RETURNING: Falling Skies: As I Shake My Head...

The season premiere really disappointed me. One of the biggest letdowns of last season was the fact that time passed and viewers were never fully let in on the events that took place off-screen. Well, the same thing has happened again, only this time we're missing four months instead of seven. However, it appears that much more serious happenings occurred, and the in media res is really getting on my nerves. Plus, in the second episode, we learn that Tom is going to have some side-scheming, which isn't the most believable storyline for the red-blooded American Mason. My interest in this series is waning, and I don't know that I'll be able to handle this season without constantly ranting...

Falling Skies "Ghost in the Machine" (S04E01): The group has been traveling for 20 days, and are just coming up on Charleston when they're attacked. [what else is new?]

Four months later, Tom carves the Gettysburg Address into the wall of a cell where he has been for two months. He's also drawing a map of the outside world, as he can escape and return as he desires. [then why come back? I don't know.] At some point before he was captured, he learned from Cochise that the Espheni have some secret new plan, and there are camps of people all over the world. Weaver is in an adjacent room, and is going crazy. He works tirelessly at breaking down his bed to get a weapon, but Tom talks him out of being destructive. [that was kinda freaky.]

Hal lives "in town" and is trying to de-activate the wall that's keeping everyone from traveling. He finds that Pope is hoarding things, and a fight breaks out when Hal tries to get a generator. 

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In a non-war-ravaged area of Chinatown, Maggie introduces an injured Ben to a cultish area where everyone listens to Lourdes, who is protecting a now-16-year-old Lexi who wears a necklace symbolizing unity. [weird, I know.]

Someplace else, Matt is in a school for the New Coalition, where he is also taught to value anti-conflict. He is a squad leader who has to convince kids that there is false propaganda they must unlearn... while secretly hosting meetings with others trying to stop more kids from being brought to the school.

Anne leads a group in search of Lexi and other kids, and they find a truck full of children en route to an unknown location.

Falling Skies "The Eye" (S04E02): Tom is still breaking out of holding and acting as a vigilante Ghost, then returning to continue mapping the surrounding area. But, this backfires when the extraterrestrials are so infatuated with capturing the Ghost that all captives are released to help hunt him down... and if he isn't found, the people will starve. [that sucks.] Tom talks to someone who has gotten out of these walled areas before, then hears from Cochise that the Espheni are building a new power station so they can go on the offensive. [that can't be good.] Cochise can't get them food, but he'll go to the encampment and see if he can get Matt. Then, Tom reveals himself as Ghost, and is asked to be part of the war effort if he wants his family spared. [rolling my eyes here, folks.] Elsewhere in the walled areas, Weaver follows Pope to see where he hides his supplies, but he's also followed. The duo then find an underground tunnel.

Ben talks to Dr. Kadar about Lexi, who is only a year old but now looks 21. [yeah. still weird.] The doctor is worried about her rapid aging, but Lourdes tries to keep both him and Ben from Lexi, though the girl welcomes her brother. Because he swears to always protect her, she consents to Kadar running some tests, angering Lourdes, which, in turn, bothers Lexi. Ben insists on protecting his sister, and enlists Maggie's help. 

In the re-education camp, the new girl kisses Matt, but the bigger problem is that one of Matt's fellow rebels, Skip, has disappeared. [yeah, uh huh, he "graduated."]

On the roads, Anne and her troops learn about Lexi and the re-education camps, and head west.