"Falling Skies" Episode 5 "Silent Kill" and Exciting Rescues?: A Television Review

*here be some spoilers.

**air date for this episode was July 10th, 2011.

Creator/Writer: Robert Rodat.

Director: Greg Beeman.

"Falling Skies" is a television show airing on TNT (Turner Network Television), which began in June of 2011. Now, this show is five episodes in and the show reviewed here is episode five. This episode is titled "Silent Kill" and again, Noah Wyle as Tom Mason plays a central role, with actress Moon Bloodgood as Anne moving more forefront. A subplot involving a kidnapped boy, by aliens, is wrapped up and the tone of "Silent Kill" was clearly set in sappy melodrama. One character is killed and overall, "Falling Skies" seems to be getting a little too comfortable in the local high school.

In case you have not seen the show, "Falling Skies" began with an alien invasion and a mass exodus of survivors into rural, or destroyed urban communities. Character Tom Mason is a seargant, of sorts, who is attempting to keep his family of three boys together and alive. Other characters like Doctor Harris (Steven Weber) do not have such social support. When left alone with an imprisoned alien creature, Harris is offed via chokehold. Apparently, some characters have not figured out that the attacking alien species is dangerous, or was Dr. Harris experimenting with the recently heisted hard drugs before his demise? We will miss you Weber, even after only two episodes.

After this action dies down, "Falling Skies" returns to the slow pacing that also hampered episode four, titled "Grace." Even the cold-hearted Captain (Will Patton) gets in a few sobs near the end of the episode and "Falling Skies" seems to be slowing down in pacing. There are some climactic moments with the rescue of Tom Mason's son, Ben (Connor Jessup). Yet, for an alien invasion themed series, "Falling Skies" seems to be forgetting the war theme of earlier episodes. Instead, there are now families looking for loved ones, baby showers, and female bonding in the weapons cabinet. Do not get this reviewer wrong; character development is key, but creator Robert Rodat needs to remember that this is supposed to be a science fiction thriller.

Minor quibbles aside, the episode rallies with a stealthy insert by Tom and his men into an alien slave colony. Tom's son Ben is here and this reviewer's spoilers have already revealed his fate. Battle is taken to close quarters and some of the adrenalin of the earlier episodes returns, briefly. Agent Orange at sci-fi review site Quiet Earth notices a difference in the alien forces, with one species on two legs and the other on six: "the Skitters are themselves slaves to another race." Hopefully, some of the mystery behind the alien species is revealed in later episodes and here is one vote for more action in further episodes. Break the budget TNT, sci-fi fans want explosions!

"Falling Skies" is developing into a solid series, despite the melodrama and a few plot holes here and there. The show seems to be losing some of its early momentum, but this is still an enjoyable time spent with Tom, his family, and green arachnid looking creatures. Give this show a watch, as "Falling Skies" debuts another episode Sunday, July 17th, 2011 with "Sanctuary: Part 1." Let us just hope there is a little more war in this battle set series!

Episode rating: 6.75 out of 10.

Visit the show's website at TNT found here:

Falling Skies at TNT

A second review of this episode by Agent Orange (Chris W.) at Quiet Earth:

Falling Skies Episode 5 Reviewed at Quiet Earth

Dark Horse has completed a companion novel for this series, which can be found here:



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