Stars: Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Connor Jessup, Drew Roy, Maxim Knight, Sarah Carter
Writer: Heather V. Regnier
Director: Miguel Spaochnik
Network: TNT, airs Sunday nights
Original Telecast: July 1, 2012
FALLING SKIES continues to improve on Season 1 in so many ways. There’s urgency to the Resistance, there’s more emotion and it feels like the series is heading toward something bigger.
In many ways, the series feels like it’s also taken some cues from the similarly themed THE WALKING DEAD by parceling out just the right amount of character stuff with its “threat” stuff, and in this case it’s aliens and not zombies.
It’s a winning mix with “Young Bloods” using family as a theme once again and in a myriad of great ways.
First there’s a kick-ass opening where Tom’s (Noah Wyle) youngest boy Matt (Maxim Knight) is used recklessly as skitter bait by a couple of gung-ho 2nd Mass yahoos. When Tom gets wind of this, he’s pissed – which puts a wedge between him and his son who wants to battle the Skitters.
Meanwhile, Weaver (Will Patton) finally gets some resolution when his daughter Jeannie shows up (he thought he’d never find her). He learns his ex-wife passed, by Jeannie is with a bunch of young battle-weary kids who feel they’re safer avoiding and hiding from the Skitters than fighting them (and fighting them alongside adults).
Both the 2nd Mass and these kids headed by Jeannie’s boyfriend Diego have different ways of handling the Skitters when part of Diego’s group are taken by the visitors and sent for Harnessing. Of course, Diego’s gang fails, and it’s up to the 2nd Mass to rescue them including Matt who recklessly followed them as well.
By episode’s end, it’s clear, the 2nd Mass knows what they’re doing, and the events bring both Matt and Tom closer, but also Weaver and Jeannie (who leaves by episode’s end to rejoin Diego – like father, like daughter, they’re born leaders).
Where “Young Bloods” really excels is in the emotional arcs that come to the fore between all the characters. Last season there was a lot of biding time until something happened. Here, there is clearly a plan, and whenever the 2nd Mass can bring more people into its fold, the better.
We also realize that there are still some ties between Tom’s middle son Ben (Connor Jessup) and the Skitters. Even though the harness alien was removed, the spikes on his back are still connected in some way and when he gets close to the Harness alien tank at the Harnessing factory, Ben’s spikes glow like some kind of beacon.
While it would have been nice to keep Jeannie around, at least we know she’s out there and there’s potential for her to return.
FALLING SKIES continues to impress – an alien series that continually improves and so far, is proving to better than last year.
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Related: FALLING SKIES – Series Premiere – Part 2 review – “The Armory”
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Related: Exclusive Interview with FALLING SKIES star Noah Wyle
Related: Exclusive Interview with FALLING SKIES star Will Patton
Related: Exclusive photos from the Los Angeles premiere of FALLING SKIES
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Article: TV Review: FALLING SKIES – Season 2 – “Young Bloods”
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