy (Secretariat) as Hal, Tom’s oldest son and a growing fighter in the resistance movement; Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) as Matt, Tom’s youngest son; Connor Jessup (The Saddle Club) as Ben, Tom’s son who was captured by aliens and has since returned to the group; and Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as Lourdes, an orphaned pre-med student who helps Anne in the group’s makeshift medical clinic. Mpho Koaho (Rookie Blue) and Peter Shinkoda (The L Word) play Anthony and Dai, two resistance fighters in the 2nd Mass.; Colin Cunningham (Living in Your Car) is John Pope, the head of a gang of marauders called the Berserkers; and Sarah Sanguin Carter (Shark) is Maggie, a wary survivor from Pope’s gang.
The segment of a TV show that happens before the title shows up is called a “cold open”. This week we are given a very cool cold open. I can’t wait for you to see it. It sets the tone for this episode which completely extricates us from any hint of the bogged down third hour, or the bogged down first season. Last week and this week have elevated the show and set a standard against which the rest of the season will be judged. Storylines are introduced that, if dealt with well, will add an excellent new element to this series, and open up some intriguing new possibilities.
This week is a lot more active than last week, and proves that more action can be done as well as last week’s quieter episode. Happily, when the episode does take a quieter turn, it doesn’t bring the momentum crashing down. The scenes are better written, and the direction has movement, so it’s never too still. We also get some extra time with a character who hasn’t had many lines yet this season, and that’s always nice. There’s certainly a big enough cast for that, and it’s good to see that happening.
There’s one issue – it’s a kind of jump between one scene and another, without a good clear explanation. I appreciate that they don’t want to have a lot of exposition (carrying us along with explanation; I’ve heard it referred to as a “dolly”) but even one line could have spared us the “wait a second, weren’t they just…” moment that I expect most will experience.
Nevertheless, this episode and last week’s were so much better than anything they’ve done, the next closest being the first hour of this season, that the kudos completely outweigh the issues. I’ve never expected this to be as tight, edgy, chemistry-laden and driving a show as something on pay-cable or FX, but for the second week now I feel like it has risen above what I have come to expect from a basic cable series.
Connor Jessup continues his excellent work, Drew Roy continues to loosen up, and Sarah Sanguin Carter is given more range and appears completely natural with it, so she’s a pleasure to watch. The rest of the production, from effects to sets to costumes to music, all seamless and unobtrusive.
Direction and writing, which before last week have gotten in everyone’s way, this week continue to allow everyone to work together to achieve what this show can be. I am now more hopeful than ever that this show can and will push forward with this higher level of work, to be one of the better series on basic cable. Kudos to all involved in the production of this week’s effort.
I give Falling Skies: Season 2, Episode 5 “Love and Other Acts of Courage” Five Out of Five Stars.
