I would imagine that, when fighting a war, being able to trust the men and women standing beside you is paramount. I would further imagine that, in this hypothetical, when the enemy is from another planet, that you should be able to trust humans in general. But if we’ve learned anything from Transformers and this episode of Falling Skies, sometimes the bad guys make friends.
Has Henry Czerny ever played a role where he wasn’t backstabbing, betraying, or generally being an untrustworthy individual? (A quick check of his IMDB page reminds me of roles in Mission: Impossible, A Clear and Present Danger, and A-Team that totally fit that bill) So when he came sauntering into the 2nd Mass’ life, I had my concerns. When he said he wanted to take all of the children ahead of the rest of the group, alarm bells and lights were going off like crazy.
It is unfortunate, because it could have been a pretty good twist. The whole idea of collaborators in wartime is skeezy enough, but when your enemies aren’t even humans, it takes it up to a whole new level. Creepier still, though, is the idea of the aliens needing to work with humans in the first place. The harnessed kids are slave labor first, and now translators? What is the alien’s endgame?
On open question at this point is why Ben talked his father into letting the kids go with Lt. Clayton. Was it just lightening the load for his stressed out dad, or something else. Between Mike’s son putting the harness back on a couple of weeks ago, and the whole “caressing” bit last week, it is obvious that there is some weird connection between the Skitters and the harnessed children, even after the equipment has been removed. Was it enough for Ben to lead his brothers back?
Anne getting shooting lessons is a good (read: fun) thing. Not that we knew her beforehand, but you can tell that war is changing her. Killing the Skitter last week is one thing, but fighting back against the looters and the gun from Maggie is a whole other story. Another sign of her growth? Holding hands with Tom. I wonder if they’re going steady at this point. Maybe they’ll meet behind the gym after math class.
Notes & Quotes
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Jul 18, 2011 @ 02:11 EST5EDT
I think Ben wants to go back to his alien utopia, where every need is fulfilled as he thinks it, by his alien overlords. Sick. Sick. Sick.
What deal did Clayton strike? – I wonder. Was the translator his daughter, and he’s trading other people’s kids in hopes of getting his own back?
I can’t wait until Pope gets loose and teaches Clayton a lesson. Hopefully, now Pope has learned a few of his own.
You just know Pope’s going to join the fold eventually and in some capacity. Both the character and the actor portraying him are too good to not have him in every episode. In fact, after his introduction I’ve felt the episodes have been a little lacking since his absence. I’m glad to see it was just a short leave.
I agree.