Compass (24 Jun. 2012)

Jimmy and Ben head out on patrol at night and come upon a skitter. Jimmy knocks it down with a single shot... See full synopsis »

Director:

Michael Katleman

Writers:

Robert Rodat (creator), Bryan Oh

Stars:

Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Drew Roy

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Noah Wyle	...	Tom Mason
Moon Bloodgood	...	Anne Glass
Drew Roy	...	Hal Mason
Connor Jessup	...	Ben Mason
Maxim Knight	...	Matt Mason
Seychelle Gabriel	...	Lourdes
Peter Shinkoda	...	Dai
Sarah Carter	...	Margaret (as Sarah Sanguin Carter)
Mpho Koaho	...	Anthony
Colin Cunningham	...	John Pope
Will Patton	...	Captain Weaver
Dylan Authors	...	Jimmy Boland
Brandon Jay McLaren	...	Jamil Dexter
Ryan Robbins	...	Tector
Luciana Carro	...	Crazy Lee

Storyline

Jimmy and Ben head out on patrol at night and come upon a skitter. Jimmy knocks it down with a single shot... See full synopsis »

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 June 2012 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks Television, TNT Originals

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Falling Skies (Main Title Theme)"
(uncredited)
Written by Noah Sorota
Performed by Falling Skies Orchestra

User Reviews

Hardcore character development, action and mind packed, addictive format and exciting villain

Wow ! This was the pivotal episode I had waited for. As a huge fan of science-fiction and everything bizarre I really miss shows like Lost and Smallville. The two-parts premiere was entertaining but not good enough to turn a viewer into a fan. Until now Falling Skies was playing in the lower league.

Last time I hadn't realized that showing Ben teaching a kid how to shot was actually a way to criticize weapons. He's a mutant after all ! So developing this arc and killing Jimmy in the process was quite thrilling. Until it happened I never believed for a second that they would dare get rid of him. My only complain is that they didn't blame Ben for his death when they should be a little suspicious about his whereabouts. Still Tom's fight with John Pope was brutal and proved that he's not the man he used to be. However I didn't interpret his violent behavior as a sign of mutation considering he had just lost one of his sons. Otherwise their realistic side, because they acted like desperate survivors, wasn't matched by a decent attention to details again. I mean how come they didn't check the woman's back ? They spend too much time talking for their own good, making the story over dramatic when it should focus about resisting. That's why Tom's clash with the Captain about fighting versus hiding was welcomed. I also enjoyed that the format didn't feel episodic at all. The writers have a plan and seven episodes to execute it.

Last but not least our friend Skitter was back and apparently he's able to read Ben's mind. It makes one hell of a villain, both cunning and strong ! Does he even know what's going on ? Are their encounters comparable to hypnosis sessions ? To sum things up Compass was captivating from beginning to end and only the annoying TNT watermarks and few questionable behaviors tainted the picture. Moreover now the 2nd Mass has a well defined goal I can't wait to follow their journey because as Ned Stark would say, winter is coming !

Note : This review was first posted on Kritikenstein, my weblog.