TNT’s Falling Skies: Episode 8: What Hides Beneath

Ok so sorry about missing last weeks episode recap and review, but I got super tied up at work…. and I’m lazy. In all honesty Sanctuary Part 2 was, at best, 2 out of 5 grizzlies. In short, the 2nd Mass gets their kids back from Clayton, Clayton dies, Pope has a heart, and the previously harnessed kid, Rik, thinks of himself as an alien now. That’s it… One sentence. BOOM. Efficiency.

This weeks episode on the other hand was a HELL of a lot better. This week, not only are the aliens back, but we focus a ton on Captain Weaver and learn more about our alien invaders. We open this weeks episode with a Weaver dream sequence when he is suddenly awakened by Tom informing him of Porter’s arrival. Something is clearly bugging the good Captain.  Porter informs them that all of their intelligence, including info from other resistance groups around the country, is noticing all the skidders pulling back to those huge structures being built over the major cities. We also learn from Porter that not all of Clayton’s claims from two weeks ago were lies. The 7th Mass was in fact wiped out, along with a couple other divisions. How sad. Finally, Porter informs Tom and Weaver of the all out offensive all the resistance groups are preparing to launch against the alien structures.  In three days time, the resistance groups will bring the fight to the aliens for the first time and try to bring down the structures over the cities.

There is just one problem though. No one trust worthy in the 2nd Mass knows anything about demolition or making explosives… or is there. Guess who is in the infirmary recovering from a gun shot to the leg from last week? That’s right our resident badass, Pope. While he is certainly not trustworthy, Pope is able to convince Porter to let him work on making explosives for the 2nd Mass for their impending attack on the invaders. Look who just got a promotion from cook.

  Upon leaving the infirmary Captain Weaver notices a picture Rik has drawn as apart of his “therapy.”   Weaver confronts Rik and demands to know why he has drawn a picture of a couple of houses, but does not really get a response. Before leaving though, Rik does offer Weaver the picture and Weaver takes it with him. Alien-boy is seriously unsettling.

  Next, we see that Captain is seriously bothered by something and can’t sleep, and Pope begins his work in the science classroom working on explosives. We also see Tom’s son Ben go for check-up with our good Doctor, and she notices something weird with the recently unharnessed kid. Despite lying to Ben and saying everything is fine, she notices some gross shit growing around the alien harness attachment site. She goes as far as jamming a scalpel in the tissue to see if he can feel it, but he doesn’t. Somethings not right here… After that we join Tom and Hal gearing up for scouting mission to prepare for the offensive. While gearing up he shares his concerns about Captain Weavers state of mind with Hal and his sidekick Dai. Shockingly, Weaver walks in during the middle of Tom’s gossiping and decides go along with Tom and Hal since he was a contractor in the before time (before the invasion) and knows “structural integrity and dynamics”. (As a structural engineer by profession, while I don’t doubt the ability to know structural integrity I call SHINANIGINS on structural dynamics claim.) 

Anyways, on the scouting mission we learn that the alien invasion has brought more than just mechs, skidders, and harnessed kids. While watching a couple skidders on bridge Tom, Hal, and Weaver see three skidders bowing before two tall, lanky, Ethiopian looking aliens that walk upright on two legs like humans. This just blows their,  and our minds. Here we thought the skidders were running the show, but apparently not. Who are these other aliens that are rip-off of the Kaminoans from the Star Wars galaxy. For those of you who don’t know, they are the alien race that grew the clones that fought in the clone wars.

Upon heading back to base they encounter an older woman who is bat-shit crazy… to put it kindly. The lady invites the three men inside to talk about the aliens and how she has managed to stay alive in the city for so long, but Weaver decides to stay behind and stand guard by the bikes.

 Before we earn what the woman has to say we take a small break to catch up with Pope in the science room, Rik being creepy as hell, and Dr. Anne and Lourdes doing an experiment. Pope discovers that the aliens are equipping the their mech’s with recycled 0.40 caliber human bullet casings with mech armors slugs. The good news here, humans can fire alien bullets, hooray! Rik has a conversation with Ben and tells him he feels nothing from his before life and can’t wait till the aliens come for him, and Ben looks weirded out.  Especially after he tells Ben not to worry, and it will get clearer to him and they will come back for them. I guess it’s just a matter of time till Ben starts acting just as weird. And then there is the good doctor and her assistant. We join them in a locker room of the school and get to witness an alien autopsy. Upon exploring the back of the dead alien, they find what Anne feared most… 

A MOTHER F’n HARNESS YO!!! You know what that means?!?! The skidders might not have always been skidders….. Uh oh Tom.. Looks like that stuff growing on Ben’s back may be pretty serious.

Back to Tom and their new-found lady friend. The lady confesses to Tom and Hal that she used to be held hostage in a camp by the aliens, but was released to live in the city without explanation. Hmmmmm, can it really be that simple?? She tells the men that she while she didn’t learn why the alien were there, she did learn that they definitely did not want the humans there anymore.

Before learning anymore, Tom and Hall hear a motorcycle kick on and run outside only to see Weaver leaving. After fixing their bikes, Tom and Hal decided to go after Weaver and see what the F is going on him. They eventually catch up to him at his house from the before time. Upon entering the house to look for Weaver, Tom notices a big spot of blood on the floor next to a nightgown. Did anyone else notice that blood looked a little too fresh for the timeline?

Anyways, Weaver is out back trying to drink his problems away, and he completely unloads on Tom like it’s a therapy session. We learn that Weaver was once married but lost his family before the attack. He blames himself for the loss of his family since he wasn’t there to protect them. His youngest child captured by the skidders, while his wife and eldest daughter were attacked and killed by a mech. He tells Tom that he was able to track down his youngest daughter, Sophia, and rescue her, but she died when he tried to remove the harness (hence the blood on the floor). Weaver then goes on and tells Tom that he’s quitting the resistance and is going to stay at his house where he belongs to wallow in his own self-pity.

Out of nowhere a mech starts heading down the road towards his house. Hal, who has been standing guard outside, runs for shelter try to escape the mech, while Tom and Weaver hide inside. While formulating a plan to dave Hal, Weaver finds a pair of glasses on the ground and all of a sudden finds the strength to fight again. This part was kind of cheesy in all honesty, but whatever, we’ll go with it. Needless to say, Tom is able to blow-up the mech in time and save Hal. After noticing that the mech came straight to Weaver’s house and was not on random patrol, they figure out that the crazy woman in the city gave them up to the aliens.

We then go back to the crazy lady’s house where there is a knock on the door and a voice saying, “We brought more food, is there anything else you have to tell us?” Oh snap, the crazy bitch is being used by the aliens for intel. We also finally see Hal’s girlfriend again. She has in fact been harnessed and is the one delivering food for info to this lady. Hal’s pissed.

We also get an up close look at our new two-legged alien friend when he tries to look thru the peephole. The three men then leave the crazy bitch to head back to base with the intel but are sure to give her false information as to where they are going.

The show comes to an end with a confession by Weaver and a demonstration by Pope. Weaver tells Tom that the glasses he found on the floor are what made him decide to continue to fight. Apparently those glasses belonged to his wife and were not there when he was at his house before joining the resistance. Those glasses give him hope that his wife and eldest daughter are alive. Good for him. When then join Pope out front of the school where he is putting on a demonstration for everyone to see. He unloads a clip of normal ammo at a piece of mech armor to show how it has no effect. Then, he shoots mech metal slug at the piece of armor which blows a whole straight thru it.

AND THE CROWD GOES WILD.

Once again, cheesy. Pope tells Weaver that he will be melting down the mech armor to make bullets for the fighters when they bring the fight to the aliens.. And the show closes with hope…..

All in all, this episode was a hell of a lot better than the last 2 weeks. It was a good mix of action, more questions, some answers, and character development. Also a good set-up to next weeks 2 hour season finale where the Dr. informs Tom about what she has learned and the assault against the aliens. Hopefully they carry the momentum of this episode to next week. 3.5 out of 5 grizzlies.

CLICK HERE for Episodes 9 and 10.