3.1 On Thin Ice Those aliens, called the Volm, are old enemies of the Overlords, also called the Espheni. As the rebel skitters could tell you if they had access to a harnessed kid, this isn’t the first rodeo for the Espheni’s conquest ships. In the seven months since first contact with the Volm, they have proven themselves to be strong allies of the humans, providing awesome blaster weapons, de-harnessing technology, and logistical support. Chief among the aliens is a cat named Cochise, whom you won’t recognize by his face because he’s an alien. However, you will recognize his body language, because he’s the most famous physical actor ever. That’s right, Falling Skies has added Doug Jones as its alien version of Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. This is all information we find out in the immediate aftermath of a pretty stellar human raid on an alien mining facility. Violence is one of the things the show has always done well, and we get a lot of shouting, shooting, explosions, and dead aliens/dead red shirts before the Espheni spring forth their big trap in the form of a pair of mega-mechs, giant two-legged mechanical fighting robot things bristling with weapons that very nearly turn the tide of battle. Slowly but surely the humans versus aliens show is becoming something far more science fiction than I could have ever imagined, and it’s better for it. Another thing the show is doing better this season is creating a world. Last season we had basically a road show, and that was good because the first season’s school wasn’t the best setting possible. However, they’re doing a better job this season with Charleston. Maybe it’s because the humans have been living there for awhile, or maybe because they’ve built Pope his own awesome shantytown/saloon to be the Al Swearingen of, but Charleston in this season is working a lot better for me, and Popetown makes a great setting for the walk-and-talk scenes the show loves to work in. It’s a clever film device, and it works better than you might expect. Having characters wander through a busy scene and talk, be they major roles or background color, helps fill out the world. If your setting is stationary and mostly empty, that gets old, but if your setting has some life to it – and Popetown is pretty lively – that helps the show feel more lived-in. The show has had its struggles, but it looks like the cast and crew behind the show have found the right blend of Spielbergian schmaltz and sci-fi action/horror to make the show work. On Thin Ice was a great example of how to move a plot forward while introducing new elements to the viewer after a long hiatus. Looks like it might become more than just a summer fling. Read Ron’s review of the season two finale, A More Perfect Union, here. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
