Pope and Tom fight to survive after the crash, the search for Anne is on, Maggie gets suspicious of EvilHal, Marina starts and investigation, and an interesting prism through which to view the series comes up on Twitter....
I want to start with the last remark first. On Twitter, @ThreeIfBySpace noted that "If season 2 was a quantum leap in character and acting for @connorjessup [Ben], Season 3 is that for @RVRocket [Matt] #FallingSkies". If you look at it this way, then you could argue that each season is about developing one of the Mason boys. So, Season 1 would be the season of Hal where we got a lot of insight into who he is and how he operates, Season 2 was the season of Ben where we got to see how being harnessed has affected him, and now we get to really look at how everything has affected Matt. This is not to say that any of them stopped developing, but the emphasis is solidly on one of them. Anyone have any thoughts about this?
Watching Tom and Pope together was very interesting. These two have, at best, tolerated each other as a type of necessary evil. Neither of them likes the other very much and I don't think either of them trusts the other. But, after the crash, they have to work together in order to survive. In the first season, Pope held Tom, Hal, and Tom's men hostage the first time they met and then Pope was the 2nd Mass' prisoner. In the second season, Pope was the loudest voice of suspicion where Tom was concerned and Tom get control of his group. Now, Tom took Pope's plane and it was destroyed. None of this is conducive to a good working relationship. I have to say that I loved it when Pope told Tom that story about his son. I honestly thought that maybe, just maybe, they were starting to sort of bond. Then when Pope played that prank, Tom *COMPLETELY* overreacted. And no matter how practical Tom was in insisting that Pope leave, he did go a bit far, so I was glad when Pope came back to save him. I honestly think that no matter how much Pope complains, he is actually happy to have people around him. I know he enjoys fighting and killing and what not, but I do think that on some level he wants some sort of peace and quiet.
Marina was stuck as the voice of practicality and reason after Anne disappeared. Always sucks to have to be that person because you appear to be heartless. But, she was right. There was no way that Charleston could afford to lose that many people to search for Anne. I am glad that she did concede the point and allowed Porter to go out with his daughter, the Masons, and Maggie to look for Anne. Then there was her spying on the Volm. Again, I get that she is suspicious of the Volm, but it does look a little suspicious that she chose to spy on them. So what exactly are the Volm building? Also, we discovered that no other babies born recently are hybrids, so this leads me to ask if Alexis is truly the only one or if there might be more elsewhere. Targeting Tom's baby makes sense since he is a leader (even before he was president). Besides, the Espheni were interested in Tom even before Anne got pregnant, so this may be a way to continue to explore that curiosity while simultaneously causing problems for him.
EvilHal was good enough to past muster last week, but as soon as empathy was required, he started to fail big time. I suspect that this has something to do with how the Espheni consider emotions a weakness. Since displaying emotions shows that you are weak, EvilHal (as an Espheni construct) would not show them. The problem was that Hal would most definitely show empathy for what happened and would care about what was going on. Instead, EvilHal sits off to the side and is pretty openly contemptuous of what is going on. When Ben was comforting Matt, EvilHal was shooting them a look that was pretty nasty. Maggie was noticing this and she is definitely worried that something is going on. I really hope that she puts the pieces together and finds the right answer, but given the previews for next week, I sort of doubt it.
I loved watching Ben and Matt together. As I have said repeatedly, Matt has been forced to grow up way too quickly. No one that young should have to be worried about whether or not they'll die alone and be buried by strangers. I was also glad that Ben didn't lie to Matt when he was asked about the chances of rescuing Anne and Alexis. I was also glad that Porter emphasized that hope should never be lost. That delicate balancing act between being hopeful and realistic needs to be preserved. Hopefully Matt will figure that out.
Finally we have the question from last week: how did the Espheni find the plane and the location of the President? I think Tom was right to ask the question, but Pope was also right that it needed to be put off so that they could focus on staying alive. Was it a tracking device or did the mole somehow find out about the trip and tell the Espheni? Or was there a mole with the President? Hopefully answers will be forthcoming.
Until next week!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
My Review of Under the Dome Episode 1- Pilot
Gripping story of a town cut off from the world and how the situation is dealt with....
I have been looking forward to this show for several months now. I have seen a lot of the actors involved in other shows, so I was really interested to see them together. From the first episode, I am impressed.
First, as always with new shows, here is a quick summary of the plot. In New England (didn't say in which state), the town of Chester Mills is mysteriously cut off from the rest of the world when an energy barrier in the shape of a massive dome surrounds the town. When it rose, the barrier cut through living flesh, wood, and metal with equal facility. When first touched, it gives off an electric shock and anything that hits it at a high enough velocity crumples up like an accordion. So far we have seen a plane crash into it and a truck smash into it. The barrier is also soundproof, making so that people who are literally inches away from each other cannot speak.
We have four visitors to the town. One is a former member of the military nicknamed "Barbie" who was burying a man before the barrier went up. I assume that he killed the man, but that could very easily be wrong. Right now, Barbie is staying with the editor of the local paper (Julia), who happens to be the wife of the man he was burying. Not exactly comfortable. The other three are two women and their teenage daughter. The barrier seemed to have had an interesting effect on the daughter, causing her to fall to the ground convulsing and muttering about falling stars.
Of the townspeople, the two (presumed) antagonists are a councilman and his psychotic son. The son, Junior, has kidnapped the woman he is supposedly in love with (Angie) and has locked her in a fallout shelter (oh yeah, that is true love there!). The councilman, Big Jim, has been stockpiling propane for some reason and is using this to strongarm the Sheriff. Not entirely sure why the stockpiling of propane is a bad thing, but I assume we'll find out. Joe (Angie's brother) is alone on his parent's farm and was saved by Barbie after the plane crashed into the barrier and he was nearly hit by the parts. Like the other teenager, he too fell and had convulsions while talking about falling stars. Before he convulsed, Joe was looking for the source of the barrier.
I am fascinated by how this story will unfold. Obviously, the story of the why and how of the dome are important, but I think that how the people handle it is equally important. Will they be able to pull together and work together to survive? Or will they allow paranoia and rumours to tear them apart? I suspect that Big Jim will use the latter (if it happens) to gather more power unto himself. I also have to wonder why Barbie killed the doctor (if he did) and (if he didn't) why he buried him.
Until next week!
I have been looking forward to this show for several months now. I have seen a lot of the actors involved in other shows, so I was really interested to see them together. From the first episode, I am impressed.
First, as always with new shows, here is a quick summary of the plot. In New England (didn't say in which state), the town of Chester Mills is mysteriously cut off from the rest of the world when an energy barrier in the shape of a massive dome surrounds the town. When it rose, the barrier cut through living flesh, wood, and metal with equal facility. When first touched, it gives off an electric shock and anything that hits it at a high enough velocity crumples up like an accordion. So far we have seen a plane crash into it and a truck smash into it. The barrier is also soundproof, making so that people who are literally inches away from each other cannot speak.
We have four visitors to the town. One is a former member of the military nicknamed "Barbie" who was burying a man before the barrier went up. I assume that he killed the man, but that could very easily be wrong. Right now, Barbie is staying with the editor of the local paper (Julia), who happens to be the wife of the man he was burying. Not exactly comfortable. The other three are two women and their teenage daughter. The barrier seemed to have had an interesting effect on the daughter, causing her to fall to the ground convulsing and muttering about falling stars.
Of the townspeople, the two (presumed) antagonists are a councilman and his psychotic son. The son, Junior, has kidnapped the woman he is supposedly in love with (Angie) and has locked her in a fallout shelter (oh yeah, that is true love there!). The councilman, Big Jim, has been stockpiling propane for some reason and is using this to strongarm the Sheriff. Not entirely sure why the stockpiling of propane is a bad thing, but I assume we'll find out. Joe (Angie's brother) is alone on his parent's farm and was saved by Barbie after the plane crashed into the barrier and he was nearly hit by the parts. Like the other teenager, he too fell and had convulsions while talking about falling stars. Before he convulsed, Joe was looking for the source of the barrier.
I am fascinated by how this story will unfold. Obviously, the story of the why and how of the dome are important, but I think that how the people handle it is equally important. Will they be able to pull together and work together to survive? Or will they allow paranoia and rumours to tear them apart? I suspect that Big Jim will use the latter (if it happens) to gather more power unto himself. I also have to wonder why Barbie killed the doctor (if he did) and (if he didn't) why he buried him.
Until next week!
My Review of Teen Wolf 3.04- Unleashed
Deucalion meets Scott and Derek (again?) and reveals some secrets, Scott and Isaac mix it up with the Twins, and Stiles and Lydia team up with the vet and get some info...
I have to admit that I was completely amused by how Scott and Isaac chose to get inside the Twins heads. Taking that part off of the one motorcycle and then driving the other one down the school hallway was incredibly juvenile, but also very, very funny. After the way the Twins got Isaac blamed for the attack, I so can't say I blame Scott and Isaac for what they did. Also, I suspect that Scott was protecting *HIS* pack member (Lydia) from a potential threat in the form of the one twin (not sure which one is which just yet). I don't know for sure if the Twins trapped Isaac and Alison in the janitor's closet, but I suspect that they did. If so, then they more than deserved it, because of Isaac's past history with enclosed spaces. As nasty as being trapped in the closet together was, I loved both Isaac's and Alison's reactions. He is still somewhat scared of her (not that I exactly blame him!) and she is obviously not fond of him. That being said, I do not think she will attack him again except under self-defense. I am curious about what Scott did to Isaac. Did his yelling Isaac's name simply snap Isaac back to reality or is Scott actually an Alpha in his own right?
So Decualion knew Derek's mom and it seems that he might have met Derek before. I was amused by the way he disciplined the Twins after they attacked Isaac and Scott. I don't know if he didn't want them attacked so publicly or if it was just that he didn't want them attacked. As for that little storm, I so want to know how he caused that. Don't tell me that it was a complete coincidence, because there is no way it was. I was glad to get some of the little tidbits from him. Turns out that to join the Alpha pack, you need to kill off your own pack. If an Alpha kills off its own pack, then each member that is killed adds to the Alpha's strength. So I wonder if that holds true for the Alpha pack as well. If one member kills another, will their power increase proportionality? If so, that could provide a key to defeating the Alpha pack.
I was actually glad that Derek sent Isaac away, even if the method was a little cruel. Throwing that glass so that it shattered that close to Isaac on top of being trapped in the closet could not have been good for Isaac's mental well-being, seeing how the last thing his dad did to Isaac was to throw a glass at the wall behind him. It was a good thing to do because Derek is obviously trying to protect Isaac from whatever is going on. Will he be successful? Probably not, but it is a good effort.
So glad that Stiles is investigating, even if his sense of the timing for questions sucks. Dude, do not ask a girl if her boyfriend was a virgin right after she is done talking with the sheriff! That being said, Stiles is putting the pieces together quickly and doing the right thing by running to the vet. When weird things happen and you are not sure what to do, go to the vet. Safer than going to Peter, all things considered. So we now have two sets of triple homicides: virgins and soldiers. I wonder if there will be a third. These homicides are, as Stiles recognized last week, human sacrifices. More specifically, they are Druidic in origin, albeit a twisted and dark path of Druidism (think it was called Daracha). Not sure of its purpose yet, but I agree with Stiles that this is not the work of the werewolves, or if it is it is only a few of them. And the last victim (the obnoxious science teacher) seemed to know the killer because he said that he had done everything that was asked of him. That cannot be a good thing.
Until next week!
I have to admit that I was completely amused by how Scott and Isaac chose to get inside the Twins heads. Taking that part off of the one motorcycle and then driving the other one down the school hallway was incredibly juvenile, but also very, very funny. After the way the Twins got Isaac blamed for the attack, I so can't say I blame Scott and Isaac for what they did. Also, I suspect that Scott was protecting *HIS* pack member (Lydia) from a potential threat in the form of the one twin (not sure which one is which just yet). I don't know for sure if the Twins trapped Isaac and Alison in the janitor's closet, but I suspect that they did. If so, then they more than deserved it, because of Isaac's past history with enclosed spaces. As nasty as being trapped in the closet together was, I loved both Isaac's and Alison's reactions. He is still somewhat scared of her (not that I exactly blame him!) and she is obviously not fond of him. That being said, I do not think she will attack him again except under self-defense. I am curious about what Scott did to Isaac. Did his yelling Isaac's name simply snap Isaac back to reality or is Scott actually an Alpha in his own right?
So Decualion knew Derek's mom and it seems that he might have met Derek before. I was amused by the way he disciplined the Twins after they attacked Isaac and Scott. I don't know if he didn't want them attacked so publicly or if it was just that he didn't want them attacked. As for that little storm, I so want to know how he caused that. Don't tell me that it was a complete coincidence, because there is no way it was. I was glad to get some of the little tidbits from him. Turns out that to join the Alpha pack, you need to kill off your own pack. If an Alpha kills off its own pack, then each member that is killed adds to the Alpha's strength. So I wonder if that holds true for the Alpha pack as well. If one member kills another, will their power increase proportionality? If so, that could provide a key to defeating the Alpha pack.
I was actually glad that Derek sent Isaac away, even if the method was a little cruel. Throwing that glass so that it shattered that close to Isaac on top of being trapped in the closet could not have been good for Isaac's mental well-being, seeing how the last thing his dad did to Isaac was to throw a glass at the wall behind him. It was a good thing to do because Derek is obviously trying to protect Isaac from whatever is going on. Will he be successful? Probably not, but it is a good effort.
So glad that Stiles is investigating, even if his sense of the timing for questions sucks. Dude, do not ask a girl if her boyfriend was a virgin right after she is done talking with the sheriff! That being said, Stiles is putting the pieces together quickly and doing the right thing by running to the vet. When weird things happen and you are not sure what to do, go to the vet. Safer than going to Peter, all things considered. So we now have two sets of triple homicides: virgins and soldiers. I wonder if there will be a third. These homicides are, as Stiles recognized last week, human sacrifices. More specifically, they are Druidic in origin, albeit a twisted and dark path of Druidism (think it was called Daracha). Not sure of its purpose yet, but I agree with Stiles that this is not the work of the werewolves, or if it is it is only a few of them. And the last victim (the obnoxious science teacher) seemed to know the killer because he said that he had done everything that was asked of him. That cannot be a good thing.
Until next week!
Monday, June 24, 2013
My Review of Falling Skies 3.04- At All Costs
Hal's other self comes out to play, Anne comes to a decision, Ben has to make a decision, and Tom goes on a secret (or not) mission....
Ben and the other deharnessed kids have to make a big decision. When their harnesses were removed prior to the Volm's arrival, the spikes and associated hardware (so to speak) were left in their bodies because they could not be removed. With the Volm's machines, the remainder of the harnesses (including the spikes) can now be removed. This is good news because they can go back to normal (both good and bad) and they will presumably be able to live longer. The hardware in them prevents their bodies from making stem cells, which Lourdes thinks means that they will leave shortened lifespans. She is not sure how much shorter, but she does think it will be shorter. The trade off is that they will lose their enhanced physical abilities and their ability to talk with the rebel Skitters. Personally, I think that last bit alone is enough of a reason to keep at least one of them with the hardware in them for tactical purposes. Honestly, I have to say overall that the tradeoffs are worse than the cure. As Ben noted, while the spikes and stuff sucks, it does allow them to be very useful in a wide variety of ways. And as Matt said, if people don't like it, that's too bad. I am really glad that both Ben and the girl (Kim?) decided to keep the spikes in place. The humans need every advantage they can get their hands on and unless the spikes are hugely problematic, they really need to stay in place. The most compelling reason to remove the hardware (shortened lifespans) is a guess on Lourdes' part. She didn't seem to know about it for sure, so unless it turns out to drastically shorten their lives, the benefits greatly outweigh the costs.
EvilHal came out to play tonight. Not only did he talk to Hal in a seriously creepy scene, he actually took over Hal's body. I am somewhat surprised that Maggie didn't question "Hal's" change of heart, particularly given how stubborn the Mason's can be and how adamant Hal was about talking with Tom. And watching EvilHal help hand off Anne to the Skitter and harnessed girl was also creepy. Drew gives really good creepy smiles, particularly after he and Maggie finished making love. I can see Hal screaming at EvilHal for what was going on there.
I have to say that it seems less and less likely to me that Hal (either version) is the mole. The mole was presumably the one who told the Aspheni about Tom's trip to see the President and Hal knew nothing about it (well, not that we know of anyway). The only people who knew about it were with Tom or in the control room. Anne knew that Tom was leaving, but didn't know details. Hal knew that Tom was gone, but didn't know where. It is possible that EvilHal told Karen and the Aspheni that Tom was gone and that they tracked Tom to where he was so that they could attack, but I think it is more likely that the mole is someone else who gave the information up.
Tom's mission was something of a bust. He and Cochise did manage to persuade the President that Cochise was not wholly bad, but the attack that forced them to flee was not a good thing at all. I have to wonder (see the paragraph above) how exactly the Aspheni knew what was going on. As I said above, it is probable that the mole told the Aspheni about it, but it is also possible that the attack was already planned and that there is a mole with the President. Unlikely, granted, but it does behoove us to at least consider the possibility. Now Tom, Pope, and General Bressler are going to have to hope they survive the crash in good enough shape to get back to Charleston safely.
Anne has fled with Alexis. She took Alexis' DNA along with the DNA from the deharnessed kids to Dr. Kadar to see if there was something abnormal about it. Sure enough, Alexis alone had alien DNA mixed with the human DNA. So, Anne hit Dr. Kadar with a wrench and drugged Lourdes so that she could leave. Unfortunately (as noted above) she was met by EvilHal, a Skitter, and a harnessed girl who welcomed Alexis. I wonder what exactly Alexis is. Is she being groomed to be a new Overlord? Or are the Aspheni fascinated enough with how well humanity has resisted them to want to see what will happen when their DNA is mixed with human DNA? That is, of course, assuming that the alien DNA is Aspheni DNA. if it is DNA from another alien species (which is *VERY* doubtful), that could be a potentially very bad thing.
Until next week!
Ben and the other deharnessed kids have to make a big decision. When their harnesses were removed prior to the Volm's arrival, the spikes and associated hardware (so to speak) were left in their bodies because they could not be removed. With the Volm's machines, the remainder of the harnesses (including the spikes) can now be removed. This is good news because they can go back to normal (both good and bad) and they will presumably be able to live longer. The hardware in them prevents their bodies from making stem cells, which Lourdes thinks means that they will leave shortened lifespans. She is not sure how much shorter, but she does think it will be shorter. The trade off is that they will lose their enhanced physical abilities and their ability to talk with the rebel Skitters. Personally, I think that last bit alone is enough of a reason to keep at least one of them with the hardware in them for tactical purposes. Honestly, I have to say overall that the tradeoffs are worse than the cure. As Ben noted, while the spikes and stuff sucks, it does allow them to be very useful in a wide variety of ways. And as Matt said, if people don't like it, that's too bad. I am really glad that both Ben and the girl (Kim?) decided to keep the spikes in place. The humans need every advantage they can get their hands on and unless the spikes are hugely problematic, they really need to stay in place. The most compelling reason to remove the hardware (shortened lifespans) is a guess on Lourdes' part. She didn't seem to know about it for sure, so unless it turns out to drastically shorten their lives, the benefits greatly outweigh the costs.
EvilHal came out to play tonight. Not only did he talk to Hal in a seriously creepy scene, he actually took over Hal's body. I am somewhat surprised that Maggie didn't question "Hal's" change of heart, particularly given how stubborn the Mason's can be and how adamant Hal was about talking with Tom. And watching EvilHal help hand off Anne to the Skitter and harnessed girl was also creepy. Drew gives really good creepy smiles, particularly after he and Maggie finished making love. I can see Hal screaming at EvilHal for what was going on there.
I have to say that it seems less and less likely to me that Hal (either version) is the mole. The mole was presumably the one who told the Aspheni about Tom's trip to see the President and Hal knew nothing about it (well, not that we know of anyway). The only people who knew about it were with Tom or in the control room. Anne knew that Tom was leaving, but didn't know details. Hal knew that Tom was gone, but didn't know where. It is possible that EvilHal told Karen and the Aspheni that Tom was gone and that they tracked Tom to where he was so that they could attack, but I think it is more likely that the mole is someone else who gave the information up.
Tom's mission was something of a bust. He and Cochise did manage to persuade the President that Cochise was not wholly bad, but the attack that forced them to flee was not a good thing at all. I have to wonder (see the paragraph above) how exactly the Aspheni knew what was going on. As I said above, it is probable that the mole told the Aspheni about it, but it is also possible that the attack was already planned and that there is a mole with the President. Unlikely, granted, but it does behoove us to at least consider the possibility. Now Tom, Pope, and General Bressler are going to have to hope they survive the crash in good enough shape to get back to Charleston safely.
Anne has fled with Alexis. She took Alexis' DNA along with the DNA from the deharnessed kids to Dr. Kadar to see if there was something abnormal about it. Sure enough, Alexis alone had alien DNA mixed with the human DNA. So, Anne hit Dr. Kadar with a wrench and drugged Lourdes so that she could leave. Unfortunately (as noted above) she was met by EvilHal, a Skitter, and a harnessed girl who welcomed Alexis. I wonder what exactly Alexis is. Is she being groomed to be a new Overlord? Or are the Aspheni fascinated enough with how well humanity has resisted them to want to see what will happen when their DNA is mixed with human DNA? That is, of course, assuming that the alien DNA is Aspheni DNA. if it is DNA from another alien species (which is *VERY* doubtful), that could be a potentially very bad thing.
Until next week!
Monday, June 17, 2013
My Review of Teen Wolf 3.03- Fireflies
Stiles comes to a horrible realization; Scott, Derek, and Isaac team up with an unlikely ally; Allison takes matter into her own hands; and Lydia has a conclusion of her own....
The girl Stiles nearly lost his virginity to last week is in fact dead. And she is not the only casualty. An unnamed guy and a girl who was camping with her girlfriend are both dead too. At first, everyone was thinking that Boyd and Cora killed them until Stiles went to examine the bodies with Mrs. McCall. They realized that both bodies in the morgue were garroted, had their throats slashed, and had their heads bashed in. Stiles also realized that all three were virgins and that this made them human sacrifices. Not sure why they were sacrificed yet, but I assume that will be explained shortly. My guess is that Deucalion is behind it given that the sacrifices coincided with the full moon and a time when Scott, Derek, and Isaac would all be occupied with Boyd and Cora. I also wonder how (or if) the fireflies are related to this. I could have dismissed it as a coincidence until Mr. Argent noted that California fireflies are not bioluminescent (i.e. they do not glow on their own). Then there was the fact that they were pretty much omnipresent in the episode. Both of these indicate that there is something seriously wrong going on.
I cannot say I was too terribly surprised that Scott thought to team up with Mr. Argent because that is something he would totally do. Scott has always tried to work beyond just wolves to accomplish what needs to be done. While it is not always a good idea, it is something that only Scott would do. And this time, it ended up being invaluable. The wolves needed Argent's help to corral Boyd and Cora. Also, Argent uses different methods to track wolves, so that is valuable as well. The final thing is that Argent will not kill unless it is necessary, which is something that Scott feels strongly about. Add this all up and you get something that makes perfect sense. I loved it when Argent activated the first sonic device and Scott, Isaac, and Derek all reacted strongly to it. That was definitely amusing.
Allison is back in the hunting game, and this side she is firmly in Scott's camp. She finally learned about what happened to her mom and while she was upset that Scott didn't tell her earlier, she decided to do what she could to help out. And what timely help it was. She managed to use her flare arrows to help stop Boyd and Cora from fleeing school grounds and get them to run into the school. More importantly, she did not take advantage of the opportunity to attack Isaac, which is something she probably would have done in the past. She is another great example of Scott's use of non-wolves that is paying off handsomely.
I wonder what exactly is up with Lydia. She and Stile realized that what is happening to her is similar to what happened with Peter last year, but it is unclear if he is involved in what is happening to her now. If he is, then my guess is that he is using her to dole out enough information to help Scott and the gang figure out what is going on. The problem with this theory is that Peter seems to have a certain amount of contempt for Scott and his methods. My other theory is that Deucalion is using Lydia for some unknown reason. The problem here is how and why. I assume that Peter could control Lydia because he attacked her at the end of the first season. Thusfar Deucalion has not attacked Lydia, so that cannot be how he is controlling her. It is possible that being used by Peter somehow opened her up to control by a strong enough Alpha, but there is no evidence to support that at this point.
I was impressed that Derek went into the boiler room alone to protect Ms. Blake from Cora and Boyd. That is something that I would have expected from Scott. However, I must admit that I suspect that he is feeling particularly guilty because he turned Boyd and Cora is his sister, therefore he may feel that it is his responsibility. And Derek is serious about his responsibilities, so that makes lots of sense.
Until next week!
The girl Stiles nearly lost his virginity to last week is in fact dead. And she is not the only casualty. An unnamed guy and a girl who was camping with her girlfriend are both dead too. At first, everyone was thinking that Boyd and Cora killed them until Stiles went to examine the bodies with Mrs. McCall. They realized that both bodies in the morgue were garroted, had their throats slashed, and had their heads bashed in. Stiles also realized that all three were virgins and that this made them human sacrifices. Not sure why they were sacrificed yet, but I assume that will be explained shortly. My guess is that Deucalion is behind it given that the sacrifices coincided with the full moon and a time when Scott, Derek, and Isaac would all be occupied with Boyd and Cora. I also wonder how (or if) the fireflies are related to this. I could have dismissed it as a coincidence until Mr. Argent noted that California fireflies are not bioluminescent (i.e. they do not glow on their own). Then there was the fact that they were pretty much omnipresent in the episode. Both of these indicate that there is something seriously wrong going on.
I cannot say I was too terribly surprised that Scott thought to team up with Mr. Argent because that is something he would totally do. Scott has always tried to work beyond just wolves to accomplish what needs to be done. While it is not always a good idea, it is something that only Scott would do. And this time, it ended up being invaluable. The wolves needed Argent's help to corral Boyd and Cora. Also, Argent uses different methods to track wolves, so that is valuable as well. The final thing is that Argent will not kill unless it is necessary, which is something that Scott feels strongly about. Add this all up and you get something that makes perfect sense. I loved it when Argent activated the first sonic device and Scott, Isaac, and Derek all reacted strongly to it. That was definitely amusing.
Allison is back in the hunting game, and this side she is firmly in Scott's camp. She finally learned about what happened to her mom and while she was upset that Scott didn't tell her earlier, she decided to do what she could to help out. And what timely help it was. She managed to use her flare arrows to help stop Boyd and Cora from fleeing school grounds and get them to run into the school. More importantly, she did not take advantage of the opportunity to attack Isaac, which is something she probably would have done in the past. She is another great example of Scott's use of non-wolves that is paying off handsomely.
I wonder what exactly is up with Lydia. She and Stile realized that what is happening to her is similar to what happened with Peter last year, but it is unclear if he is involved in what is happening to her now. If he is, then my guess is that he is using her to dole out enough information to help Scott and the gang figure out what is going on. The problem with this theory is that Peter seems to have a certain amount of contempt for Scott and his methods. My other theory is that Deucalion is using Lydia for some unknown reason. The problem here is how and why. I assume that Peter could control Lydia because he attacked her at the end of the first season. Thusfar Deucalion has not attacked Lydia, so that cannot be how he is controlling her. It is possible that being used by Peter somehow opened her up to control by a strong enough Alpha, but there is no evidence to support that at this point.
I was impressed that Derek went into the boiler room alone to protect Ms. Blake from Cora and Boyd. That is something that I would have expected from Scott. However, I must admit that I suspect that he is feeling particularly guilty because he turned Boyd and Cora is his sister, therefore he may feel that it is his responsibility. And Derek is serious about his responsibilities, so that makes lots of sense.
Until next week!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
My Review of Falling Skies 3.03- Badlands
A new groups of humans come to Charleston with quite a story, Anne continues to worry about Alexis, Hal worries that he is the mole, Matt comes face-to-face with death in a new way, Jeanne works on a memorial, and Tom picks a new vice-president.
So now we have a new group entering the picture. Charleston comes under attack from a group of humans who claim to have been sent by the President of the United States, Charlie (?) Hathaway. This is a new twist for sure. If the President is still alive, then that means that Tom is no longer the actual president and that changes the dynamics of the show in a major way. There are a few questions though. First, did the President actually send the people, or was it someone posing as the President? Or did she lie completely and was she sent by no one? She could be someone like Pope was and decided to attack Charleston after she saw the Volm and the rebel Skitters there. Second, if the President is still alive, where has he been? I get that he would have gone into hiding for a while in order to keep some semblance of a government going, but why resurface after 2 years? And why send soldiers to attack Charleston rather than scout and see what was going on first?
I am glad that Tom decided to pick a new vice-president in spite of what he was told by the woman who was supposedly sent by the President. Until he gets definite word that the soldiers were sent by the President, he needs to keep trucking along in order to maintain as much normalcy and stability as possible. I cannot say that I am fond of how Pope spoke to him, but there was an element of truth in Pope's words. From what the soldier said, if the Volm and rebel Skitters weren't around Charleston, the soldiers would not have attacked. I also get that Pope is frustrated that his people are dying without being told what is going on. That being said, there are times when it is best that information be kept compartmentalized, particularly with the mole in Charleston. The fewer people who know what is going on, the less likely it is that the mole will get the information that he/she needs.
I hate how much Matt is going through. He has Crazy Lee shot very close to him and he sits by her on her deathbed. That has to suck. I know that every kid in this new world has to grow up very quickly, but that doesn't make it suck any less. I have to admire how composed he was through everything. He helped keep her calm and did exactly what he had to do to help. The only thing that confuses me is that I thought that last week Tom told him that he had to go to school, but this week he said that he wasn't going. Did Tom change his mind or is my memory just faulty?
I am definitely with Maggie where Hal is concerned. I understand that he is freaked out about what is happening to him and I get that he is a potential danger to everyone if Karen continues to control him, but he does need to stop and think first. Unless he knows for sure that he is the mole, he needs to just calm down and not talk too widely about what is going on. I do think he should tell Tom or Weaver, just so that they know. The only problem with telling them is if they decide that he needs to be locked up for the safety of Charleston or something.
For most of the episode, I was honestly wondering if Anne was imagining what Alexis was doing given the fact that no one but Anne was around when Alexis did things. She was definitely stressed enough about what is going on that she could be imagining things. Can't say I blame her for being mad at Tom and Lourdes, but she does have to understand that she does sound a little crazy without any proof. Then they showed the preview for next week with Dr. Kadar talking about alien DNA and I start to wonder if maybe she isn't imagining things. If she isn't, then all of this is most likely a side effect of something Karen did to her in the season 2 finale. The question is, what exactly did Karen do? Whatever it is, it cannot be good.
I think that idea of the Liberty Tree is a great idea. It is a memorial where the dead can be honored and it also reminds everyone of what they are fighting for. I wonder if every stone holding the tree up had a quote on it or if the one stone they showed was an exception. And the attack was quite the note to end on. Hopefully, they'll pick up there next week.
Until then!
So now we have a new group entering the picture. Charleston comes under attack from a group of humans who claim to have been sent by the President of the United States, Charlie (?) Hathaway. This is a new twist for sure. If the President is still alive, then that means that Tom is no longer the actual president and that changes the dynamics of the show in a major way. There are a few questions though. First, did the President actually send the people, or was it someone posing as the President? Or did she lie completely and was she sent by no one? She could be someone like Pope was and decided to attack Charleston after she saw the Volm and the rebel Skitters there. Second, if the President is still alive, where has he been? I get that he would have gone into hiding for a while in order to keep some semblance of a government going, but why resurface after 2 years? And why send soldiers to attack Charleston rather than scout and see what was going on first?
I am glad that Tom decided to pick a new vice-president in spite of what he was told by the woman who was supposedly sent by the President. Until he gets definite word that the soldiers were sent by the President, he needs to keep trucking along in order to maintain as much normalcy and stability as possible. I cannot say that I am fond of how Pope spoke to him, but there was an element of truth in Pope's words. From what the soldier said, if the Volm and rebel Skitters weren't around Charleston, the soldiers would not have attacked. I also get that Pope is frustrated that his people are dying without being told what is going on. That being said, there are times when it is best that information be kept compartmentalized, particularly with the mole in Charleston. The fewer people who know what is going on, the less likely it is that the mole will get the information that he/she needs.
I hate how much Matt is going through. He has Crazy Lee shot very close to him and he sits by her on her deathbed. That has to suck. I know that every kid in this new world has to grow up very quickly, but that doesn't make it suck any less. I have to admire how composed he was through everything. He helped keep her calm and did exactly what he had to do to help. The only thing that confuses me is that I thought that last week Tom told him that he had to go to school, but this week he said that he wasn't going. Did Tom change his mind or is my memory just faulty?
I am definitely with Maggie where Hal is concerned. I understand that he is freaked out about what is happening to him and I get that he is a potential danger to everyone if Karen continues to control him, but he does need to stop and think first. Unless he knows for sure that he is the mole, he needs to just calm down and not talk too widely about what is going on. I do think he should tell Tom or Weaver, just so that they know. The only problem with telling them is if they decide that he needs to be locked up for the safety of Charleston or something.
For most of the episode, I was honestly wondering if Anne was imagining what Alexis was doing given the fact that no one but Anne was around when Alexis did things. She was definitely stressed enough about what is going on that she could be imagining things. Can't say I blame her for being mad at Tom and Lourdes, but she does have to understand that she does sound a little crazy without any proof. Then they showed the preview for next week with Dr. Kadar talking about alien DNA and I start to wonder if maybe she isn't imagining things. If she isn't, then all of this is most likely a side effect of something Karen did to her in the season 2 finale. The question is, what exactly did Karen do? Whatever it is, it cannot be good.
I think that idea of the Liberty Tree is a great idea. It is a memorial where the dead can be honored and it also reminds everyone of what they are fighting for. I wonder if every stone holding the tree up had a quote on it or if the one stone they showed was an exception. And the attack was quite the note to end on. Hopefully, they'll pick up there next week.
Until then!
Friday, June 14, 2013
An Examination of the SIdes in Continuum
While watching Continuum tonight, my brother asked a good question: which side in the future is better? You have Liber8 who is undoubtedly a group of terrorists and not good at all. While I may admire their goals, their methods leave much to be desired. Liber8 has killed (or will kill to be more accurate) thousands of innocents to get to a few people which emphatically makes them black hats. Then there are the corporations. Now, based on what members of Liber8 have said, the corporations are evil, but I don't entirely trust Liber8 to tell the whole truth. We have also seen one or two instances of corporations doing morally questionable (at best) things, so the corporations are obviously not white hats. However, without further objective proof, I would hesitate to say that they are black hats too. Right now, at best we have a morally questionable group versus a group of terrorists.
Another question relates to Keira. She is serving the corporations as a Protector which seems to put her in not the best moral territory. However, it is obvious that she herself is a good person who honestly believes that what she is doing the right thing and does not resort to morally objectionable actions to do so. The problem is that if a good person is defending a morally questionable or bad group, they are not necessarily doing the right thing. Upholding a corrupt government or group is bad. So the question is whether she blindly followed orders or if she (at any time) resisted bad orders to uphold a greater good.
Finally, there is Alec. Given what Kellogg said tonight, Alec is definitely one of the most powerful people in the future. We also know that Alec has been playing both sides in the future. So where does he fall? Is he a mole in the corporations working with Liber8? Or is he using Liber8 to ensure that the corporations do not become too powerful? Like the present Kellogg, his motives and actions are extremely murky. We do know that he sent the members of Liber8 and Keira back to the past on purpose, presumably to change the future for the better.
All in all, I think it is almost impossible to evaluate and come to a decision as to which side is ultimately good or bad here. We only have partial information and need a lot more to make an informed decision.
Another question relates to Keira. She is serving the corporations as a Protector which seems to put her in not the best moral territory. However, it is obvious that she herself is a good person who honestly believes that what she is doing the right thing and does not resort to morally objectionable actions to do so. The problem is that if a good person is defending a morally questionable or bad group, they are not necessarily doing the right thing. Upholding a corrupt government or group is bad. So the question is whether she blindly followed orders or if she (at any time) resisted bad orders to uphold a greater good.
Finally, there is Alec. Given what Kellogg said tonight, Alec is definitely one of the most powerful people in the future. We also know that Alec has been playing both sides in the future. So where does he fall? Is he a mole in the corporations working with Liber8? Or is he using Liber8 to ensure that the corporations do not become too powerful? Like the present Kellogg, his motives and actions are extremely murky. We do know that he sent the members of Liber8 and Keira back to the past on purpose, presumably to change the future for the better.
All in all, I think it is almost impossible to evaluate and come to a decision as to which side is ultimately good or bad here. We only have partial information and need a lot more to make an informed decision.
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