CATCHING UP: Falling Skies (Season One, First Two Episodes – “Live and Learn” and “The Armory”)

Hello, and welcome to our new series, Catching Up! Over the course of the next few weeks, we’re going to take a look at a few shows that will be beginning their new seasons soon. By the end, we should be all caught up and ready for current episodes. It’ll be a fun ride, one you won’t soon forget! Enjoy!

—The Editor

First aired June 19th, 2011.

In science fiction, when aliens attack Earth, humanity generally kills and/or fights them off, albeit with massive damage to the planet. Falling Skies takes a darker approach and looks at what would happen to the world if our extraterrestrial enemies won the battle. The action takes place six months after the invasion, with over ninety percent of human life gone and those who remain fighting to survive.

The opening monologue describes the early days of the invasion told through the perspective of young children. They talk about where they were when the aliens first came, how they first took out electronics worldwide before launching attacks on all the major cities. Interwoven with their accounts are drawings of what they witnessed. Learning about the invasion through the eyes of emotionally scarred children is a good narrative tool, as it makes the overall loss feel more poignant.

The two-hour series premiere follows main protagonist Tom Mason (played by Noah Wyle), a former history professor turned resistance leader. He and his sons do what they can to navigate this dangerous new world with other remnants of humanity. With no way to effectively fight the aliens, which they dub “Skitters,” their only option is to remain hidden and survive as best they can.

There’s no motive given for why the Skitters invaded Earth or what their plans are, aside from capturing and enslaving the minds of children (including Tom’s middle son). Not revealing their intentions works very well on a narrative level. Firstly, it makes them more frightening, since we have no idea what they want. It also allows the viewer to come into the series on the same level as the characters; we learn about the aliens at the same pace they do.

Overall, the Skitters look very menacing, similar to the aliens from the 2005 movie War of the Worlds. They look very real, which was a concern coming into a show that would be special effects heavy. The special effects as a whole work well, for the most part. The fighter robots at times looked sloppy and inauthentic.

While we are shown how humanity can come together during the end of the world, we also see the ugly side of people. Tom’s military leader, Weaver (played by Will Patton), views civilians as a waste of resources and gives his soldiers better food and living conditions. The group nearly has their supplies stolen by outlaws led by John Pope (played by Colin Cunningham). Soon after that, Pope’s group is killed in an ambush, with Pope himself being absorbed into their camp.

The first two episodes of Falling Skies tell compelling stories about human survival and the end of the world. Viewers will find themselves attached to the characters and interested in where their stories go.

Quotes/Thoughts

It’d be funny if the Skitters learned how to invade Earth by watching science fiction movies to learn what mistakes the aliens in the films made.

“It’s a damn shame how you were able to overpower me and take my weapon.” “Should I hit you, like make it look good?” No, no you should not hit me.”

The robots controlled by the Skitters remind me of the evil prototype robot from the original Robocop.

“Being the leader of a post-apocalyptic gang of outlaws has been exhausting.”

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