Under the Dome Season 1 (1 Viewer)

[David Weicker]

Good write-up Adam. I felt the same way about the last few episodes.
My biggest let-down has been the sheriff. There wasn't even a scene between her and the kids in jail. Or her and the mom. Or even Jim telling 'his story' about why the kids were arrested. It was just a big dramatic hole.

I wasn't originally bothered when I heard that this would be an on-going series. I knew they were going off-book, so other than the premise, it was a different animal from the book. However with the death rate so far, who is going to be left for next season?
(my own personal thought is there will be random moments when the dome opens up, and people accidentally come in to be trapped alongside the regulars - kind of like Hotel California or a roach motel).

I am kind of curious about the land just outside the dome. I know we saw it scorched after the bomb. But is it safe for people to go into? Wouldn't the visitors have returned to silently communicate with people inside? (also for the vision of Jim stabbed, it was no longer scorched)
David

 

[MarkMel]

The dome was bombed from one side, so the other side would be unscathed.

Also, was it nukes that they used? I don't recall them clarifying that.

Something I found interesting is that the military chatter that was being picked up by the radio station mentioned the "egg" and it's movements. How do they know about that?

Satillites maybe?

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The dome was bombed from one side, so the other side would be unscathed. Also, was it nukes that they used? I don't recall them clarifying that.

It was a MOAB - GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, a.k.a. the Mother of All Bombs.It's as big as the US can go without going nuclear. It's a thermobaric weapon that relies on a chemical reaction with the oxygen in the air rather than a fission reaction to to give it its bang. With a yield equivalent to 11 tons of TNT, it's still substantially less powerful than the nuke the US dropped on Hiroshima, which had a yield equivalent to 16 kilotons of TNT.

 

[Nelson Au]

I'm beginning to think the military chatter is the doing of the egg. Dotty didn't hear the chatter resume until the mini sphere and egg was found. It's making up the chatter to manipulate the actions of Big Jim and others. it seems more and more Barbie is being made out to be the Monarch.I think the military has no idea there's an egg in the sphere. Through they do show Barbie speaking to the soldier early on, he only recognizes he's part of a special team, I don't think he knew who Barbie is.

 

[TravisR]

However with the death rate so far, who is going to be left for next season?

That sorta plays into my problem with this show. It introduces a question or creates a conflict, it exists for about 3 episodes and then it's completely resolved (the only exceptions are the mini-dome and the dome itself). The show is like Lost for people with short attention spans. Granted, the average audience member probably enjoys fairly instant gratification but I'd much rather see them play a longer game. That being said, I enjoy it enough to keep watching next season but I sure hope Brian K. Vaughan and company are learning from mistakes made this year.

 

[Charlie Campisi]

The show is like Lost for people with short attention spans.

Nailed it! It's not even fun to nit pick because there are so many things that don't make sense. Barbie's unit, and maybe even Barbie himself, are famous among soldiers for being bad asses. So he's like a super bad ass? But he gets taken down by Junior like it's nothing.

 

[todd s]

Good write-up Adam. I felt the same way about the last few episodes.

My biggest let-down has been the sheriff. There wasn't even a scene between her and the kids in jail. Or her and the mom. Or even Jim telling 'his story' about why the kids were arrested. It was just a big dramatic hole.


I wasn't originally bothered when I heard that this would be an on-going series. I knew they were going off-book, so other than the premise, it was a different animal from the book. However with the death rate so far, who is going to be left for next season?

(my own personal thought is there will be random moments when the dome opens up, and people accidentally come in to be trapped alongside the regulars - kind of like Hotel California or a roach motel).


I am kind of curious about the land just outside the dome. I know we saw it scorched after the bomb. But is it safe for people to go into? Wouldn't the visitors have returned to silently communicate with people inside? (also for the vision of Jim stabbed, it was no longer scorched)

David

You hit the nail on the head. You are killing a bunch of the cast. How do you replenish them...Yes, the town has thousands of residents. Why would they all of the sudden be in the mix...if they hadn't been already. Plus, again the what you said about the sheriff is spot on. She was ready to go arrest Big Jim from all of the incriminating evidence. Yet, forgets all that and goes after Barbie. Who has helped her on numerous occasions with everything. Not even giving him a chance. Also, doesn't even ask why two minors are locked up.

 

[DaveF]

What happened in the last 20 minutes? The show was delayed (tennis, i read) and TiVo cut it off. Didn't know about the delay, and missed the rerun. And I'm not going to pay Amazon another $3 for this.

 

[mattCR]

What happened in the last 20 minutes? The show was delayed (tennis, i read) and TiVo cut it off. Didn't know about the delay, and missed the rerun. And I'm not going to pay Amazon another $3 for this.

Gigantic cliff hanger.

Spoiler

barbie is about to be hung as the stars rise in the sky from the egg being dropped in the pond and big Jim yells to open the hatch, completing the hanging... Then black. End of episode

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

This was one of those hours that was just batshit crazy the entire run. What's going on? Who knows? Regardless, I'll be back next year.

 

[DaveHof2]

Linda = dumbest law enforcement officer since Barney Fife.

 

[Nelson Au]

Everyone thought Junior was crazy at the start of the series. Big Jim is really showing how nutso he is! he is clever and smart to take advantage of a bad situation and twist everything. That was a surprise that Julie is the Monarch, but not surprising it wasn't Barbie.The surprise visit from the aliens certainly added a new flavor and it will be interesting to learn more next summer. I'm wondering why the town's people didn't revolt and try to stop the hanging. Not everyone can be that taken in? And the sheriff sure is still stupid! I had hoped she'd wise up.Perhaps someone will shoot Big Jim and save Barbie after the daylight came back.

 

[TonyD]

"The surprise visit from the aliens certainly added a new flavor and it will be interesting to learn more next summer" What aliens? The pink stuff? This show was as dumb as it gets.

 

[mattCR]

"The surprise visit from the aliens certainly added a new flavor and it will be interesting to learn more next summer" What aliens? The pink stuff? This show was as dumb as it gets.

No, the mother who talked to them about trying o protect them

 

[TravisR]

Linda = dumbest law enforcement officer since Barney Fife.

Yeah, I can buy her thinking that Barbie was guilty (she did come on to the scene with him standing over two bodies, Big Jim saying he did it, Barbie hitting her and then going on the run) but they made her a total idiot by having no problem with Big Jim becoming the dictator of the town or the town becoming a well-behaved lynch mob.

 

[Nelson Au]

I know this isn't the thread for it, but I was really surprised to see the commercial for Carrie during Under the Dome. Makes sense the'd air it then as its a King title. They remade that? I never read the book, but the Sissy Spacek version scared the heck out of me!

 

[DaveF]

Thanks for the recap!Julie is the monarch?I was hoping Linda was going to be smarter and more assertive than she is. I wanted to see her push back at Jim. I think I wanted to see her be the neutral nexus between Jim, Barbie, and Junior. But I suppose they're being true to her character. Her boss was neck-deep in a drug racket and she was oblivious to it.

 

[Patrick_S]

"The surprise visit from the aliens certainly added a new flavor and it will be interesting to learn more next summer"What aliens? The pink stuff?This show was as dumb as it gets.

I am amazed that someone that actually watched the episode had to ask the question "what aliens?"

The only reason I may turn in for the second season is that it is a summer and everything else will be in reruns.

 

[joshEH]

Spoilers if you've read the Stephen King novel (don't click if you haven't read it):

Spoiler

Aliens feature rather prominently in the book, although in a very different fashion. Brian K. Vaughn and King have both mentioned that they've slightly changed the origin of the dome, but it looks as if NTIs are still involved, somehow.

Given how this latest episode ended, though, it doesn't seem like the novel's version (the "leatherface" alien children succumbing to peer-pressure, the "ant farm" aspect) is going to be followed 100 percent here. The appearance of the alien in the guise of Samantha Mathis makes clear that they're taking things in a different -- and more interesting, IMO -- direction from the book.

 

[TonyD]

I'm not surprised someone asked because I didnt see aliens. I must have spaced out when they appeared. Were they in this Final episode or a previous one? The way Nelson posted, it looks like they appeared in this episode.