Falling Skies Concludes

Well, although everything up to the ending in this, the very last episode of Falling Skies, was more of the recent same - which is to say, not very interesting or original - the series managed to pull off a memorable conclusion in its last few minutes.

Memorable because, against all odds, there was real change and optimism in that last scene.  Tom giving a speech, maybe prelude to his becoming President, Weaver cleaned up, and everyone looking a little older and very good.  And Tom's last words, that we learned that we're not alone, were just right for the conclusion of this difficult series.

Difficult because, well, how many times, how many ways, can you tell the story of we humans somehow surviving against overwhelming, all but impossible odds?   And our success, based on the premise that if you can destroy the queen, you can wipe out the whole civilization, is not only cliche but was introduced out of the blue just a few episodes ago.

Still, Noah Wylie's acting, and his character Tom Mason and his three boys, and throw in Will Patton's Weaver, especially in this and the previous season, have made an indelible contribution to the science fictional genre of invasions from outer space.   It comes down from Wells' War of the Worlds, through Heinlein's The Puppet Masters and Clarke's Childhood's End  and Damon Knight's "To Serve Man," which was also a great Twilight Zone episode - all of which were much better stories than Falling Skies. But Falling Skies, because of somehow the realness, the uniqueness, of the Mason family, or the impact of this overwhelming invasion on this family, and its stubborn carrying of hope when everything was against them, deserves to be counted among those incredible narratives.

Perhaps we'll discover alien beings out there in the universe tomorrow - or, if our luck turns really bad, be attacked by them.  But till then, Falling Skies will be a fiction worth watching and recalling, with all of its flaws.

See also Falling Skies 5.1: Still Worthy of Viewing ... Falling Skies 5.2: Hybrid ... Falling Skies 5.7: Back Up There ... Falling Skies 5.9: Plummeting

And see also Falling Skies 4.1: Weak Start ... Falling Skies 4.2: Enemy of my Enemy ... Falling Skies 4.3: Still Falling ... Falling Skies 4.5: Cloudy ...Falling Skies 4.7: Massacre Indeed ... Falling Skies 4.8: Spike ... Falling Skies Espheni: How to Pronounce? ... Falling Skies 4.9: To the Moon, Anne, To the Moon ... Falling Skies 4.10: Lexi ... Falling Skies Season 4 Finale: Self-Sacrifice and Redemption

And see also Falling Skies 3.1-2: It's the Acting ... Falling Skies 3.3: The Smile ... Falling Skies 3.4: Hal vs. Ben ... Falling Skies 3.6: The Masons ...Falling Skies 3.7: The Mole and a Likely Answer ... Falling Skies 3.8: Back Cracked Home ... Falling Skies Season 3 Finale: Dust in Hand

And see also Falling Skies Returns  ... Falling Skies 2.6: Ben's Motives ... Falling Skies Second Season Finale

And see also Falling Skies 1.1-2 ... Falling Skies 1.3 meets Puppet Masters ... Falling Skies 1.4: Drizzle ... Falling Skies 1.5: Ben ... Falling Skies 1.6: Fifth Column ... Falling Skies 1.7: The Fate of Traitors ... Falling Skies 1.8: Weaver's Story ... Falling Skies Concludes First Season

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no aliens, but definitely insects