Falling Skies, Season 2

FALLING SKIES, SEASON 1 (TELEVISION)
Warner Home Video

Release date: July 8th, 2013
Running time: 420 minutes

Created by: Robert Rodat

Cast: Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Drew Roy, Connor Jessup, Maxim Knight, Sarah Carter, Seychelle Gabriel, Peter Shinkoda, Will Patton, Mpho Koaho

It seems almost impossible, doesn’t it? The idea that our everyday lives could one day be suddenly interrupted by an alien invasion so fierce that it leaves on a handful of the Earth’s population alive is probably one that doesn’t concern too many of us, but maybe it should. After all, it’s entirely possible that despite how we live our lives, we’re not the center of the universe and we probably have never been.

Season 2 of Falling Skies picks up almost where season 1 left off and though I didn’t like the one first very much, this one offered a little bit more in terms of character development and plot twists, which I was happy to see. After recusing his son Ben (Connor Jessup) and removing the harness that had turned him into a mindless drone for the aliens, Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), a former Boston University history professor who’s now the Second Massachusetts deputy commander had disappeared in an alien spaceship.

The first episode, Worlds Apart sees Tom returning to the group, but only after being injured during fire friendly fire – by none other than Ben who goes on to suffer greatly from the guilt of this. While Tom tries to recover in the care of physician Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood) we learn more about where he was during his three month absence and the confrontation he had with the aliens. However, he soon finds his loyalty questioned by his fellow survivors and has to prove that he’s really still human and not working with the aliens to overthrow them.

Tom also has to deal with the changes he sees in Ben. Prior to the alien invasion Ben was a good natured kid and a student who had always did well in Maths. The young man he sees now is one who’s more of a soldier, hell-bent on war and fuelled by anger and hatred. As well as that, season 2 introduces us to Brigadier General Cole Bressler (Matt Frewer), someone who sticks to his guns but eventually knows when it’s a good time to back off during conflicts with other members of his own group.

Added to that mix is Arthur Manchester (Terry O’Quinn), he was the former majority leader of the Continental Congress and the first Vice President of the New United States. He was also Tom Mason’s former mentor and history professor, giving him (and us in terms of Terry O’Quinn) a familiar face we might be able to relate to.

Despite what I felt was a weak start to the series, the second season delivers a little bit more than the first where these characters are concerned. What also made it interesting was the rebellion of the skitters. Though we first saw them being used by the overlords, they appear to have found a way to resist the effects of the harness and started fighting back against their oppressors, meaning they now have a common enemy with the humans and reason to unite.

Things really come to a head with the final three episodes in the season and A More Perfect Union, in its few remaining minutes, teases us with what’s to come in the third season with the arrival of a new visitor – and a weapon that has the potential to wipe out what’s left of humanity.

Where Falling Skies goes from here is left to be seen, but with the producers hinting at a ten year plan for the show it does look promising as we watch humans and aliens unite to fight a common enemy.

Patrick Samuel

The founder of Static Mass Emporium and one of its Editors in Chief is an emerging artist with a philosophy degree, working primarily with pastels and graphite pencils, but he also enjoys experimenting with water colours, acrylics, glass and oil paints.

Being on the autistic spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome, he is stimulated by bold, contrasting colours, intricate details, multiple textures, and varying shades of light and dark. Patrick's work extends to sound and video, and when not drawing or painting, he can be found working on projects he shares online with his followers.

Patrick returned to drawing and painting after a prolonged break in December 2016 as part of his daily art therapy, and is now making the transition to being a full-time artist. As a spokesperson for autism awareness, he also gives talks and presentations on the benefits of creative therapy.

Static Mass is where he lives his passion for film and writing about it. A fan of film classics, documentaries and science fiction, Patrick prefers films with an impeccable way of storytelling that reflect on the human condition.

Patrick Samuel ¦ Asperger Artist

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