The Falling Skies cast arrived at Comic-Con on Friday for one final time to bid their fans goodbye.
Hypable got the chance to attend Friday’s Falling Skies fan panel, and we got the inside scoop on the fifth and final season when we interviewed the cast.
On how Moon Bloodgood has discovered Anne along the way
Anne has grown so much from the peaceful pediatrician we met at the start the start of the series, but even now, she continues to be a conundrum even to Moon Bloodgood. While Anne started off softer and very maternal, losing her daughter has turned her into a fighter.
Still, even as she’s been forced to harden, she’s become a counterpoint to Tom’s bloodlust this fifth season. Moon talked to Hypable about how she and Executive Producer Olatunde Osunsanmi reimagined the scene where Anne kills the skitter from what was on the page. It wasn’t supposed to be a particularly emotional moment, but Moon and the director wanted to show how she was still holding on to her humanity.
During the panel, Moon noted how for Anne, killing isn’t about revenge. As a woman and a mother, she’s coming from a different place: killing is about ending the misery they’ve been living in. She doesn’t enjoy it — she just wants the misery to be over.
Drew Roy on how Hal has evolved in his relationships
At the start of the series, Drew Roy talked about how Hal was more of a hot-headed kid, but now, as the series is closing, he’s become a more refined man. Drew said, “Hal’s gone from someone you look at, to someone you look to.” He isn’t just a teen taking orders from his dad anymore — he’s become a leader in his own right.
As for the love triangle Hal’s found himself tangled up in, Drew Roy told Hypable that while Hal is trying to be mature about his relationship with Maggie and let her make her own choice, he still wants to fight for her because he loves her. And though he’s trying to play it cool at the start of this season, he isn’t willing to let the relationship go so easily.
Sarah Carter on how Maggie will take control of her own destiny
Sarah Carter joked at the Comic-Con panel about how five seasons in, we still have yet to learn Maggie’s last name… AND WE NEVER WILL. But even so, Maggie’s found herself at the center of a Mason family love triangle. Sarah admitted that she was very hesitant about the potential love triangle between the Mason brothers at first, but in the end, she felt that the relationships were able to develop organically, and she really appreciated how thorough the writers allowed Maggie’s spike journey to be.
Fortunately, Sarah said that the series love triangle won’t be the heart of Maggie’s storyline this season. As the world falls apart around them, Maggie finally decides that her story needs to be about taking control over her own life, not about which one of the Mason brothers she’s going to choose. “But…” Moon Bloodgood cut in to tease, “She does choose one.”
Doug Jones says Cochise has daddy-issues and is going through his rebellious phase
“Dad, I like my new friends, and I want to stay!” Doug Jones jokingly compared Cochise to a rebellious teen and talked about how Cochise’s fondness for humans is the cause of the rift with his father. Why does Cochise feel such a connection to the humans? Doug Jones told us that the Volm come from a place of intellect, not emotion. But Doug Jones says, “Cochise is the poet of the Volm.” The humans are different from any other species that he’s encountered, and they’ve introduced him to the concept of love. Doug Jones told the audience that his favorite line in the series was one Cochise said at the brink of death in season 3: “The human spirit remains the most powerful weapon on this planet.”
On how Tom and Weaver have changed as leaders
During the panel, Noah Wyle talked about how Tom and Weaver have done a role reversal as the seasons have gone by. While at the start, Weaver was the battle-ready strategist and Tom was the humanist professor, by the time we reach season 5, Weaver’s become the humanist, while Tom is finally tapping into his rage. Going into the final season, Tom feels that it’s necessary to put their humanity on a shelf for the moment and tap into their warrior, animalistic side.
Colin Cunningham and Noah Wyle on Tom and Pope’s final showdown
Colin Cunningham talked a lot about how much he enjoyed working on scenes with Noah Wyle, and the feeling was mutual. Colin is very grateful that the writers gave him a lot of freedom in trying new things with his character and Noah added that while Colin Cunningham is very modest, he truly is “an incredibly inventive actor.”
As for the animosity between Tom and Pope, Colin and Noah agree that it’s a fascinating dynamic because depending on the situation, they can be each other’s greatest enemy or ally. Colin Cunningham said, “In any given situation, Pope is either the mayhem, or the voice of reason.” But rest assured that Pope and Tom will have one last go around in the final season. Within the next couple of weeks, the gloves will come off, and Pope will have to decide if he’s going to stick with the Second Mass, or strike out on his own.
’Falling Skies’ executive producer on the theme of the final season
Finally, we got the chance to chat with Falling Skies executive producer Olatunde Osunsanmi about the arc of this final season, and he told Hypable that this season will be less about the aliens, and more about the impact of war on human beings. After all, Falling Skies has always at its core, been about humanity.
The final season of Falling Skies airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on TNT.