Ray Willmott reviews the second episode of Falling Skies season four…
The cliffhangers have already started. Who is the vigilante the Volm want? Why is someone disguising themselves as Tom? Will Tom’s escape plan work? What kind of powers does Lexi have?
‘Ghost in the Machine’ was a great opener and ‘The Eye’ keeps the momentum rolling wonderfully.
Tom’s observations of the alien craft continue. He continues to make mental notes of their flight pattern as they hover above, trying to map the camp in order to make his escape plan most effective, but there are still grey areas. After a brief chat with Weaver back in his room, both realise Tom needs to look on the camp from a top-down perspective.
But in the midst of conversation, Tom and Weaver are thrown outside of their cell and into the street seemingly locked out of solitary. Surprised, they then regroup with Hal and Tector.
They’re interrupted by a harnessed man who descends down to Earth, capturing the attention of the entire city. The man is acting as a spokesperson for the Volm and tells everyone that food drops will stop unless the Ghost vigilante is turned over. Tom is ready to give himself up, but Weaver has a better suggestion and decides to schedule a raid on Pope’s secret stash. Of course, Pope being Pope, he is ready to fight for it, but when Weaver and Pope are confronted by a gang who want the food for themselves, they fight back. Pope then concedes that his secret stash is actually just a few cans of beans. Weaver is not best impressed.
Meanwhile Ben discovers a shocking truth about Lexi. Dr Kadar tells him that, despite looking 21, Lexi is barely a year old and is dying at an accelerated rate due to rapid aging. Yet her powers are incredible and to be feared and we see some pretty intimidating indications of that during this episode, including one instance where she argues with Ben about the state of her health and Kadar’s assessment. It’ll be interesting to see how her relationships unfold and what role she will play in face of this human enslavement.
There are a lot of big developments in this episode, including some surprising twists and turns. Season 4 has quickly set itself into a healthy rhythm with the characters making some surprising choices and decisions, but where will it all lead?
This is as good as Falling Skies has ever been.
Ray Willmott is a freelance critic for various outlets and even runs his own website. He even writes novels – Follow him on Twitter
Originally published July 24, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
