Falling Skies “Compass” Review


The battle for Earth continues, but is this latest episode a victory or a defeat?  Read on to find out.

Official description from TNT:

The 2nd Mass moves into an airport hanger, but the drafty conditions cause Anne to grow concerned about the group’s health. Meanwhile, the Berserkers hatch a plan to get rid of Tom. And while dealing with a loss of one of its own, the 2nd Mass receives a promise of hope from a mysterious visitor.

The latest episode of Falling Skies yielded more questions than answers, as the struggling 2nd Massachusetts suffered a loss and tried to find some hope in this bleak alien conquered world.  The dream of a nation united, perhaps a new direction for the show, a growing fear about what these aliens have actually done to people are just some of the topics covered this week.

Unlike the first season of this show, the series has taken on a darker tone that allows human drama to occur organically through solid storytelling.  This season so far has been much more down-to-Earth in its character interaction and development while avoiding some of the soap opera-esque storytelling tendencies that plagued the series last year.  The script writers behind the scenes have done a very good job setting up a strong narrative this season.  Unlike like last year, there is a very clear story arc, a main “skitter” protagonist and some increasingly insightful questions from our main characters.

The Cast is lead by veteran actors Noah Wyle and Will Patton whom do a remarkable job anchoring this show with their convincing performances.  Other cast standouts are Moon Bloodgood, and the deliciously devious Colin Cunningham who both offer the show some strong dynamic support that helps move the plot forward.  Overall the cast does a good job with the material that they’re given, though there are moments where performances are not as convincing as they need to be.

The darker tone and more consistent storytelling works to the benefit of this episode.  Despite any acting missteps this latest jaunt into this alien conquered world comes recommended.

4/5