"Molon Labe"
Season 2, Episode 7
Episode	17
Air date	July 22, 2012
Written by	Bradley Thompson & David Weddle
Directed by	Holly Dale
US Viewers	3.45 million
Episode Guide
previous "Homecoming"	next "Death March"

Molon Labe is the 17th episode of Falling Skies and the seventh of the second season. It was written by Co-Executive Producers Bradley Thompson & David Weddle and directed by Holly Dale. It premiered on TNT on July 22, 2012 and drew 3.45 million American viewers. This episode focuses on the 2nd Mass attempting to escape the hospital while under siege from the alien invaders. Captain Weaver resumes control of the 2nd Mass.

PlotEdit

The episode takes place directly after the events following the end of Homecoming. While Ben Mason and Karen Nadler are walking through the woods. Karen asks Ben about where he's taking her. Ben tells Karen that he is looking for Red Eye and the alien rebellion. Karen probes Ben about how he met the resistance, and where they are located. Ben answers these questions and Karen springs her trap; revealing that she's been looking for Ben.

The 2nd Mass have followed Ben and Karen through the woods and attack the alien invaders. In the fire fight Karen slips away and Ben rejoins his family. Tom ends the gunfire by capturing one of the Overlords.

Captain Weaver resumes control of the 2nd Mass, having recovered from his illness. Tom arrives with the overlord and tells Weaver that he's their ticket out of the trap. Weaver, under duress, has the 2nd Mass put him in the same holding area where they previously held Karen.

The aliens besiege the hospital. Using a pincer tactic the aliens sneak in through the back of the hospital while using random gun fire as a diversion from the front. Weaver realizes the tactic and directs Tom to check on the flank. Tom finds a Mech bursting through the garage door. The mech attacks and Tom desperately shoots at a set of oxygen tanks, destroying the mech but inadvertently bringing down the roof around Lourdes, Matt and Dr. Glass.

Karen attempts to negotiate by raising a white flag and calling for Tom. Tom is accompanied by Hal. Karen tells them that if they give up the overlord they will be let go. Tom refuses, believing that the aliens will kill them all. Hal is unresponsive and dismissive of Karen. The negotiation is at an impasse so Tom and Hal return to the 2nd Mass. Weaver warns Tom that he must make a hard choice because they can no longer protect Ben. Tom refuses to consider sacrificing his sons.

Inside the hospital, things are frantic. Ben confronts Tom, stating that he needs to leave when the 2nd Mass is out of trouble, and that this whole thing is his fault, that he made a mistake and is a liability. Tom refuses to accept this, stating that he doesn't believe it's his fault. and that his son belongs with him. The two begin to argue about why it's necessary or unnecessary, but put it aside for the moment.

Lourdes, Dr. Glass and Matt stumble upon a wounded Jamil. He is bleeding from multiple injuries, weakly holding on to a door handle and shouting at them to stay back. Lourdes rushes to his side and attempts to help. Jamil admits his love for her and Lourdes reciprocates. Matt can hear something behind the door and goes to open it. Jamil shouts at him not to.

Maggie and Hal are checking to see if there is any obvious way out from the rear of the hospital. Hal attempts to open a jammed door. Maggie asks if Hal still loves Karen. Hal says that he doesn't love her anymore but thinks about her all the time. He says that if he could just shut her out he would feel better. Maggie grabs Hal and kisses him passionately. Hal ask her what happened to staying apart; Maggie says that she has changed her mind. Hal dislodges the door only to find tons of spider like creatures crawling through the doorway. He closes the door in time to stop all but one of them. Hal kills it with the butt of his rifle.

Lourdres, Dr. Glass and Matt watch in horror as the same spider-like creatures begin to emerge from Jamil's mouth and attempt to attack them. Dr. Glass orders a retreat but has to pull Lourdes away because she will not leave Jamil's side. Dr. Glass says that there is nothing they can do. They lock themselves in the blood lab.

Lourdes is so traumatized by Jamil's death that she has all but given up on living. Matt comes up with the idea to crawl through the air vent for help. Dr. Glass builds a flame-thrower using oxygen canisters, forcing Lourdes to help despite her disconsolate state.

Karen calls for Captain Weaver at the front line. She delivers a swift message by executing Boon, a captured 2nd Mass militiaman. She warns that more death will come if they don't respond and their time is running out.

In the hospital, Tom wonders where Dr. Glass and the others are. He is told that they went into the basement to get supplies. Tom and Pope rush down to find them. They reunite with Matt as he emerges from the air vent. He leads them to the blood lab as Lourdes and Dr. Glass escape using their flamethrower to torch all of the creatures. They return to ground level, where Weaver is leading a force sealing the exits from the basement.

Tom storms into the holding cell for the Overlord in a state of desperation, with Ben at his side. He threatens to kill the Overlord if it does not end the siege. The Overlord takes control of Ben to speak to Tom. Tom ask what the aliens want and The Overlord claims they are there for peace. Tom is incredulous and accuses the aliens of genocide. The Overlord says that they are trying to "correct" the human race rather than exterminate it. It says that the humans are imperfect, out of control and deeply flawed with their self-destructive nature. The alien refuses to answer when Tom asks why they are there, and warns Tom that disrupting their activities is futile. Tom says that they are not alone in their resistance, referencing the rebellion. The Overlord proves his theory by starting to kill Ben in front of Tom. Tom desperately yells for the Overlord to stop, and it takes control of Ben again to say that humans are weak because of their emotions. It demands to be released. Tom says that he understands, and then shoots the Overlord through the throat.

Tom plans to allow Karen to see the Overlord to convince her to let the 2nd Mass go. He convinces Weaver that the alien's current target is not them, but their link to the resistance through Ben.

Hal escorts Karen through the halls at gunpoint. She claims that she wishes things could have been different. Karen claims that Hal could never understand the truths the aliens have taught her and ruminates on the nature of causality. Hal is dismissive of her claims, saying that it is the biggest load of crap he has ever heard. Karen counters by revealing that she organized the killing of the harnessed children and the placing of their bodies so Hal would find her. She claims that she knew exactly what to say to Ben and Hal to get them to do whatever she wanted until she left the hospital with Ben. Hal refutes her claim, pointing out that things have gone to hell since then. She admits that there are always variables, but that the end result is the same, which is why they are giving up her master.

Karen is shown the critically injured Overlord. Tom shows Karen that they have rigged the holding cell with explosives. He says that they must let them all go quickly or the Overlord will die. Karen angrily attacks Tom but is restrained by Ben.

On the road out, Lourdes is catatonic with grief. She tells Dr. Glass that there's nothing left and sooner or later everybody is going to die. She says that it doesn't matter if you're good, bad or indifferent because something bad will eventually happen.

Tom tries to stop Ben from leaving the 2nd Mass. Tom realizes that he can't convince him. He cries on his son's shoulder and tells him how much he loves him. Tom watches Ben walk away as Weaver calls for the convoy to move out toward Charleston.

Significant EventsEdit

• The 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment leaves the hospital for Charleston, South Carolina.
• Jamil Dexter and Boon are killed.
• A new alien species is introduced to the series; they're known as "crawlies" by the shows creators and identified as such by Weaver in dialogue.
• Karen Nadler is re-Harnessed.
• Ben Mason leaves The 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment
• The Overlord who spoke to Tom in "Worlds Apart" is still on Earth and is shot by Tom.

TriviaEdit

• Molon labe is a phrase from Ancient Greece, meaning "Come and take them", a phrase of defiance believed to have been said by King Leonidas to the Persians during the Battle of Thermopylae.