Under the Dome: Blue on Blue

Under the Dome is a summer series on CBS based on science fiction writer Stephen King's book of the same name.  While I enjoy the show, I feel like there is a lot of drama, lies, betrayal, secrets, and very little science.  I wish they would add some more eerie events and fringe science explanations as the only one to date are the actual appearance of the dome and Joe and Norrie's seizures.  This episode could have been the perfect chance to show Outside the Dome and the various military and science theories that led to their actions.  Instead we are still trapped Under the Dome and very little happens.  While this week's Under the Dome was not my favorite, it did take us away from the normal storyline as people finally communicated with the outside and action was taken against the dome.  So let's jump into this weeks episode: "Blue on Blue" 

• The town was pleased to see the arrival of huge buses of family members paying their first, prison-like, visit to Chester's Dome.  While the rudimentary communication through paper and pencil could have been produced in a better fashion it was the first bit of good news to hit the town.  They rushed to the site and reunited with their family and friends. 
• Reverend Coggins continued his religious rebirth threatening Big Jim to come clean about his dealings in the drug business to the town.  He claimed he was hearing God speak only one word into his ear: Moab, a place in the Bible that was evil and corrupt.  This was a sign that if Chester's Mill is to be spared, they must confess their sins and ask for God's forgiveness.  
• Joe discovered a large group of butterflies migrating to the dome's surface, attracted to its electric nature.  This showed their captor was interfering with nature's normal order as the butterflies shouldn't be around Chester's Mill at this time.  In addition Joe realized the dome was sending Norrie and him messages on the same frequency which explained why, when they touched or got too close, they received "feedback" which ignited a spark between them and sent them into their seizures.
• Although the first order of business on visitor's day for Sherriff Linda, was to keep people from rushing up to the dome and touching it.  However, she instantly crossed her own police line and put her hand to her fiancé's setting a great example.  While their reunion began well, she had to inform him of the death of his brother Freddie, the police officer who was killed by a ricocheted bullet.  He apparently was quite upset leaving the area, and Linda, in what she thought to be the last moments of her life.
• Some secrets came along with the dome's visitors, one being Norrie's father.  While she believed he was a sperm donor who could not be located, he showed up in this episode upsetting both Norrie, who found out her mothers had been lying to her, as well as Alice, who was infuriated he never wanted to be a part of Norrie's life until the cameras were rolling.
• Julia's sister-in-law also made an appearance with a "Dear John" letter from Peter, claiming he was sorry and that Julia deserved better.  My only guess about this one was that he mailed it out before the materialization of the dome, expecting Barbie would kill him when he pointed a gun at him that was loaded with blanks.  Why he sent the letter to his sister rather than Julia is a mystery and the whole thing was a bit hinky to me.  Nevertheless Julia believes that her husband did in fact gamble away their money and take off, putting her suspicions about Barbie to rest for the time being.
• Barbie was apparently part of a special military unit that is regarded as heroes and thus able to show his medallion and get information from the soldiers guarding the dome.  It was then that he discovered "Moab" was not a message from God but rather Coggins' hearing aid picking up a military frequency describing the "Mother Of All Bombs".  It became clear the visitation was meant as a goodbye for the town before they planned to hit the dome with a large missile in an attempt to destroy it and everything underneath. 
• Once again the town all came together in a Kumbaya scene as they shared what they thought to be the last moments of their life.  Rather than fighting most made amends and helped prepare the underground shelter, their only hope of surviving the blast, while listening to Phil's end of the world music compilation.  Barbie came clean to Julia about his special unit and the fact that it was all a big cover-up and he had killed his own men, far from being a heroic in his eyes.  This honesty, atop the disappointment from Peter, was enough for her to forgive him and their hands embraced as they waited for their impending doom.
• When Big Jim learned that Chester's Mill was in imminent danger, he released Angie claiming she should die a free woman.  Angie seemed to forgive Junior in the last minutes as she was finally free and they awaited their death in Juniors home rather than the shelter.  Joe and Norrie also shared an end of the world moment together and Linda was left alone at the site where her and her fiancé had once carved their names.
• When the "MOAB" hit, not only did it not destroy Chester's Mill or our beloved characters, it didn't even scratch the surface of the dome.  Instead it left the area around it decimated, likely harming the surrounding nature more than the dome was.  Coggins saw this as a blessing for admitting his sins and continued his insistence on Big Jim coming clean to the town about their shady drug business.  However, Big Jim was determined to keep his secret and murdered Coggins by simply pressing his battery powered hearing aid, still attached to his head, against the dome instantly bursting it.

Overall this episode was a big disappointment for me.  I can't believe any viewer believed this bomb would actually destroy Chester's Mill as it would bring about the death of all the characters and the end of the show.  I felt it could have been produced much better and instead we watched exactly what was expected to happen.  Hopefully in the coming episodes there will be more conflict, more science and more secrets reveled.  Tune into Under the Dome Mondays on CBS and catch up here with new posts each week.  Enjoy!