114 replies to this topic

[TWoP Howard]

From ZAP2it:

Another resistance militia leader arrives in camp warning of a coming alien assault; Tom and the camp must weigh an offer to take their children to a safe haven.

As always, this thread is for discussion of the episode only. Take any other discussion to the appropriate thread, please.

Edited by TWoP Howard, Jul 24, 2011 @ 1:51 AM.

[surfer]

So who else called Clayton as a bad guy collecting kids for the aliens?

He used the same "I ran for my life" story that Dr. Harris used when Tom's wife was killed.

And of course it was Pope who sold them out. And of course Pope will be the likely hero next week.

The kid who plays Ben did better acting work when he was harnessed. He's pretty terrible.

Did enjoy the Anne/Maggie bonding.

And again, poor Karen. No one even cares anymore. LOL

Edited by surfer, Jul 17, 2011 @ 10:04 PM.

[AimingforYoko]

If you wanted to keep Clayton's heel turn a surprise, here's a tip: Don't cast Henry Czerny. I was looking at him sketchy the whole episode.
And I completely missed the symbolism when the skitter held the globe in front of Jimmy and then crushed it. What was the show trying to say there? I love me some cheese.

[Make It So]

Whaaaaat?!!

Actually, I'd love to say that that was a twist, but sadly I had the feeling some double-dealing was going by the 7th Mass dude all along. Why the 2nd Mass had no clue is another story.

Sorry, show - very predictable, once again. Although I will look forward to seeing how exactly humans can make deals with Skitters. Also, why Megan (the harnessed receptionist) seemed so aware and un-zombie-like. And why Ricky still seems robotic while Ben is all happy and zooted.

Poor redshirt in the bus. I knew he wasn't long for the world as soon as he hit the screen.

[Mikita]

I actually didn't see it coming until they didn't follow the map and left the road. I then was uneasy because I knew he wanted the kids for skitters and was not trying to keep them safe.

Jimmy was so scared, but he was really comical when he was being examined and he was continually talking because he was in shock.

I thought it was going to be Karen that they had locked up but it was Pope who sold them out.

I can't wait for next weeks episode.

[TVspectator]

Wasn't Ben rescued last week and won't he still be in Harness withdraw? That Ricky kid was in withdraw for about two episode (I guess that each episode, takes place about a few days-to a week, apart) and didn't Ricky was still under the control of the aliens just days after being rescued? Is Ben, that special, that he can overcome his withdraw? This seems just like a massive retcon.

Well, having a human who is siding with the aliens was expected but I like how it was played out (we didn't officially know till the very end). Although, I do feel that they are trying to make Pope the good guy, who in the end, will do the right thing and be the hero. Although, I was expecting to see one of the harness kids siding with the Skitters, or seeing the group being ambushed and all the kids being taken away (minus Hal, since he is like 30).

The thing that I hated the most was the whole civilian vs. military thing that they are trying to pull off here. It is getting annoying and I am also getting annoyed with the non-harness vs. the post-harness kids (or "razor backs").

Edited by TVspectator, Jul 17, 2011 @ 10:22 PM.

[CIsaac]

Ugh. Terrible twist. I knew the 7th Mass guy was in cahoots with the aliens the minute he started in with that terrible 'send the children away' plan. Not much reason to keep watching at this rate. This show just has not been very good and does little to keep my attention. Ham-handed twists like this are just part of it.

[Rickster]

I saw the twist as soon as he wanted only the kids and no other civilians. I guess I could convince myself that, under the circumstances, no one could conceive of a collaborator.

[fester01]

My issues with this episode:

1. Why was there noone standing guard outside the "hospital?" Not even AFTER the attempted theft. STUPID.

2. An armed guy steals all the medicine, and with 100 armed "fighters" at the school, the THREE who are sent after him to recover it are the first, second, and third-in command? REALLY?

3. Weaver: "This is your fault, Tom. You're in charge of the civilians." Well excuse me for giving a crap, but who keeps sending Tom to lead patrols, supply missions, etc.

4. A whole high school to play in and Ben and TAO (The Annoying One) decide to wrestle and yell in the barracks where people are sleeping?

5. I get that the doctor is not comfortable with guns, but fer cryin' out loud! She needs to realize that the old rules don't apply. Oh, waiter...Reality check, please.

6. My favorite moment: The "Stay frosty" Generation Kill nod. That's right, writers. My favorite line of this episode is one you STOLE from a vastly superior production.

[KnitTzu]

So who else called Clayton as a bad guy collecting kids for the aliens?

Mr. Tzu and I called it as soon as he made his pitch, before he'd even gotten all the words out of his mouth.
Seriously, these people are too stupid to live. They really bought that their precious, precious children would be safer if they split up the group and had them around fewer of the fighters? Really?

And the eaters vs. fighters thing makes less sense every week. If you're able-bodied enough to be pitching tantrums and attempting to pick fights with fourteen-year-olds, then there's no excuse for you not be welding a gun at the end of the freaking world as we know it.

I've never seen a show more obsessed with children, not even the shows that are made for children that I watch with my kids. Children and families and hugging and talking about feelings, with an occasional alien popping in to kill a POC before being easily dispatched by the good guys because apparently these Skitters attack in groups of two.

[peridot16]

It's about time Anne wants to know how to use a gun. I also like Maggie and Anne bonding. The actress that plays Maggie is really pretty, I think this is the first time I've seen her smile.

Why are people freaked out about the harnessed kids? So much for compassion. The harnessed girl at the end was really creepy, casting did a good job with that one.

I wasn't missing Jimmy so of course he's back. When the Mech shot at them on the bus, he was making so much noise trying to wake his friend up. When the Skitter grabbed him, I jumped. It was nice seeing more aliens this episode.

I guess the Tom and Anne are closer to being in a relationship, she was all over him when the kids were sent away. I don't see what she likes about him, he seems kind of bland.

[angelsamongus]

I guess the Tom and Anne are closer to being in a relationship, she was all over him when the kids were sent away. I don't see what she likes about him, he seems kind of bland

I think Tom is the most attractive guy on the show and by far the most interesting to watch. I also like the Tom & Anne relationship and want to see them together romantically.
I like the fact that Tom is not military but a simple guy trying to protect his family the best way he can and does make mistakes, Makes him very sexy to me and very complex ! While Tom may be seen as the ultimate 'good guy' I think there is more than meets the eye with Tom and why he has potential !

Edited by angelsamongus, Jul 17, 2011 @ 11:34 PM.

[Glass Ocean]

Good on Hal for realizing that something was amiss with Brother Ben, since none of the adults seem to be paying attention to the behavior of the unharnessed kids. Maybe they still have alien blood in their veins, but nobody would even notice on this show! I'm counting on Hal to save the day at the Safe Farm for Hapless Children. Good to see Pope again too, so maybe they'll team up.

I certainly couldn't tell, but does anyone know who/how took out the mech? It was kind of a deus ex machina moment.

And a minor touch of realism was finally added when Tough Lil Jimmy had his PTSD moments.

[Perfect Xero]

I certainly couldn't tell, but does anyone know who/how took out the mech? It was kind of a deus ex machina moment.

I wasn't paying that much attention to that scene, but I assume it was all part of the plan to get them to send the kids away.

[Munchiewoman]

My favorite moment: The "Stay frosty" Generation Kill nod. That's right, writers. My favorite line of this episode is one you STOLE from a vastly superior production.

The first time I remember hearing "stay frosty" was in Aliens - Hicks said it to Vasquez and Hudson, so I don't think they're really stealing it from anyone.

My thought was there was no way I'd ever let my kid go somewhere without me. It's just not reasonable...why leave a bunch of non-fighters behind if the aliens are coming and only take the kids somewhere? Glad Hal went along, but why wasn't he suspicious as soon as they took a "shortcut"?

I have no problem understanding why Anne would be attracted to Tom. He's smart, funny and caring. And carries a big gun. What more do you need?

[Yvaughn]

Oh, I would be All Over Tom, if I were Anne. Especially if that's defined as holding hands for comfort :-) He's yummy. And "sorry I didn't come by last night"? Is this some of the very-subtle romance that interviews have promised?

And yeah, I was having fun practicing my Admiral Ackbar "It's a Trap!" (ala Sheldon) throughout the whole episode. The "plan" made no sense, especially since so many of the parents aren't fighters (for whatever weird reason that is)--were we supposed to believe they would slow the kids down? Also, the way 7th Mass made the suggestion, specifying the kids' ages... he might as well have said, "Send ahead the children between ages 12 and 18, at least four feet tall, only those with dark hair... and let's leave out any Aries, Leos, or Sagitariuses, because those fire signs, they just don't work for my masters--uh, I mean, for the good of our survival! Yeah, that's what I meant."

Um... playing chess is not keeping a lookout. A lookout requires, ya know, LOOKING.

All that said, it's good summer cheese. And I really did like the hand holding (the slut!)

Edited by Yvaughn, Jul 18, 2011 @ 1:36 AM.

[thuganomics85]

So who else called Clayton as a bad guy collecting kids for the aliens?

Since I personally know the actor (Henry Czerny) beast as the Duke of Norfolk in The Tudors, I automatically got suspicious vibes from him. And the more the episode went, the more I suspected he was helping the Skitters. Pretty obvious, although I do find the twist moderately decent in it's potential. Of course, with this show, I'm not optimistic over the execution.

On one hand, I actually liked the beginning scene with Anne and the robber, because it showed a toughness to her I dig. On the other hand, I was highly amused that the only injury she got was a little cut to the lip. Yup, no way are they going to let anything happen to Moon Bloodgood's pretty face. And for that, I thank them. But I'm glad that it led to some Anne and Maggie bonding scenes. That was some nice eye-candy right there. Dear TPTB: Please have more scenes of Moon and Sarah Carter in the same frame. Thanks.

Well, I like Ben more then the youngest kid, but that isn't really saying much. Really, the only Mason relationship I like is Tom and Hal's even though I still don't buy Noah Wyle being a father to Drew Roy. But at least those two actors have a decent family chemistry with one another.

As cliched as it was, I actually like the scenes between Weaver and Jimmy.

Hello again, Pope. I see you got your ass captured, genius. At least we saw you again; Karen apparently vanished into thin air and apparently out of Hal's memory also.

Have they explained the relationship between Anne and Lourdes yet? They make it sound like Anne is her caretaker of some sort, but are they actually related or what? Just curious.

[Make It So]

Whenever Porter send orders, doesn't he send his runners to deliver them? Couldn't the 2nd Mass at least verify this sudden and very major change in plans with Porter?

Good call above about Doc Anne's "injuries". She basically had an injury equivalent to one she would receive from biting her lip, and they treated her like she was black and blue. But no, can't mess up that Bloodgood face (thx, y'all!).

Weaver, Tom and Mike going after the med robber was just like Kirk, Spock and Bones going on most of the away missions.

The show really would have done itself a favor if they had made Hal at least 18. Then maybe the scene where he scares a grown man into backing down would be more believable.

So I guess Ben was happy and eager to follow the "plan" because he subconciously is a part of it? And what was up with Hal's sudden cheesy grin while walking up to the new camp?

As for the twist, I will give the show a nod of credit for attempting to mix it up. As was mentioned, it wasn't greatly executed, but I give them a C+ for the effort of trying.

Edited by Make It So, Jul 18, 2011 @ 5:37 AM.

[Meushell]

I guess "Save our babies" really means "Save my babies. Screw everyone else's." The hostility towards the the "razor backs" seemed rather strange and random. I guess the impending attack wouldn't help, but there seemed to be no indication that that had to do with the rescued kids. The 11th mass was said to be attacked, and they didn't have any of rescued kids.

[KnitTzu]

The show really would have done itself a favor if they had made Hal at least 18.

Wait, he isn't? How old is he supposed to be? Because the actor is 25 and looks at least 30. It's especially apparent in the scenes that are shot outdoors, where you can clearly see laugh lines, crow's feet, etc.

[Isazouzi]

The kid who plays Ben did better acting work when he was harnessed. He's pretty terrible.

So much word. And would it kill him to ENUNCIATE ?! I can't understand half of what he says.

I can't believe nobody's grilling the de-harnessed kids to learn as much as possible about the Skitters. And why is Hal not telling everyone about the mother hen behavior he witnessed last episode? I know it's disturbing, but it's important! I guess they're all too busy hugging and lighting candles in the hallways.

I wonder how the original deal between the Skitters and the traitor dude went. That's an interesting side of the story, which seems to confirm that the Skitters (or rather their masters) are way more interested in taking kids than in eradicating the rest of humanity. Maybe they're just here to pick up slaves and resources before moving on to another world.

I find the humming sound the mechs are making very creepy. It doesn't seem to serve any other purpose anyway.

[Homo_Sapien]

.. poor Karen. No one even cares anymore..

Karen volunteered for every mission to save Ben, and still they can't be bothered to remember her. And since it was Ben's pod group that drug her away, the logical conclusion would be that she is somewhere in the hospital.
But whatever .. now we have Maggie : cancer survivor, pot-smoker, rape victim, bow hunter and small arms instructor. If only Karen had managed to work up some back-story cred, she might have been missed by the group.
At least Jimmy, soldier-boy, learned something, adding chess prodigy to his resume.

I must have fallen asleep during the episode when Tom and company took out all the alien aircraft, because in the second episode all you had to do was light a flare to attract alien attention -- and they would show up in about five minutes and blow your car to smithereens. Now the humans can plan to hold them off with barbed wire and overturned vehicles. Progress!

And why are there healthy looking men and women walking around without guns?

Edited by Homo_Sapien, Jul 18, 2011 @ 8:25 AM.

[Rickster]

I certainly couldn't tell, but does anyone know who/how took out the mech? It was kind of a deus ex machina moment.

I wasn't paying that much attention to that scene, but I assume it was all part of the plan to get them to send the kids away.

Yeah, I was wondering about that too. Thye hit it with some rifle/machine gun fire. Seemed way too easy.

Edited by Rickster, Jul 18, 2011 @ 8:26 AM.

[KnitTzu]

And why are there healthy looking men and women walking around without guns?

Because they don't have a real leader, one who will knock heads together until some sense rattles to life. Can you imagine Ham Tyler putting up with this nonsense? Or even Julie Parish? The non-contributors would have been told that if they don't want to fight that's fine, but they can go live their pacifists lives elsewhere and won't get getting the protection of the people actually willing to put their asses on the line. What I can't make sense of is why so many young, able-bodies adults are refusing to join the fight, especially considering that these little rebel bands are pretty much human kind's last hope. The psychology of it makes no sense. This should be an all-hands-on-deck effort, not a small group of men with guns taking all the risks and a huge glut of adults sitting around eating, gazing at children, and complaining that the housing doesn't meet their exacting standards and that they don't wish to share living space with teens who survived being POWs.

It's all pretty gross when you think about it.

[Anithe]

Did anyone else get a vibe that Maggie was not getting whatever medication for Sara but for herself, because she suspects a pregnancy but given the circumstances doesn't want to discuss it?

[Make It So]

Did anyone else get a vibe that Maggie was not getting whatever medication for Sara but for herself, because she suspects a pregnancy but given the circumstances doesn't want to discuss it?

Yeah, something definitely seemed up with Maggie and the medication. Perhaps there may be a reveal.

I certainly couldn't tell, but does anyone know who/how took out the mech? It was kind of a deus ex machina moment.

I wasn't paying that much attention to that scene, but I assume it was all part of the plan to get them to send the kids away.

Yeah, I was wondering about that too. Thye hit it with some rifle/machine gun fire. Seemed way too easy.

I agree that it was part of the aliens' plan. The Mech "retreated" on purpose.

I thought both Jimmy and the chess-playing redshirt were toast when the Mech shot up that bus. How in the world did Jimmy survive that? That was a very scary scene.

Edited by Make It So, Jul 18, 2011 @ 9:39 AM.

[Danny Franks]

Civilians. Useless wastes of space. Seriously this show isn't even trying to present a balanced view, is it? And again we see able bodied men and women who, for reasons no one has explained, have chosen not to fight, but will instead just bitch and whine at those who have chosen to fight.

That guy moaning about "them" threatening to take his daughter? Hey, maybe if you did a bit of fighting yourself, you might get more of a say in things.

Anthony again is the guy who's thinking clearly. Kids are targets? Get them the hell out of dodge.

Nice scene between Maggie and Anne, at the beginning. Seems like they could become good friends. Two badass chicks together. And Maggie teaching her to shoot was hot.

Those spikes on Ben's back really are gross, by the way. Keep that kid's shirt on, please.

After just ten minutes, there had been far too much Matt. But at least he wasn't moping around like someone stole his goddamn Ripstick. And why wasn't Hal immediately asking Ben, "hey that blonde girl you dragged away, what did you do with her?"

So Rick's cystic fibrosis was cured, and Ben can do 100 pushups with ease, and no one except Hal thinks that some seriously weird shit is going on? These people are so dumb.

The scene with the mech was pretty cool. I love those things, especially when they're singing. Though surely these people should have weapons with more impact that assault rifles somewhere. The shot with the Skitter holding the globe made me smile. That needs to go on the promo posters.

The first real, 'eye roll because this shit is so cliched' moment didn't actually happen until 30 minutes in, where another dumbass civilian started bitching about Ben. "Razorback"? Really? But I thought you people wanted your kids rescued. At least, that's the gist I got from all those inane comments written on the poster board.

Why was Hal not going with Clayton in the first place? They said everyone under 20. Did he age 4 years since last week? I mean, I know he looks like he's much older than 20, but he's not supposed to be. The relationship between Hal and Tom is getting more interesting, as Tom is starting to see his son as a man (as was so clumsily explained last week), and is actually starting to treat him as an equal, respecting his decisions and ideas.

But the Mason family history is making less and less sense. Now Ben was still with them when the Skitters killed their mother? I thought he was at a friend's house, the day the Skitters first attacked.

Anne's little move as the kids left was amusing. 'Hey, so the kids are out for the night, what say you and me... y'know?' Not one to waste a good opportunity, obviously.

Oh, and if you're hiding the kids in a remote ranch, try not flying a big garish US flag outside. Just a thought.

I was waiting for the dumb as fuck twist at the end, and wasn't disappointed. Clayton is working with the Skitters? Well that wasn't predictable at all, was it?

Edited by Danny Franks, Jul 18, 2011 @ 10:13 AM.

[Make It So]

I guess one good thing about the predictable ending with the exchange between Clayton and the Skitters - it give more indication that the Skitters are more than instinctual attack drones and are actually intelligent, with an ability to negotiate.

[Glass Ocean]

Clayton is working with the Skitters?

Then maybe he had advance warning and knew where the skitter and mech would be, so he could blast the mech off the school bus. That should be enough to convince the 2nd Mass to surrender their kids to his mangled logic plan and scoot them off to the kiddy farm. Why did he specifically ask for Mike, tho'? Meanwhile the show distinctly pointed out that Ricky and Ben had been harnessed the longest, so maybe they're part way thru the Alien Assimilation process and can be counted on to obey orders?

[Accord64]

I just don't understand why the Mech didn't press the attack. The resistance it was encountering was pretty pathetic. It alone could have taken all the kids without having to make deals.

I also found it comical how the 2nd Mass fortified the school in a way that could be seen by Mr. Magoo at two miles away. They might as well just painted a "We're Here" sign on the building.

Oh, and yet another truly stupid moment: Female bonding though target practice. Yeah, real smart shooting guns off with possible enemy activity in the area.

But my overall frustration with this (and previous) episodes: These people need to stop all the pointless dialog and DO SOMETHING! Seriously, this show would be more interesting if they just showed us footage from a motorcycle dash-cam.

Edited by Accord64, Jul 18, 2011 @ 11:34 AM.