Sigh. After last week's glimmer of hope in a world gone dreary, this episode brought back all my disdain for this silly, silly show. My main problem with Under the Dome continues to be the general stupidity of its denizens – both those with whom we are acquainted and the general population who exist only to be cannon fodder. Even Smart Kid Joe wasn't given any credit for brains this time out, and usually he's the only one who seems like he might possibly have what it takes to even graduate High School.
Still, for all its abiding awfulness, there were a few moments that made this time I spent trapped under the Dome with the rest of Chester's Mill not entirely regrettable. For one, Angie finally decided to change her jeans! (But then, maybe doesn't. Or perhaps all her jeans look the same? Let's just give her the benefit of that doubt here, so I can stop obsessing over her basic hygiene) Also, the scene in which she and Norrie deal with the latter's loss of her Mom only *12 hours earlier* is quite sweet, if a little abrupt with the catharsis. Oh, if only all teenagers were so self-actualized that they could deal with such a massive trauma in less than a day. There'd be far less emo in the world, that's for sure.
Also good was the dramatic showdown between Junior and his father, with Norris turning in a fine piece of Acting as the distraught Jim begging for his life (and his son's forgiveness). It was also pretty clever of Junior to tell Linda that he had taken Ollie's side as a double agent all along. I will give him points for that one.
Let us also hear it for glorified extra DJ Phil (Nicholas Strong), who managed to take part in the episode without doing anything except get shot in the shoulder. Why was he here at all? Will his family members who were Marines have something to do with it? Or was that piece of exposition just a further waste of everyone's time?
And while I don't think I care for the Mystical Glowing Egg of Wonder in the middle of the Dome – if this seriously turns out to be aliens, then it may be a bit too KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL for my liking – the new prophecy given to Julia (and superseding "Pink stars are falling") is at least slightly intriguing, especially if it turns out that Angie the Butterfly Tattooed somehow does have something to do with all of this. (AGAIN with the butterflies! What is it with this show?)
Only time will, unfortunately, tell on that score, since there are still five episodes to go in this debut season, and the show has, somewhat inexplicably, already been renewed for a second 13-episode run.
Lord – or Mystical Glowing Egg of Wonder – help us.
-- Full review at Geek Speak Magazine, geekspeakmagazine.com
Still, for all its abiding awfulness, there were a few moments that made this time I spent trapped under the Dome with the rest of Chester's Mill not entirely regrettable. For one, Angie finally decided to change her jeans! (But then, maybe doesn't. Or perhaps all her jeans look the same? Let's just give her the benefit of that doubt here, so I can stop obsessing over her basic hygiene) Also, the scene in which she and Norrie deal with the latter's loss of her Mom only *12 hours earlier* is quite sweet, if a little abrupt with the catharsis. Oh, if only all teenagers were so self-actualized that they could deal with such a massive trauma in less than a day. There'd be far less emo in the world, that's for sure.
Also good was the dramatic showdown between Junior and his father, with Norris turning in a fine piece of Acting as the distraught Jim begging for his life (and his son's forgiveness). It was also pretty clever of Junior to tell Linda that he had taken Ollie's side as a double agent all along. I will give him points for that one.
Let us also hear it for glorified extra DJ Phil (Nicholas Strong), who managed to take part in the episode without doing anything except get shot in the shoulder. Why was he here at all? Will his family members who were Marines have something to do with it? Or was that piece of exposition just a further waste of everyone's time?
And while I don't think I care for the Mystical Glowing Egg of Wonder in the middle of the Dome – if this seriously turns out to be aliens, then it may be a bit too KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL for my liking – the new prophecy given to Julia (and superseding "Pink stars are falling") is at least slightly intriguing, especially if it turns out that Angie the Butterfly Tattooed somehow does have something to do with all of this. (AGAIN with the butterflies! What is it with this show?)
Only time will, unfortunately, tell on that score, since there are still five episodes to go in this debut season, and the show has, somewhat inexplicably, already been renewed for a second 13-episode run.
Lord – or Mystical Glowing Egg of Wonder – help us.
-- Full review at Geek Speak Magazine, geekspeakmagazine.com