The well and truly manipulated Ben is taking
Assassin-Lady Karen to Red-Eye Skitter and his Skitter rebellion group which
she totally has never heard of before, honest. Which leads Ben right into the
hands of the Overlords and their Mechs and Skitters.
Hal, Tom and the cavalry arrive before Ben can be re-harnessed
– I can understand that, I’d be desperate to track him down and give him a good
slap too. And as a bonus to the necessary Ben slapping, they also capture the
Overlord (after a whole season and more of them laying low and staying on the
background, it was a silly silly Overlord to decide to move to the front
lines).
At the camp we have Lourdes and Jamil flirting (reminding
us they exist at least) Weaver getting out of bed so every cast member can tell
him he’s a naughty boy for doing so (though, after last week with Dr. Ann? That’s
a brave Weaver, she may break your legs if she has to) which means he’s up and
about for when Tom arrives with the captured Overlord. And we get some actual
alien fighting – it feels like its been a while – as the aliens try to get
their Overlord back which leads to Tom being more of a Big Damn Hero.
Time for some more discussion of Ben as a liability and a
parlay with Karen who offers them a chance to leave if they let the Overlord go
– which doesn’t sound fun to anyone. But she does have them completely
surrounded and boxed in. Hal and Ben have a moment with Ben angsting that she
should have left long ago and Hal reassuring him (I’d have pointed towards a
door, I’m just saying). Ben puts a more logical argument to Tom – the Overlords
are afraid of the rebellion, they’re trying to get into Ben’s head for info and
he needs to leave. Tom argues about his age but, well, that’s never stopped
them before.
In the tunnels are Maggie and Hal, checking for exits,
kissing, adding to the sexual tension and finding a new alien bug! At least
this one is squishable. I hereby call him Squishy and he will be mine and he
will be my Squishy. Lots of Squishies! Bad Squishy!
Also in the tunnels, Ann, Matt and Lourdes are trapped in
the bowels of the hospital after the tunnel collapsed during the fight – and they
find an extremely injured Jamil trying to hold a door closed. And a loud scratching noise that is
probably more Squishies. More concerning, even more Squishies pulls themselves
out of Jamil’s mouth. They run and end up shutting themselves in a big store
room – which isn’t ideal since the Squishies can eat through metal. They send Matt
through a vent to find help, after he gives his weapon to Ann (tut tut, Matt. 8
year olds with weapons are one thing, but there’s only 3 or 4 women in the 2nd
Massachusetts who are allowed to carry guns)
Weaver, Tom (because in a military situation it’s ALWAYS
a good idea to have your commander and second in command take every risky
mission together) and Pope (who is still not dead!) join in examining the
Squishies and considering defending themselves against them. They find Matt and
run to rescue Moon and Lourdes who have already done a decent job of rescuing
themselves with a flamethrower.
Karen keeps menacing the 2nd Massachusetts,
killing one of their patrollers as they let him run for their base (someone
really needs to snipe Karen – and I don’t care what coloured rag she’s holding
up. Or run downstairs and cut a piece off the Overlord).
Tom does go down to see the Overlord, alas not to slice
and dice him. Instead to hold him at gun point while the Overlord easily breaks
his chains and overwhelms Ben’s mind to use him as a mouth piece, almost
killing him. The Overlord mocks him for his sentiment – and Tom shoots it. Weaver
understand but isn’t amused.
Putting 2 and 2 together – including the risk the
Overlord took in coming to the front lines to enter Ben’s mind, Tom has finally
come to believe in the Skitter rebellion. Of course it doesn’t change that they
have a dying Overlord – so they invite Karen to play. She comes into the camp,
oozing smugness and superiority which all rather deliciously crumbles when she
finds the Overlord bleeding to death.
New plan Karen – the 2nd Massachusetts evacuates allowing the aliens to move in and save their master. If they try to stop them, they activate some explosives and blow up the Overlord and Karen, simple.
Off they go to Charleston, on the road again. Personally I’d have left Pope hidden behind to use the bombs anyway – since when do dystopian guerrillas against alien invaders develop a code of honour?
And Ben is leaving to contact with the other kids with spikes to try and help them join the Skitter rebellion, which he considers more important after seeing into the Overlord’s mind.
Does anyone know what happened to the bullets they were
making from downed Mechs in season 1? Y’know the ones that could just blast
through Mech armour?
Jamil made it a full half season before dying! Well he
beat Crick’s record, I guess. Ah the curse of being a POC in a dystopian. And
he said “I love you” to Lourdes – that’s always the kiss of death. There is a
ridiculously high attrition of POC who start to get speaking parts.
