BLU-RAY REVIEW: Falling Skies Season 5

[JessHorsley]

A Great Sci-Fi TV Series Comes to a Close...

When it was announced back in 2009 that creators Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan, The Patriot) and Steven Spielberg (Jaws, ET, a lot of other awesome movies) would be creating a post-apocalyptic sci-fi TV series staring Noah Wyle (ER), fans everywhere were excited to see what was in store. The first season of TNT's Falling Skies introduced viewers to Tom Mason (Wyle), a university professor forced by circumstance to become the second-in-command of the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment, a group of freedom fighters and civilians forced to flee Boston following an alien invasion. Over the first season, viewers fell in love with the characters - ranging from our lead, a former professor, and his sons to the various members of the rag-tag band of freedom fighters refereed to as the 2nd Mass.

Season 1, 2, and 3 introduce viewers to the results of the Earth's first (supposed) exposure to aliens; aliens who - within days of invading the globe - destroy every major city, all major infrastructure, the world's militaries, and 90% of the world's human population. The aliens appear in various forms, including armored "Mechs," six-legged "Skitters," and the alien overlord "Espheni" who seemingly control everything. For the first three seasons of the show, it's easy to become enamored with the constant struggle of the 2nd Mass's battle against these brutal aliens who "harness" young humans to become the alien's army. This of course introduces an entirely unique dynamic to the show's storyline; especially when one of Mason's own sons becomes harnessed.

Thankfully, a procedure is developed which frees the teens from the harness, leaving those formerly enslaved humans with unexpected and interesting after-effects. Season 2 ends with a new alien species, the Volm, being introduced. While the Volm play a significant role in the series, helping humanity fight back the Espheni on every front possible, most of the technologically advanced alien allies are forced to retreat to battle the Espheni across the galaxy in Season 3, leaving only a small contingent of Volm remain on Earth.

Oddly enough, it takes until Season 4 to find out the Espheni's true motives and the real reason for the Earth invasion: the Espheni need fuel (which they find on Earth's moon) and an army of human fighters (the "harnessed" teens) to fight off the Volm, who have become a militant, space-faring species who've hunted the revenge against the Espheni wherever the Espheni go. I guess having one's home world destroyed will make you do things like that...

Season 5 jumps right into the action following Season 4's tragic ending. Following the sacrifice of a major character in order to destroy the Espheni's power core on the moon and with another main character supposedly lost in space, humanity's future seems - quite literally - up in the air. Thankfully our hero is rescued and Mason leads humanity to fight - sometimes up close and personal - with the Espheni. For me, this is where I got a bit lost as it is a bit hard to imagine humans fighting these technologically advanced aliens in close quarters battle. Season 1 had scores of humans running from a single Skitter...and now humans are fighting them up close and personal? Not sure I buy into it, even if the Espheni's air support and Mechs are off-line.

Over several Season 5 episodes, there is plenty of opportunity to close hanging plot lines and especially the big question on everyone's mind: Why? It's really the one big question that seems to hang out there for the entire series - and especially this final season: why would the Espheni commit to not just conquering but utterly destroying Earth? The answer to this seemingly simple question arrives via a deus ex machina which provides almost too simple of an explanation. But that's what a deus ex machina is, after all. Thankfully, this significant plot twist - while disappointing - doesn't negate the entire series nor does it diminish the drama, excitement, and thrills viewers have enjoyed for five fun seasons.

One of the best things about Falling Skies is the production design, which is always top-notch. CGI is beautifully rendered, the character designs are high quality, and the costume design and set designs are impressive and realistic. While the acting is always impressive and solid, the writing at times seems a bit hurried and forced; however, Falling Skies overall is one of the better sci-fi TV shows to ever grace the television.

Falling Skies Season 5 blu-ray includes a number of special features, including Farewell Interviews with Cast & Crew, including Noah Wyle, Colin Cunningham, Doug Jones, Sarah Carter, Connor Jessup, and Drew Roy. Additional special features include "A Look Back," a group interview with Doug Jones, Colin Cunningham, and Sarah Carter and the Wondercon Panel featuring cast and crew as well.

Even with the seemingly awkward reveal regarding the reason for the entire Espheni alien invasion and, ultimately, five seasons of awesome, action-packed sci-fi TV, Falling Skies is still an exciting, dramatic, and thrill-filled show that's well worth watching. With solid acting, mostly good quality writing, impressive visuals, cool character designs (gotta love those Mechs!) and over 50 episodes of entertaining post-apocalyptic, sci-fi TV; Falling Skies is a fun way to spend 45+ hours of TV. And the entire series - including the recently released Falling Skies Season 5 - is is available now wherever fine home video is sold.

- Jess C. Horsley

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