Recap
Ben and Denny scout a nuclear power plant that the Espheni are using to fuel their new mega mechs and some of their flyers. It seems rather strange that the Espheni are using so many earth resources to power their tech but it lends some credibility to the Volms story that they are chasing the Espheni and trying to destroy them. No matter the reason, its clear that the kids helping them at the power plant are not surviving. While scouting Denny and Ben witness a skitter pickup a kid who died carrying a nuclear power cell and toss him into a pile of other kids. “That could have been us” – Ben.
Pope is not a fan of the Volm, or any alien for that matter. Tector disagrees but Pope is a practical man, after they are finished with the “fishheads” what will they do with us? Maggie is shooting the shit with a former war buddy when Hal rolls up in his wheelchair obviously upset over Maggie’s flirting. After a small argument, Maggie brings up the fact that although Hal claims he cannot walk still, there was mud on his boot. She knows something isn’t right, no matter how much Hal denies it.
With the new intel in hand, Tom sets up a meeting and tries to come up with a way to attack the plant and while Weaver has an idea, thanks to Ben, about how to get to the plant via the cliffs, there is one small problem. How do they destroy the plant without raining nuclear fallout across South Carolina? Marina has just the person for that, Roger Kadar. Robert is a PhD and someone who knows a few things about nuclear power plants. The only issue is he is a agoraphobia. He refuses to leave the underbelly of the city where he has provided power for all of Charleston. With a little pushing from Marina and Tom, he promises to come up with something to help them.
Lexi is not playing nice with momma Anne. In fact, Lexi is being down right creepy. Anne notices that the baby is able to track her finger, something a baby that young shouldn’t be able to do. Not only that, but as soon as Anne turns around, the baby speaks….”Momma”. When she turns around the baby is nowhere to be found. She eventually finds Lexi under the bed but she is pretty shaken from this. When Tom stops by later on, she almost decides to say something but doesn’t. Anne’s worried and somewhere depressive mood catches the attention of Lourdes but Anne tries hard not to let on that there is an issue.
Matt and 2 friends are bored with school and over having to sit in class, they want to go out and have fun. Except in this case their idea of fun is putting a half stick of explosive on a window and lighting it up. The blast is a bit louder than expected and while the 3 boys enjoyed the blast a lot, they freaked out all of Charleston and are met with guns pointed at them as soldiers run out to the badlands thinking they are under attack. Anthony takes Matt back to Anne where she lectures him about school and the dangers of what he just did. In a fit of anger Matt yells at her and tells her “You are not my mother”.
Kadar has the plans needed to make the raid work. They must place the explosive charges in just the right place in order to cripple the system without hurting the shielding of the reactor. They also have to shut down the reactor prior to blowing up the towers, which means someone has to go into power plant. Tom wants Kadar to go with, but he refuses to go topside. With a small push from Marina about saving the kids, he decides to go. Something tells me there is some backstory there.
In a secret meeting, only top allies are told of the plan to take out the reactor. Those trusted include Marina, Anthony, Kadar, Ben, Pope, Maggie, and Porter. They are told nothing said in that room can leave that room, clearly trying to keep the spy away from learning of their true plans. Anthony, Ben and Pope all lead their own unique group of fighters for this mission. Anthony leading the Charleston soldiers, Pope the berserkers and Ben leading Denny and any other rebel forces that may join up. But lets be honest, Ben and Denny are an army by themselves.
Shortly after their meeting, our mystery mole reappears, and picks the lock on the meeting room. Using a device they scan the layout to find the fingerprints of where the teams plans to make their move. The device then turns into an eye worm! The probe has many uses it appears but our team is in for an ambush.
Weaver and his teams are ambushed by heavy mech fire, however it appears Weaver and Tom planned this out. They knew the mole would leak the information and Tom gambled his own son on the hope that they could make this plan work.
Tom, Maggie and Anthony go into the nuclear power plant with Kadar and shut it down, and blow the cooling towers. During their attempt, Maggie had to fight off dozens of now mutated harnessed kids. The charges were placed and the power plant destroyed. Though the mission was a success, Larrs did not survive the bite from the harnessed kid.
Tom and Weaver drink to their losses and their success, while Weaver continues to air his doubt about the Volm’s intent. Cochise comes in to congratulate them on their victory but warn them that the Espheni are consolidating their forces to attack Charleston.
Tom and Matt discuss the little explosion earlier in the day. Tom reminds Matt that the building was going to be used for families to live in but now they will have to help repair the building. Tom blames himself for the lack of supervision that Matt has had.
Matt goes to Anne and apologizes to Anne for what he said and then he asks her if she would be okay with him calling her Mom. Maggie wakes up to find Hal gone and she goes out to the woods and finds him walking. She wakes him up to tell him those were not dreams, he can walk. Hal was meeting Karen in the woods. Just as they leave, Karen can be seen with a skitter nearby.
Review
The mission was bold and the price high but in the end the second mass managed to take out a key source of mech and flyer fuel. Weaver and Tom knew that the enemy has a mole in Charleston and their goal was to ensure this mission was not sabotaged by the spy. Robert Sean Leonard was introduced as the quirky underground ‘rat king’ and he was great. The contrast between his quirky nature and the subtle care about helping to save the children indicates a history with the aliens we don’t yet know.
This episode was a huge growth episode for Anne and Matt as characters. Anne having just had the baby, she battles with the fact that Lexi is not acting normal. Her struggle to keep Lexis behavior a secret is compounded when she has to discipline Matt for skipping school and blowing up a building. Matt who has already had to grow up way too fast, and is on the front lines with his brothers, lashes out at Anne. They later make up in a touching scene.
The scene with Moon and Maxim fighting and later making up are sweet and full of emotion. Maxim manages to display genuine anger and remorse between the two scenes.
This episode also highlights an arc that will be a huge part of the third season and that is how far they are willing to go to win. Tom and Weaver put their team, Tom’s own son Ben too, into a trap and used them as bait. While in the end the plan worked, lives were lost and Cochise warns them that the Espheni will retaliate.
Quotes
“Tick Tick BOOM.” Matt Mason & Friends
“You got your Volm family, cruising across the cosmos in their interstellar SUV. They gotta make a rest stop right, some refreshments. Nah Nah i’m telling you, when this war is finished up, you my friend are gonna be standing behind a counter serving hot dogs and super slurps to bobble heads in Hawaiian shirts.” – Pope
“They are all solid plans until the first bullet flies. Then they are as relavent as yestersdays racing forms” – Weaver
“Hey Dan, Stay Frosty” – Tom “Like a winter in Buffalo” – Weaver
Awkward Moments
The awkward moment of the week remains with Ben and Denny as others in the camp seem to have clung on to the nickname Benji, much to Ben’s dislike. Don’t let the nickname fool you though, Ben is still not trusted by most of Charleston and he remains outside the city staying with the rebel skitters and other ‘razorbacks’.
Viewer Poll – Who is the mole? Week 1
We do not know much yet about the mole but we want to know who do you think the mole is? Vote in the poll below and pick which “group” you think the mole is from. Then comment on this post and discuss your theories as to who you think the mole is. Each week we will have a new poll and more discussions. As a contest for picking the mole, the person who guessed correctly the earliest will win a cool Falling Skies prize pack from us at the end of the season when the mole is revealed. So keep the comments coming.
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Photo Gallery
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