This weeks episode of Falling Skies was an episode all about emotional extremes. While the episode is aptly named Pope Breaks Bad, we also have a second story line this episode which is both emotional and touching in season that has been all about the rage. Pope is clearly still upset over Sara’s death and the result is that Pope snaps in every way possible. Joining him in this new crazy world of John Pope is Anthony who also snapped after witnessing Denny’s death at the hands of a skitter. Anne decides he is suffering from PTSD, as does Weaver, and takes away his gun but Pope is having none of that.
Pope and Tom have it out in front of everyone but rather than a physical fight between them, its an all out verbal assault. Many fans have been waiting 5 seasons to really see the 2 of them go head to head for once and we nearly got what we wanted. Tom even went as far as to put a gun in Popes hand and offer to let him pull the trigger since he plays Tom for every death that has happen to the 2nd mass. Anthony later takes Anne aside to talk but in reality took her to talk with a now bald Pope. He has clearly lost it but Anne gets the nerve to return fire verbally telling Pope that Tom is not to blame, and that like Pope Tom would do anything to protect his family. Bad choice of words as Hal ends up missing and Pope gives Tom a message to meet him outside the city. Next week promises to see them finally hash things out, whether both make it out alive is another story.
On the polar opposite side we find out that Cochise is dying as a result of kidney failure, or at least the Volm equivalent of it. He springs this on Tom and Anne at the last moment has his father arrives to perform the ‘exchange of silence’ with his son. Anne was not having any of it and went to speak with his father before he had a chance to and of course as expected his father was not too thrilled with Cochise’s decisions to practice the humans cultural beliefs over the Volm’s. Cochise defends the humans claiming they are the only species with the ability to survive against such an invasion and the only one with the strong will the Volm have witnessed.
A short time later we find out that his father agreed to the surgery, a quick change of heart for such a stubborn alien. Anne uses a laser tool to cut into the Volm and remove the kidney. However, that thing came out so fast you have to wonder if it was even attached to anything, minor slip up on the design teams part, it was literally floating in his body. After transplanting it into Cochise all they could do is wait as they tried to self heal. During this time Ben and Anne continue their heart to heart about dealing with the death of Lexi and Cochise wakes up to find his father has not and without a heart beat, they were not able to revive him. Cochise regrets not being able to perform the exchange of silence but Anne offers to do it with him. During the exchange Cochise sees is father and Anne see’s Lexi and they share an emotional good bye to their loved ones.
Overall this episode didn’t move the plot forward overall but it exploded the pent up aggression and pain that each of our characters was feeling from past seasons and the explosion on screen was incredible. Huge props go out to Moon Bloodgood, Noah Wyle, Doug Jones, Mpho Koaho and Colin Cunningham for their rage filled and emotional takes on their characters. If the previews and spoilers from Comic Con tell us anything, they tell us there is a lot more pain and rage to come this season, especially from Maggie, Hal and Ben.
If you have not seen our Comic Con coverage yet, check it out below.
Subscribe to Three If By Space Youtube
