Falling Skies - Season 3 Episode 3 - Recap - Badlands
Falling Skies - Season 3 Episode 3 - Recap - Badlands
In this week's episode of TNT's Falling Skies, our human survivors express doubts about their new alien allies, the Volm. Regardless, Tom Mason seems to have stepped into his role as President much more securely. He's got an artist making an (admittedly crappy) tree sculpture to signify their new security and liberty: The Liberty Tree (yes that's really what they call it).
Meanwhile, our perimeter guard, the remainder of Second Mass, is facing heavy fire. Pope discovers a rather gruesome scene when one fallen soldier, Crazy Lee, has landed on a metal pole. She says she can't see him, or feel the wound, and it's really heart-wrenching stuff. Back at camp, President Tom is told about the attack and takes a few folks out to find out what's going on. When they do get out there, they discover (via a killed body) that the enemies who had been firing on the squad are humans!
President Mason orders his people to take prisoner any enemy soldiers that come for the body they've found. Mason and friends have a tense standoff with a shooter in a house across the way that ends with them capturing the enemy. Meanwhile, Pope gets a hacksaw from Matt to get the pole and get their fallen comrade back to medical facilities. Unfortunately, the super gross pole wound turns out to be through her entire head, and Lee is likely dying.
Back at the lab, Anne's weird baby, Alexis, is talking and standing like a total weirdo. This baby really freaks me out. It's three weeks old and can smile and stare and say full words and stand on it's own. I hate this creepy baby, which I think is kind of the point. Lourdes discusses it with Tom, but she does not believe that Anne is actually experiencing this stuff. We, the audience, know that she definitely is, but Tom and Lourdes don't know that. They're not watching the show.
Hal, still going through some alien-induced paralysis, decides to leave. Maggie, obviously, disagrees. Hal is convinced his weird dream Karen meetings are real (they are), but Maggie doesn't think so, and doesn't think Hal poses a threat. Once again, the audience knows that he totally poses a really big threat, because he's secretly meeting with the enemy and has an enemy bug robot in his head.
Tom confronts Anne about their weird baby. He blows up Lourdes' spot about how Lourdes doesn't believe Anne about the baby, and Anne tells him that he thinks the baby isn't human. Tom loves the baby just so much, talking a big game about how perfect his weird baby is. Lourdes and Anne talk again about how Anne is going crazy (she isn't), but there's less accusation and more comforting and understanding now... Until Anne flips out when she discovers that Tom sent Lourdes to keep an eye on coo-coo Anne (who isn't crazy at all).
Bad news in med bay when Pope finds out that the wound, the pole thing, is likely fatal. According to the doctors, the pole is the only thing keeping Crazy Lee alive is the pipe in her head. After dealing with his own stuff, Tom finally visits to pay his respects, and to comfort Matt (who is watching her die). Pope confronts Mason about Mason's reckless military strategy, and Mason cops to it, totally admitting that Pope is right.
Back with Mason, we've reached "OH SNAP" territory when he interrogates the shooter they've captured. Once they finally wear her down and get her to reveal what her deal is, she says she's been sent by the real President, Ben Hathaway (OH SNAP). The military dudes suggest some "enhanced interrogation", which of course Tom Mason does not abide.
Back outside, near the dumb tree sculpture, Jeanne is being a real downer about the ultimate fate of humanity. Surprisingly, Weaver is the ray of sunshine in the scene. While he opens with some real bummer "We all die someday" stuff, the message is endearing and shows a softer side to the character that I hadn't expected to see.
Back in Sad City, USA (the med bay where Lee is dying), Pope is talking to the sad dying Crazy Lee. It's a really touching scene, and when she's gone, I was a little upset. I mean, Pope was way more upset, but he's not real.
Maggie still tries to convince Hal to not leave, but he's ready to go, walking and everything. His dad (President Tom, if you didn't know) then gives a big speech about the ones they've lost. everyone hangs some metal leaves on the tree sculpture (which no longer seems so dumb), but they're interrupted by an alien attack! Cliffhanger!
This week's episode was so much more tense and dramatic than the premiere episodes. The spectre of death hanging over the episode lent a certain gravitas to the proceedings. I'm hoping things get darker from here on out (what can I say, the body count on The Walking Dead has me spoiled), and it's looking like it will. Check back here next week for my recap and we'll see if that happens, together!