Falling Skies Wiki
Register
Advertisement
"Pope Breaks Bad"
Season Five, Episode Four
Fallingskies s5e4-800x450 061920151255
Episode 46
Air date July 19, 2015
Written by Jack Kenny
Directed by Peter Leto
US Viewers 1.96 million
Episode Guide
previous
Hatchlings
next
Non-Essential Personnel
Cast Guide
Starring
Noah Wyle as Tom Mason
Moon Bloodgood as Anne Glass
Drew Roy as Hal Mason
Connor Jessup as Ben Mason
Maxim Knight as Matt Mason
Mpho Koaho as Anthony
Colin Cunningham as John Pope
Doug Jones as Cochise
Will Patton as Daniel F. Weaver
Also Starring
Treva Etienne as Dingaan Botha
John DeSantis as Shaq
Jennifer Ferrin as Rebecca Mason
Scarlett Byrne as Alexis Glass-Mason

"Pope Breaks Bad" is the fourth episode of Season 5, and overall the forty sixth episode of Falling Skies. It was written by Jack Kenny and directed by Peter Leto. It first aired on TNT June 19th, 2015. It drew 1.96 million US viewers.

Plot Summary[]

A mission to procure vehicles and fuel goes awry. Cochise shares troubling news with Anne that will test both her medical and leadership skills. Anthony's mental stability and his loyalties are brought into question. Meanwhile, a desperate Pope takes things into his own hands.

Plot[]

John is leaning over a shrine that he has erected. It is setting at the spot where Sara died and the monument has her name scratched on the base. Tom shows up and stands back from the area. He tells Pope that he could have had help setting up the statue and that others wanted to say goodbye to Sara. Mason says a number of things meant to comfort John who does not reply. He looks away from Mason with a look of rage.

Back at camp John angrily berates Mason for his decision to leave Sara until after the mission. He breaks a shovel in half and throws the pieces in a burning barrel. "Say goodbye to this," he says and then states that Sara meant no more to Tom than the broken tool.

Cochise, reveals to Mason, Weaver and the rest that his “life span has concluded.” The Volm has called his father to share a “silence,” which is their custom. Anne Glass is horrified, as is Weaver. They find out that his version of a kidney, he has only one, is giving out and Anne explains about organ transplants in an effort to save the alien.

Tom asks Ryan to join his group who head to a police station to recon for gasoline and weapons. Weaver has explained that the 2nd Mass will not go very far without extra fuel or vehicles, hence the trip. The youngster grabs his weapon and they all head out.

John begins working to recruit a faction of the militia to join his "Hate Mason" crusade. Anthony complains to John about having his weapon taken away and Pope gives him a pistol. As John continues to connect with others who feel that Tom Mason has killed too many people in his role as leader, the subplot of the Volm and his dilemma continues.

Cochise meets with his father for their shared silence and he tells him of the transplant operation suggested by Glass. After an initial argument, the general agrees to the procedure and insists that Anne do it as the Volm do not have doctors.

Mason, Weaver, Matt and Dingaan Botha arrive at the police station and find a group of vehicles that appear to be in operating order. Matt finds radios and cans of mace. Weaver finds an immaculate muscle car and is overjoyed. They also find a short wave radio and make contact with an English woman outside Bolivia. Ryan discovers the same flesh eating bugs that killed Sara and is consumed in seconds.

Tom is chased by the flying insects and just as it looks like he will be joining Sara and Ryan, he remembers that they have human eyes. He sprays the mace disabling the creatures and escapes.

Anne performs the surgery and Cochise reacts well to the transplant, his father is not so fortunate and the general dies after donating one of his "kidneys". She heads out to get a car battery from a vehicle to restart the general’s heart and she chooses Weaver's muscle car battery. The men have returned from their weapons and petrol run.

As she collects jumper cables, and Weaver calls for wrenches to remove the battery, Pope very loudly questions Tom about why Ryan is not there. He then begins a tirade against Mason for killing yet another member of the 2nd Mass. Anne removes the battery and heads back to revive Cochise’s father. Pope continues his attack on Mason and then zeroes in on Tom’s deceased daughter Lexi. Mason finally confronts the man. Cocking his pistol, he shoves the weapon in John’s hand, with the barrel placed on his own forehead and tells Pope to shoot him.

He refuses and walks away. Tom banishes John from the 2nd Mass and tells him not to return, he is no longer part of the battle or the war. Pope leaves but the word is that this is far from over.

The general cannot be revived and Anne offers to undergo the "silence" that Cochise never had with his father. He agrees and as the two undertake the ceremony, Cochise sees the general and Anne sees Lexi, each interact with their “vision.” This takes place in complete silence and is an emotional experience for both Glass and Cochise. Once it ends, Anne whispers, “I’ll be damned.” She and the Volm then talk of grief and he states that he feels relived of a burden he did not know he carried.

Anthony approaches Anne and asks to speak privately with her. He leads her into a room where Pope is waiting. He has shaved off his long hair and it is clear he intends to kill her to punish Tom. Glass talks him out of it and she pushes her way past a disappointed Anthony to warn Mason that Pope has become dangerous.

Mason has another vision, Rebecca telling him that things are coming to a head with the alien threat and Tom angrily asks to speak to the Dornia directly. He says he does not need his dead wife to talk to them any longer. As he struggles to learn what they want, Rebecca asks where Hal is. This warns Tom that his son has been taken by Pope.

Mason goes to save his son and Weaver tells him to be careful. The captain tells him that the war has changed people, Tom says he knows that Pope has changed. “I was talking about you,” says Weaver. John Pope takes the bag off of Hal’s head and tells Mason’s son that he will not kill him. Instead, he says, Mason will die when he comes to rescue his son.

Other Cast[]

Co-Starring[]

Uncredited[]

Deaths[]

Significant Events[]

  • Waschak-cha'ab dies to save his son.
  • Cochise shows emotion, shedding tears.
  • The events in Washington D.C. are revealed to be occurring in national capitals all over the world, including Moscow and Tokyo.
  • Something strange is happening in Tiwanaku, Bolivia. It is a very remote location being jammed.
  • Fayetteville, a location near Chinatown is still being jammed.
  • A naval base near Norfolk is said to still be standing.
  • Pope shaves his head in his grief over Sara's death.
  • It is revealed the Dornia cannot exist in the same state of matter as this one, as it is fatal to them.

Tom's History Lesson[]

No lesson is given.

Outside References[]

  • To "break bad" means to " to challenge conventions, to defy authority and to skirt the edges of the law".
  • The title "Pope Breaks Bad" is a direct episode to Walter White, character of AMC's Breaking Bad when John Pope shaves his head, like Walter White.

Trivia[]

Photos[]

Advertisement