Fallen Skies season ending episode

By Michael Vass | August 8, 2011

The sci-fi television series Fallen Skies has been a beacon in the dearth of shows available thoughout the summer so far. It has touched on many issues, and provided quality that is rare for most modern sci-fi shows. The much heralded 2-hour season ending episode sought to draw attention, and resolve some questions, bit it did much more.

For those that have not followed Fallen Skies, you have missed the first season of really good television. To recap, the series takes place 6 months after alien invaders have landed on Earth. The major militaries of the world have been decimated, tens of millions, if not billions have been killed by an alien invasion force. The survivors, specifically in the Boston area, have banded together to form a resistance force. Out gunned and still reeling from the shock of the attack and aftermath, we catch up with what is a world very different from our own.

There are a multitude of references to the American revolution, and other military events throughout the episodes. They are provided to us by Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), the second in command of the 2nd Massachuecetts – one of several groups of resistance fighters made up of civillians and fighters. Tom is a former teacher of history, and very familiar with book strategies of warfare. He has 3 sons (Hal, Ben, and the youngest Matt), his wife having been killed shortly after the invasion and before the resistance groups were formed. Tom, like many people, became a fighter out of necessity (rather than some who had militiary or police training or even gang life experience).

We are lead through the series with Tom as our guide. One of his sons, Ben, was captured by the aliens, who collect and “harness” children and young teens. An early theme is recusing his son, Ben, as well as learning about the aliens themselves.

The season ending episode, goes into some detail on big questions in the series. Questions like:
1) Why is the Black formerly “harnessed” boy – Rick, so detached from all the people around him?
2) Why has the leader of the 2nd Massachuecetts, Captain Weaver, been so erratic?
3) How much trust can be placed with John Pope?
4) What is happening to the other resistance groups besides the 2nd and 7th Massachucetts (the 7th was explained over 2 episodes prior to the season end)?

As was alluded to early in the series, the “harrness” attached to the youth is more than just a control device. It not only makes the children slaves to the aliens, but it also infects them. The ultimate result is that the children will eventually become the “skitters” – the main alien force we have seen so far. The “harness” not only allows comminication among all the aliens, but grows an alien body into and around the children.

This makes sense, as it allows the aliens to replenish their forces on an invaded planet with the indigenous forms there. The more children they capture, the more low level troops they have available. It also explains why the aliens have robotic “mech” fighting units that walk on 2 legs and have 2 arms (as opposed to the skitters that have 6 legs and 2 arms). The seeming leadership of the alien force, only recently revealed, are tall (about 8ft) very slender arms and legs, and have a head that seems to be directly linked to the body. They are essentially the aliens from Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind on steroids, and quite larger.

What does not make sense though is the reaction of Rick, the Black formerly harnessed boy. He rejects his humanity. He sees himself as being an alien, and longing to rejoin them. He is continuing to transform, likely into the “skitter” being, even without the harness (which he had reattached to himself early in the series but was never explained how it was removed thereafter). He can still hear, but not transmit to, the aliens. Which makes sense if he is infected.

So why does he suddenly (after multiple episodes in the series), and completely out of character, breakdown and proclaim his feeling of missing his now deceased father? Why do the aliens, who have shown huge effort in acquiring and retaining children, reject a willing convert? One that is in the early stages of a transformation into one of their own forces? And why have the humans completely ignored Rick’s detachment and revulsion of humanity, to the point of allowing him to place their lives in danger with the information he ultimately reveals to the aliens?

The finale lets us look into the leader of the 2nd Massachuecetts, and see a very flawed and dangerous man. He is recovering from an addiction to drugs. He is emotionally unbalanced. He is somewhat paranoid. Yet, consistently, he is the voice of leadership that Tom follows and encourages others to believe in. Why? It’s not clear, though the answer of ‘keeping the 2nd Mass. from fracturing’ is given, we would think that such leadership would cause a fracture, not prevent it.

We also see in the finale, what might be the first signs of Pope, a man committed to his own self-preservation and convinced of the inability of humanity to survive, becoming a committed and important part of the 2nd Mass. He joins and stays with a mission to attack the aliens, that has an improbable chance of succes. He defends the aforementioned impaired leader Captain Weaver. Its a developing character that looks to be important in the future of the series.

We also learn that all the other resistance groups appear to have been erradicated at this point. This makes the chances of survival for the 2nd Mass. unlikely. Plus, if similar actions have occured in other areas across the world – as prior episodes have implied – then humanity seems to have a poor future fate.

Which is where the unlikely seems to take over. While the “mechs” are difficult to defeat, suddenly the 2nd Mass. has determined a way to melt the metal shell of the robots to create alien armor piercing bullets and wepons. They are able to do this with the meager supplies and resources available at a high school. Really? And they failed to share this revelation with any other group? And no other resistance group in the world was able to figure this out?

Through the use of Ben, the sone of Tom, a radio jamming device was created. So effective that it could cause the “mechs” to retreat from an attack. In fact, it cause EVERY alien in and around the Boston area, for tens of miles, to retreat to the alien base in the center of Boston. Even though it is apparent that the aliens can and do switch their radio frequency regularly, and the only way to access this is via the direction of Ben.

Perhaps the worst thing is the very last scenes of the season finale. Tom allows himself to be taken by the aliens, to re-evaluate their invasion plan and to reconsider their strategy. Think about that.

Tom does this to save the life of his son, who is apparently infected and will eventually become a “skidder”. A process that appears to be irreversible. A process the alien leadership do not even hint at trying to prevent from continuing.

Given the knowledge of Tom, and his feelings about saving humanity from the alien invasion, it does not make sense that he would risk the 2nd Mass, and potentially all human resistance, by voluntarily divulging information to the aliens. Nor does it make sense that Captain Weaver would observe this, and allow Tom to be lead away.

Thus, knowing that there will be a season 2 in the summer of 2012, we are left with serious questions.

1) What will happen to Tom? Will he become a conspirator to the aliens (either through a “harness” or other means)? Can his reappearnce be trusted?
2) Can the 2nd Massachuecetts continue to survive without the diversion and resources of the other resistance groups?
3) What will happen to Rick and Ben? Will their transformations continue? Will they be accepted by the aliens, and in the process turn on the 2nd Mass?
4) Are the tall aliens the true leaders of the invasion, or just another level in the heirarchy?
5) What if the aliens change the armor in the “mechs”, the radio frequency they use (or scramble the signal), or any number of actions that they have learned humans are aware of from Rick and/or Tom?
6) Why are the aliens here? Are they taking supplies from our natural resources, like the aliens in Independance Day? Are they gathering raw recruits for a much bigger battle in their own region of space? Are they like the alien infection outlined in Clay’s Ark by Octavia Butler?

There is a lot that can happen with this series. Already there has been a request by the writers of the series for questions from fans. I expect the above to be among many others. But we have a year before we find out more. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.

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