review of Falling Skies 5.7 

Falling Skies has put up some of its best episodes recently, as the series moves towards its ultimate conclusion in three episodes.

My favorite was 5.6, last week, in which Tom gets treated to something akin to what life was a like before the invasion, with a son coming of age who doesn\'t (yet) know about the aliens, and a grateful kiss on the lips from the boy\'s mother.  It all had a bit of a Herschel\'s farm from The Walking Dead feel - though there was no evil lurking in a barn in this good place - and there are only so many gambits available in a post-apocalyptic narrative.   But this was handled well, and was, against most odds, rather satisfying.

And real, life-changing developments are occurring with our major characters, as befits an ending of a series.  Pope breaking bad was a good touch, and my only regret is that Tom didn\'t kill him in that quick encounter.  Maggie getting her spikes removed was welcome, and points to at least one path to a happier future.   Ben getting one of his spikes removed, against his will, was not so welcome, and his fate with one or more spikes removed is an interesting, open question.

The human military base pivoting from a safe haven to an instrument of torture and death is something we\'ve seen before, including on Falling Skies.  But the relationship between the commander and Weaver is a nice touch, and it will be fun to see how that plays out.

Falling Skies has regained some of its luster, and has a chance to really end on a memorable note in the episodes ahead.   I\'m looking forward to them.

See also Falling Skies 5.1: Still Worthy of Viewing ... Falling Skies 5.2: Hybrid

And see also Falling Skies 4.1: Weak Start ... Falling Skies 4.2: Enemy of my Enemy ... Falling Skies 4.3: Still Falling ... Falling Skies 4.5: Cloudy ...Falling Skies 4.7: Massacre Indeed ... Falling Skies 4.8: Spike ... Falling Skies Espheni: How to Pronounce? ... Falling Skies 4.9: To the Moon, Anne, To the Moon ... Falling Skies 4.10: Lexi ... Falling Skies Season 4 Finale: Self-Sacrifice and Redemption

And see also Falling Skies 3.1-2: It\'s the Acting ... Falling Skies 3.3: The Smile ... Falling Skies 3.4: Hal vs. Ben ... Falling Skies 3.6: The Masons ...Falling Skies 3.7: The Mole and a Likely Answer ... Falling Skies 3.8: Back Cracked Home ... Falling Skies Season 3 Finale: Dust in Hand

And see also Falling Skies Returns  ... Falling Skies 2.6: Ben\'s Motives ... Falling Skies Second Season Finale

And see also Falling Skies 1.1-2 ... Falling Skies 1.3 meets Puppet Masters ... Falling Skies 1.4: Drizzle ... Falling Skies 1.5: Ben ... Falling Skies 1.6: Fifth Column ... Falling Skies 1.7: The Fate of Traitors ... Falling Skies 1.8: Weaver\'s Story ... Falling Skies Concludes First Season

Labels: Falling Skies, television, The Walking Dead

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Paul Levinson, PhD, is Professor of Communication & Media Studies at Fordham University in New York City.  His 8 nonfiction books, including The Soft Edge (1997), Digital McLuhan (1999), Realspace (2003),  Cellphone (2004), and New New Media (2009, 2nd edition 2012), have been the subject of major articles in the New York Times, Wired, the Christian Science Monitor, and have been translated into 12 languages. His science fiction novels include The Silk Code (1999, ebook 2012), Borrowed Tides (2001), TheConsciousness Plague (2002, 2013), The Pixel Eye (2003), The Plot To SaveSocrates (2006, ebook 2012), and Unburning Alexandria (2013).  His short stories have been nominated for Nebula, Hugo, Edgar, and Sturgeon Awards.  Paul Levinson appears on "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News), "The CBS Evening News,"  “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” (PBS),  “Nightline” (ABC), NPR, and numerous national and international TV and radio programs. His 1972 album, Twice Upon a Rhyme, was re-issued in 2009 (CD) and 2010 (remastered vinyl). He reviews the best of television in his InfiniteRegress.tv blog, and was listed in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Top 10 Academic Twitterers” in 2009.

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Dear Paul, I just dreamed of airships flying between raindrops. I just returned from 2042 CE, where I sold my hardcover copy of The Plot to Save Socrates for seventy million Neo-Euros, because it had your response to this e-mail from way back in 2007 scotch-taped onto the inside of the cover. A Paul Levinson collector paid top Neo-Euro, because of the authentic archaic e-mail printout from you. It turns out that not many of your e-mails from before your tenure as CEO of HBO/Cinemax and terms as United Nations Secretary General will survive that far into the future. So, please respond to this e-mail, to help found my great-grandchildren\'s fortune. My Will will stipulate that they must share with your great grandchidren. Thanks! Tom

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