The most exciting part of the first hour was Irisa’s theft of the terrasphere and the rapture of the chosen few Votans. I won’t pretend to understand what it all means, but at least Irzu’s plan is moving forward. Over the course of the double episode, it becomes clear that Irisa is no longer in control of the fate Irzu is steering her towards, which I’m not sure would have been as clear if there had been a week between episodes. And, as expected, the tendril-thing inside Irisa and her converts is confirmed to be the AI navigation system of the Kaziri, which seeks to wipe the planet clean for a purely Votan existence on Earth. The religious overtones of the rapture would normally be off-putting (as they often were in season 1), but the technological explanation of it all tempers the situation nicely. Tommy’s not the only one coming to realizations about his feelings, though. The cave-in down in the gulanite mines provides the perfect circumstance for Pottinger to impress Amanda with his self-sacrifice and for Nolan to realize he doesn’t want to lose her. Berlin took the change well, but I’ll admit I did enjoy her and Nolan together while it lasted. The dialogue in the collapsed mine – and the situation overall – seemed a bit contrived, though, and this was one of the rare times that I found myself thinking more about the crime itself, the sabotaging of the mines and the killing of Ambassador Tennety, than the effects it had on the community. Clearly, the saboteur himself, Quentin, is feeling hurt by Rafe’s decision to abandon his mother, and the explanation of him becoming an assassin to earn money for her release is plausible if not altogether interesting. What is much more interesting, and certainly one of my favorite moments of the episode, is the reveal of Linda Hamilton playing the McCawley matriarch! She’s still as badass as ever, and I’m extremely pleased that she sided with Rafe, despite everything she could justifiably be angry with him about. Rafe has made more sacrifices than anyone between seasons 1 and 2, and I definitely hope we see him regain his former status in the town someday. I enjoyed Amanda’s transformation as she reflected on her relationship with Treasure Doll, especially coming on the heels of her near-death experience in the mines. When she sees firsthand the deal that Stahma has made with the false confessor on behalf of his daughter, she seemed more regretful of her part in pushing Deirdre too hard to fight for her man than of letting the Tarr family get away with the crime. The detail of her flashback confession to Deirdre about letting Nolan get away is also more powerful having come in the later part of the same double episode that showed Nolan coming to terms with his feelings as well. Fitting for a two-hour, slow-paced, emotional arc. Some stray observations:
