The Falling Skies Season Premiere entitled On Thin Ice caught up viewers on a missed seven months. There were many changes with the Mason family, including Tom’s change in rank, Hal being paralyzed and Anne giving birth to a very interesting baby.
The Breakdown
In the first part of the Season Premiere, On Thin Ice, Falling Skies was off to a jump start. Colonel Weaver and his team were on a mission to take out the Skitters. As his team worked their guns, larger enemies – Mega Mechs – popped up with bigger, better weapons. Then the red-eyed Skitter and his team along with Tom swarmed in to help Weaver’s team. They also sensed the mission had been compromised and they had been set up for an ambush. All together, they accomplished the mission and were able to get many humans being kept by the Skitters into a truck headed for the hospital.
Back in Charleston everyone referred to Tom as the President. Apparently he had been promoted, as the episode picked up seven months later. He was still in a relationship with his doctor friend Anne, who was about to give birth to their child any minute.
Tom also had befriended the alien from the end of last season, the Volm leader, Cochise. So he/it, along with many other Skitters who were part of the Resistance were working with the Mass.
Tom had his military leaders in the room discussing the recent mission and the fact that there must be a mole among them. Tom tasked his team with finding out who it was, with Arthur Manchester in charge. But soon Manchester was shot by someone in his office – the mole.
Hal and Maggie were shown as the happy couple, even though Hal was now paralyzed from the waist down and using wheelchair. He was also having nightmares where he would meet Karen in the woods for a rendezvous. Concerned about his nightmares, Maggie was patient – until she found his muddy boots in the closet. Had Hal been sleepwalking?
Anne gave birth to their baby, a girl. But, Anne soon found out that their little newborn was very unique. She seemed to be growing quicker than normal – actually – progressing is a better word.
The Volm were working on a secret weapon that they said would help Tom and Weaver win the war.
The second part of the Falling Skies Season Premiere continued immediately following with Collateral Damage.
The Analysis
I was actually impressed with the first part of the Falling Skies Season Premiere. A lot had changed in the seven months we were all away.
Seeing Tom as the President was not a big surprise, but more of a pleasant one. It was interesting to see him in charge and he actually spoke to his people like a non-power-hungry leader.
Hal in the wheelchair was a surprise and his nightmares of meeting with Karen in the woods played out pretty interesting; especially when Maggie found his muddy boots and had a feeling he could walk.
The other two mason boys, Ben and Matt, were still around and acting like soldiers. And now that they were fighting with a group of friendly Skitters added to the excitement, especially since not everyone in the group agreed with that choice.
Finally, I have to say something about Tom and Anne’s newborn baby girl. Creeeeeeepy! The newborn can say “Mama” and get up and move around on her own! It gets even better in the second half of the Season Premiere.
I hope this is a sign of things to come. I became unimpressed with Falling Skies in the second season, so I am hoping that season three is much better. We’ll see!
