The 2nd Mass is looking to became the Boston area’s latest motorcycle club, as Tom Mason and several soldiers head out in search of this precious commodity in the post-apoclyptical world of ‘Falling Skies’.
The latest installment of ‘Falling Skies’, “Grace”, is the most heavy-handed episode yet when it come to faith and morality. Anne’s medical assistant Lourdes is the main catalyst for this part of the story. Whether she is praying at the missing persons board or leading the main cast of characters in a round of “Grace”, Lourdes seems to be there to remind viewers not everyone feels forsaken. Honestly, it is a little much and is a part of the story that could be omitted.
Aside from faith, this episode also features a mission to seek out some new motorcycles for scouting and other missions. Of course, Pope just so happens to know the location of a motorcycle dealership off the beaten path. Really, why wouldn’t he know this? Anyway, Mason and Weaver have a meeting about getting the bikes, so they can scout the hospital for some drugs needed for the harness extraction surgery and then about rescuing Mason’s son Ben.
On the trek to procure the motorcycles, fuel and other salvageable items; Mason, Pope and the rest of the gang encounter a group of sleeping Skitters. It’s interesting to find out Skitters sleep like bats and it’s was also interesting to learn when the Skitters sleep that the Mechs shut down too. I also liked the caution Tom showed in not just killing the sleeping Skitters. Of course it doesn’t take Pope long before he is back to the sleeping aliens to deliver some firey justice.
Tom Mason’s biggest weakness is also his biggest strength; his heart. As the motorcycle dealership was surrounded by advancing harnessed, fully-armed children, he refused to fire on them. Was this dumb? Yes. Was this understandable? Yes. I like that Mason is not a soldier and that he is a human who cares. Not everyone in the 2nd Mass would have refrained from opening fire.
The last part of this week’s episode deals with Dr. Harris and the captured Skitter. While “interrogating” the prisoner, it is discovered Skitters communicate via radio waves. We learn a lot of great stuff about the Skitter’s anatomy in “Grace”. There is also an interesting revelation about the harness that I just can’t bring myself to spoil.
All in all, this was a decent episode. However, I’m thinking there are too many characters to focus on. A thinning of the heard may be necessary. Still, the’ Falling Skies’ world continues to grow and is worth watching each week.
