Top 5 Falling Skies Season Two Episodes

Haven't uploaded since before Christmas but I will try to more often now, I was hoping to review more Arrow, Flash and Supergirl but I think they are not coming back to the UK until March. I have been looking forward to doing this Top 5 list because it is a shame I couldn't review this season of Falling Skies because I think it probably is my favourite because of it's darker tone. Though Season Three might be a close tie because I like the intro of the Volm in it and that the humans are more like a big superpower against the aliens, which they completely got rid of in Season Four. Anyway here is my top five for Season Two, SPOILERS.

5. Young Bloods

You know some of my favourite episodes of Falling Skies is when the focus is on Weaver because he is one be of best characters in my opinion. I liked this episode because Weaver had a really touching moment being reunited with his daughter who he thought was dead and it was nice to see some good come to Weaver. I also think this was Matt's first really good episode because he was starting to grow up rather than acting like a kid and he made a compelling argument against his father for wanting to fight. Plus the scene at the end with the Jeanne and her friends almost being harnessed was great and made for a good rescue mission to watch.

4. A More Perfect Union

You know this episode might have been higher but the let down that kept it here was that the take over of Charleston that was built up with a cliffhanger the last episode didn't really amount to anything. I wouldn't have minded seeing some fighting between the people of Charleston and the 2nd Mass plus I don't really like Bressler and he was an ass in this. However they are minor things because it was a satisfying conclusion of the Second Season with the raid on the Overlord at the end which included some great action and torture scenes which lead to the death of Dia and Red Eye. Plus the cliffhanger was really good with the introduction of the Volm (unnamed at this point) and kept me wondering until the Third Season whether they where enemies or not.

3. Love And Other Acts Of Courage

See when Ben isn't completely obsessed with one of Hal's girlfriends his episodes are some of the most entertaining. This episode gave us the introduction to the Skitter Rebellion with Red Eye and the return of Rick from the previous season. I think it was handled really well because Red Eye's backstory of the rebellion was compelling but the scepticism of the other characters kept me constantly second guessing everything. Like I said Ben was great in this because I liked how he kept sticking up for Red Eye and this was the start of his own mission separate of his family and the 2nd Mass.

2. The Price Of Greatness

Quite a different episode here because 2nd Mass has to deal with integrating with another society of humans and of course it didn't go so well. It was interesting seeing some of the members of 2nd Mass accepting this (like Weaver and Tector) while other had a harder time like Pope and the Mason Family. It gave us a break from the alien war to watch these opposing views and the most compelling of them was the ones between Tom and his former history professor Arthur Manchester. I enjoyed seeing Tom trying and convince Manchester and the rest of Charleston the importance of fighting rather than hiding. All in all while there was no action it had some really strong character moments and dialogue that I really enjoyed.  

1. Molon Labe

The best episode of the entire season and one of the best in the series overall, I just loved this episode. It really tries to be scary with the reveal of thus Trojan Horse bugs that burst out of that member of 2nd Mass and started chasing the characters throughout the dark hospital. It also created a really hopeless situation with 2nd Mass trapped in the hospital but thanks to Tom really doing something unexpected by shooting an Overlord in the neck. All in all there was a lot of tension and dark moments in this episode that made it unforgettable, plus Pope was back with the main cast again.

And because I have too the worst episode of the season in my opinion was;

Homecoming

I got to tell you I just really dislike Karen in the series because I never really bought her as this enemy leader in Season Three but before that she had a really underwhelming return in this episode. You know I didn't need Pope to tell me she was actually a spy because it was just so obvious from the beginning, I never understood why anyone in the 2nd Mass bothered listening to her. In my Falling Skies reviews of the later seasons you know I hate the subplots that involve the love lives of Hal and Ben, well this episode was the very first one; they are both fighting for Karen like they do for Maggie in later seasons. I just do not like the rivalry that Falling Skies constantly creates between Hal and Ben because all of the time Hal just acts like a prick and Ben comes off as kind of pathetic when he could be the most interesting character because of the problems he faces being harnessed.

Top 5 Falling Skies Season One Episodes

Now I will move on to Falling Skies for my favourite episodes list (about time I got round to it too) but since each season only has 10 episodes I will do a top five. SPOILERS

5. Eight Hours

We start with the finale and I guess I should start off by saying why it is in fifth place and that is because I am slightly disappointed that the battle with Weaver's group against the Skitters was not shown. I accepted that Falling Skies doesn't have a big budget for massive battles and it's more subtle approach does work for it for however the battle was pretty hyped and we saw none of it. But on to what I did like and that is the battle between those who stayed behind at the school against the Mechs because we had a great gunfight and tense moment when Ben tried to stop them with the frequency and I also liked Weaver's speech when asking for volunteers and seeing who was willing to go. I liked that because while we saw none of the battle the build up for it was really good like also during the trip when Weaver decides to push on despite hearing of the other Masses being destroyed. Finally it ended the season on such a big twist and cliff hanger where Tom goes aboard the Overlord ship that made me impatient for the new season so I can see what happened lol.

4. The Armory

I just had to include the episode that introduced my favourite fictional character; John Pope! I mean this episode showed straight away just how much of a badass he is, from his attitude, finger necklace and how he tired to take the 2nd Mass's supplies. I also like the episode because it also addresses the importance of Military vs. the Civilians and I liked Tom and Weaver's opposing views on the subject and Tom's talk about it with Anne. The only thing I didn't like was Maggie because overall I just don't like her and her whole reason for going along with Pope's gang until now and then just suddenly switching sides.

3. Live and Learn

The first episode was a great start to Falling Skies; it may start six months after the alien invasion but does a great job of introducing us to the characters and the state of the world. It establishes Tom as the main character and I've always really liked Tom because he has always been just a really likable character (despite his change in Season Five), he is not military but I history professor just doing what he can do against the alien menace. I liked all of the other characters as well and the whole situation of 2nd Mass; just a group of survivors each with their own differences and views working together. This also showed that the show can have some great action scenes when it wants to and I liked that they didn't give us that much info on the Skitters, leaving some questions for later episodes.

2. Grace

A great action packed and interesting episode early on in the season which had Tom, Hal, Pope, Dai and Antony trying to find gasoline. I liked the dilemma the group was in, whether or not to kill the sleeping Skitters but Pope escapes just to do it anyway lol and also when the harnessed group attacked them with guns. They definitely should have done that more often because it put the group in a desperate situation when they where almost forced to shoot kids to escape. Anne also got a good subplot with her experiments with the captured Skitter which was interesting to watch and Ricky getting the harness ripped off him was cringe worthy.

1. What Hides Beneath

This episode had two big twists in it and a compelling story that makes it worthy of the number one spot, with the first twist being that the Skitter are commanded by the Overlords. This was great because we finally got to see some form of leadership structure within the alien invaders and changed the whole game for the humans because they thought it was just the Skitters. There is also the reveal Anne makes that the Skitters used to be harnessed children because now we know the real reason for the harness and that Ben wasn't out of danger yet. The great story that was with Weaver going back to his family house and almost giving up on the war. We also found out that he accidently killed his youngest daughter by removing her harnesses and has been separated from the rest of his family ever since; not only was this a more bleak and dark turn for Falling Skies but creates a lot of sympathy for Weaver's character. Finally I also liked the subplot of Pope being kind of like the inventor for 2nd Mass by building the bombs and making the anti - mech bullets.

You know I don't really dislike any episodes in the first season because I think it kept a steady pace throughout but if I had to pick a worst episode it would be;

Sanctuary (Part 2)

I actually really liked part one but the second part didn't have much of a payoff as I thought it would have because while it had some decent gun fights I was disappointed there was no massive shootout between 2nd Mass and 7th Mass. I just think that the 7th Mass where wasted potential as villains when they waste a lot of time trying to make us sympathise with some of it's members.

Falling Skies Season Five: Reborn

The final battle between the 2nd Mass and the Espheni begins in DC as the fate of the whole Human Race is on the line.

Wow I can't believe that this is not just a finale but the last Falling Skies on TV, this has been on for five years and I have enjoyed it and it is going to be difficult knowing there is no new season. As for this finale it was satisfying way to end the story and I will first go into the good points. Firstly all the of action; the attack of the Flying Skitters, the assault on Washington and the creepy moments we had with the eggs where really well done, the best parts of the episode. I also really enjoyed the seeing the Queen and I just loved her design so much it is a shame it was saved just for the finale, plus I liked that she could talk because Espenhi talking was one of the best parts of Season Four. What was weird though is that they talk about the Queen's daughter being killed on Earth before but they didn't go into as much detail as I thought, how did primitives beat the Eshpeni? But still Tom vs. the Queen overall was an exciting moment and the moment when Tom used the magic bullet while being sucked of blood was really awesome. Another great moment was the epilogue at the end with the time skip; I love these at the end of a story in any form (TV, film, books, games) because I like seeing a glimpse at what the characters are doing after everything they have been through.

As for everything else I knew that Pope was going to survive last episode but it didn't seem to matter because he dies in this one anyway! I am not going to hate on this as much as I would have (his death was done well and he settled some of his differences with Tom) but I wished the whole scene didn't feel squeezed into the episode and wish we had more time with Pope. I still wish Pope survived as a hero to fight in the final battle and not die a villain, R.I.P John Pope, you where one of my favourite fictional characters. However the stupidest thing in this episode, which I just shook my head at when I saw, was Anne's revival at the very end, talk about all of the Masons surviving this war unscratched! It was one of the silliest things I every saw I must admit; her death was supposed to have this huge emotional impact but it was almost like the writers thought "screw it we'll bring her back in the end". I mean Anne is a good character but I think that could have been a good way for her to go and her being pregnant felt like was added as an afterthought. Finally another stupid thing was Hal asking Maggie to marry him which just felt so forced and out of place, I thought the last few episodes indicated that they had gotten over each other (I mean Hal looked like he was with Isabella?) and they kind of mention it several times.

Overall despite some small issues the finale was really good and I am glad the story ended on a really happy and positive note. I am going to miss this show and I kind of wish they would do spin off or at least make some comics or novels based on this but the ending was so final so I guess that won't be happening.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: The action scenes/the moments in the tunnel
                   Tom vs. the Queen
                   The epilogue

Let - Downs: Pope's death and his short appearance felt squeezed into the episode
                      Anne's revival was so bloody stupid!
                      Hal proposing to Maggie

Falling Skies Season Five: Reunion

Tom acquires a powerful new weapon for the final fight however an unexpected visitor turns up and Pope launches his attack on the 2nd Mass.

Can't believe that next week will be the finale of the entire Falling Skies series but no time for that now since I have to review this episode. First off the main plot point was the return of Lexi and I was both glad and disappointed; glad because I have always liked the character I just found the storyline in Season Four in Chinatown they gave her to be boring, disappointed because it is a bit of a repeat of the Marhsall Clone episode and it was obvious from the start she was a clone. However I did like the conflict she created by toying with the emotions of the Mason family like Anne and Tom but Matt was really good in it. Him dealing with the decision of bringing her back and justifying it to Hal made for some great scenes; I don't know about anyone else but I just get annoyed with Hal lately and want to punch him right in his smug damn face. All in all her return was handled really well, giving doubts to the 2nd Mass so close to the endgame and wanting you to wish it really was the real Lexi. The next big plot point was with the Dorina and while I am glad to know more about them and see them properly I find their magic bullet to be dues ex machina. I would have preferred the humans to think of their own plan to win rather than rely on an alien weapon that suddenly appeared but I did at least like the testing scenes with Marty and Anne.

As for everything else I did kind of like Pope's attack (good gunfight) on the 2nd Mass but it just felt so lacklustre in the end; it was over so quickly that I'm sure the 2nd Mass just treated it as a five minute inconvenience. Now this could either be because Pope actually survived the explosion and the writers have plans for him next week or they just didn't know what to do with him in the end. I hope it is the first one because this is POPE he just can't go out like this but I hope if he does come back it is for redemption. I will say again I would much prefer him surviving until the end fighting with the 2nd Mass than dying as a villain. Finally there is Ben's determination to get more intel on the Espheni which gives his character something better to do than cry over Maggie, it was like he was back to his old self where he was so important to the plot. The episode ended with an awesome shot of the flying Skitters attacking which should mean the finale will open up with a cool battle.

Overall a really good episode just before the finale, I am not going to put Pope's death in the Let - Downs because I'll save it for the finale if it is confirmed. Still finding out where the Queen is and Tom talking to the other Militia does get me excited for the final battle.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: The conflict Lexi Clone created with the Masons
                   Matt and Ben where real standouts
                   The action scene between Pope's gang and the 2nd Mass

Let - Downs: The magic bullet just arriving now to solve everything
                      Another clone so soon after the last one.
                      That was it for Pope's big attack?

Falling Skies Season Five: Stalag 14th Virginia

While Tom and his family await their execution Weaver tries to get the soldiers of 14th Virginia to turn sides and finds a shocking secret about Marshall.

I got to say that this two part arc has been really good, it may be late in the season to still be fighting humans in my opinion but still very enjoyable. First off Tom was great in this episode and proved why he is a leader by turning quite a few of the soldiers to his side, such as the guard and when Weaver showed his speech to the others. Speaking of Weaver he is another reason I really liked this arc because it has mainly been focused on him and how he has been this unstoppable force like chocking the Overload and taking out the Marshall Clone. Plus he also had a sad moment at the end, realizing that his old flame has been dead for a while and watching Marshall Clone die. I did like the twist that it was a clone; while the reveal that Marshall was working with an Overlord was obvious from the start the fact she was a clone was a surprise and not a far fetched one because the Overlords have been working with Human DNA for ages now. Despite liking this arc I am really glad the two forces are now marching on DC because the final battle is what I really want to see and it looks like we might see something new with the reveal of a "Higher Being" the Overlords are bowing down to.

As for everything else while Weaver was a badass for taking out the Overlord that did seem a bit too easy and I kind of wanted it to have a larger role. Then there is the scene at the end with Pope watching over a death match and finding out that Tom is still alive and while I am glad to see Pope again I am a bit disappointed. I mean really, this is what Pope has become now for the final season of Falling Skies? I don't know about anyone else but I really would have preferred seeing him staying with the 2nd Mass and marching to DC too. Again the fault in this lies with Tom for allowing Sara to die but what annoys me a lot is that Tom now seems to be back to his old self, the one that wouldn't have made Pope an enemy. We could probably expect some big battle between Pope's group and the 2nd Mass that should be fun to watch but I am still hoping Pope and Tom may ally once again. This is because I am sure a main character might die in the finale but out of all of them it really should not be Pope because he is the best character and has developed the most. Yet the writers are turning him into the villain who will most likely die, it is like they have thrown everything he has been through right out the window.

Overall a great conclusion to this arc and makes me look forward to the events of the last two episodes.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Tom proving why he is a leader
                   Weaver was great once again
                   The reveal of Marshall being a clone

Let - Downs: The Overlord was killed off too soon
                       Pope still after Tom     

Falling Skies Season Five: Episodes Six and Seven (Quick Reviews)

I recently came back from holiday, which is why I haven't posted lately, but I am back now with my reviews. I just thought I'd really quickly review the two Falling Skies episodes that I missed but managed to watch on catch up, I'm just listing their Highlights and Let Downs.

Episode Six "Respite"

Highlights

• I admit it was actually nice to see Tom interact with this family who have not involved themselves with the war and we had some good moments such as when Tom broke down crying at the dinner table or returning to his old self for a while.
• Glad that Marty wasn't just forgotten and managed to advance the plot by finding the communications device and it was funny that Weaver is a bit uncomfortable with him.
• Always good to see Cochise involved when he can and I liked how he offered to remove Maggie's spikes when Anne refused (because she was just wrong to).

Let - Downs

• No Pope!!
• While the scenes with Tom and the family where nice to watch there is no denying that it was just filler because in the end it didn't really contribute to the story overall; Tom was just there and he left with nothing changed. Plus I find it so unlikely that land wasn't touched for three years by aliens or bandits and that the children where kept in the dark for so long.
• I can't believe that Isabella is now being thrown in to the stupid love triangle; I have said it before but I am just sick of it now.
• And continuing on with the love triangle Ben's "I love you" confession to Maggie was just so pathetic when I heard it. He was the most interesting of the Mason children in the previous seasons but now he is ruined slightly by the damn live triangle.

Overall it was a nice watch but it was mostly just filler, a small distraction for the group on their way to DC.

SCORE: 5/10


Episode Seven "Everybody Has Their Reasons"

Highlights

• By far my favourite parts of the episode was Dingaan and Cochise working together on the communications device. This was such a great team up for two characters that defiantly deserve more screen time.
• Weaver actually had some great personal conflict to overcome when the person accusing Tom and the 2nd Mass was someone from his past.
• Tom was great in this episode when he defied the whole court marshal and brought up some good points on how it is a waste of time for humans to fight each other,
• It was a nice surprise to see the human collaborators brought up again when I thought they where just going to be a one off thing for Season Four.

Let - Downs

• No Pope!! (Not going to mark it down for this thought because they are obviously now saving him for the right moment)
• If I'm honest I am a little disappointed that Marshall is being controlled by the Overlord (saw that coming a mile away) and that all the military people are jerks (like the prick who tortured Ben). I wouldn't have minded if the military where actually some honest soldiers who just join the 2nd Mass straight away and continue the march. I am saying this because we have already had something similar in Charleston in Season Two where it turned out the military there wasn't fighting and then turned on 2nd Mass.
• I am not looking forward to this Maggie and Isabella team up because there are probably going to get on each other's cases about Hal.

Overall a lot better than the previous one because we had some great moments and more focus on characters like Weaver, Dingaan and Cochise.

SCORE: 8/10

Thought I'd mention that I am going to be really busy now so I probably won't review Agent Carter now and just review the season as a whole when I finish watching it.

Falling Skies Season Five: Non - Essential Personnel

The 2nd Mass leaves Chinatown to bring the fight to the Espheni while Tom tries to rescue Hal from Pope and his gang.

 

Well I got to say that this episode was better than the last one despite the fact that the story with Pope and Tom isn't going in a direction I would have liked. This is mainly because Colin Cunningham is such an amazing actor and he is really embracing the villain role now and makes for a really good one. I just think this would have been better for the early seasons because it feels like the show is going backwards now because I thought Tom and Pope had already moved past hating each other after Season Two? I would also have had an easier time accepting this if not for two reasons; first Tom being such a jerk these last few eps, sorry I just cannot side with him on this because he talked about the "greater good" but it does not apply to his family and he did cause Sara's death. Secondly Pope blames Tom getting lots of people killed yet he shot someone so he is just being a hypocrite, it would have been interesting if Pope actually ran a successful group and proved he was better than Tom as leader. As for everything else with this story I did like Isabella and her plan to free Hal and the action was cool at the end however Pope really needs to get better guards because Tom was all Big Boss sneaking in lol.

 

As for everything else the moments with Weaver an the 2nd Mass was great because Weaver got some more of the spotlight instead of the Masons and Pope for once. I like how Weaver said that Marty was similar to him and he would have become just like him if not for the 2nd Mass. This also touched upon the death of Weaver's daughters again and made for a really touching moment at the end, plus it is great to see 2nd Mass on the road again instead of stuck in Chinatown. It is a shame this subplot wasn't longer however it annoyed me that the damn love triangle was brought up again and if the preview is anything to go by Isabella is going to be thrown into the mix. I just do not care about this little subplot and I wish it was over already because I am getting tried tolerating it now. Also I just remembered Maggie wasn't in last weeks episode at all and she barely said anything in this one so how does she feel about Hal being kidnapped? It's like they forgot to include her reaction because they are focusing too much on her relationship with Ben.

 

Overall a more entertaining episode than the one last week and Tom being captured by the Hornet was a surprise that I am looking forward to seeing more of.

 

SCORE: 8/10

 

Highlights: Pope is a good villain despite me wishing he wasn't

                   Good amount of action

                   Weaver's subplot with Marty

 

Let - Downs: Pope is just a bit of a hypocrite now

                      That damn love triangle

Falling Skies Season Five: Pope Breaks Bad

Pope, finally having enough of Tom, rebels and recruits other to his cause meanwhile the 2nd Mass go on a mission for fuel and Cochise shares news with Anne.

 

It seems like Pope and Tom are now enemies and I don't know how they are ever going to come back from this. I admit I'm not sure how much I am going to like this subplot because I really thought the whole Pope and Tom where enemies was finished after Season Two and they became sort of friends in my opinion. Plus Pope went through so much development through all of these seasons but it is almost like they have thrown that out of the window just to make him the antagonist in this season and it is mostly Tom's fault. His more aggressive stance was good at first but abandoning Sara really did take it too far in my opinion and while Tom can try to justify his decision it was still a d**k move for him. Also I am not really liking the arguments he is having with Pope either because again Tom can try and justify his choices but in the end his whole "Greater Good" view would not apply if it is one of his children in trouble. You know it is almost as if the writers have been listening to me because Pope brings up the good point; nothing bad happens to the Masons or those closest to them (there was Lexi but I hate Tom and Anne defending her all the time because she was a monster who deserved it). It is because of this that I really don't think Hal is going to die because the writers haven't had the balls to kill him off before (Season Three would have been the perfect time) and it is most likely going to be a secondary character or Pope. I would hate it is it was Pope because as I have argued before he is a major character who deserved to make it until the end. We would probably get some good action scenes out of this but in the end Tom is going to be so wrong about all of this.

 

As for the rest of the episode the subplot with Cochise and Anne was really, really good and the best part about the episode. We honestly do not get enough of the Volm in Falling Skies, I mean how long has it been since they have had a good portion of the episode dedicated to them like this? We got to see more of the relationship between Cochise and his father and more about the Volm's views on things. Anne also shined in this subplot because I really prefer her as the supportive doctor and not what she became in Season Four. The surgery was a great scene and I liked the whole silence moment between Cochise and Anne afterwards; while I never liked Lexi I liked this moment of closure Anne had with her death. Another part of the episode that was great was the mission at the police station because those flies are really cool and gave us another really gruesome death. We also got to hear from another person in the world in the radio and it was a nice break for Weaver going crazy over that car lol. Finally I do like what is going on with Anthony because it is something different for his character to deal with plus I guess Pope's rebellion will be easier to take if another main character is with him. I got to admit with the way Tom and the Masons have been recently I would most likely join up with Pope as well.

 

Overall I really don't like that Pope if being set up as the antagonist and could possibly die when all of the rest of the main cast is still alive and kicking. I just want to say that I still really like the main cast but it just annoys me how they are kept around after everything they have been through and if this show is supposed to be about a serious alien war then the Mason family should have had some losses (again Lexi does not count).    

 

SCORE: 6/10

 

Highlights: Anne's subplot with Cochise
                   The mission to the police station

 

Let - Downs: Pope rebelling

                      Tom is kind of annoying now with his change of character
                      It is obvious that Hal is going to be just fine

Falling Skies Season Five: Hatchlings

2nd Mass discovers a massive enemy force so Tom, with the help of the Volm, makes contact with the other Militia around the world and prepares to strike back.

 

Really Falling Skies? Freaking really!!!! They just had to kill off Sara another great secondary character and who only in my last review I said should survive until the end with Pope. I'm sorry but this again is another example of Falling Skies just too afraid to off their main cast; now I do really like everyone one of the main cast but why does the show constantly kill off their well developed secondary characters for the dramatic death scene? Also with the way Pope reacted afterwards I can really see him rebelling now and for all I know that could get him killed at the end. I am not just saying this because he is my favourite character but the way Pope was, what he has been through and how he has changed I just really think he could be one of the characters who survived and had a happy ending in the finale. I know this is supposed to show us that Tom has changed but sacrificing someone else to complete the mission is going a bit too far me plus I bet if it was one of his family he would have went because I guess all of the Masons have got to survive. I know this is quite the rant but it did bother me and the only good thing about it is that Sara's death was done really well at least; it was a sad last moment between her and Pope.

 

As for everything else it is annoying the Hybrid Skitter subplot is over already because I thought it was going to be a big thing but the shooting and suicide at least was pretty damn dark. I did however enjoy the main plot of stopping the massive enemy force and Ben and Maggie brain diving into the Overlord was really cool; see I don't them working like that just keep the romance out of it. Now Anthony continues to get some spotlight which is great because his PTSD condition isn't something that has been touched before on the show and makes me wonder if he will turn against 2nd Mass. My guess is that he will join Pope's rebellion (from what I saw in the preview it is happening) which again bothers me because we already have had Tom vs. Pope in the previous seasons, I thought they have gotten past that now and became friends. Finally we get some light shed on the mysterious new alien race and finding out they probably are extinct makes me wonder if this is some kind of Overlord trick? One last thing even if I have to mark this episode down it is still better than Season Four because all of this season has been action packed and really damn gruesome. For example in this episode alone we got a murder/suicide, Sara's eaten legs and Anthony shooting that Overlord in the face. Now I don't need my shows to be always action packed to be entertaining but Season 4 for just so, so slow and I didn't really like much of the plots they had, mostly about Lexi.   

 

Overall while this was still a great episode and we got a great reveal about the new aliens, Sara death does bother me because I found it to be uncalled for and the wrong direction for the show to take which could lead to Pope's death if he rebels.

 

SCORE: 6/10

 

Highlights: The main plot of stopping the enemy force

                   More info on the new aliens

                   Some good plot for Anthony

 

Let - Downs: Sara's death

                      Most likely Tom vs. Pope conflict soon

                      The Hybrid Skitter subplot didn't lead anywhere

                      Tom's change in personality went too far this episode

Falling Skies Season Five: Hunger Pains

The second 2nd Mass now have to fend off the constant attacks by the Feral Skitters and deal with the crisis of a food shortage.

Wow, now this was one damn great episode for Falling Skies! Now to start off this episode was so action packed it was awesome thanks to the Feral Skitters attacking the 2nd Mass; I mean they where just fighting them throughout so it never stopped except for the end. The shootouts where cool and all of the actions scenes felt really intense with the shots of the hundreds of Skitters and them trying to force their way through the barrier. It also seems that 2nd Mass is continuing to take Tom's words to heart with Anthony torturing one of the Skitters which also brought a small conflict between Tom and Weaver. It is almost like their roles have been reversed since Season One because Weaver used to be more of the aggressive one, for example he tired to send the 2nd Mass on a hopeless mission without orders. So again I am liking that we get a change in Tom for the last season though of course it is through the influence of the new aliens who appeared to him in another vision. Now while I like suspense I do hope the show doesn't wait too long to reveal the true motive of the new aliens because I don't want them to barely have a role then take over all the final episode. Another standout during the fighting was Dingann who made that kick ass drone to stun the Skitters plus we got to learn a bit more about him. I do like his character since he is a useful inventor and I like his role but I hope this means he doesn't get killed off soon because I say again cool secondary characters get killed off all the time on this show to spare the main ones.

The other half of the story focused on the low food supply of the 2nd Mass and it was really interesting seeing starvation affect the characters because it hasn't been an issue before. We got to see how desperate the 2nd Mass got like the really cool and gruesome scene when someone ate part of a Skitter, did not expect that! We also got to see Pope, Sara, Maggie and Ben go on a food run which was also great because while I haven't cared much for Maggie and Ben lately it is great to see more of badass Pope and Sara. I am really liking the pairing between Pope and Sara because Pope has had his time as the detached guy from the group and this gives him someone to care for. This also makes me really want Pope to survive at the end (not just because he is my fav character) because after who he was and how much he has developed I think he deserves to be with Sara and settle in peace in new world if the Humans win. We also got to see another Human/Skitter hybrid and while it is a shame we didn't see more of it, it is not like it was the focus this episode anyway. Finally the fly at the end was really interesting and was probably a spy but I guess we will have to wait and see what the whole collection of flies and Skitters mean next episode. One more thing to say I am glad that damn love triangle took a back seat (with Pope and Sara even saying how silly it is) and it looks like Matt has a love interest now which I guess is alright because it gives his character more to do.

Overall I really can't find any fault myself with this episode; I enjoyed it all the way through,  there wasn't any part that I disliked and unlike last episode a lot more characters got some spotlight. This one is probably one of the best episodes of Falling Skies in my opinion which makes me think I should do a top ten when this season is over.

SCORE: 10/10

Highlights: The constant attacks from the Feral Skitters
                   Starvation as an enemy   
                   Great action scenes
                   Great character moments

Falling Skies Season Five: Find Your Warrior

Tom returns to Earth after his brief encounter with a new race of aliens however he soOn starts to display more rage and aggressive tactics against the Espheni.

Falling Skies is back for it's final season, which is a shame because I think it could go longer even if they use a spin off, and this episode started strong. I picks up immediately after the finale of Season Four and even though the encounter with the new aliens was shorter than I thought it would be I liked the lasting effect it had on Tom. It was almost like they made him into a sleeper agent; the way he repeated certain phrases and how he knew he had to go to the highschool. It was also thanks to the new Warrior Tom (lol) that we got some really cool action scenes like when Tom's group was surrounded in the woods or the assault on the highschool. The highschool part in particular was awesome because I liked the dark atmosphere and the best moment of the episode came from when Tom shot the Overlord in the head. These actions make me think that the new aliens aren't friendly and they want Tom to do their dirty work for them so I hope the finale season has room to give us enough information about them. Now as for the other alien races it is always great to see the Volm and I liked how they helped a lot during the fights and their info about more Militia makes me hopeful we will get some massive battle near the end. As for the Espheni it is good that even in Season Five we still learn more abut them like the Feral Skitters.

Since the episode was mainly focused on Tom there isn't too much else to say; I always like seeing Pope however briefly since he is my favourite fictional character and I'm sure he will get more focus soon. Sara had her own moment with shooting the explosives and it looks like Anthony will tap into his inner rage more with the death of Denny. What I didn't like about this episode was the love triangle that still exists between Ben, Hal and Maggie because I just freaking hated it last season and thought it was a waste of time. Hal just acts like a damn brat and Maggie is not helping; sure she says she can't control her emotions but like she said to Hal she isn't doing anything against them. Also I am still not liking Anne, really wish she was still a doctor, I mean what was all that whispering nonsense when she was stabbing the Skitter? Finally I just want to point out that I am glad Lexi is not coming back because while she was alright I think they just messed up her story last season, I found it to be a boring arc and I never liked any of the stuff she did.     

Overall great start to the final season, not much really letting it down and it ended on a cliffhanger with that weird fly attacking Tom.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Warrior Tom is a freshening change for the character
                   Great action sequences
                   Enjoyed all scenes with the Volm, Espheni and the new aliens

Let - Downs: The stupid love triangle returns
                       Anne still bothers me

My Thoughts On The Walking Dead Season 5 And More

I don't review The Walking Dead as a whole series anymore and I chose not to review individual episodes however I thought I'd give my thoughts on season 5 by listing the good and bad points of it. SPOILERS.

Good

The Hunters: Now these where portrayed well in the TV series and their backstory was even improved upon and they lasted a whole lot longer than in the comics. The individual hunters where fleshed out a lot more, we had an awesome season premiere of Rick's group escaping their camp and we got some really gruesome cannibalism scenes from them later.

Father Gabriel: A character who like the Hunters was portrayed really well in the TV series because they barely changed his character and backstory. In my opinion when you want to change a character from source material to live action it only works with minor characters for example giving them more of a backstory. It worked with the Hunters and even the group Daryl was with for a bit in season 4 but it doesn't work with main characters; Andrea and the Governor for example. Andrea I just hated and found annoying (plus she was completely miscast) and while I really liked the Governor and David Morrissey they took away a lot of the sick and violent stuff he did in the comics.

Abraham's group/Flashback episode: Another example of characters portrayed well in live action and probably the best ones as well because they really look like their characters. One of my favourite episodes this season was when it focused on Abraham's group and his flashback. I am grateful to this episode too because it gave us a break from that so boring police arc.

The Alexandria Safe Zone: A part from a few changes that annoy me (the biggest one mentioned below) the safe zone really looks great. We also have quite a few major characters introduced from the comics who live in the safe zone like Aaron, Jessie and Pete. It seems to be sticking close to the source material and even when it hasn't it has still been entertaining such as when Glenn, Eugene and the others went to find parts for the solar grid.

Bad

The episodes with the Beth and the police: This just had to be in the bad list because it was just so damn boring! Probably the worst episodes of all in the whole series and it just wasted so much time. For starters I have never liked Beth's character; I never got why they downside Hershel's family and then replace Billy from the comics with another daughter. Next that woman who was in charge of the police (can't be bothered to remember her name) was just such a bad character, I mean they don't even make it clear if she is good or a villain. All the cops hate her, she lets them do all they want with patients, she imprisons Beth and Noah yet wastes so much time explaining her side of everything. To make matters worse they didn't even have a big shoot out between the two group; the policewoman and Beth just both did something stupid and got themselves killed.

Killing off Bob, Tyresse and Noah: What started off as a joke on the internet has become true in my opinion; the always seem to kill off the black guy. They built Bob up to be such a good character that it was such a shame that they used him to replace Dale's death in the series. I know Tyresse dies at the prison in the comics so they had to kill him sooner or later but I feel like they could have done a lot more with him and let him reach the safe zone. Then there was Noah who I felt they didn't even need to kill off despite it being a really cool and gruesome death scene. I just can't get why these great characters had to die when such an annoying bitch like Sasha is still around and I'll get to her now.

Sasha: Now this is one annoying bitch who I wish they wold just kill off already! I know she is a bit of a replacement for Andrea and is even taking over some of Micchone's comic scenes in the Alexandria Safe Zone but I think it hasn't worked. She just whines and complains about everything and I just find her rages when she attacks zombies to just be so bloody stupid. I just don't get the point of her character at this point because she just seems to hate everyone and everything and she outcasts herself too bloody much.

Replacing Paul Monroe with Deanna: Now this is something that really bothers me; in the comics the leader of the safe zone is an ex- politician named Paul Monroe. He is a really good character in my opinion and brings a great backstory about the safe zone where he was forced to exile it's founder and friend Davidson. However we don't get that in the TV series instead he is replaced for no apparent reason at all by Deanna who is just such a poor substitute. Her recording all her meetings is just pointless and I just find her to be really unlikeable, weak and incredibly stupid; she just doesn't feel like she could be a leader of a community.

No weather changes: This is actually for all seasons but I am really annoyed that it is always summer in the Walking Dead when they have to battle all seasons, like the winter, in the comics.

The Finale: The parts with Morgan, Daryl and Aaron where good as well as the ending with Pete but besides that it was such a disappointment for a feature length episode. I just hate everything Sasha does such as lying with those walkers to her confrontation with Gabriel; are they trying to make us feel sorry for her because it is not working, they have just created an incredibly annoying character. What I also hated was that they didn't kill Deanna off and now we have to suffer with her in season 6 now; why did they have to make her husband be the one killed by Pete? I just don't get why they had to replace Paul with her! It just didn't feel like a finale to me because it didn't feel like anything major happened, plus we didn't even get a major character death or even that Nicholas who so deserves it.

There you have it just a few good and bad moments that really stood out for me this season. I really do like The Walking Dead but my biggest problem is that it changes too much from the comics and when it creates it's own original material it is usually boring. Here is a few examples from each season after one (that season only had six episodes anyway):

Season Two: The entire season set in Hershel's farm, spending ages discussing whether or not to kill their captive, Andrea and that zombie in the well.

Season Three: Andrea being with the Governor because she basically does nothing and this replaces the awesome arc in the comics when Rick is captured by the Governor, introducing Tyresse now when it should have been in last season and cutting out a lot of the violent things the Governor does.

Season Four: The sickness lasts a bit too long, baby Judith surviving the Governor's attack when in the comics her death haunts Rick and Carl for ages, the group splitting up was dragged on for too long and felt like filler.

Despite these examples I still really like The Walking Dead TV series but there are a lot of characters and events I want to see from the comics, Negan and Jesus for example (no spoilers but those who have read the comics will know what I am talking about!)       

My Top Five Favourite Video Games of all Time

Thought I'd take a break with my Arrow reviews to do something different and write another top five. As I mentioned in my last Arrow review I am trying to catch up to season three but I will try harder now to fit in some film or game reviews etc. Thought I'd add that there will be only one game per franchise or else my list will be full of Final Fantasy games.

5. Devil May Cry 3 - Still holds up today as the best hack and slash game in my opinion and the best in the Devil May Cry series. The gameplay was just so awesome in this from being able to change your class to the combos you can pull off and not to mention the enemies where quite difficult and can change battle tactics to fight you. The story was also great because we got a cocky, young Dante who was just so funny and Vergil is one of my favourite game villains of all time.

4. Kingdom Hearts 2 - This game improved absolutely everything great about the first and included so much more content that it took me ages to finish everything when I first played it. The graphics where so amazing for the time (still look better than a lot of stuff now) and the environments where so big that there was plenty of room for fighting and massive bosses. I liked how Sora can change outfits in battle and wield two keyblades and there was so many different types of enemies. Plus the game felt that it took so long to finish as well because you get revisit every world but I didn't find that repetitive because there was different things to do each time and you got to fight the Nobodies instead of the Heartless. They story in this was so gripping as well since we got to go to all those Disney worlds which also included Final Fantasy characters and Organization XIII was just awesome! 

3. Resident Evil (Remake) - This game stands as the most perfect remake that ever existed in all forms of media and I'm including films and TV as well as well as the best survival horror game. They didn't just improve the graphics and gave us better voice actors instead they included a lot of extra content that was so welcomed; we got the Crimson Heads, Lisa Trevor, new puzzles etc. It also is one of the scariest games I have ever played as well (when I was younger) because of the music, atmosphere and shadows. I know some people complain about the controls and fixed camera angles of the old Resident Evils like this one but in my opinion they add a lot to the horror element that recent Resident Evils like 4, 5 and 6 lack.

2. Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy - I loved this game after the first few minutes I played it because it was so different from any game I have played before and I play a lot of games. This game is mainly a story focused game but it is just so damn good that I could not put my controller down, I just had to keep playing. Its starts off as a murder mystery but it turns into something much more and I know some reviewers have complained about that but I loved all the twists and turns. It was also one of the first games where your decisions in conversations and gameplay affect the rest of the game; looking back I know they where not that big and it all leads to almost the same conclusion but it was still something new to me at the time and I still enjoyed it. Besides the gripping story we also have some really interesting characters that you invest a lot of yourself into and they all have some of the best voice acting I have heard. Lastly Lucas Kane is one of my favourite game protagonists of all time and this game is way better than David Cage's more recent ones like Heavy Rain.

1. Final Fantasy VII - This probably was an obvious one because I may have mentioned it before but nevertheless FFVII remains, and will always remain, my favourite game of all time and one of the best RPGs. I could talk for hours about the amazing combat system where you use Materia to grant yourself magic, the hundreds of enemies you face, the side quests that seem to take forever to finish or the story and characters that had me so addicted to this game that I would play it for hours and hours and hours at a time but I want to keep these explanations short. However what eclipses all of that is the sense of freedom and adventure you get when you play this game. This is helped by one of my most favourite moments in gaming; leaving Midgar for the first time. Who can deny that was an awesome moment; stepping out of the city, hearing the world map music for the first time, seeing the grasslands before me waiting to be explored - it was just something words can't express for me but I did know at that moment it was my favourite game. Interesting note this was also the very first game I bought for myself; got it when I was seven or eight and I haven't stopped playing it since, I admit I probably don't play it as much now because of all the next gen stuff but I always find the time to play it when I can.

Honourable Mentions: All other Final Fantasy games, Metal Gear Solid series, Silent Hill series, Tekken series, Mortal Kombat series, All other Devil May Cry and Resident Evil games, Dead or Alive series, Destiny, The Last of Us, Call of Duty series, Splinter Cell series, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle and I that's all I can think of right now but I'm sure I have missed many.

There you have it my top five games, maybe I'll make some more top five or tens soon :)   

Film Review: Resident Evil Afterlife

Finally got round to reviewing this one!

Afterlife takes place a year after Extinction and Alice (Milla Jovovich) has destroyed the Umbrella Tokyo base and seemingly killed Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts) but at the cost of all her clones and her powers. She then spends six months trying to find any more survivors but only succeeds in finding Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) who has lost her memory. The two must battle new types of zombies and monsters within a prison in L.A. along with Claire's brother Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller) and other survivors led by former pro - basketball player Luther West (Boris Kodjoe). They try to get to escape and reach the haven called Arcadia but it might not be the salvation they are looking for...

"Few more lessons and I'll be able to fly"

This film marks the return of Paul Anderson as the director not just the writer and producer and while I like that it is a shame not to have Russell Mulcahy who I praised in my Extinction review but I will touch on that later. Just like Extinction, Afterlife is a completely original plot that is only loosely based on the game however unlike Extinction this one brings in a lot more references to a certain game which I will explain during the review.

"Okay who wants to go first?"

The only two characters to return from the previous films are Alice and Claire and while I really like those two I would really liked to have seen L.J. or Carlos again (mostly L.J. because of Retribution) even though I know they are dead. However they bring in two of Resident Evil most known characters Chris Redfield and a re - casted Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts). I really like these two casting choices because where brilliant throughout the whole film and they really looked like the characters they where playing. As for side characters there really isn't as much in here as I really would have liked and that is my first complaint about the film because in Extinction and Apocalypse there where lots of great characters and a big draw for the film for me. Two worth mentioning however is Luther West, he is really cool liked his no nonsense attitude and Bennett Sinclair (Kim Coates) as a film producer who only cares about himself. There are some other characters with them but I never really liked them as much as the members of Claire's convoy.

Three Milla Jovovich......yeah I've had that dream loads of times!

Also something I really have to mention and that I didn't like too much was that the majority of the film takes place in a prison in the middle of L.A. One of the reasons Extinction is my fav Resident Evil film is because I really liked the bright and big locations in the desert, thanks to Russell Mulcahy. I guess after Apocalypse and Extinction I wanted the films to always be out doors but no its confide indoors; Tokyo Base, Prison, Ship. However I do really like the set designs especially the hi - tech whiteness of the Arcadia ship or the extensive underground Tokyo Base.

Just as badass from the game

As for the monsters they have once again brought back zombies (of course) but this time they are a lot more dangerous because they are more like the ones from Resident Evil 5; this means they run and have a parasite in their mouths that latch on to enemies. Normally I would not have liked this because I don't like the zombies in 4, 5, and 6 however they are done really well in the film here and their parasite look gross. Other then that we have The Executioner from 5 making an appearance and once again even though I disliked 5 because of its enemies I have to praise it here because it was a perfect adaptation of it from the game and its involved in one of my favourite scenes in the film. That's about it unfortunately (apart from two dogs five minutes at the end) and that is my biggest criticism about this film and the others; they need more monsters! I can't believe they only chose three, well two if you don't count zombies because they really have to be in it every time!

"Bring it on!"

Some of my favourite moments that I just want to quickly mention is the beginning of the film where Alice and her clones storm the Tokyo Base. That was just so epic with all of her clones killing the Umbrella soldiers and using guns, swords and explosives. Next is when the zombies break into the prison and Alice has to jump off it holding a cable while detonating the roof. Shortly after that we have the show room fight between Alice, Claire and The Executioner and that was choreographed really well with the massive swinging axe and the use of slow - mo. Finally is the final fight between Chris, Claire and Wesker because it too is such a perfect adaptation of the fight from 5, I think shot for shot.

Surprise cameo

Overall this isn't as good as Extinction because of a location for the film that I didn't like as much, the severe and I mean severe lack of monsters and I guess it wasn't as fun as the third. However it is influenced a lot from 5 (chest pieces as well I forgot to mention) and even though it is my least fav Resident Evil game they have done it so well that I really enjoyed watching this.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlight: Heavy influences from 5 which are adapted perfectly in this
                 Shawn Robert as Albert Wesker and Wentworth Miller as Chris Redfield
                 Awesome action sequences throughout the film

Let - Downs: Not much monsters
                      Don't care for much of the side characters
                      After such great locations in the Nevada Desert  I don't like that its set mainly in a prison and them just trying to escape from it

You can find all of the great screenshots I used right here;

http://ladymanson.com/ShadowofReflection/home.php

Resident Evil Rant Part One: The Fall of the Resident Evil Games

Still the greatest Resident Evil monster ever!

This post will be something entirely different, it won't be a review like they usually are. Instead I will be talking about a game series that was one of my most favourite, emphasis on was: Resident Evil.

Back when I was younger Resident Evil was by far the greatest survival horror games ever, even better than the Silent Hill series and that is only because Silent Hill can be a bit slow sometimes. There was other elements in the games to be sure like action but those were mostly saved for the bosses or more powerful enemies. I can remember long hours I would spend playing Resident Evil 2 and 3, the setting of Raccoon City was far the perfect setting and full of enemies, human and inhuman alike.
The tone and atmosphere for both was great as well; for Resident Evil 2 there was something quite creepy about the RPD station and the laboratory beyond and in 3 constant moaning of the zombies while your out in the street filled you with a scene of unease. Also every monster in it really gave you a sense of dread whenever you fought one, whether they were the normal zombies and zombie animals to the more sinister Tyrants such as the unstoppable Nemesis!

However there were other games besides these two; two others that surpassed them and were the perfect survival horror games ever - Resident Evil Remake and 0. As much fun as the original Resident Evil was, Remake improved absolutely everything about it and even added a lot more to them and 0 used Remake as an example and became a great prequel to the series. I am confident in saying that there have been no other survival horror games that have beaten these two.

Of course there are some other Resident Evil games worth mentioning; Code Veronica X was a great addition on the PS2, with its main setting on a prison island being just as great as Raccoon City. I admit whenever I played CVX in the dark when I was younger it did make me jump in some places. Also I know they had some mixed reviews but I also think the two Outbreak games deserve a spot in the great Resident Evil titles. They could have improved on a lot of things e.g. made them one big long game instead of splitting it in to episodes, but at least it still had a feeling of classic Resident Evil.

Now to refer back to the title of this rant; The Fall of Resident Evil, I will of course have to mention when it started to fall from grace. I know this next game was well received and has it share of fans but there is no deny that Resident Evil began to lose it with the release of Resident Evil 4.

Don't get me wrong Resident Evil 4 was a great game however I have always considered it more of an action game more than anything rather than a proper Resident Evil. Sure the Ganados and the bosses were interesting and difficult enough with their high intelligence but they just did not have the same impact as zombies. Also when the Ganados started to use guns near the end of the game I just really hated them then because the game just turned in to shooter, they might as well have been human enemies. However one thing that really annoyed me was the introduction of a shop were you can buy weapons and that enemies drop lots of ammunition. The biggest thrill of the classic Resident Evils was never knowing when or were you get your next gun and conserving ammo because it was scarce. With the shop and money that you can collect I never felt worried at all about my inventory like the last game.

Next entry of the Resident Evil was number 5 and this was an even bigger disappointment than 4 which I will talk about now. Frist though I just want to say that the racism surrounding this game was just so stupid, its a GAME that was set in Africa that was taken over by parasites, it had nothing to do with real life! The reasons I dislike this game was first to do with the fact that everything was a redo of 4, from the enemies to the chainsaw wielding guy to the shop at the end of the chapters it was just all the same, it even went to enemies using guns near the end as well. Next was the crappy A.I. that they gave Sheva and the fact that you can't play the game alone. I know in 4 you have to protect Ashley but she mostly stays out of the way and leaves at certain points but Sheva was always there and just so damn annoying that I just couldn't play it anymore. Also I just could not stand the story or the characters, Sheva being the main reason I hate them. She was only there in a hope to ease the racism and I just did not get why she stayed with Chris, her backstory was generic and weak and she had no impact on the story at all. Instead of her it should have been Rebecca, Barry or Carlos, at least they fit in to the overal story already and with Wesker in general, she just did not deserve to be there especially since this game was also the end of the iconic Wesker.

Lastly we have Resident Evil 6 and if I am honest I did like this game a hell of a lot more than 4 and 6. It still had a lot of problems like chapters, the enemies in Chris and Jakes and quick time events but it did try to return to some of its roots. Weapons can now only be found not bought, Leon's campaign actually had zombies in it and it worked really well with the over the shoulder mode (which you can now move in) and you have multiple campaigns like the previous games. However the best campaign in this was Leon's (even though chapter three is a complete waste of time) because of the zombies because I just did not like the J'avo in Chris and Jakes, even though some of their mutations were interesting. It should have been zombies for all campaigns and I know it could have worked, for example I know Chris has better weapons than the others but maybe he could have had massive crowds of zombies to deal with and he still could have had lots of B.O.W as well, like some of the J'avo mutations but as separate enemies. Also I did not like that Leon and Chris was in this because  again they have completely ignored the other characters.

There you have it, I believe 4, 5 and 6 were the reasons Resident Evil has fallen from grace however I do know from looking on the internet that I am not the only one who feels this way. I have heard that there is a seventh Resident Evil in development but it is a little too late, the damage is done from 4, 5 and 6 and there is no forgetting it. There is only one thing the series can do now; reboot.

That is it for now but I will be back for a part two were I go over the points of why a reboot is the best option and how to make it a great Resident Evil game again. Also I know I did not go in to so much detail on the classic Resident Evils like 2 and 3 and why I think they are the best but I might save that for a review on them.