CBS's new science-fiction, mystery, action, drama hit Under the Dome premiered its second episode, The Fire, this week. Unlike the premiere that bogged viewers down with a slew of character introductions and had me rewinding and taking notes just to keep up with everyone's secrets, jobs and relationships; this episode was rich with the logical content that would follow the unlikely event of being encased in a virtual snow-globe. This week the town of Chester's Mill began to feel the pressure of being enclosed with no idea why the mysterious dome had appeared, what it is, or when, if ever, they will be released. The episode depicted the inevitable feelings of claustrophobia as some residents became stir crazy. We were blessed with a new introduction, a great decision, that gave us some background on what had happened in the premiere. If you still have questions about the barrage of characters and original events, check out my first post where I lay it out clearly. This week we also saw some of the show's more insidious characters trying to hide their crimes and clean up their messes, residents working together to avert catastrophe lacking any outside help, as well as the sleuths of the group investigating the science of the dome. So let's dive right in to the main events in this weeks episode of Under the Dome!- We begin with Barbie, one of Chester's Mill non-natives, having vivid dreams about the day he killed Peter. This gives us a little more background on what happened as in the first episode we only saw Barbie dumping the body. The scene was pretty much as expected, when Barbie attempted to collect Peter's gambling debts, they got into a scuffle and Peter pulled a gun. Because Peter was killed the day the dome dropped, Sunday, we now know that he was not cheating on his wife Julia when she thought he was working at the hospital but rather going to the local gambling shack. Contributing to Barbie's feeling of guilt that Julie, his gracious host while trapped, is concerned about her husband's whereabouts and assumes he is outside the dome with his mistress, he awakes to pictures in the home of the happy couple next to his bed. In addition Barbie was apparently yelling in his sleep and we don't know how much the clever reporter Julia knows. Barbie also comes to the realization that during his scuffle, Peter pulled off his dog tags which connect him to the crime scene. Recovering this key piece of evidence and precious keepsake is Barbie's mission for the episode.
- A new character is introduced, Reverend Coggins, as Linda and Big Jim take Duke's body to the morgue. We quickly find out that Coggins is not as holy as one would assume as he is high on the "product" and part of the plot both Big Jim and Duke were privy to. While it is not clear, it is implied that the trucks they have been moving into the town are related to drugs and while both Duke and Big Jim claim their actions are to help Chester's Mill, Coggins makes it clear that he and Big Jim have ulterior motives as well. After Duke's death the two attempt to destroy any evidence he has, before Linda or anyone else finds out, by searching both his office and home. Coggins finds the documentation in Duke's study, but while burning the damning paperwork in his altered state he ends up setting fire to the sheriff's entire house causing the first town catastrophe. With the fire trucks outside the dome, the town must work together to extinguish the flames. Everyone helps out including Barbie who starts a "bucket brigade" to move water from a nearby swimming pool. Their efforts were futile as the flames continued to spread, even causing a propane tank to explode, threatening all of Chester's Mill and for a moment it seems like the entire town may go down in a dome of flames. Thankfully, Big Jim comes to the rescue with a tractor and tears down Duke's house putting the fire to rest. At one point Big Jim hears the Reverend calling for help, trapped within the fire, but ignores him, probably to minimize the number of people of know about his nefarious actions and to profit more himself. When Linda hears his calls she races into the burning building and pulls him out alive.
- We see more of Junior and his captive Angie in this episode as well. Of course, Angie is trying desperately to escape the confines of the bomb shelter and when Junior brings her food and water she attacks him but is overpowered and chained to the bunk-bed. While it is clear that Junior is crazy, he brought up an interesting point about the change in Angie's personality coinciding with the emergence of the dome. In my post reviewing the premiere I noted the strange inconsistencies of Angie's clothes, dialogue and character in general. While I know that Junior isn't all there, is it possible that similarly to Joe and Norrie's seizure episodes in connection to the dome, Angie is also having some sort of reaction to its presence? I might be reaching in order to explain away some poor writing and production choices, but in this type of show where the impossible becomes reality you never know. Angie also made the unintelligent decision to play into Junior's insecurities about seeing her with Barbie in the first episode by claiming she is in a relationship with him. This causes Junior to seek him out and attack Barbie in the poker hall while he is searching for his missing dog tags. Junior misinterprets why Barbie is there, but if Peter's body emerges he might be able to connect the dots and finger Barbie for the murder. Barbie roughs up Junior and warns him that if he doesn't stop following and harassing him, next time he won't stop, he will kill Junior. We don't know if this is just an idle threat or a reality as Barbie is capable of murder and Junior is now a witness if anyone discovers what happened at the poker hall. However it is clear that Barbie has some regrets for his actions, especially when he finds the gun Peter drew on him to be empty and as his relationship with Peter's wife Julia grows.
- Joe hasn't yet noticed his sister's disappearance and spends his time this episode with his friend Ben, the same boy who witnessed Joe's dome induced seizure last week, investigating their cage. By marking points and using trigonometry, Joe is among the first residents to uncover the massive circular shape of their entrapment. He also discovers a group of scientists outside the barrier spraying water on it. While the water doesn't directly penetrate the bubble, he discovers a sort of osmotic property as his hand becomes moist when touching the area where the water is hitting. I think that if water is able to seep through the fence's clearly electrical nature, air might also penetrate it, meaning the smoke from the fire could dissipate. Although this may seem like a small find, it could be the beginning to uncovering an escape route for instance creating a Faraday cage to safely cross over or to bring supplies into Chester's Mill.
- Julia's journalist instincts take her to the radio station where she encounters Phil and Dodee picking up some military communications. She takes the station hostage and updates the town with a news report informing the masses that their captor is being referred to as dome-like in shape. She then rushes to the newest story in Chester's Mill, the fire. While taking pictures and joining in the effort to extinguish the flames, she comes across Barbie and notices he has found his dog tags. When she questions him as to their whereabouts, he lies and she knows this. Although she is impressed with Barbie and his seemingly good-natured personality, it is clear that her instincts are telling her that his story doesn't add up and I don't think it will be long before she uncovers his hidden actions as well.
- Residents and visitors of Chester's Mill come together in the fire crisis to help each other out and do their best to survive with their limited resources inside the dome. After the fire is extinguished Big Jim makes a step for power by giving a speech to the crowd regarding their efforts to work in harmony and that if they keep it up they will make it through whatever the unknown barrier trapping them there has in store. Interrupting his speech a distraught citizen brings up the obvious counter; that they will never escape. Making matters worse, it is a sheriff's officer who speaks up against him clearly in a panic. Deputy Paul fills the residents with fear, claiming they will all die in this circular coffin. In a fit of rage he shoots his gun at the dome, which acts like a mirror and propels the bullet back into the crowd piercing another deputy in the chest. Barbie apprehends Paul which will probably have some wondering who this man is and where he developed his obvious combat skills. Nevertheless, a kumbaya moment quickly turns into one of fear, panic and shock as the injured cop dies. With the realization that the officers are the ones we look to in a time of crisis and one has just murdered another (i.e. they don't have it together), compounded with the fact that Paul's words were just a vocalization of everyone's greatest fear, I am sure that the crowd is beginning to tap into their own feelings of hysteria. For the more optimistic and level-headed personalities in the crowd, Paul's words and actions are now planted in their minds ready to creep up in times of doubt. We wont know until next week, but I think that many will begin to panic and the claustrophobic feelings will spread as quickly as the fire did. The longer they are enclosed and the more gossip that networks out will cause factions; one determined to break out no matter the cost and the other desperately trying to keep the peace until help arrives. But we must also entertain the idea that help isn't coming and unless the town figures out the cause of this mysterious dome and, rather than waiting idly, comes up with a plan to escape it, they may all be trapped forever.
"Under The Dome Sticker" courtesy of John Wilkerson:
http://www.thestickercast.com/2013/07/possible-getglue-stickers-for-under-the-dome/
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