(S01E22) I really don't think ABC understands what they're giving up here. Granted this wasn't the best episode of the season. But as far as season finales go, this is right up there. Things you wanted addressed were taken care of and the cliffhanger... man, I never saw that coming. The only gripe I had was the middle. There was a lot of filler and it took some patience to get to the good stuff. I'm glad I waited.
We picked up right where last week left off with Szura's gang pushing people into the water to do a dance with the orange aliens. Tom and Russell put up a fight though. They bust out their guns and take out a ton of the hybrids. Just in time too because Dave and Louis finally show up with Colonel Lopez and the Air Force. Szura, being the smart guy that he is, grabs Mariel (four of the pregnant ladies too) and drives off with them. Game on.
Morning arrives, and Tom and Russell take off after Mariel and Szura. Louis takes Larkin, Dave, and the children home. Before they can leave, Brett (Jesse's football buddy) takes them all hostage with the help of some other jerk. They take everyone back to Tom's because they still think he's behind all this.
Meanwhile, Tom and Russell find Szura in some abandoned building. Tom chases his former pal around and eventually puts about a dozen bullets into him. So rest assured, Szura is dead. Then Tom gets a phone call and takes off without Russell and Mariel, but we'll come back to that.
The pregnant ladies are ready to give birth to whatever is inside them. They want to go to the water (it's instinct), so Mariel and Russell drive the four of them to the shore. Three of them walk right in and get pulled under. The fourth lady collapses on the beach. I thought she was dead, especially after Mariel couldn't find a pulse. But then it happened. One of the creatures (I still think they look like giant horseshoe crabs) came out of the water and pulled the woman in. It was creepy.
Back to Tom, the call he got? Jesse on the radio. So Tom rushes home to find the kids upstairs and Larkin, Dave, and Louis locked in a closet. Brett, at this point, had given up on the cause and wanted to leave. His buddy didn't. Tom wrestled the idiot to the ground but not before his gun went off once. A single bullet. Right through the closet door. Larkin took it in the chest and her lung collapses fast.
Everybody tries to help, but Louis can't get anyone on the radio or the phone. The town is in disarray, it's martial law. No ambulance is going to get there in time and Tom doesn't know where Mariel is. It quickly becomes clear that there's only one way to keep Larkin alive.
Tom brings her to the shore... and sends her off into the water! Russell and Mariel show up too after they saw Tom's car. The episode ends as Russell asks Tom, "What'd you do?"
This leaves so many questions. I think the aliens will still take Larkin's body. She's shot, not sick. Plus the pregnancy is an added bonus. Does her child immediately convert to hybrid status as well? Also, this confirms Tom's worth for me. He had good intentions here, even if it's a little twisted. He just didn't want her to die.
After all this, if we don't get a second season of this show... I don't know what to say. This first season was one hell of a ride though.
Six Mad Men characters who are in limbo after the finale
Fact or Fiction: Big Bang, Brothers & Sisters and CSI
The TV Squad Podcast: Linda Purl talks about The Office, we talk spoilers, and more
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-18-2006 @ 9:45AM
saidmary said...
I think ABC owes the viewer a final made for TV movie to finish up all the lose ends. Maybe, as viewers, we should cancel ABC because they end things so abruptly and without finishing it.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 9:47AM
Keith L. said...
Someone Pick it up PLEASE!!!!! ITS A GREAT SHOW...IT NEEDS TO ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS NOW! CW PICK IT UP! YOU NEED IT!!!!!! IT FITS IN WITH SUPERNATURAL JUST FINE....SMALLVILLE IS PROB ON ITS FINAL SEASON...!!! PICK IT UP!!!!!
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 9:53AM
Karol Price said...
Please, please don't let this show go away. it is a wonderful thinking show. Please if abc doesn't want it someone else pick it up or make a made for tv movie to finish telling us what happens.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 10:07AM
Tammy said...
This show had it's ups and downs all season. The first 10 or so episodes were so slow that I almost gave up on it. But it did pay off and now I want to know what happened to Larkin. I know alot of people loved this show but it was one I could live without. I do wish we could get some closure with a movie or something to at least explain what happened to everyone. I at least stuck the season out with this Shaun Cassidy show, I can't say the same for American Gothic or whatever that last one was.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 10:13AM
Ian said...
This show is made for SciFi channel I hope they pick it up.
A couple of questions. Go back 5 or 6 episodes Mariel was extremely pregnant, now nada nothing at all? Was this written out?
Szura dead? Oh come on...you gota understand these shows. Even he asked Tom about how many bullets he tooka nd lived. Hybrids don't kick the bucket that easily especially nasty key characters...;)
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 10:24AM
Tim in Augusta said...
I think your comment about how the middle of this episode was mostly filler sums up my opinion of so much of this season. I was originally intrigued by the show and premise, but so often episodes were more frustrating than satisfying. If someone does pick it up, I hope they look into giving more bang for the buck each episode. A final 2-hour movie would be nice for the fans, but I think ABC would consider that charity work at this point (yeah, yeah, I know they put out that cruddy Chicken Flu tv-flick, so no telling what anyone is thinking at the alphabet network)
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 10:25AM
Jonathan Toomey said...
Ian -
Mariel's pregnancy... the way I interpreted it, all the female hybrids have something in their stomach. But they need to have sex to get things going. Remember how Christina was fine and then she slept with Derek? Only then did her stomach start growing. I don't think Mariel was sleeping with Tom, so she was fine.
As far as Szura goes, I do think he's dead. That final bullet, it didn't show where Tom shot him... but I think in the forehead is a safe bet... that coupled with the half-dozen or so in his chest. Even the hybrids have a limit.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 10:54AM
Maria said...
I hope the CW picks up both Surface & Invasion...Both are awesome shows.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 11:28AM
dtt said...
Killing Szura was a good thing to show closure for ending the series. Shooting Larkin and sending her to the water was not....That was like a season finale that would indicate the show was coming back. I have to admit - mortally shooting the pregnant lady ALMOST made me turn off the TV on a show that had me 100% through the ups and "slow"-downs of the whole season. All of these shows are trying to top each other with lead charecter body counts this year. Works once in a while - but this is getting out of hand.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 11:37AM
Chris said...
Internet buzz implies that the CW was initially interested, but it was too much of an investment since the show is so expensive to make. Understandable for sure, with all the actors and water scenes...
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 12:13PM
Alli27 said...
I'm literally devastated about this cancellation! I hope someone picks it up. Early rumours are ABC is replacing it with another *yawn* Crime Drama.
Stupid asses. I'm all done with ABC.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 12:36PM
Dennis said...
yeah, I'm pretty bummed about the cancellation of this show too. I'm just hoping the rumors about the new network CW picking it up are true. They're supposed to announce their lineup today sometime, so we shouldn't have long to wait.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 1:02PM
Tammy said...
I think what you remember is the ultra sound of Mariel's that showed she now had multiple ovaries. She wasn't pregnant because she hadn't had sex since the change. I don't think she will ever have sex again after watching those women get taken into the water.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 1:44PM
elizabeth landes said...
I think that ABC owes us a movie to bring closure to the "Invasion" series. I watched it religiously, dropping everything just so as not to miss anything. Now I feel like these last two seasons were a total waste of my time. The way it ended just left too many questions......and no closure. I like closure....as I'm sure many of us feel the same way. ABC BIG, BIG mistake to cancel so abruptly. If you knew you were going to cancel....the least that you could have done was satisfy your audience with a decent ending. I will not watch ABC in the future if I can help it. I personally am sick and tired of the same old garbage....namely cops and robbers type of shows to include detective sitcoms. Don't we have enough of those already. Bring back some shows that EVERYONE can watch and feel good afterward....isn't there enough violence and death on TV already. Give us something that's more uplifting and positive....something that makes us think a litte and not sit on that couch and feel the adrenaline rush day in and day out.....no wonder we are a society who can't relax and really enjoy life and each other.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 1:53PM
Valerie said...
With a finale like that, we definetely deserve at least a two hour movie to get some closure. I'm going to send ABC a couple letters and emails, encouraging them to wrap things up with a two hour movie. If anyone wants to join me in this effort, here is all the contact info for ABC:
ABC, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4551
Phone: (818) 460-7477
And you can use this form to contact the ABC Audience Relations Department:
http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html
Maybe we can get them to do a wrap up movie. They are going to do one for 'Commander in Chief', so why not Invasion?
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 2:15PM
saidmary said...
Thanks, Valerie, for the ABC link. I did leave my 2 cents worth via the online link.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 2:54PM
TWM said...
They have to do some sort of sequel, just for all of us cat people who need to know that Carlita (Rose's cat) is okay...
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 3:40PM
Sheila said...
I cannot BELIEVE that ABC cancelled Invasion. It made for a suspenseful evening of television. Wednesday nights was the new "must see" night of television at our house. First Lost, and then Invasion. The two together made for a great night. I think ABC should reconsider cancelling this great show. Besides Lost and all it's reruns, they really don't have anything else that compares as far as I'm concerned. Sci Fi would probably love this show! And then those of us that appreciate good television can still watch and see just what happens to this town!
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 5:10PM
carissalbrown said...
Why does it have to come to an end? I am a sci-fi fan and Invasion was one of those series that fit right in with the rest. I can not see how they can just cancel a show without any conclusion. The fans need to know what is going to happen next for the people of Homestead and to Larkin, Russell, Underlay, Dave, and the children. Out of all the shows I have seen on abc this one had me hooked from day 1. I do not want to see it go. I see that ABC's fall line up for the coming season will not be as impressive as this season. Since ABC has canceled Invasion and NBC has thrown Surface to the wolfs, I guess now I can spend my days reading sci-fi instead of looking at those sorry shows that everyone knows will probably crash and burn in the long run. I am glad we have the sci-fi channel to look forward to and maybe even see Invasion and Surface get picked up by them. Here's to Hope and Wishes.
Reply
5-18-2006 @ 5:14PM
Amy said...
I too am devastated and so upset with ABC. I need to know what happens!!! I don't usually get into TV shows, but for some reason this show had me hooked for the beginning. Finally - it was a show unlike all the other ridiculousness on tv. I've never ever posted on anything like this before, but I really am sad. There's nothing I can say differently from anyone else who posted, but I am truly bummed and found myself yelling at the tv when it was all over. And it's true - whatever happened to Carlita?!? Does Russell get his job back? Does Larkin turn into a hybrid and come back? Do Mariel & Russell get back together? What about Kyra and Louis? Does Jesse reconcile with his friend that tried to kill him?? I need to know!! I feel dumb about it, but I really can't believe it's cancelled...(a 2 hour movie would make me feel better...)
Reply