by Merrill Barr:

Falling Skies Recap: “Love and Other Acts of Courage”

Original Air Date (TNT): July 8, 2012

Season 2 Episode 5

Thomas Jefferson once said “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Intentional or not, Falling Skies is a true embodiment of the famous saying. The idea that you must earn the right to live by fighting for your freedom is a life philosophy the Second Mass lives by. And now it appears the Skitters do as well.

The truth of good ole Red Eye came to light in this episode and I must say, it came out of left field. Like many, I was fully expecting the reveal to be that Rick’s harness had fully overtaken him between seasons one and two and he became Red Eye. But this reveal so much better because it still satisfies the question “what the hell happened to Rick?” The answer? He ran off to fight for the human race’s survival after the tragic death of his father.

And speaking of tragedy? It seems almost too apt that a new Spider-Man move, a character built on the backbone of tragedy, would open the weekend of this episode. Only a few short week’s after losing his best friend, Ben must now protect the skitter responsible for Jimmy’s death. And on top of that, because of their need to protect the still yet unknown Red Eye, Rick dies by shotgun in one of the most emotionally exhausting moments of the season.

Despite not appearing up till now, Rick’s death moves the audience in a way Jimmy’s did not. Perhaps it’s because we already bore witness (sort of) to the death of Rick’s father. Perhaps it’s because we’ve spent the first half of this season wondering what happened to him. But to have Rick be cut down as gruesomely as Jimmy was, it’s a whole other level of tragic.

Not to mention the fact that death seems to follow Ben wherever he goes. His mother, Jimmy, Rick, he can’t escape the possibility that he’s somehow to blame. Which I choose to believe is at least part of the reason why he tells Matt he has to leave at the end of the episode. He won’t be responsible for anymore death within the resistance.

As for this “skitter revolution,” I have no reason as of now not to believe in it. Nothing would make me happier than to watch a moment in the season finale where Tom is put in charge of a legion of skitters to take down the Overlords and win back their freedom.

~Merrill Barr, DarkMedia Resistance Group 49 – out~

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DarkMedia contributor Merrill Barr can also be found on his podcast, The Idiot Boxers and on Twitter @sonic43.