Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Don't eat the Skitter legs.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 6, 2016

Falling Skies. It was the alien invasion show that dared not be too dark, the apocalyptic sojourn into the depths of hell on Earth that never quite pulled the rug out from under the audience, the series that wanted to be a definitive show of its Sci-Fi kind that never managed to really get down in the muck and explore the serious sufferings of modern warfare with advanced alien civilizations. So many like it have come and gone, teasing a journey to the promised land of hard, raw, real, believable, emotional, and violent dystopian Sci-Fi fantasy. And with none other than Steven Spielberg -- a man who knows a thing or two or three about aliens -- earning an Executive Producer credit, all signs seemed to point to something special. But alas, while the show delivered satisfactory entertainment, it never pushed any boundaries, couldn't offer the scope and scale a story of this sort really demands, and wouldn't begin as, or evolve into, a show that lived up to, or even approached, its full potential.

Only a few million more to go...

Official synopsis: All breed of beast and mutant are running rampant on Earth. The Espheni's power core has been destroyed, and humans are now ready to fight on their terms, even if it means resorting to hand-to-hand combat against the enemy. After four years of being tortured, imprisoned, mutated and having their loved ones stolen from them, Tom (Noah Wyle) and the 2nd Mass are filled with rage, ready to destroy the enemy in an all-out battle to determine the fate of Earth.

Season five does have some entertaining moments, engaging battle sequences, quality character moments, and a whole lot of stuff that mostly just feels like running out the clock. Sure, much of it works in the show's general context and pushes the story forward, but there's also a good number of smaller self contained plot lines that take up space or allow new challenges to arise that, of course, will be resolved nice and tidy-like by the end of the hour. To the show's credit, it manages enough speed through the episodes -- good pacing -- that keeps the viewer entrenched with the 2nd Mass and, if not feeling the hunger, fatigue, fear, and frenzy of battle, at least capable of sympathizing with those in the show. Life in the camp is portrayed thoroughly, if not a bit forcibly and with enough manufactured melodrama that breaks up the monotony of what life in such a place might really be like, filling the hours with the busy work of loading magazines or digging graves. The shows finds an acceptable balance in that regard but season five, like the others, never quite pushes as far as it could have to elevate it from entertaining distraction to classic tale of the human spirit and survival against immeasurable alien odds.

Season five is comprised of the following episodes. Summaries are courtesy of an insert included in the Blu-ray packaging. Some spoilers follow.

Disc One:

• Find Your Warrior: On the heels of Tom and Lexi's successful albeit tragic mission to destroy the Espheni power core on the moon, we pick up with Tom's life hanging in the balance as his Beamer drifts into space. While onboard the Beamer, Tom encounters a surprising guest who urges him to find his inner warrior. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Anne reluctantly steps into Tom's shoes to help lead the 2nd Mass in his absence. Against all odds, Tom makes a miraculous, yet mysterious return to Earth. Once reunited with the 2nd Mass, Tom shares a new plan for winning the war. The Espheni, for the first time, are on their heels, and the 2nd Mass will not rest until they are gone from this planet for good.
• Hunger Pains: A surprise Skitter attack leaves the 2nd Mass without food. In desperation, Maggie, Ben, Pope, and Sara go on a dangerous mission hoping to find supplies. Along the way, they encounter a family deeply scarred by the Espheni plan. Maggie must make false promises to insure the 2nd Masses' survival. Meanwhile, Tom and Anne discover the Espheni have created something part Espheni, part Skitter, part Hornet…and part human.
• Hatchlings: The 2nd Mass discovers the source for the seemingly endless supply of enemy forces. With the Volm's help, Tom's leadership begins to spread to remaining human militias around the world. Hal disobeys his father to help Maggie on a personal mission. Meanwhile, Tom has to make an agonizing choice that ultimately risks one of their own, leaving lasting repercussions for them all.
• Pope Breaks Bad: A mission to procure vehicles and fuel goes awry. Cochise shares troubling news with Anne that will test both her medical and leadership skills. Anthony's mental stability and his loyalties are brought into question. Meanwhile, a desperate Pope takes things into his own hands.
• Non-Essential Personnel: The 2nd Mass leaves Chinatown en route to what they hope will be the final Espheni battle. Along the way, they encounter a deranged and desperate gunman who takes Weaver hostage. Meanwhile, Tom sets off to rescue Hal from Pope and his dangerous group of survivors.

Disc Two:

• Respite: Injured, Tom takes refuge with a unique family who has distanced themselves from the fight, giving him a glimpse of life without war. Hal and Isabella's romance grows as they search for a missing Tom. Meanwhile, The 2nd Mass locates an Espheni device that could be a linchpin to winning the war…if they can figure out how to use it. And Maggie makes a decision that has consequences for her and the entire 2nd Mass.
• Everybody Has Their Reasons: The 2nd Mass arrives at a safe haven – a functional military base run by Weaver's old colleague and flame, Captain Katie Marshall. As the two groups make plans for the final assault on the Espheni, the 2nd Mass begins to realize that things aren't exactly as they seem.
• Stalag 14th Virginia: Weaver discovers a shocking truth about an old friend and must decide how to best protect the 2nd Mass. Maggie and Isabella are forced to work together, while the remainder of the 2nd Mass attempts an escape led by Tom.
• Reunion: Tom gains a powerful new weapon against the Espheni. Ben puts his life on the line to extract enemy plans. Pope discovers that Tom is alive, and launches a final attack. Meanwhile, the 2nd Mass must reassess their situation when an unexpected visitor appears.
• Reborn: The final standoff brings the Masons, the 2nd Mass and their new allies into the bowels of an iconic American location, wrought with new and unpredictable obstacles. Despite great loss along the way, they must persevere with hopes of once and for all reclaiming Earth and humanity.

Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season's 1080p transfer stays faithful to a post-apocalyptic landscape where grayscale (largely) dominates and other colors are found in small, tepid clusters on filthy storefronts, torn ribbons, or tattered food labels. There's enough health in flesh tones and natural lighting to carry the load and immerse the viewer in the largely dilapidated and visually hopeless landscape. That same landscape, however, as distant as it may feel from a color perspective, is very inviting from a textural perspective. Rubble, sharp edges, and scattered debris are very well defined throughout the season. Likewise, frayed clothes, weathered weapons, and tired faces are all intimately revealing. Black levels hold firm. Compression issues are uncommon. The series, and this season, is not designed to dazzle the visual senses but instead offer a realistic look at a largely inhospitable wasteland that accentuates the central story arc and themes. In that regard, this is a rock-solid effort from top to bottom.

Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season features the series-standard Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Season five offers a fair listen, one that's active but not necessarily thoroughly convincing. Casual atmospherics seem to have a hard time deciding on placement; light exterior details can linger largely across the front, while at other times elements can more fully immerse the listener and enrich the experience. Action scenes offer a more pronounced surround sensation. Large details and finer points alike spill through the listening area with ease, though lifelike accuracy, precision imaging, and heft tend to suffer. Gunfire detail is sporadic at best, offering a decent zip but not a truly prodigious sense of power. It never feels like it's ripping through the stage as one might experience in a bigger budget War film track. Music delivery satisfies requirements with solid detail and full stage spread. Dialogue is clear and center focused. The track always prioritizes the correct element, whether speech, music, or sound effects.

Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season contains several extras on disc two. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Farewell to the Skies Featurettes (1080p): Key cast recount their characters and arc in the series. Included are Noah Wyle (1:47), Colin Cunningham (1:42), Doug Jones (2:11), Sarah Carter (1:47), Connor Jessup (1:36), Drew Roy (1:23), and, humorously, the alien "Skitter" (1:44).
• Cast Goodbyes (1080p, 1:06): Key cast recalls the fond memories of working together for five seasons.
• A Look Back (1080p, 2:31): Key cast discuss the opportunity to end the show in a planned-out fashion, Noah Wyle's direction, and their good fortune to star in the show.
• 2015 WonderCon Panel (1080p, 48:59): TV Guide Magazine's Rich Sands moderates a discussion with Drew Roy, Sarah Carter, Colin Cunningham, and Doug Jones.

Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Entertaining yes, unforgettable no. Falling Skies wraps things up after five seasons, hopefully with enough ratings and clout and fans to deem a similar project on a bigger, smarter, deeper, more unafraid canvas to enter the fray and do right by what could be stellar television. Season five wraps things up well enough given the series' standards across an uneven but satisfactory final ten hours. Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season features solid video and fair audio. Supplements are rather skimpy beyond a lengthy Q&A. Fans shouldn't hesitate to buy. Newcomers should be aware that a series set has released alongside this final season, but, at time of writing, comes in at a higher cost than just picking up all of the seasons individually.