S2E6 "Homecoming" *Spoilers*

[SciphonicStranger]

Weaver is whacked out by an alien pathogen.

Hal's ex girlfriend Karen is de-harnessed and alive somehow. Apparently her "pairing" is different than Ben's.

Pope is back! (Yay!)

Maggie confronts Hal's old girlfriend! Ben and Hal finally have a showdown.

Are the alien overlords just toying with their slave stock or is there something else at play here?

 

[shavedape]

I'm finding the ridiculous machinations of the aliens to be wholly unbelievable. I mean, they unharness a bunch of kids and leave them to rot so that Karen can be found and taken back to 2nd Mass? How did they know that would even work as they left the bodies rotting out in the middle of the woods? Talk about suspension of disbelief.

Basically though the story line is playing out pretty much how we all suspected with the hybrid alien son (who of us didn't know he was going to bolt at some point?). The next episode looks fairly good though as it gets back to a more alien style and tone. Hopefully some people will get eaten in that episode. Fingers crossed!

As it is there were plenty of flaws in this episode but to be honest I simply don't feel compelled to rag on it too much. It's like I watch each scene and see it careening towards failure but simply don't care. Like with Pope's magic return where he tells us what happened to him instead of showing us, ho hum. His last minute "The aliens want Ben!" warning was such heavy handed writing that it made me laugh and roll my eyes at the same time. Horrible, no, but certainly not the greatest writing.

Oh -- and don't get me going about Weaver's magic blood transfusion, lol!

 

[Rac80]

this episode wasn't as bad as I feared it would be. it actually was interesting but left me with quite a few questions: why didn't they simply unload the truck of fuel they found then send back two or three more trucks to get more. it seemed there was a lot they couldn't get (according to the "little guy"), Tom remembered karen being there as he was tortured...why didn't he shoot her dead on the spot despite hal's "wittle feewings"? they ahd stayed there TWO WEEKS and been using the generators the whole time???? and why in hell didn't the doctor warn Weaver's second in command (TOM!!!) about weaver's worsening condition-- his condition could have been the reason he was making stupid mistakes like using the fuel for the generators. and pope...why didn't they jsut shoot him? I agreed with the "telling us instead of showing us" criticism of apes.
Unlike ape, I don't like the looks of the next episode! it looks like it's going to be too predictable, but will be better if someone actually dies!

 

[Bluce Ree]

this episode wasn't as bad as I feared it would be. [...]

Were you, like, really afraid? Did you bite your nails, cling to your hubby and peer through a small slit between your fingers as your hand covered your face?

 

[SciphonicStranger]

Were you, like, really afraid? Did you bite your nails, cling to your hubby and peer through a small slit between your fingers as your hand covered your face?

I did - except for the *hubby* part of course...

 

[Rac80]

Were you, like, really afraid? Did you bite your nails, cling to your hubby and peer through a small slit between your fingers as your hand covered your face?

nope just had my finger poised to hit the off button on my remote! I have learned to not waste time on bad tv.

 

[Overmind One]

nope just had my finger poised to hit the off button on my remote! I have learned to not waste time on bad tv.

Not "change channel" or "pause", but OFF.

I haven't seen the episode. Getting it now.

 

[Rac80]

Not "change channel" or "pause", but OFF.

I haven't seen the episode. Getting it now.

it's on demand...no channel to change my friend!

 

[Overmind One]

I just watched this episode. Again, I have to give it a thumbs up. They keep managing to make this show more drama than science fiction, but it works for me still. There were several moments where things were not making sense, but the characters are so much more interesting than last year that I keep watching and trying to follow the episode instead of being so bored I notice the more minor flaws. For instance, the whole thing with Weaver and his blood infection is not making sense.

If the skitters have poisonous skin, then how can people reach into their mouths to kill them and not be infected? Why wasn't the kid infected when he was playing "splatter the skitters" last week? I actually had no problem with the heating of the blood thing, and the equipment they used was sensible. The hunt for the fuel, and the tension of Weaver's condition was done well.

What I am not getting is the behavior of the aliens. Why bother sending spies and infecting people with little nano-bugs to get information? These aliens have defeated Humanity for the most part, and they are now an occupation force. They have air power, neutron bombs, mechs, and the much larger ships of the "fishheads". So why are there references to skitters "coming our way", and how is it that the 2nd Mass can even exist? They make no effort to hide from the aliens, and the aliens make no real efforts to destroy them. From the alien point of view, why would ANY information about the plans of the 5th Mass be relevant to them? Its okay, those things are not a deal breaker for me because I do like the characters now. I like how they have remade Ben's character, I like the way they have remade Lourdes character and Maggie's character. Even Hal is seeming to get more balanced. It was cool seeing him weaken when his girlfriend was found. Tom made a good interim leader. Doctor Glass lends more credibility to her role, and she is really believable as the doctor.

All and all, this was a good episode for me. Yeah, it had some cheese sprinkled in, but still entirely watchable. I am looking forward to next week.

 

[Overmind One]

I'm finding the ridiculous machinations of the aliens to be wholly unbelievable. I mean, they unharness a bunch of kids and leave them to rot so that Karen can be found and taken back to 2nd Mass? How did they know that would even work as they left the bodies rotting out in the middle of the woods? Talk about suspension of disbelief.

Basically though the story line is playing out pretty much how we all suspected with the hybrid alien son (who of us didn't know he was going to bolt at some point?). The next episode looks fairly good though as it gets back to a more alien style and tone. Hopefully some people will get eaten in that episode. Fingers crossed!

As it is there were plenty of flaws in this episode but to be honest I simply don't feel compelled to rag on it too much. It's like I watch each scene and see it careening towards failure but simply don't care. Like with Pope's magic return where he tells us what happened to him instead of showing us, ho hum. His last minute "The aliens want Ben!" warning was such heavy handed writing that it made me laugh and roll my eyes at the same time. Horrible, no, but certainly not the greatest writing.

Oh -- and don't get me going about Weaver's magic blood transfusion, lol!

Yeah, my feelings as well. There is enough entertainment and suspension of belief available to me so that this show is watchable, and I dare say enjoyable to watch. The change in the characters from last season continues to amaze me. The grubby look of the 2nd Mass suites them. I know that some here complain about the perfectly coiffed look, but I am not seeing that. Everybody has at least one smudge, one wound or cut. Fingernails are dirty, hair is mussed, people are not as clean shaven, although if you look closer, you notice that it is intentional. At one point in the ICU room when Dr Glass was treating Weaver, her mussed up hair was suspiciously stiff. The look was properly unkempt, but as she was turning her head her hair was perfectly still (sprayed). Imagine that, messing up her hair, then spraying it to keep it messed up! :glee:

And the aliens wanting Ben. Really? Why is Ben so special to these Aliens? Isn't he just one of the kids who was forcibly de-harnessed? I am willing to watch and find out. But I am just not compelled to be negative about this show yet.