Under the Dome: Reconciliation
July 29, 2014 12:03 AM - Season 2, Episode 5 - Subscribe
Julia's new-found leadership falters; Junior is dangerously trusting; Joe tries kissing and science; one mystery is solved and another revealed.
I enjoyed this episode far more than any previous episode, maybe it was the prospect of Junior getting smothered in his sleep? (Didn't happen, dammit.)
I haz theory, media theory: Stephen King has talked and written about how "Lost" was one of his favorite TV shows.
"Under the Dome" is his attempt at doing a "Lost". UtD has similar elements, and that looking down a hold shot was definitely a Lost reference (or just heavily cribbing off Lost, if you want to be less charitable). (I do.)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 6:54 AM on July 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
I haz theory, media theory: Stephen King has talked and written about how "Lost" was one of his favorite TV shows.
"Under the Dome" is his attempt at doing a "Lost". UtD has similar elements, and that looking down a hold shot was definitely a Lost reference (or just heavily cribbing off Lost, if you want to be less charitable). (I do.)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 6:54 AM on July 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
I actually commented to my husband last night that the locker was UtD's hatch.
posted by MsVader at 7:42 AM on July 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by MsVader at 7:42 AM on July 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
Also some hints of The Thing this week I think. The "are you one of us" blood test; the "what's he doing down there" excavation.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 7:52 AM on July 29, 2014
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 7:52 AM on July 29, 2014
For some reason CBS on demand has a glitch that will not allow me to see the last five minutes of the show. Basically I saw up until Phil got shot. Anyone care to give me the finale five minute synopsis?
I can see UtD as a variant of Lost, however, I do hope they learn from Lost's mistakes.
posted by miss-lapin at 7:59 AM on July 29, 2014
I can see UtD as a variant of Lost, however, I do hope they learn from Lost's mistakes.
posted by miss-lapin at 7:59 AM on July 29, 2014
Julia visits one of the townspeople -- sorry, I forget who, something to do with the Sweetbriar Rose -- and finds that her house is full of groceries because her husband was a survivalist. "Enough to feed the town for months." (Aside: so the famine storyline is out now, then?)
The townpeople gather over dinner at the Sweetbriar Rose and --surprise-- are joined by Big Jim and Rebecca, who Julia has released. Julia makes a speech about how we should forgive them. They shake hands; Big Jim then has a growly conversation with Rebecca.
Joe declares his love to Norrie; she's not buying it.
Melanie and Rebecca go to the school science lab to look at the blood samples; it's hinted that there is Something Odd About The Blood, but we don't find out what it is because...
...Sam and Junior break into Melanie's locker and find that it conceals a Mysterious Tunnel down into the earth. Shot from within the tunnel, with Sam and Junior peering into it. Musical sting, cut to black, LOST.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 8:28 AM on July 29, 2014
The townpeople gather over dinner at the Sweetbriar Rose and --surprise-- are joined by Big Jim and Rebecca, who Julia has released. Julia makes a speech about how we should forgive them. They shake hands; Big Jim then has a growly conversation with Rebecca.
Joe declares his love to Norrie; she's not buying it.
Melanie and Rebecca go to the school science lab to look at the blood samples; it's hinted that there is Something Odd About The Blood, but we don't find out what it is because...
...Sam and Junior break into Melanie's locker and find that it conceals a Mysterious Tunnel down into the earth. Shot from within the tunnel, with Sam and Junior peering into it. Musical sting, cut to black, LOST.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 8:28 AM on July 29, 2014
Daaaaaaaamn, thanks We had a deal, Kyle.
posted by miss-lapin at 8:31 AM on July 29, 2014
posted by miss-lapin at 8:31 AM on July 29, 2014
Also, apparently the entire population of Chester's Mill can now fit comfortably into the Sweetbriar Rose. But is still large enough to supply Anonymous Menacing Henchmen whenever necessary.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 8:35 AM on July 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 8:35 AM on July 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
comment at AV Club: Sam fooling Junior when he hid the page, and drank the vodka reminded me of someone tricking a not-so-intelligent dog.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:32 AM on July 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:32 AM on July 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
Am I the only one who, upon hearing "It's big enough for a man," couldn't help but fill in "but made for a woman!"?
posted by Etrigan at 12:29 PM on July 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 12:29 PM on July 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
Also, apparently the entire population of Chester's Mill can now fit comfortably into the Sweetbriar Rose. But is still large enough to supply Anonymous Menacing Henchmen whenever necessary.
They can always go across the lake where Maxine and Sam were hanging out until it was their turn to be evil.
posted by Gary at 2:28 PM on July 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
They can always go across the lake where Maxine and Sam were hanging out until it was their turn to be evil.
posted by Gary at 2:28 PM on July 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
Can somebody please tell former-cop that Jim killed his friend. And tell Redhead that Barbie killed her husband. Ugh.
Why has the teenager-in-purple turned into such a weird, creepy, mean girl? Why is Jr so stupid and, apparently, deaf? I'm going to hear liquid being poured into a sink if I'm in the same damn room, regardless of where I'm looking! Why the fuck are they fighting over that kid? Don't they have better things to worry about? Shouldn't the first order of business been to grab food from empty houses? Who the fuck donates the *last* of their food? If you knew the dome was coming, why return to Chester's mill, Sam? Has nobody heard of rationing?
Ha, ha, ha! "Or end up like everything else, a big fat dead end." Nice going, teenager-in-purple. You do know what show you're on.
Also, Big Jim has pink eye in his left eye.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 6:55 PM on July 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
Why has the teenager-in-purple turned into such a weird, creepy, mean girl? Why is Jr so stupid and, apparently, deaf? I'm going to hear liquid being poured into a sink if I'm in the same damn room, regardless of where I'm looking! Why the fuck are they fighting over that kid? Don't they have better things to worry about? Shouldn't the first order of business been to grab food from empty houses? Who the fuck donates the *last* of their food? If you knew the dome was coming, why return to Chester's mill, Sam? Has nobody heard of rationing?
Ha, ha, ha! "Or end up like everything else, a big fat dead end." Nice going, teenager-in-purple. You do know what show you're on.
Also, Big Jim has pink eye in his left eye.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 6:55 PM on July 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
The AVClub's recap is immensely entertaining:
At some point, might it not occur to you that the dome does, in fact, have a purpose? And that purpose is to seal off the rest of the world from the worst town on the planet?
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 7:03 PM on July 29, 2014 [7 favorites]
At some point, might it not occur to you that the dome does, in fact, have a purpose? And that purpose is to seal off the rest of the world from the worst town on the planet?
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 7:03 PM on July 29, 2014 [7 favorites]
And tell Redhead that Barbie killed her husband.
She knows.
I liked Grantland's theory:
She knows.
I liked Grantland's theory:
Barbie's beard-manicure game is becoming a thing of awe and beauty, and Julia's one of the only other people who's continually able to maintain such a high standard of personal grooming. This tells me they will always end up back together.posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 7:09 PM on July 29, 2014
Oh god the stupid, it burns. So much pain.
Misdirecting Junior with the vodka was indeed like tricking a stupid laborador, and I thank We had a deal, Kyle for quoting the comment. But it only caps off a string of stupid setting up The Plot, with Junior just babbling on and on and Sam getting a gleam in his eye. You could practically hear him cackling.
But then there's the other stupid, like the lusty teenagers going out to the dome. Suddenly one gets a scratch! And we see some blood! Quick, off to the Scooby Doo crime lab where we all make slides of blood. And then... well... we don't know what. Maybe the Murder Teacher can help!
Or the other stupid, bringing back the Butch Dyke. Starts good; I like me some bald lady Star Trek actors. So how do they bring back this fragile person of color in a redneck town about to explode? Why, we'll make her be the lawyer for the most hated murderous white guy in town! I was hoping she'd just say "oh hell no" and then walk right out of the room, down the road, stroll right through the pretend dome without stopping to do the lame mime routine. "See ya, I'm off to do some genre TV that has a possible future".
But she sticks around for more stupid, the crime scene of the explosion, which somehow is completely empty except for the Murder Sheriff and the Butch Dyke. Which proceed to have a loud fight with no one hearing until Barbie happens to show up and fisticuff the Menacing Henchmen. Hello, isn't this a massive crime scene for a big act of domestic terrorism? Shouldn't someone be hanging around?
And then the stupid setup with the empty boxes in the warehouse. Somehow the Murder Sherrif managed to move all the food to another room in the building and no one noticed? Also how do Barbie and the Red Queen leap to the conclusion Big Jim is behind it all in the first place?
Yet more stupid; the townspeople are apparently called "Millers".
Final stupid; some hoarder widow of a survivalist nut job magically has lots of delicious food in her house. Problem solved!
posted by Nelson at 9:10 PM on July 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Misdirecting Junior with the vodka was indeed like tricking a stupid laborador, and I thank We had a deal, Kyle for quoting the comment. But it only caps off a string of stupid setting up The Plot, with Junior just babbling on and on and Sam getting a gleam in his eye. You could practically hear him cackling.
But then there's the other stupid, like the lusty teenagers going out to the dome. Suddenly one gets a scratch! And we see some blood! Quick, off to the Scooby Doo crime lab where we all make slides of blood. And then... well... we don't know what. Maybe the Murder Teacher can help!
Or the other stupid, bringing back the Butch Dyke. Starts good; I like me some bald lady Star Trek actors. So how do they bring back this fragile person of color in a redneck town about to explode? Why, we'll make her be the lawyer for the most hated murderous white guy in town! I was hoping she'd just say "oh hell no" and then walk right out of the room, down the road, stroll right through the pretend dome without stopping to do the lame mime routine. "See ya, I'm off to do some genre TV that has a possible future".
But she sticks around for more stupid, the crime scene of the explosion, which somehow is completely empty except for the Murder Sheriff and the Butch Dyke. Which proceed to have a loud fight with no one hearing until Barbie happens to show up and fisticuff the Menacing Henchmen. Hello, isn't this a massive crime scene for a big act of domestic terrorism? Shouldn't someone be hanging around?
And then the stupid setup with the empty boxes in the warehouse. Somehow the Murder Sherrif managed to move all the food to another room in the building and no one noticed? Also how do Barbie and the Red Queen leap to the conclusion Big Jim is behind it all in the first place?
Yet more stupid; the townspeople are apparently called "Millers".
Final stupid; some hoarder widow of a survivalist nut job magically has lots of delicious food in her house. Problem solved!
posted by Nelson at 9:10 PM on July 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Somehow the Murder Sherrif managed to move all the food to another room in the building and no one noticed? Also how do Barbie and the Red Queen leap to the conclusion Big Jim is behind it all in the first place?
The angry guy you just fired knew the exact cause was frayed wires on a generator despite not investigating the crime scene. Obviously that means Big Jim is the only suspect. Dome Logic!
posted by Gary at 11:20 PM on July 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
The angry guy you just fired knew the exact cause was frayed wires on a generator despite not investigating the crime scene. Obviously that means Big Jim is the only suspect. Dome Logic!
posted by Gary at 11:20 PM on July 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
Dome Logic! I like it. It explains so many things!
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:15 AM on July 31, 2014
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:15 AM on July 31, 2014
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I sped-watched the last three episodes so I could catch up to this week. I'm in the minority here but I think this season is... better than the first one. I think it's because they've branched out into more story lines and are not just running around shrieking "The dome is trying to tell us something!"
Also Norrie is more tolerable when she has a deserving target for her snark.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:49 AM on July 29, 2014 [2 favorites]