As opposed to Lost, which grows increasingly irritating each week, Invasion just keeps getting more compelling. Now that the action has begun in earnest, all those early episodes (some rather slow-paced...) dealing with inter-family crises are yielding interesting dividends. I find that having gone through those early shows with this talented ensemble, I really like the characters, and more so, feel curious, even anxious, to see what occurs next.
If anyone has been snubbed in Invasion's history, it's actor William Fichtner. He's top-billed on the series, but because of his role as (ostensibly) the series' villain, he's felt the most opaque at times. Tom Underlay, his character, is clearly up to no good in Homestead, Florida, but his motives, even his very nature, have remained mostly unexplored. We know he loves his wife; we know he's shipping weapons to the so-called "Hybrids"; we know he's protecting a secret. And yet something about him has remained remote, confusing.
Until this episode, "Redemption."
Yes, I know - I just finished a post reporting about how irritating the flashbacks are on Lost, but I'm going to do a course-adjustment here and state that this flashback-heavy episode of Invasion is terrific because it clues us in about where Tom has been. And let's face it, Invasion is only in its first season, and hasn't relied on the flashback heavily before, so this feels like a clever use of the technique, not overkill or time-wasting.
I was fascinated to see the history of these characters unfurl, going back some nine years (to August, 1996), and the first fateful meeting of Tom and Mariel in a hospital, following his plane crash. I've always wondered what it is that Mariel saw in Tom and made her leave Russell, and previous episodes have given us precious little in terms of information on that subject. "Redemption," written by Michael Alaimo and Shaun Cassidy, and well-directed by Bill Eagles, corrects that oversight. The audience sees here the beginning of their emotional bond; and also the "distance" in Mariel's marriage to Russell. She's apparently been unhappy for some time...
Equally interesting in "Redemption" is Russell's theory that Tom must survive (after he is brutally shot in the stomach three times; a gory sequence...) because the sheriff is the glue that holds the alien hybrids together. Remember, we learned from previous episodes of Invasion that the hybrids ultimately went wacko in places like Cuba and Argentina. They killed their children, and ultimately themselves. That hasn't happened here, and the working postulate is that this is because of Tom - who was changed all those years ago and yet has survived. I think the riddle of his "adjustment" after his rebirth involves his connection to Mariel - the human emotion of love. This sorta makes sense and kind of doesn't, but it sends the series off on an interesting new tangent. Especially because it means Russell and Tom must work together, at least for a while, rather than merely eye each other suspiciously. Underlay must live...
I do have a problem with the fact that Mariel has lived with Tom for some time and never asked him what he has padlocked in the hall closet. (Maybe she assumes it's his guns? He is a law man after all...) Anyway, I would want to know what my spouse has locked away in storage.
We do, ultimately find out in this episode, and the answer represents Tom's mental state. It's a flower he first gave to Mariel nine years earlier, one signifying hope. The flower symbolizes his love for Mariel, as well as his hope, no doubt, regarding the settlement of the Hybrids in Homestead.
Mariel looks more beautiful than ever in this episode, and Larkin - by contrast - is getting more irritating. Although she ultimately makes the right decision and doesn't air a TV expose about Tom and his "true nature," Larkin sure takes a lot of convincing. The character is coming off as a little self-righteous here, but I think she's just trying to get back at Russell for spending so much time with his hottie ex.
I don't know where Invasion is headed, but I enjoyed "Redemption" for giving us a peek into Tom's life; where he'd been and how he survived. The sheriff comes off as more three dimensional and - dare I say it? - more human - than he has in many episodes. And that's a good thing.
If anyone has been snubbed in Invasion's history, it's actor William Fichtner. He's top-billed on the series, but because of his role as (ostensibly) the series' villain, he's felt the most opaque at times. Tom Underlay, his character, is clearly up to no good in Homestead, Florida, but his motives, even his very nature, have remained mostly unexplored. We know he loves his wife; we know he's shipping weapons to the so-called "Hybrids"; we know he's protecting a secret. And yet something about him has remained remote, confusing.
Until this episode, "Redemption."
Yes, I know - I just finished a post reporting about how irritating the flashbacks are on Lost, but I'm going to do a course-adjustment here and state that this flashback-heavy episode of Invasion is terrific because it clues us in about where Tom has been. And let's face it, Invasion is only in its first season, and hasn't relied on the flashback heavily before, so this feels like a clever use of the technique, not overkill or time-wasting.
I was fascinated to see the history of these characters unfurl, going back some nine years (to August, 1996), and the first fateful meeting of Tom and Mariel in a hospital, following his plane crash. I've always wondered what it is that Mariel saw in Tom and made her leave Russell, and previous episodes have given us precious little in terms of information on that subject. "Redemption," written by Michael Alaimo and Shaun Cassidy, and well-directed by Bill Eagles, corrects that oversight. The audience sees here the beginning of their emotional bond; and also the "distance" in Mariel's marriage to Russell. She's apparently been unhappy for some time...
Equally interesting in "Redemption" is Russell's theory that Tom must survive (after he is brutally shot in the stomach three times; a gory sequence...) because the sheriff is the glue that holds the alien hybrids together. Remember, we learned from previous episodes of Invasion that the hybrids ultimately went wacko in places like Cuba and Argentina. They killed their children, and ultimately themselves. That hasn't happened here, and the working postulate is that this is because of Tom - who was changed all those years ago and yet has survived. I think the riddle of his "adjustment" after his rebirth involves his connection to Mariel - the human emotion of love. This sorta makes sense and kind of doesn't, but it sends the series off on an interesting new tangent. Especially because it means Russell and Tom must work together, at least for a while, rather than merely eye each other suspiciously. Underlay must live...
I do have a problem with the fact that Mariel has lived with Tom for some time and never asked him what he has padlocked in the hall closet. (Maybe she assumes it's his guns? He is a law man after all...) Anyway, I would want to know what my spouse has locked away in storage.
We do, ultimately find out in this episode, and the answer represents Tom's mental state. It's a flower he first gave to Mariel nine years earlier, one signifying hope. The flower symbolizes his love for Mariel, as well as his hope, no doubt, regarding the settlement of the Hybrids in Homestead.
Mariel looks more beautiful than ever in this episode, and Larkin - by contrast - is getting more irritating. Although she ultimately makes the right decision and doesn't air a TV expose about Tom and his "true nature," Larkin sure takes a lot of convincing. The character is coming off as a little self-righteous here, but I think she's just trying to get back at Russell for spending so much time with his hottie ex.
I don't know where Invasion is headed, but I enjoyed "Redemption" for giving us a peek into Tom's life; where he'd been and how he survived. The sheriff comes off as more three dimensional and - dare I say it? - more human - than he has in many episodes. And that's a good thing.
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