For the second episode of the series it sees a continuation of the pilot’s set up plot of travelling to find Charlie’s brother held by the Monroe militia. It also extends the electricity mystery for the show with mystery characters and some scenes discussing questions about these mysterious pendant/usb like electricity generators people carry around.
For the most part the episode is focused on bringing in a new character to the show Nora (Daniella Alonso) a friend of Miles who is needed to help to try get Danny back from the militia. The episode goes into some mixed themes and develops two characters views on killing one being the main character Charlie and the other Captain Tom Neville. Death scenes and killing scenes are contrasted over two different locations and how these characters dealt with taking a life is contrasted to point out differences.
The first is Captain Tom Neville’s (Giancarlo Esposito) situation in which one of his men is shot and wounded beyond healing and is near death. He gives the man a poisoned potion that kills him and he speaks of the afterlife to him, to help him pass through his death. The episode also brings in some religous themes with a preacher in the opening scene in the background and later Neville puts on a funeral followed by prayer for his wounded comrade. There is some type of religious element added to the Neville character which seemingly develops his character of one with some type of moral code and value over the importance of the lives he may take. Also of note is that Esposito seems to have gotten used to his character quite quickly and always stands out for his scenes in the show. It would be good if more character’s/actors were given more scenes to raise standards a bit more in this show because for now it’s only about half of what it could be.
While the main character Charlie is against taking lives at the start of the episode she eventually does through her motivation to free some slaves and to save her brother. It seems her character is driven by motivations to save but would also kill those who stand in her way if she deems it the right thing to do. It’s interesting to compare the two characters and think about their motivations and thoughts on the subject. Below is Charlie’s first killing scene for the show and is a change for her character. Is she on some path of heroism or something else?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzACX2VTiDs[/youtube]
For the most part the episode improves of that of the pilot however the characters and the scenery still look to me like it has not been 15 years that have passed by for all of them. While they try to make the scenery look as so I always wonder why nobody cuts their grass near their homes, I guess it’s to show time has passed. But in the forests and lakes it’s all clean cut grass.
There is more introduction of the Monroe character (David Lyons) who I think is doing a good performance for the show and the slow talking power position he has does well to make him seem like a continuing threat. While his scene with Rachel Matheson (Elizabeth Mitchel) towards the end of the episode is partly the better acting for the show.
Overall this episode was better than the pilot but only barely and hopefully the show’s characters/plot/actors/settings will find their place as the season goes on.
this show deserves more than a 6/10