Worlds Apart (Falling Skies)

Last updated

"Worlds Apart"
Falling Skies episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 1
Directed by Greg Beeman
Written by Mark Verheiden
Production code201
Original air dateJune 17, 2012 (2012-06-17)
Running time42 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Eight Hours"		Next →
"Shall We Gather at the River"
Falling Skies season 2
List of episodes

"Worlds Apart" is the second season premiere episode of the American television drama series Falling Skies and the 11th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on TNT in the United States on June 17, 2012, as a two-hour season premiere with the second episode of the season. Written by the first season showrunner Mark Verheiden and directed by Greg Beeman, "Worlds Apart" was the first original Falling Skies episode in 10 months.

Contents

Remi Aubuchon was hired as the showrunner for the second season in May 2011 before the first season premiere. He replaced Verheiden, who is also the co-executive producer. Once Aubuchon entered the writer's room, he began speaking of the cliffhanger left over from the first season finale. He stated that creating the follow-up was a "fun challenge, which propelled a lot of the storytelling for the second season." [1]

Three months have passed since Tom Mason boarded the spacecraft, and the 2nd Mass has been on the move. Assuming their father is dead, Tom's eldest son, Hal, becomes more of a presence in the 2nd Mass, along with Ben, whose hatred of the Skitters grows stronger. After Tom's return, through flashbacks, "Worlds Apart" details his torture by the Overlords and his pilgrimage back to the 2nd Mass.

Reviews for the episode were relatively positive. Many critics saw it as a step-up in quality from the first season and praised the darker approach to storytelling. In the United States, the two-hour season premiere achieved a viewership of 4.46 million. The episode garnered a Nielsen rating of 1.5 in the 18–49 demographic, down from the season finale.

Plot

Three months have passed since Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) boarded the spacecraft, and the 2nd Mass has been on the move. In the opening scene, a small group, part of the 2nd Mass, led by Captain Weaver (Will Patton), attack a group of Skitters and Mechs patrolling the streets. Ben Mason (Connor Jessup), who was captured by the Skitters months earlier, has since grown to despise the extra terrestrials. Weaver orders the group to cease fire and conserve ammo. Ben, however, notices a Skitter still alive. He jumps from the rooftop on which he was firing and slits the Skitter's throat. His brother, Hal (Drew Roy), follows him. They both hear a noise and notice another Skitter. Ben shoots it. However, at that point, Tom Mason was wrestling with it. The bullet goes through the Skitter and wounds Tom.

The group bring Tom back to their camp. Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood) and Lourdes (Seychelle Gabriel) operate on Tom. While Tom is in surgery, flashbacks appear, filling in the gaps of his 3 month departure. He is apparently tortured by the alien “Overlords” while on the spaceship. Later, the Overlords wish to speak with him. They communicate through Karen (Jessy Schram), who was once part of the 2nd Mass. It tells Tom about a “Neutral Zone”, in which survivors can live in peace – detained in a camp run by The Overlords. Tom quickly realizes that negotiation with their invaders is out of the question, and he immediately refuses. He attacks a nearby Skitter and is knocked unconscious in the process.

Later, Tom is dropped off in a field somewhere. There, he discovers that other people were held captive on the spaceship as well. A Mech kills everyone, except for Tom, presumably to tell others about what he witnessed. He begins a pilgrimage back to Boston. On his way, he finds a girl, Teresa (Laine MacNeil) being mugged. Tom helps her. Teresa’s mother was murdered and Tom and Teresa bury her. They leave together on Teresa’s motorcycle. Later, they hear Mech fire and people. Teresa decides to leave and go to the mountains. Tom stays to find other survivors. There, he finds a Skitter. While attempting to kill it, Tom is shot by his son, Ben.

His story complete, Tom awakens to find Anne by his side. She tells him she knew he’d return for his sons. He tells her that he came back for her too. Tom then reunites with his children before greeting fellow members of the 2nd Mass. They appear happy to see him. Pope (Colin Cunningham), however, appears not so happy to see Tom. He tells Weaver about his suspicions.

Production

Falling Skies was renewed on July 7, 2011, for a second season. [2] TNT announced production had begun on the second season on October 24, 2011. [3] For the second season, Brandon Jay McLaren joined the cast in October as Jamil Dexter, [4] a mechanic. McLaren will feature in seven episodes. [5]

Filming took place in Vancouver and at the Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam from October 2011 to March 2012. [6] For the first season, production took place in Hamilton [7] and Toronto. [8] [9] Noah Wyle said that the change in location made filming significantly different. [10] A new crew came in for the second season, with only "two or three people on staff that were there in season one." [10] The new staff includes a new writing staff and showrunner. [10]

I watched all of the episodes in a row, and I was going along, going, 'Okay, that's interesting. Okay, I can see something there. Okay, that's good. And when I got to the end, and it was that ending, I went, 'Oh my God, I'm in trouble.' I mean, I thought it was cool, but it's also one of those moments as a writer, where you go, 'Ohhh kay, what do I do with that?' ... I called up Graham Yost and I called up Mark [Verheiden], saying, 'What were you guys thinking?' And they said, 'I dunno. We just thought it was cool.'

 — Season two showrunner, Remi Aubuchon [1]

Remi Aubuchon was hired as the showrunner for the second season in May 2011 before the first season premiere. [11] [12] Once Aubuchon entered the writer's room, he began speaking of the cliffhanger "it became a really fun challenge." Out of that cliffhanger, says Aubuchon, "came some really positive things that propel a lot of the storytelling in the second season. And the writers came up with a pretty cool way for Tom Mason to get off that spaceship again." [1] "You'll always catch people after a huge trauma saying, 'Oh, it wasn't that bad.' Or, 'It was fun,' Or, 'It was cool falling off that cliff,'" says Aubuchon. "The truth is, at first it was like, 'Oh my God, should i just say I can't do this job?' Ultimately, though, I think it turned out cool." [1]

Series lead Noah Wyle received several phone calls after the first season finale aired. The number one question was "What the hell were you doing getting on that spaceship?" He said that they "wrote themselves into a corner". [1] Moon Bloodgood, who plays Dr. Anne Glass, says she was sort of daunted but impressed by the writing. [1] Aubuchon added that Tom Mason's capture helped the writer's change the character slightly. He stated: "Tom comes away from that experience feeling used and manipulated. It wasn't the experience [he expected]. He thought he was going to be having a nice conversation with an extraterrestrial being. It turned out to be worse than that. More than that, I won't say. But that's what made it fun." [1]

Greg Beeman, who directed the episode, spoke about Remi Aubuchon's hiring. He said that Remi had "a lot of ideas about how to keep the good stuff we’d established in Season 1", and "diminish the things that weren’t as strong". [13] Steven Spielberg's original conception of Falling Skies was that the characters in the series would be nomadic. [13] The idea for the second season was to "create a mobile refugee camp made up of vehicles and rag-tag tents." [13] Chris Faloona, who was the Director of Photography in the first season, was unable to return due to commitments on another series, and Nate Goodman was hired. [13] Aubuchon and Beeman discussed what was a head for the characters this season, and soon after, Beeman called Connor Jessup, who plays Ben Mason, and said "I’ve just heard what the plans are for you for this season. And my strong advice is that you get a trainer and start eating your Wheaties! You are in a HUGE storyline is going to revolve around you... You're a warrior, you’re a skitter killer and you’re a badass!" [13] Jessup hired a trainer that very day. [13]

Reception

Ratings

In its original American broadcast, "Worlds Apart" was seen by an estimated 4.46 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. [14] The episode was down 24% from its series debut, [15] which garnered a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic. [16] Nevertheless, Falling Skies remains TNT's highest-rated scripted series. "Worlds Apart" received a 1.5 rating among viewers between ages 18 and 49, meaning 1.5 percent of viewers in that age bracket watched the episode. [14]

Reviews

After spending the last several months mulling and anticipating the Falling Skies season 2 premiere, I finally got a look at the two-part debut including the episodes "World's Apart" and "Shall We Gather at the River". Result: I'm stunned. Since the creative team had little or no opportunity to course correct based on viewer feedback in season one, I sort of anticipated season 2 of Falling Skies would be a reboot in many ways, but I never expected the magnitude of improvements I've just witnessed. Falling Skies has set the standard for prime-time action and Science Fiction and delivered an opening act that finally fulfills the promise of a blockbuster level experience on the small screen.

– Jon Lachonis, TV Overmind [17]

Reviews for the episode were strong. Many critics noted a step-up in quality from the first season. Newsday's Verne Gay called stated " "Skies" has made the bad guys intriguing, and now if it can only get serious about character development with the good ones -- humans -- then the second season will be a big improvement." [18] Maureen Ryan of The Huffington Post compared the episode to the first season by saying "Season 2 is a different animal, a much leaner and meaner machine that allows sentiment to be present but unexpressed and depicts a darker world in which innocence is a luxury that no one can truly afford." [19] Chuck Barney declared "Sunday's explosive two-hour opener boldly delivers on the promise by TNT producers to rev up both the pace and the firepower in Season 2." [20] Matt Richenthal of TV Fanatic called the episode a "strong start overall to Falling Skies Season 2," and continued by praising the performances of Wyle, Patton and Cunningham. [21] Screen Rant's Anthony Ocasio praised the episode. "While further episodes will reveal more, the type of character development, intriguing storylines and exciting action that will be contained in Falling Skies season 2 , there’s no doubt that TNT’s hit drama will likely become an epic adventure, spanning many seasons," he said. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noah Wyle</span> American actor (born 1971)

Noah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American actor, producer, director, and writer. He currently plays lawyer Harry Wilson in Leverage: Redemption, a revival of Leverage (2008–2012). He is best known for his role as John Carter in the television series ER (1994–2009), which earned him nominations for three Golden Globe Awards and five Primetime Emmy Awards. He is also known for his roles as Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise and Tom Mason in the television series Falling Skies (2011–2015). He has appeared in films such as A Few Good Men (1992), Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999), Donnie Darko (2001), and W. (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remi Aubuchon</span> American television writer and producer

Remi Aubuchon is an American television writer and producer. He is well known for his work on the Fox thriller 24 and the TNT alien-drama Falling Skies. He is the son of the late American actor Jacques Aubuchon. He was married to the American actress Joanna Lipari, with whom he has one child, Micheline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Verheiden</span> American screenwriter

Mark Verheiden is an American television, movie, and comic-book writer. He was a co-executive producer for the television series Falling Skies for DreamWorks Television and the TNT network.

The Librarian is a series of original fantasy-adventure made-for-television films from TNT starring Noah Wyle as the Librarian, who protects a secret collection of artifacts.

<i>Falling Skies</i> 2011 American science fiction television series

Falling Skies is an American science fiction television series set in a post-apocalyptic era, created by Robert Rodat and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. The series stars Noah Wyle as Tom Mason, a former history professor who becomes the second-in-command of the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment, a paramilitary group of remnant US military personnel, military veterans, civilians and various fighters fleeing Boston, US, following an alien invasion that devastated Earth.

<i>Falling Skies</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of the American drama television series Falling Skies commenced airing on June 19 and concluded on August 7, 2011. It consisted of ten episodes, each running approximately 40 minutes in length. TNT broadcast the first season on Sundays at 10:00 pm in the United States.

Live and Learn (<i>Falling Skies</i>) 1st episode of the 1st season of Falling Skies

"Live and Learn" is the first episode of the first season and the series premiere of the TNT science fiction drama Falling Skies. The episode was written by series creator and executive producer Robert Rodat and directed by Carl Franklin. The episode first aired in the United States on June 19, 2011, alongside the second episode.

The Armory (<i>Falling Skies</i>) 2nd episode of the 1st season of Falling Skies

"The Armory" is the second episode of the first season of the TNT science fiction drama Falling Skies, which originally aired June 19, 2011, alongside the pilot episode. The episode was written by Graham Yost and directed by Greg Beeman.

Prisoner of War (<i>Falling Skies</i>) 3rd episode of the 1st season of Falling Skies

"Prisoner of War" is the third episode of the first season of the TNT science fiction drama Falling Skies, which originally aired June 26, 2011. The episode was written by Fred Golan and directed by Greg Beeman.

Grace (<i>Falling Skies</i>) 4th episode of the 1st season of Falling Skies

"Grace" is the fourth episode of the first season of the TNT science fiction drama Falling Skies, which originally aired July 3, 2011. The episode was written by Melinda Hsu Taylor and directed by Fred Toye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silent Kill</span> 5th episode of the 1st season of Falling Skies

"Silent Kill" is the fifth episode of the first season of the TNT science fiction drama Falling Skies, which originally aired July 10, 2011. The episode was written by Joe Weisberg and directed by Fred Toye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What Hides Beneath</span> 8th episode of the 1st season of Falling Skies

"What Hides Beneath" is the eighth episode of the first season of the TNT science fiction drama Falling Skies, which originally aired July 31, 2011. The episode was written by Mark Verheiden and directed by Anthony Hemingway.

Mutiny (<i>Falling Skies</i>) 9th episode of the 1st season of Falling Skies

"Mutiny" is the ninth episode of the first season of the TNT science fiction drama Falling Skies, which originally aired August 7, 2011, alongside the season finale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eight Hours</span> 10th episode of the 1st season of Falling Skies

"Eight Hours" is the tenth episode of the first season of the TNT science fiction drama Falling Skies and the season finale, which originally aired August 7, 2011, alongside the ninth episode.

<i>Falling Skies</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of the American television drama series Falling Skies premiered June 17, 2012. It consisted of ten episodes, each running approximately 42 minutes in length. TNT broadcast the second season on Sundays at 9:00 pm ET in the United States.

Tom Mason (<i>Falling Skies</i>) Fictional character

Tom Mason is a fictional character and protagonist of the TNT television series Falling Skies. The character is played by Noah Wyle. Falling Skies tells the story of the aftermath of a global invasion by several races of extraterrestrials that neutralizes the world's power grid and technology, quickly destroys the combined militaries of all the world's countries, and apparently kills over 90% of the human population within a few days. Mason is one of the leaders of the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment, a group of survivors fighting against the aliens.

"Shall We Gather at the River" is the second episode of the second season of the American television drama series Falling Skies, and the 12th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on TNT in the United States on June 17, 2012 as a two-hour season premiere with the first episode of the season. It was written by Bradley Thompson & David Weddle and directed by Greg Beeman.

"Compass" is the third episode of the second season of the American television drama series Falling Skies, and the 13th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on TNT in the United States on June 24, 2012. It was written by Brian Oh and directed by Michael Katleman.

"Love and Other Acts of Courage" is the fifth episode of the second season of the American television drama series Falling Skies, and the 15th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on TNT in the United States on July 8, 2012. It was written by Joe Weisberg and directed by John Dahl.

<i>Falling Skies</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of the American television drama series Falling Skies was renewed on July 11, 2012 for a total of 10 episodes. The season premiered on June 9 and ended on August 4, 2013. On July 2, 2013, TNT renewed the show for a fourth season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Anders, Charlie Jane (May 11, 2012). "That Falling Skies Cliffhanger: "We wrote ourselves into a little bit of a corner"" . Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  2. ↑ "TNT Orders Second Wave of Falling Skies, Cable's #1 New Series". Turner Tekgroup (Press release). Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Gorman, Bill (October 24, 2011). "TNT's 'Falling Skies' Second Season Production Under Way". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011.
  4. ↑ Munn, Patrick (April 15, 2012). "Terry O'Quinn & Brandon Jay McLaren To Guest Star On Falling Skies". TVWise. Archived from the original on April 17, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
  5. ↑ "'The Killing's' Brandon Jay McLaren Lands Recurring Role on 'Falling Skies' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. October 14, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  6. ↑ "BC Film Commission List - Feb 14, 2012". British Columbia Film Commission. February 14, 2012. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
  7. ↑ Yeo, Debra (July 11, 2011). "Spielberg series shot on Hamilton debuts Wednesday". The Hamilton Spectator. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  8. ↑ Lowry, Brian (June 16, 2011). "Falling Skies". Variety . Archived from the original on June 21, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
  9. ↑ Amatangelo, Amy (June 19, 2011). "Noah's arc". Boston Herald .
  10. 1 2 3 Vogt, Tiffany (May 22, 2012). "Noah Wyle Previews FALLING SKIES Season 2". The TV Addiction. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  11. ↑ "FALLING SKIES Looking To Invade Season 2, Remi Aubuchon Showrunner". May 11, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Development Update: Tuesday, May 10". The Futon Critic. May 10, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "SEASON TWO BEGINS!!!!!!!". June 16, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  14. 1 2 Bibel, Sara (June 19, 2012). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'True Blood', 'Falling Skies', 'Real Housewives of NJ', 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' + NASCAR & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  15. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (June 18, 2012). "TNT's 'Falling Skies' Down In Season Debut". Deadline. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  16. ↑ Seidman, Robert (June 21, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Falling Skies,' 'Game of Thrones', 'The Killing,' 'In Plain Sight,' 'Law & Order: CI,' 'The Glades' and Much More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  17. ↑ Lachonis, Jon (June 16, 2012). "Falling Skies Season 2 Review". TVOvermind. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  18. ↑ Gay, Verne (June 14, 2012). "'Falling Skies' and visiting aliens". Newsday. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  19. ↑ Ryan, Maureen (June 15, 2012). "'Falling Skies' Review: Sci-Fi Drama Kicks More Alien Butt In Season 2". The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  20. ↑ Barney, Chuck (June 13, 2012). "Chuck Barney: 'Falling Skies' is TV's version of the summer blockbuster". Mercury News. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  21. ↑ Richenthal, Matt (June 17, 2012). "Falling Skies Review: An Alien Presence". TV Fanatic. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  22. ↑ Ocasio, Anthony (June 18, 2012). "'Falling Skies' Season 2 Premiere Review & Discussion". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.