A few episodes back, viewers learned the danger of a simple fire under the dome; the latest episode reveals the terrifying truth of what would happen to a town, cut off from the rest of America, if it were to suffer an infectious outbreak. The creative handling of the meningitis outbreak in Chester’s Mill was briskly paced and disturbing. It served as a reminder how much society relies on being part of a whole, and if something were to cut off a part from the societal body, the part would be in danger of withering. Speaking of Junior, the meningitis outbreak served as a coming out for Big Jim’s deviant offspring. Big Jim assigns his son to make sure that no one suffering from the very infectious outbreak leaves the hospital. At first, Junior gives into his baser instincts of threatening people to stay, but with Sheriff Natalie’s guidance he becomes a calming force during the crisis. He is so effective, that Natalie deputizes him. Uh-oh. Junior’s ascension serves as a symbol of the grey area in the characters under the Dome. Junior is a vile human who sees kidnapping and psychological torture as justifiable actions, but he can also be someone, on the surface, because of his guile, that can help the residents of Chester’s Mill survive. Speaking of Junior’s captive, Angie, she must be the most incompetent hostage ever. Not only does she botch an attempt to stab Jim with a hidden pair of scissors, she also succeeds in damn near drowning herself by bursting a pipe during an ill planned escape attempt. Angie’s comedy of errors leads her to being discovered by Big Jim, a father who found a new respect for his son at the hospital. A respect that might be washed away by the sight of his son’s helpless ex chained to a bed and minutes away from drowning. All in all, between the diverse character relationships, claustrophobic feel, and creepy intensity, Under the Dome is turning into a fine meditation on how fragile the concept of society truly is.
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