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In the second part of the Falling Skies finale, everyone makes the mistake of leaving Scott alone with the radio transmitter and Rick attacks him! From the ceiling! Scott isn't dead, though, and soon everyone knows that Rick was the alien-loving culprit. Rick should really learn to finish a job. Ben goes to find Rick, and Rick says he knows Ben can hear the aliens calling. Ben wants the Skitters out of his head, but Rick really wants the harness back. He thinks that Ben wants it back too, and proposes that they go off together and find their spidery step-parents. Ben is not into this plan, and he chases Rick as he tries to run off. No one can stop Rick, but Ben almost gets shot by a crazy guy while trying.
Rick makes it into the woods and finds our old friend Megan, who's starting to turn scaly like a Skitter. Rick wants to go back with them, and Megan says that first he has to tell them everything about the Second Mass. Rick, of course, is such a fool that he does, and Tom finds him yelling for Megan to come back. Turns out that she left him, because the Skitters don't really want him, either. Rick occupies two worlds, and belongs in neither. Wah wah. Rick gains some sympathy from Tom when he says how much he misses his dad. That sympathy is soon lost, however, when Tom learns that Rick gave the Second Mass up for real. Inexplicably, he doesn't avail himself of this perfect opportunity to shoot Rick execution-style.
Meanwhile, the Second Mass fighters are on the road, but the Fourth and Fifth Mass don't show up at their meeting point. This probably means that they're already dead. Weaver tells everyone to make their own decision about going forward, and Hal is one of the first in. Weaver breaks them into four squads, and tells them that at 2100 hours they are to light their bomb fuses and get out, and then everyone goes back to the school on foot. I can't tell you why they'd have to go on foot. Also, judging by my calculations, that's like a 26 mile walk. And Weaver claims that he's no longer a speed freak!
Tom returns from the woods to tell everyone else that the Skitters know where to find them. I wish he would just say that it's Rick's fault so everyone would tear him limb from Skittery limb. In any case, they're going to evacuate the civilians, and Tom and a small group of volunteers will stay behind to try to hold off the aliens. Of course the best soldiers have already gone with Weaver, but this just provides Tom with ample opportunity for a historical parallel and really long quote. I'm sure it was very inspirational in person. Meanwhile, Weaver orders Hal to go back to the Second Mass and tell them that the Fourth and Fifth are gone, and that they should evacuate. He and the other soldiers will go forward, to give the remaining civilians hope that they can draw blood from the aliens. Wait, so the best way to give people hope that they can win a post-apocalyptic war is to send all of your best soldiers on a suicide mission? Okay, then.
And then in the middle of the evacuation freaking Matt needs a father-son talk. What an asshole. Sarah and her baby are doing fine, though, FYI. With Mechs inside a mile, Ben insists on staying and helping Scott figure out the frequency stuff, since the Skitters keep changing it up. Tom is dubious, but eventually realizes that it's probably the only way Scott's cockamamie plan has a chance of working. A Mech attacks, and the fighters left at the Second Mass get a chance to try out their Mech bullets. And they work! After firing quite a few shots, the Mech falls. But then. The whole building starts shaking, and there's half a dozen or so Mechs coming down the road. Scott and Ben work on the frequencies, but determine that their signal is too weak. They need a bigger antenna. Ben suggests a flagpole, and goes out to clamp a connector to it. And then it totally works! The Mechs get confused by the frequency situation and retreat.
Hal makes it back to deliver the message about the Fourth and Fifth, and tell everyone that Weaver and his fighters are going ahead with the mission anyway. He says that the roads were clear, which is further evidence that the frequency jamming worked. Tom decides to take the radio to the structure and help the men in the field, but he doesn't want to take Ben along. That makes zero sense. What makes more sense is that Tom takes a minute to start making out with Anne! On the lips! She gets a little post-apocalyptic tingle.
When Tom gets near the structure he finds Pope with Anthony. Both have been injured, and so Tom gives them the car to go back to the school. Pope saw Weaver leave for the structure but never heard a bomb go off, and so the outlook for him is not so optimistic. Pope can't figure why the Skitters didn't finish them off. It was the magic frequency, of course! He leaves Tom with the rocket propelled grenade, armed with a fancy Mech bullet.
Soon, Tom finds Weaver alive, though wounded. Weaver says that a ship took them out, and that their bomb is no good. They're really close to the Skitter Bay Luxury Condos now, and Tom decides to take a shot while the aliens are still confused due to the jammed frequency. And then, I shit you not, Tom fires the RPG and hits an alien ship, which then flies directly into one of the arms of the Skitter condos and sets it on fire. I mean, not that this show has ever been overly concerned with plausibility, but he might as well have flung an Angry Bird to take the whole thing down. This finale is the worst.
On the way back to the school, Tom and Weaver run into harnessed Karen. She says that the aliens brought her here because they don't understand. And then a big, skinny alien gets out. Karen says that they didn't expect resistance on this level, and find it interesting. They just want to talk. Tom and Weaver both freak out like so many Tom Cruises to a glib Matt Lauer. They point their guns, and Karen tells them not to kill the alien because of Ben. He's not free from the process, and they'll call him back unless Tom goes with them. Even Weaver isn't enough of a speed freak to buy this plan, but Tom starts to walk with Karen to the ship. Does anyone else have "The Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind" stuck in their head?
Want more? The full recap starts right below!We open with Uncle Scott tooling around with his radio and telling Tom that the Skitters must have changed their communication frequency again. He says that if they find the right signal, they should be able to stop the Skitters and Mechs right in their tracks. And spoiler: This is exactly what happens! And here we've thought all season long that Uncle Scott was just an annoying, folksy old fart in a fishing vest who enjoyed twiddling around with vintage electronics. But nay! He is an alien-fighting genius. Much like how all the action of the penultimate episode could have taken place in exactly eight minutes, this episode could end right here and be just as satisfying.
Anne comes walking in, probably because she needs to talk to Tom as always. Oh, actually he needs to talk to her this time. Tom tells Anne how Ben can hear the radio signals and she's basically like, "Weird. I got nothin'." Anne wonders if Tom thinks that Scott's idea could work, and he just says that Scott is hopeful and Hail Mary passes seem to be the order of the day. Another spoiler: He is not kidding. Tom whines that setting gun positions and barricades and coming up with an evacuation plan is a long way from the lecture hall. But Tom's primary skill is turning any place in which he stands into a lecture hall! Way to adapt, buddy. Anne knows that Tom is worried about Hal, but says that he's a smart kid and will back off if Weaver's mission isn't right. The thing is, we already know that Weaver's mission isn't right! And Hal volunteered for it! Though Hal LOOKS like he's 35, we must remember that he's really only 16. Tom agrees with me, and says he knows that Hal will follow it through if he can, because Tom himself would do the same thing. He notes that it should be about eight hours until Weaver and the fighters go in and says he just wants to get through the day. That's exactly what I say at, like, 10:15 a.m. during a normal work day. There's usually not a good possibility that everyone I know will be dead by 6:00, though.
Scott starts squawking because the generator is out of gas, which I guess means the radio won't work. Tom thinks there's a spare can in the storeroom, and asks Ben to give him a hand with it. Anne heads back to the clinic, which means Scott is alone in the principal's office. He stands there being a doddering old guy per usual as a shadow passes over his face. You can tell he's getting a creepy feeling, and so turns around to see Rick scrambling backwards up the wall! From a corner of the ceiling, Rick says, "I won't let you hurt them," and launches himself right at Scott! Yeah! Best moment of the episode by far, and it happened less than two minutes in.
After the opening credits, we catch up with the fighters heading in to Boston. Several folks -- including Pope, Anthony, and a lady fighter -- sit in the back of the truck. Anthony complains about the bumpy ride, and Pope quotes from the movie The Wages of Fear. Nobody really knows what he's talking about, including me. But he says that it's going to take more than a few bumps to set off the four bombs, which are also in the back of the truck. Anthony is less worried about the bombs than the loaded RPG, which he says should not be back there. Pope mocks him some more, and says that the safety is on...he thinks. He then checks it and the safety is in fact not on. Pope thinks this is as funny as a 1940s boxing kangaroo cartoon and he shouts a sudden, "Boom!" for emphasis. Anthony calls him a nutbag, which is totally my insult of choice! I use it particularly to describe my cat, Nula, when she is running around before or after pooping. Cat people, you know what I'm talking about.
Hal leads the 2nd Mass parade on his motorcycle, because you always want to lead with the hot guy. Weaver is standing in the back of the convertible during the whole ride, I guess because he's still a speed freak at heart. He orders two other folks on motorcycles to scout the roads ahead. Hal then approaches Weaver and says they've been lucky so far. Weaver responds, "So far today or so far this year?" Yes, this year in which the whole country has been decimated by aliens has been so very lucky. Weaver says that the Skitters could be concentrating their forces on the highway, but their luck could change. We then see that Weaver has the shakes in his hands, which is likely a symptom of withdrawal. He should be in Sober House right now kvetching with Dr. Drew, and not leading 50 young men and women to their deaths! Weaver asks how much Hal knows, and Hal says that there aren't many secrets between him and his dad. But hearing that Weaver was off pills was good enough for him to volunteer on the mission. I don't know, I think that if there's any time that speed would come in handy it's when you're carrying out an ill-fated attack on your hostile alien overlords.
Hal thinks Weaver is still wondering why he came and Weaver says, "Am I?" Yes, the dialogue is scintillating. And then, proving that the apple doesn't fall so far from the tree, Hal makes a historical parallel! He remembers his dad telling him about the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Thousands of guys -- many as young as Hal -- came flooding into the recruiting offices. They didn't know how long the war would last or how hard it would be, but they knew they wanted to fight back. Weaver is all, "Thanks for the history lesson Tom Junior," and then points out that this time it's different. Their enemies aren't like them and don't make the same mistakes. In fact, they haven't missed a beat yet. Hal motions to the 2nd Mass cavalry and says, "I'd say they missed one." Or, the aliens are just fucking with the 2nd Mass. The scouts come back to say that the road is all clear, and the war parade moves ahead.
Back at the school, Ben is telling Tom about how he found Scott lying in a little pool of blood to the transmitter. Of course we don't actually SEE this, because that would have taken precious time away from Weaver and Hal's brilliant verbal exchange. Scott is perfectly conscious and being tended to by Anne and Lourdes. Ricky is like the worst hybrid species traitor attacker ever. He couldn't even do harm to the old guy! Tom and Ben enter, and Ben asks Scott if it was Rick who attacked him. Both Scott and Tom seem surprised that Ben would come to this conclusion, even though anyone with eyes and a brain would know that Rick has been a huge fucking weirdo for the last six episodes! Scott says, and I quote, "Rick was hanging from the ceiling, like some crazy bat. Don't ask me how." Yes, like some crazy bat. Or a crazy skittering alien. Whichever. If these people are representative of the human species, then we deserve to be eviscerated. Have at it, hostile alien overlords! You were right all along.
Scott says that Rick knew just what to take to screw with the transmitter, and Anne is shocked that Rick would turn to sabotage. Dude, he drew a cartoon of himself being tickled by a Skitter. This isn't so hard to figure out. Tom guesses that the harness isn't going away and says that they need to find Rick. Ben, however, finds Rick first. Rick is, of course, lurking behind a doorway to be extra creepy as Ben enters. Ben is not in the mood for these creepazoid shenanigans, and pushes Rick against the wall while asking why he hurt Scott. Rick's mission was to get the vacuum tube in order to stop Scott from keeping the Skitters away. Ben gets extra Canadian as he says that if Rick gives back the radio part, everyone will forgive him and think he was just confused because of the harness. Sadly for Ben, Rick is not as stupid as everyone else in the 2nd Mass. He pockets the part, and then tells Ben, "I know you can hear them too." At this, Ben's façade drops and he points to his skull, saying, "I want them out of my head." Rick does not even understand why anyone wouldn't want to have alien voices in their head at all times. He tells Ben that the aliens are better than the humans, and that the two of them can be a part of that. Rick gets extra serious as he says that he wants the harness back, and he knows that Ben does too. He invites Ben to come with him on a search for their erstwhile foster families.
Ben hesitates for just a second before yelling for help and sending someone to get his dad. Rick escapes through the window and starts running and Ben follows him, yelling for everyone else to stop him because he's going to warn the Skitters. Because Rick has special Skitter powers, he can do things like leap over a school bus and run really fast, so it's hard to catch him. I wish there had been a trampoline to give him some extra lift as he bounded over that bus. Ben starts to run after Rick, and then some idiot tries to shoot Ben. Maggie redirects his aim just in time. Ben is like, "Really?" Tom takes the guy's gun, and the guy tells Maggie that if aliens figure out where they are, then they're dead. Maggie suggests that he save his ammo for them, and not the kids. Except for Rick. I mean, everyone would be a lot better off if he were at least traumatically injured. Tom tells Ben to go back inside and hang out with Anne while he goes after Rick. He puts Maggie in temporary charge while he's gone. I bet she'll have the whole place shaped up in half an hour!
We catch up with Rick, who is wandering through some very foggy, scraggly woods. It is the kind of creepy scene that is most reflective of his soul. And there is Megan! Well that didn't take long. He should have tried a hike in the forest earlier. Megan, whose face is starting to get Skitter scales, tells Rick that they've been trying to hear him, but it's been difficult. He says it's because they took the harness off, and then totally gets awkward like he wants to touch her but his hands are too sweaty. Megan says that harness-removing is awful, and that humans just don't understand. "Humans Just Don't Understand" was the first big hit for alien rappers DJ Scatty Skit and the Fresh Mech. Rick holds Megan's gaze and says, "I want to come back and be like them. Like you." Megan is all, "Of course you do!" At least when you're full-on harnessed the Skitter scales eventually cover your dirty face. First, Megan says, Rick needs to tell her everything about the people he's been with. If you thought Rick might have some sort of moral quandary of giving up the people who have been inexplicably nice to him, you forget that he skittered up a wall and attacked an old dude. Rick does not even hesitate at the idea of confessing, and we head to commercials.
When we return, Tom is running through the now-sunnier woods, trying to find Rick. His first clue is a footprint. The second is Rick's voice screaming, "No! Wait! Please, I told you all I know! All I want to do is come back! Please! Please!" And then we see Rick on the ground with Megan nowhere in sight. Dude. The Skitters don't even WANT him. Once again proving themselves more perceptive than humans! Hearing Rick's desperation, Tom can't bear to shoot him. He asks who Rick is talking to and all Rick can say is, "They left me." He only wanted to be with them, but they didn't care. This is what happens when you creep people out! Note to all half-alien hybrids out there: just pretend to be normal! You catch more flies with honey! Tom asks if there are Skitters around, but Rick is so self-obsessed he can't answer any questions but the ones circling in his own head. He says, "I'm not one of them. I'm not one of you." A foot in two cultures but belonging to none! It's like the whole pantheon of second-generation immigrant literature, all bundled up into one kid who can climb walls sometimes.
Rick says he doesn't want to live like this anymore, and tells Tom to go ahead and shoot him. What an opening! Tom acts like he's never even considered such a thing. Which: bitch, please. Tom assures Rick that he didn't follow him into the woods to kill him -- he's there to take him home. Again, bad idea! Just let him wander around in the woods for perpetuity or something! He'll be fine. Rick then starts crying and says he really misses his dad. Way to pull on Tom's heartstrings, kid. Seriously, though, I think he's probably talking about his six-legged dad. Rick says that he's sorry, and Tom comforts him and says that it's okay. But it's actually not okay. To wit, Rick says, "I thought they loved me, but all they wanted was information." Tom gives Rick a, "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout?" kind of look and asks what he told the aliens. Rick's answer? "I told them everything. The school. Weaver. You. Everything." I repeat: everything. As if they weren't screwed enough! What would be awesome is if Tom shot Ricky right now without saying another word? Doesn't happen, though. Rick will live to try to sabotage all humans again.
Back on the road, the fighters are getting closer to the Skitter Bay Luxury Condos. Weaver looks troubled and calls all his people together. He says that if the 4th and 5th had made it to their set point, their runners were supposed to meet the 2nd Mass in the spot where they are now. He says that they have to assume that the 4th and 5th have been taken out. Uh, genius, that's what everyone else already WAS assuming. They can retreat, or keep going. Weaver, of course, wants to keep going, because he's a psychopath. But, he says that each of the fighters has to make his or her own decision. Pope steps forward and says that before this becomes a weepy Oprah moment, he'd like to note that if they turn back now it would be a waste of some damn fine munitions. He yells, "You call yourselves a resistance, right? SO RESIST! Let's light these alien freaks up!" If he lives and the earth somehow returns back to normal, I think Pope has a fine career as a motivational speaker ahead of him. Anthony is all for going forward, especially if it puts a cork into "old Charlie Manson." He's in. And so is Hal! I guess that means everyone else is in too.
Weaver says that they'll split into four squads, with four separate charges -- one for each leg of the Skitter Bay Luxury Condos. He assigns north, south, and east, and says he'll stay on for the west leg. At 1900 hours he'll send Hal and Anthony to recon with the other squads. If everyone is in place, they'll wait until dark, move in, and position the charges. At exactly 2100 hours they light the fuses, and get the hell out. Pope assures Weaver that his bombs are high quality, and if the fighters get them there, they'll blow. Weaver says that everyone will be on foot after that, and they'll have to make their way back to the school however they can. That's like 26 miles! What's going to happen to all the cars that are currently residing in this spot? Can't they meet back up here? As everyone disperses, Anthony points out that they're going to have a long walk through some very pissed off Skitters. Weaver is like, "Oh well! That's the only plan we've got!" What about a plan involving vehicles? Pope requests a transfer to another squad, so he doesn't have to hang out with Anthony. Weaver knows better than to let Pope out of his sight, however, and says that he stays where he is. Anthony finds this to be hilarious, and actually gives Pope a little pat on the butt. Eventually, these two are totally going to be like the Thelma and Louise of the 2nd Mass.
Back at the school, Tom escorts Rick through the hallways and orders Lourdes to take him to the clinic. He gives Scott the transistor vacuum tube, which Rick was carrying. The kid couldn't at least smash it? I mean, please. Tom calls some civilians together and gives them the dirty lowdown: the Skitters know where they are, and there's a good chance they'll attack. He's very tactful in not mentioning Rick's role in this. Tom says that he'd hoped that they could wait until the strike team was back to move, but now that's too risky. He's decided to evacuate the civilians. They'll walk through the tunnel out of the auditorium and, once through, they'll move west away from the city. Maggie points out that if the Skitters are on to them, they'll be crawling all around the area and it won't be easy to get past them. Tom says that's why he's going to stay behind, along with a small group of volunteers. If the aliens attack, the lingerers will draw their fire and maybe leave an opening for the civilians to escape. Jimmy, so often the voice of reason, asks how they're going to hold off the Skitters and Mechs when their best soldiers are with Weaver. Tom knows how it sounds. Like a historical parallel! They're in the territory of the battles of Lexington and Concord, where no one thought a small force of colonists had a chance against the might of the British empire. He quotes Patrick Henry, who said, "The battle is not to the strong alone. It is to the vigilant, the active, and the brave. A small, disciplined militia can not only hold out against a larger force, but drive it back, because what they're fighting for rightfully belongs to them." Yeah, but: aliens. Either because they're standing in a classroom where Tom's lecture holds more weight or because they have no other choice, people seem resigned to the plan.
After a break, Hal and Anthony return from their scouting mission to alert Weaver that the Mechs are moving into position around the Skitter Bay Luxury Condos. They couldn't get close enough to see the other teams, but Anthony says that they could see smoke coming from one of the set points, like some sort of attack had happened. Hal doesn't think the other teams made it. Anthony adds that the way the Mechs are moving, they look ready to laser beam a whole bunch of fools into oblivion. Weaver squints for a moment of thought, and then tells Hal to get his bike and go back to the school while he and the others stay put. Hal is upset and says that he wants to see this through, but Weaver wants him to go back and tell Tom he was right -- the 4th and 5th are gone, and the civilians need to evacuate.
Hal, who apparently has a death wish, tries to argue that Weaver is going to need every fighter possible. Weaver tells him that there will be other battles after today, but only if people know that the Skitters can be hit hard. So, the fact that all of their best fighters are dead is supposed to give people hope? I think someone is still too speedy to have thought all of this through to its logical conclusion. Hal doth protest some more, but Weaver is emphatic about wanting him to go back and tell everyone that the fighters of the 2nd Mass carried out an attack against the alien structure over Boston and that the resistance drew blood. But they don't even know that the resistance drew blood yet! They haven't even attacked anything! Weaver is asking Hal to tell tall tales. Or, as he puts it, give people hope. He tells Hal that he can lead the fight, and the one after that. Of course, he'll have no fighters to help him in those battles, because they'll all be dead.
Anthony pats Hal on the shoulder and tells him to be careful. He totally wishes that Weaver had sent him off for the hope-giving duty. As Hal zooms off, Anthony asks Weaver if there is a Plan C. The answer is basically: not really. Or, as Weaver puts it, "Improvise." Their objective is to get the explosive as close to the structure as possible. Anthony and Pope are forced to ride together in the sweet GTO. Soon they will be clutching hands and flying off a cliff together! I hope that Pope has a lovely headscarf.
Back at the school, Matt is having one of his whiny episodes. He pouts that doesn't want to pack up and evacuate unless Tom is going to be with him. Matt also thinks that Tom is still mad at him for pallin' around with terrorists -- e.g. Pope. Tom says that he was angry and Matt promises never to do it again. But Tom says that he probably will do it again and Tom probably will call him on it again. Ah, the intricate dialogue of a father-son bonding moment. Tom is basically like, "Blah blah, growing up is hard, also I love you. Let's hug." Tom passes Matt off on Lourdes, and the parade of civvies heads out. Anne sees Sarah, the lady who used Weaver as her doula, on her way out with little baby Charlotte. Anne approaches Sarah to say that Charlotte is beautiful. Wouldn't Anne have seen Charlotte like 100 times by now in the clinic, for her baby checkups? Anyway, fucking Sarah goes, "She's more than that, she's a miracle." That lady needs a solid cock-punching. Who at this point would be looking forward to traveling miles on foot to an unknown destination with a weeks-old baby? And then, hey! There are two little African-American twins ahead of her who were most definitely not with the gang that went to Doom Farm. Though at this point, consistency with extras is really the least of our worries.
Lourdes calls to Anne and says that she'd be happy to stay with her. Anne replies that someone needs to watch out for Rick -- and seriously, they haven't locked this kid in the Skitter cage yet? -- and also you never know when someone might need a doctor. Lourdes says that a year of medical school hardly makes her a doctor. Nor does a year at Wellesley, which is NOT A MEDICAL SCHOOL BUT AN UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION. Jesus show, just try with some of these things. Anne tells Lourdes that she's helped out a lot of people -- especially Anne herself. Another question: Who the eff is leading the civilians? They're just left to wander aimlessly around the woods? Did anyone even give them a map?
Meanwhile, Scott is putting the vacuum tube back in the transistor radio and notes that he's surprised Rick didn't smash it. Yes, us too. Tom says that maybe Rick isn't as far gone as they thought. Dude, he crawled backwards up to the ceiling of the room you're standing in and jumped on an old guy, and then gave you up to the aliens without hesitating. I'm sure he just held on to the vacuum tube in case the aliens wanted to anally probe him with it. Scott prepares to give the transistor radio a test with Ben, and Tom says that they've got eight minutes before Ben has to evacuate with the other civilians. Both Scott and Ben tell Tom that this is the stupidest plan ever, as Ben is the only person (besides Rick, who you could not trust with such a job) keyed into the Skitter radio frequency, which changes all the time. Plus, Ben is keen on using what the Skitters did to him to get back at them. Maggie pops in to let Tom know that scouts have seen Mechs within a mile, and Tom finally acquiesces to Ben and Scott's request, I think mostly because he has no time to argue.
After a break, we see the small crew of volunteer civilians congregate behind the barricades of the 2nd Mass. Maggie calls over to Jimmy, calling him "kid," and suggests that he come and stand with her. Jimmy does come and tells her that his name is not "kid," but Jimmy. Per usual, everyone else is all geared up in down vests and wooly mittens and Maggie is standing there in a tank top. Jimmy totally has his first situationally-inappropriate boner right now. Maggie tells him that this ought to be a piece of cake after his experience taking on a Skitter, and he says that it really was Weaver who saved his ass. He misses his crazy, squinty, gritty-voiced, pillhead father figure. Maggie suggests that they make a pact to watch each others' backs, which is sweet since I'm sure Jimmy is in need of a kind word.
Tom commands everyone not to shoot until he gives the order, and notes that they have 30 rounds of ammunition each. They have to make every shot count. Meanwhile, some asshole comes running down the street yelling, "Meeeech! It's comiiiiiiing!" Yeah, I think everyone can hear the giant echoing footsteps, you tool. Way to draw more attention to the group. Also, what was this guy doing going out for, like, a stroll? The Mech gets closer and Tom reminds everyone not to shoot just yet. Maggie gives Jimmy some gun shooting pointers, which is confusing since that kid is always toting a gun around like he knows how to use it. Maybe it's a different kind of gun? Meanwhile, Scott and Ben fiddle with the radio and Ben notes with surprise that the Mech is still coming. Scott says that the damn things must have changed frequencies. Instead of figuring out what frequency they're using, however, Scott and Ben stand and look out the window. Awesome. Way to chip in.
The Mech finally gets close enough that Tom orders the group to fire. They do, and use like a million bullets. I thought those bullets were magic, like the blender? Also, I thought that Mechs used regular human bullet casings, so why does whatever the Mech is firing seem so much bigger and more effective and prone to causing flames? They're using the same bullets! They finally do take down the Mech after firing a LOT of rounds, and everyone cheers and Scott says to Ben, "I guess those Mech bullets really work, huh?" I thought the whole point was that you didn't need to use 1000 bullets, but what do I know.
And then. As the ground starts to shake, the communal celebration is curtailed. There are about a half-dozen Mechs stomping down the street in unison. Someone on the forums suggested that they do a "Thriller" dance at this moment, which would have been amazing. I somehow suspect that aliens of all sorts are big MJ fans. It might be a way to bridge the two cultures! Tom does a quick check of everyone's ammo supply, and, as you might guess, each person seems to have about two to four rounds left to fire. They. Are. Screwed.
But wait! Scott and Ben fiddle with the radio dial and find a powerful frequency. But the Mechs are still coming. Scott says that the signal might not be strong enough and the generator is maxed out. He wonders if they could find a bigger antenna and Ben suggests the flagpole. They are tapping into the power of American patriotism! Believe it. Scott looks around for some sort of tool that could make this possible, and lands on a set of jumper cables. The Mechs get very close and people are starting to get scared. Maggie instructs Jimmy to stay down until she tells him otherwise, and reminds him of his agreement to watch her back. Dai is there -- I guess his abdominal laceration healed pretty quickly.
Back in the office, Scott attaches one end of the jumper cables to the transistor, and Ben starts to run the other end out to the flagpole. Tom is like, "WHAT are you doing outside?" and then takes over, clamping the cables to the flagpole as instructed. And...those are some long-ass jumper cables. Ben winces in pain from the frequency in his head. While all this is happening, Maggie starts firing at the Mechs, and the others join in. And then, just as everyone runs out of ammo, things get quiet. Maggie tells Jimmy, who's hunkered down, to get up and see something beautiful. And the Mechs are going away! Jimmy says, "The Mechs! They're running away from us?" Tom yells, "That's right! And this is just the start! We beat 'em once, we can beat 'em again!" This bunch of tools cheers like if it weren't for an old man and his radio and his half-Skitter companion and a magical 60-foot long jumper cable they wouldn't have been completely eviscerated. I mean, I don't know much about alien robots or radio frequencies, but I find this situation to be highly improbable. And yet, compared to what happens a little later on, it's like the apex of realism. I'm sorry I'm being such a bitch about this show right now. But come on!
It's dark, and the 2nd Mass folks are still in a celebratory mood. Maggie thinks that the Skitters will be back, but tells Jimmy that he did a good job in the fight. Tom tells Maggie that Ben's hurting a little from all the frequencies in his head, but hanging in there. He commends her work in the battle and she says, "Oh, we should try it again sometime." Sarcasm even in the face of doom! And then Hal and Dai return to tell Tom that the 4th and 5th never showed up, and that Weaver is going to try to complete the mission any way he can. Tom says that doing it by themselves is suicide, which Weaver must know. Hal thinks that's why they sent him back, and adds that the others couldn't live with themselves if they didn't at least try the attack. Tom finds it curious that Hal rode in from Boston and didn't find any trouble, and sees that as evidence that Scott's jamming idea worked. The aliens could be withdrawing their forces and figuring out what hit them. Tom sees this as an opportunity, and says that he wants the generator and the transmitter loaded onto a vehicle stat.
Anne packs up the pharmacy in preparation for her evacuation, and Tom walks into the clinic. There is mood lighting galore, which you would think would be hard to achieve with battery-powered lanterns. Anne says that she's going to miss the school, which is where she had her first good memories since the whole alien takeover. Tom is in no mood for small-talk, though, and looks troubled. He says that the Skitters pulled back, which should allow her the time to get the civilians to a safe spot. He advises her to look for someplace secluded and close to water, and then announces that he's not going with them right away. He's carried out his duties of keeping the civilians safe -- because leaving them to wander alone in the woods is a really stellar move -- but now there are men in the field who deserve the same consideration. Tom can't walk away. Anne looks as if the fact that Tom is going back into Boston for Weaver is the most erotic thing she's ever heard. She knows that she can't change Tom's mind. He says that if something happens to him, he'd like her to watch out for his kids. She says that she'll look out for them until Tom comes back, and he WILL come back. And then Tom plants one on Anne! It's the moment we've all been waiting for. How great would it be if Tom decided that Weaver could wait until after they had a quickie on a chem lab desk?
Scott and Hal pack up the car, and Scott explains that somehow the car is one big antenna. Convenient! Additionally, the Skitter frequency has also remained the same. Also convenient! As long as the generator is full of gas, Tom's good to go. Ben wants to come along, in case the frequency changes, but Tom won't have it. He also won't let Hal come. He is not a fun dad! The three Mason men hug the longest hug in existence, and then Tom takes off.
Soon enough, Tom nears the Skitter Bay Luxury Condos, which features all sorts of spaceships flying around. Tom spies the sweet GTO and stops his car. What he finds, however, is not so great. Pope is sitting by a flipped car, with Anthony in his arms. But this is no sweet love affair. Anthony is breathing but bleeding really badly. Pope claims that he is no fan of Anthony, but says that Christmas is right around the corner. Tom points out that it's actually not that close, and the two of them drag Anthony to the car. Pope says that the last time he saw Weaver, he was headed toward the structure. Since Pope didn't hear anything that sounded like a boom, he's guessing that Weaver didn't make it. All of Pope's lovely explosives gone to waste! Pope says that he can't figure out why the Skitters didn't finish them off. He then sees the radio, and Tom credits it with keeping the Skitters away for a while. Tom tells Pope to take the car and get Anthony to the school while he goes in to Skitter Bay. Pope tells him that, in the trunk of the GTO, there's a little something that will come in handy. It's the Mech metal RPG! It is indeed an impressive looking weapon. Pope wishes Tom luck as he heads into the wild skittery yonder.
After a break, we see Weaver coming to in a truck. The comrade beside him is dead and Weaver looks a little worse for the wear. Tom pops in and Weaver is quite surprised to see him. Tom explains that they held off the Mech attack at the school, and Weaver tells him that as soon as the fighters got near the structure's leg a ship came in and took them out. I can't believe that we didn't see anything of the attempted attack! I know the show probably burned through its special effects budget, but damn. Weaver adds that the bomb is no good now. Tom gazes upwards and says that he thinks the ships are being called home since the 2nd Mass jammed their frequency and messed up their communications. Weaver thinks this is why the streets are deserted, and Tom says that the aliens could be confused or a little afraid. And it's all due to an old dude with a radio from 1950.
Tom takes a long look at the RPG, and Weaver asks what he's thinking. Tom is thinking that he's close enough to take a shot. Isn't that something that he might want to leave to a pro? Or, in the absence of a pro, Weaver? Weaver points out that the entire U.S. military couldn't make a dent in the alien ships when they attacked, and so the chances for success are slim. But, Tom points out, so were their chances of surviving thus far. The normally serious Tom all of a sudden seems to think he's playing a 3D version of Asteroids, and sensing his boyish enthusiasm, Weaver tells him to go ahead. Tom fires a shot, which hits one of the spacecrafts. Convenient! Said spacecraft then flies directly into one arm of the alien structure and lights it on fire. Convenient! Not that this show has ever been overly concerned with plausibility, but he might as well have flung an Angry Bird to take the whole thing down. This finale is the worst. Weaver's response is, of course, "Good shot." It is a mystery to me why no alien bombs them to death as they stand there chuckling over their good fortune.
Weaver and Tom head back to Acton in the truck, but are stopped short on the road at the sight of Karen standing right in front of them. Tom asks if the aliens sent her to find them, and she says they brought her here because they don't understand. And then one of the tall skinny human-looking aliens shows up. Karen tells Tom that they didn't expect resistance on this level. The aliens find that interesting, and want to talk. Tom still has a lot of testosterone coursing through his body after that lucky shot, and screams, "You thought this was gonna be easy? Superior forces? Superior weapons? You murder millions of people and steal our children, and now you want to negotiate? What the hell do you want from us?" Weaver doesn't even care what the aliens want, and just wants to shoot the nearby tall skinny one right in the...whatever place you'd shoot a skinny alien. Karen adds a calm, "Don't." Weaver asks why he shouldn't, and Karen says, "Because of Ben." She adds that the harness is a process, and Ben isn't free from it just yet. The aliens will call him back...unless Tom goes with them. Weaver is all, "Uh, no." But Tom thinks about Ben's scaly back skin and how he can hear the radio frequencies, and knows that the aliens still have a hold over him.
As Tom starts walking toward Karen, Weaver points out, quite rightly, that Tom can't trust the aliens. Karen says that the aliens can force him, but they don't want that. Just then, a spaceship comes down, bright lights a-blazing. Did anyone else have the theme song from Close Encounters of the Third Kind running through their heads at this moment? Though Weaver is still wary, Tom says that he can't let them take Ben back. I love how they don't even want anything to do with Weaver. They're like, "It's impossible to understand him, and plus he's always squinting." Little do they know that Tom intends to bore them to death with his famous historical parallels! Karen holds out her hand, and Tom takes it. She leads him to the ship as Weaver stands behind, befuddled. THE END!
season on Falling Skies: Let's just hope that the special effects budget has been replenished.
Potes wasn't so fond of the finale, and would love to know what you thought! She can be tweeted @traciepotes, or emailed at potesypotes@gmail.com.