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Episode 2.05
Writer : Joe Weisberg
Director : John Dahl

THE ONE WHERE : When a Skitter is captured, the 2 ^nd Mass discover that some aliens are striking back against the Overlords.

THE VERDICT : The revelation that the Skitters are mounting their own fight against the invaders makes for a welcome wrinkle, one that deepens the mythology of the show considerably. And the shots of the Skitters howling inscrutably across the city is an eerie, arresting opening, reinforcing the true unearthliness of these creatures who are more usually reduced to cannon fodder. Weaver clearly remains gun-happy, though: his urge to “blast this cockroach” feels out of step for a military veteran who would surely recognise a vital source of intel. There are some effectively creepy visuals in this episode, particularly the shots of charred bodies and burnt-out cars in the aftermath of the Skitter skirmish. There’s also a deeply Spielbergian moment as the camera focuses on a toy dog against the rear window of a car, caught in a blue light as a Mech stomps past. And Noah Wyle continues to be the beating heart of the series, from his fiery confrontation with Ben to the broken, vulnerable moment he tells Weaver he won’t know how to deal with the hard choices when the time comes.

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ALIEN LORE : The Skitters originally hail from a peaceful planet and were pressed into service by the Overlords. Their resistance force has been battling the oppressors for over 100 years.

BEST LINES :
Anne: “How’s Ben?”
Tom: “Typical teenager. He’s having trouble relating to his father and wants to change the world.”

Falling Skies is now showing on FX.

Nick Setchfield is the Editor-at-Large for SFX Magazine, writing features, reviews, interviews, and more for the monthly issues. However, he is also a freelance journalist and author with Titan Books. His original novels are called The War in the Dark, and The Spider Dance. He's also written a book on James Bond called Mission Statements.