Under the Dome: The Kinship
July 11, 2015 7:41 AM - Season 3, Episode 4 - Subscribe

Under the guise of helping Chester's Mill rebuild, Christine urges the townspeople towards specific individuals and projects that remind them of their experience in the tunnels. [IMDb]

Christine steps up her control of the minds of Chester Millites while Big Jim battles Aktaion. Junior is seduced but Nori snaps out of it. The town hall is being converted into a giant dormitory and they're going to be eating seed corn for the foreseeable future.

AV Club review where it's rated C- and D.
Entertainment Weekly recap
posted by TWinbrook8 (22 comments total)
 
When Nori gets angry on Joe's behalf because Sam never showed up to apologize for killing Angie (or something), it reminded me of an episode of Star Trek (TOS) when the crew landed on a happy planet, lost all motivation, and Kirk had to provoke them to anger to get them to wake up.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:52 AM on July 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


Julia joins Big Jim on the Island of Misfit Toys.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:21 AM on July 11, 2015 [2 favorites]


Also, dear God this show drives everyone into delivering their worst wooden acting. The "YES. FOR THE EGG. WHERE IS IT?" 1950s radio-drama delivery; the terribly stiff hallway scenes with Christine and Julia and company.

Who was the woman that Sam rescued from suicide and then got drunk with / hooked up with? I have no memory of this character so why is a BIG DRAMA MOMENT being hung on her?
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:28 AM on July 11, 2015


(Ah, : they introduced her last week at Sam's support group.)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:30 AM on July 11, 2015


Also: I found it weird when they had sex ON THE DAY THAT SHE TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE. At least wait until the day after.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 9:30 AM on July 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


EVERYBODY had sex this week. Must be all that cocoon oxytocin.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:33 AM on July 11, 2015 [3 favorites]


This episode ticked along nicely, despite lack of glowy-purple-objects and EGG.

Junior's 'this is my crew, my decisions' scene was pretty good, but the other actor's unconvincing, "You're gonna regret this!" was so flat I find it hard to believe they held rehearsals.

So, par for the course, really.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 9:33 AM on July 11, 2015


Silo sexytimes.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 9:36 AM on July 11, 2015


The town's rampant disregard for conservation continues. They lose electricity so everyone's bedroom has to be lit by at least a dozen candles and two lanterns.

Who puts candles on a bed?

Did I hear right, and Junior still burnt down Big Jim's house off-camera? Isn't a big part of the episode about how they are running out of housing?

Junior's 'this is my crew, my decisions' scene was pretty good, but the other actor's unconvincing, "You're gonna regret this!" was so flat I find it hard to believe they held rehearsals.

I didn't get that scene at all. The contractor told him it was a load bearing beam. Junior yelled at him, knocked it down and everything was fine. So the building is being held up by Junior's self-confidence?
posted by Gary at 10:02 AM on July 11, 2015 [2 favorites]


Did the scientist/parent/evil-corporate-employee swim with the egg across the lake in his business suit?
posted by sammyo at 1:00 PM on July 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


So the building is being held up by Junior's self-confidence?

So there is still hope for a dramatic cave-in? It was Big Jim's office, right? Is the school still standing? Seems like that would make more sense to convert into "dorms", what with locker rooms for showers and lavatories and home ec kitchens, etc. not to mention the previous secret tunnel underneath. Yeah, you forgot about that, didn't you.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:29 PM on July 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


Or the hospital. Or they could all camp out in Nelson's favorite location: the Rave Cave under the cement factory.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 3:45 PM on July 11, 2015 [3 favorites]


Or they could all camp out in Nelson's favorite location: the Rave Cave under the cement factory.

But how's the OxyContin sex?
posted by Room 641-A at 9:34 PM on July 13, 2015


I'm kind of amazed that they are trying to make Big Jim a sympathetic character again after he beat Rebecca the science teacher to death with a hammer. I shouldn't be surprised because this show switches allegiances faster and with less credibility than any pro-wrestling face/heel turn. But that was kind of brutal for prime time TV and I thought for sure they wouldn't try to bring him back from it.
posted by Gary at 3:43 PM on July 14, 2015 [4 favorites]


OTOH, they could be counting on viewers like me who not only forgot that Big Jim killed her, but that there was a science teacher to begin with.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:50 PM on July 14, 2015 [2 favorites]


I just watched a couple from the 2nd season and the science teacher was kindof a monster, actively trying to kill half the population so 'others' would have enough food to survive. Big Jim is just on a really long redemption arc.
posted by sammyo at 6:48 AM on July 15, 2015


I'm totally late to this episode but honestly, I thought it was sort of good. I like this strange new place they've taken the plot. And Marg Helgenberger as Christine-the-evil-Therapist is great. Particularly opposite Julia in the scene with the voice recorder confrontation, them staring daggers at each other. Really all it needed was a kiddie pool full of jello and it could have been a full-on redhead wrestling match. Snark aside, there was a glimmer of something good there.

I'm totally confused about where Big "Big" Jim was being held hostage. Wasn't it a huge major plot point in season 2 that Evil Corp couldn't get through The Dome either and needed to collude with some of the Millers to make things happen? I'm willing to believe a few outsiders got in during the whole cocoon era, but what's with the whole science torture lab?

I loved all the sexytime gettin' down at the end. Except Julia, who I expect is never getting any again. (Not to mention poor Aisha, the only queer person left Under the Dome.) Only problem is that in the Stephen King television morality, this brief moment of healthy sexual pleasure will inevitably be punished with supernatural consequences and internal shame and loathing. Maybe Joe will end up joining a celibacy cult and battle Hunter to the death with Vulcan lirpas.
posted by Nelson at 7:10 AM on July 17, 2015


Was there even an island in the lake before this season? I don't remember it being mentioned before. Weird.

I'm looking forward to the impending ceiling collapse.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 11:03 AM on July 27, 2015


Was there even an island in the lake before this season? I don't remember it being mentioned before. Weird.

Yeah, it's where Maxine and her mom lived.
posted by Gary at 11:12 AM on July 27, 2015


Huh; thanks. I'd completely forgotten about Maxine.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 12:15 AM on July 28, 2015 [1 favorite]


Wow, really? But without Maxine the underground fight club / rave party / black market in an abandoned cement factory makes no sense at all!
posted by Gary at 10:41 AM on July 28, 2015


Wow, really? But without Maxine the underground fight club / rave party / black market in an abandoned cement factory makes no sense at all!

I love that even the imaginary scenes make no sense! DOME PARTY USA!
posted by Room 641-A at 11:27 AM on July 28, 2015


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