FALLING SKIES “Young Bloods” – The Kids Are Not Alright

• Tweet
• Pin It

Falling Skies‘ “Young Bloods” may as well have been called “Children React Irrationally To Authority” with the way it used Matt and newcomer Diego to illustrate the difference between how adults and adolescence analyze a situation. From the adult point of view – and let’s face it, it’s the correct way to look at these issues – using a nine-year old as bait to lure vicious aliens into getting their heads blown off is not a good idea. It’s just plain awful, and irresponsible, and Tom is completely in the right to lose his cool over discovering that’s exactly what some of his soldiers used Matt for. But because children – and we must keep in mind they are just kids – do not ever see things through the eyes of someone who has their best interests at heart, they take offence to being told they can’t be alien bait. It’s what they want to do, so why can’t the adults back up and let them put their lives at risk?

Children of any age – even grown men who act like children – have this insatiable need to prove they know the best course of action in any given situation, regardless of the experience shared by their elders. I was annoyed Diego would so quickly dismiss Weaver’s military knowledge and take his little band of child survivors off on a doomed-the-from-the-start rescue mission, but I wasn’t surprised by his decision. You have a lot of factors going on here. Diego is dating Weaver’s daughter, who had just reunited with her estranged father, who has a temper problem that cost him his family. Naturally there’s going to be a butting of heads, especially taking into account Diego’s own leadership role in his own group. But just because he’s managed not to die so far doesn’t mean he’s ready to go toe-to-toe with Weaver. But he would never see that because this is television and no matter what this was how thing were going to go down. How else would we get Weaver, Tom and the rest to that harness facility, right?

And that’s my major issue with “Young Bloods.” I was very excited to be able to see where and how the aliens attached their harnesses to the abducted children, but there must’ve been a better way to get there without this childish insolence. I liked the idea of Diego and his group. They has a lot of potential. But flying off half-cocked the way Diego did was not interesting to me. It’s a story that’s been done to death. It’s really too bad because the rest of the episode is as solid as the show has been this season. The stuff between Weaver and his daughter was great, save for Diego and Weaver’s confrontation. Weaver has a tragic back story I would love to explore it more thoroughly and introducing Jeanie is a perfect way to do that.

There’s a little and a lot more traction in the various relationships building among the members of the 2^nd Mass. Tom and Anne have upgraded themselves to the status of “being awkwardly caught making out” while Hal and Margaret continue their wondrous flirting, with Diego pointing out how obvious it is they want each other. I think these couples are cute and can add a momentary distraction from the threat of aliens, with the exception of Lourdes and Jamil. I’m on the fence with those two. There was so little build up to their relationship – it just sort of happened shortly after his character was introduced – that I’m having a hard time believing them. Everyone else has had that emotional build up, the flirting, the fleeting glances, but Lourdes literally just freaking kissed Jamil out of the blue and that was that. We either need to spend more time with them or forget they’re a thing.

“Young Bloods” could have been better, but there’s always going to be something that doesn’t quite sit with someone, so why let that hold you back from enjoying the great stuff that does happen? There’s goofy romance, aliens getting their heads blown off, and a creepy facility where kids are turned into mindless zombies. That’s more than enough to convince me to forgive Falling Skies for mishandling Diego and Matt.