Directed by Jack Bender, written by Stephen King
Rating: 6.5/10 (C+)
Next Episode: 2.02 Infestation
After the disappointing mess that was the Season 1 finale, I was hoping that the show would turn on a dime and correct some of the mistakes it has made during its freshman run but the show treads the opposite direction and seems to embrace the silliness we have come to known from last year.
The vagaries of the dome turn it into a giant magnet attracting various ferromagnetic items, among them Big Jim’s car which ends up crushing Linda who was freeing a handcuffed Barbie who by the way didn’t die on the gallows (to everyone’s surprise). R.I.P. Linda. She was never the brightest tool in the shed but quite frankly, this was the best solution. She was poorly written and too much of a gullible idiot to be ever redeemed properly but at least she performed one last good deed by saving Barbie. To solve this new predicament, we are introduced to the resident high school teacher Rebecca Pine (played by Karla Crome) who has been studying the dome since it came down and hasn’t breathed a word of it to anyone else because.. I honestly don’t know. It’s probably best not to apply logic. She suggests building another magnet to counterfeit the dome’s magnet field whereas Julia follows the dome’s orders to stop the killing. The meeting between Julia and Rebecca clearly marks the beginning of the good ol’ debate of faith versus science.
Meanwhile, Julia saves a mysterious girl (played by Grace Victoria Cox) that appears in the middle of the lake and gets acquainted with Sam (played by Eddie Cahill), the reclusive brother-in-law of Big Jim. It struck me as odd that the two of them didn’t talk about the dome at all but as with most people in Chester’s Mill, Sam harbors some secrets: He has a sketchbook with a drawing of the unknown girl from the lake. Is she a manifestation of the dome? Is she one of the beings that created the dome in the first place? Is she actually the Monarch and not Julia? She seems saddened by Linda's death and yet leads another character to her demise. The episode ends with Angie's bloody hand print, so somehow this is connected to the drawing in Sam's sketchbook. Are Joe, Norrie and Junior next?
Big Jim has a spooky encounter while he’s stuck in the shelter and it is with none other than with Dodee who gives him the ominous warning that he will eventually have to make a sacrifice. I didn’t think he would go as far as hang himself. Whether he will be able to abandon his megalomaniac ways to emerge as the strong leader he wants everybody else to believe he is, only time will tell.
Junior... pardon me, I mean James, flipflops to hating Big Jim again but this time it doesn’t look like he will bounce back to being on his side as he finds out the truth about Dodee. Then there’s that weird dream sequence with his mother Pauline (played by Sherry Stringfield), which actually is some kind of other dimension. Just what exactly is Pauline’s connection to the dome? She is revealed to be well and alive, residing outside the dome and capable of using her paintings as some sort of medium to communicate with Junior and possibly others. This has got to be the most ludicrous thing the show attempted to pull off.
Linda’s death leaves the position of sheriff unoccupied and Big Jim nominates Phil as her successor. I’ve always liked him, so I hope he won’t be dumbed down as much as Linda was. He needs to find out the truth about Dodee ASAP and side with the right people, instead of plotting his own personal vendetta against Barbie and working for the man who actually killed Dodee.
It’s very apparent that this season will be more focused on the dome and the mysteries surrounding it and while it is an enjoyable and entertaining show, it all feels a little silly and dumb. The entertainment factor outweights the inconsistencies and goofy things, so here's to another season of Under the Dome.
Other thoughts:
- Here I am, thinking I’d never have to see that cow being split in half again. Oh well...
- The scene in Joe’s house is probably one of my favorite visuals from the show with all the flying knives, pots and nails and the house ultimately crumbling down.
- How exactly did Angie plan on removing the nail out of Joe’s hand with that piece of wood?
- The reunion between Barbie and Julia is so overdramatized. These two have literally known each other for only two weeks. Tone it down a notch. Or two. Or three. Just tone it down.
- There was a brief shot of boars eating trash outside the school. Why hasn’t the show mentioned hunting as a food source?
- “Shut up and be dead. I’m busy.” Oh, the writing. It never fails to make me laugh.
- Please no Julia/Barbie/Sam love triangle. PLEASE.
