Hello The Event fans,
When we left off last week, President Martinez (Blair Underwood) had been poisoned by Raymond Jarvis (Bill Smitrovich) under the ‘guidance’ of Sophia Maguire (Laura Innes). Blake Sterling (Zeljko Ivanek) along with Agent Peel (Roger Bart).
We observed surveillance video of the meeting room before the call to order that morning and saw Jarvis hanging around the coffee cart, taking something out of his pocket and later, when the President had fallen, he saw Jarvis -in the surveillance video- reaching and taking a used packet of sweetener that the President had put into his coffee. Blake knew Jarvis was behind this and yet he had no real proof.
Until after the convening of the executive branch to vote for Jarvis to become acting President. When Blake returned to his office, he noticed a coffee stain on his sleeve which had been there all day from the time President Martinez’s coffee had spilled that morning.
Michael Buchanan (Scott Patterson) and Leila Buchanan (Sarah Roemer) argued about Leila calling outside of the Aliens’ community with details of what agent Simon Lee (Ian Anthony Dale) had told her The Bodyguard, who we now know as Louis, who was assigned to keep an eye on Leila came up on them as they were arguing. He told Michael that Sophia had to be told what happened. As we saw them walking… presumably to where Sophia was, Michael killed Louis. He and Leila then took the body to their home to dispose of it and clean up the evidence.
The “weapon” recovered by the Aliens was in fact the body of a World War one soldier who had died of the Spanish flu. The Soldier’s corpse had been taken to a ship in Port in Murmansk, and he was being autopsied by a medical examiner. The M.E. wound up cutting his own hand, apparently got out and others on the ship became infected with the strain as well. Sean Walker (Jason Ritter) and Vicky Roberts (Tayler Cole) discovered “Irina Bogdanov” was not a woman, but was a large ship ported in Murmansk, Western Siberia.
They got to the ship and boarded it to find everyone they could see there had died. When they found the corpse in the makeshift autopsy room, the soldier’s lungs had been cleanly removed. Sean and Vicky did find a man who had been there and he told them the people who were there before got someone to take the tissue to the United States. “I don’t know what, but they are bringing contaminated tissue to your country!” The man told them it was being taken by Air Moscow to America.
President Martinez had all the symptoms of a brain bleed and his condition has been serious and then deteriorating through the episode. The compound that the Aliens gave Jarvis to spike the President’s coffee with was supposed to be “Quick and Painless”. It most likely would have been, had we not all the medical tech we do today for trying to save stroke victims. We ended with Christina Martinez (Lisa Vidal) being rushed out of the ICU as Elias was going into a convulsive seizure and what is termed as ‘Coding’ (pulse, breathing etc stopped or in arrhythmia) in the ICU, with staff trying to stabilize him.
“Us Or Them”
We open this episode with Jarvis being sworn in as President of the United States by the Chief Justice. The solemn voice of the swearing in took place with alternative scene of the emergency treatment being given to the President. His pupils are ‘blown’, this is anomalous and very serious.. At the same time, Raymond Jarvis is placing his hand on the Bible taking the oath to become acting president.
President Martinez is apparently getting a ventricular aspiration to analyze spinal fluid or in the attempt to relieve pressure but there is nothing there. No fluid. The pressure is increasing, then he goes into cardiac arrest. Several attempts with the defibrillator and his brain function has diminished. They do get him back, but with the Electroencephalogram (A test of brain activity) being ‘significantly flattened’, he is now in a deep, unresponsive coma.
Simon is in his room in the medical house in their community and is watching the news about President Martinez. He knows Sophia had something to do with this. Michael Buchanan comes in to see him, saying “I hear you have to be fed and watered.” throwing a packed lunch on Simon’s bed. He begins to walk out.. Simon asks him if he has seen the news about the President. Michael says that she is only doing what she has to do for their people. “By committing genocide!” Simon replies. “We need to make room!”
Michael replied. Simon points out that this is an indication of how Sophia has changed. Killing former friends, turning against her own. “How do you know you won’t be next?” Simon asked. Michael says “I’m not a traitor” Simon claims Michael is worse. Just blindly following her… “You’re a sheep… a Coward…”Simon tells him. With that, Michael explodes with temper and strikes Simon.
Fists fly from Michael on Simon, but Simon is in restraints. It comes down to Michael trying to strangle Simon, but Simon fights back, breaking the restraints on one hand and working on the other when Michael again attacks him. Simon is subdued and Michael pulls a gun on Simon saying “Accept!! The Native population is DONE! They don’t have a chance!” Simon looks at him dazed and says “Don’t underestimate them.” I can see why Simon is a Favourite character. He is acting the way I hope any ‘real’ extraterrestrials would, not just coming here to kill us all without any thought.
Next, we’re in the ‘war room’ as Jarvis addresses his new command. In brief, he says we must open diplomatic channels with Sophia and try to work with them. Jarvis orders the military to stand down from the aliens. “Letting them live in peace, so that we may do the same.” Blake is not happy at all seeing Jarvis in power. We then see Blake and Agent Peel conferring about the coffee stain, and the shirt has been sent to be analyzed. Peel pointed out to Sterling that Jarvis is now the President and that his proof must be completely irrefutable.
Sophia is with Michael in her house as he briefs her on what happened with Simon. After Michael leaves Sophia gets a call from Arron. Overlooking a beautiful scene of a Russian city, he is in a hotel telling Sophia that the body they had excavated is still ripe with a strain of the virus. Arron also told Sophia about the others on the ship being accidentally compromised. “Everyone on the ship died within hours. the strain works even more quickly than we’d anticipated”. We learn the couriers’ name is Alex and the tissue is en route from Moscow to New York. At this time, it is presumed “Alex” is a male.
At the Moscow Airport, we see a man carrying a metallic suitcase boarding the flight. He declines check-in of the suitcase and boards the flight. Next scene is Sean Walker and Vicky Roberts running thru the airport to the boarding area. They ask about the passengers on the flight, but the attendant nicely tells them she cannot give out that information. Spur of the moment tickets are bought by Sean and they both board the flight as the boarding is now closed. –I feel I’m correct in surmising the Bag that Dempsey gave to Sean also contained money. He knew they would need to board trains, planes and so on. As Sean and Vicky board, they pass the man who boarded earlier and we see the suitcase under his seat.
Scene of the Air Moscow flight over the a layer of clouds with the night sky. In the plane, Vicky is playing ‘tourist’ and watching the Stewardess prepare the cart for the passenger refreshments and when the woman leaves, Vicky sneaks a peek at the passenger manifest in the galley. She gets back to her seat beside Sean saying “I got the passenger manifest. There’s no ‘Alex’ on board. I even checked first and last names.” She shows Sean the manifest. Sean points out a man ahead of them is “Acting real weird, looking around him… He’s coming back from the bathroom” We see the man -carrying that suitcase- coming back. Sean asks quietly “Who brings their carry-on to the bathroom?”. Vicky notes the man’s seat location.
Back in Washington DC, Blake Sterling enters the ICU of the hospital to see President Martinez. Christina Martinez is there, keeping vigil over her husband. After greeting Blake, she tells him it isn’t good for Elias. She starts to blame herself for the stress put on Elias and other things. Blake gently tells her “This is nothing you did! Nothing could’ve helped him”. Christina is taken aback by Blake’s words.
“What do you mean?… What do you know?” Blake replies, “Nothing… I just meant Elias would be heartbroken if he thought you were blaming yourself for this.”. Christina is not buying this. “I know you Blake” she said firmly. “You know something! Tell me..” but Blake gently apologizes again to her and leaves. I liked Blake at this point. He always seemed so ‘unemotional’ but this scene showed him having a soft spot.
Sophia is being briefed by Dr. Liu, She tells Sophia the compound has already slowed Elias’ brain activity and he could die either later today or tomorrow. Michael heard the discussion as he came in to see Sophia. After the Doctor leaves, Michael and Sophia talk a bit. “Do you know what scares me the most?” asks Sophia. “The letting go. of who I used to be.
I knew that it would be painful to follow through on Thomas’ plan that in order to make room for our people here to ensure their survival, I would have to… sacrifice some of my principles.” Sophia (Laura Innes) played this part very well. that voice of hers, so soft and easy, makes me feel I want to be on her side. Even knowing full well what that means. Michael interjected “You’ve taken a huge burden on your shoulders, Sophia.”.
Sophia replies, “But that doesn’t make what has to happen next any easier”. She paused and then continued “This morning, Simon attacked Carlos in the infirmary and he nearly escaped” Michael said that Simon needs to be moved to a more secure location. Sophia says no. “I was hoping that Simon would soften his views and that we could welcome him back into the fold” She sighed “It’s clear to me that that will never happen. He needs to be taken care of.” — I know, she does NOT mean to ‘care for Simon’. THAT line NEVER means anything good as we know, but actually she thinks she has to kill him.
I was hoping she would not take this route. If I were Sophia, I would secure him more thoroughly and then let him see the fruition of the plan. THAT would be a pain to Simon, unmatched by any physical torture. Michael asked why she was approaching him about this. Sophia said he had always been loyal, able to set aside his attachments to his family for what needs to be done. “You will do this for me” she says as a matter-of-fact. Michael agrees.
On the Plane, Vicky walks past the suspected courier and spills a drink into his lap. The courier gets up and goes into the Galley for a cloth, of course carrying his suitcase with him. Sean and Vicky tackle him in the galley and Vicky opens the case…. To find Cocaine. “We have the wrong guy” she says to Sean “It’s Coke.”. One of the flight attendants enters, asking if everything is alright, and they all assure him it is. Back in their seats, Sean says “we have to let the authorities know there’s a WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction) on this plane. You used to work for the CIA, you have to know someone that we can get word to…” Pointing out at least the virus could be contained just to this plane. Not everyone else. Then, again, he sort of questions why Vicky is still staying with him and why she is helping him. She tells him not to flatter himself, that she is doing this to protect her family too.
Back in their house, Michael and Leila are in their kitchen. Leila tells Michael she has found a spot to bury Louis’ body. about a mile into the woods, the ground is soft. Michael tells her they will do this tonight and starts to walk out. Leila stops him with a question. “We can bury Louis, but what about everyone else? How many people will have to die?” Michael says the title line when he replies “Leila, I don’t like this any more than you do, but it’s Us, or Them! Now, I ‘ have to go.”
Leila retorts “When I was a kid, I was playing with the boys across the street and they killed a bird. I told you what happened and you said we were the strongest and smartest things on the planet, so we had a responsibility to protect the smaller weaker things because if we didn’t do it, no one else would. That it was the right thing to do. I don’t know if you remember that but I do. But I’m looking at you and I don’t recognize that person anymore.” Michael looks almost ashamed as he wordlessly walks out from their house.
Blake is in his office as Mr. Laduchi comes in with the preliminary lab results of the tox-screen run on Blake’s sleeve. “The analysis came back as containing coffee and sucralose which is a very common sugar substitute, but I also found traces of an unknown bio-catalyst. It’s not something naturally occurring it’s synthesized, which… is strange, because as far as I know, we don’t even have the science to create it.” It seems as if Blake is now fully aware of who does have the ‘science’ and seems to remember Jarvis pushing for diplomacy with the aliens. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a better explanation” concludes Mr. Laduchi Blake sighs and looks at Laduchi as he says: “I think I do.”
Blake walks in to Jarvis’ office. Jarvis is going through paperwork and his head is resting on one hand.”Blake, What is it?” he asks tiredly. Blake says “We need to talk. I don’t think what happened to the President was an accident” Blake tells Jarvis that he had a sample of the coffee from that morning which spilled on his clothes analyzed. “So” Jarvis replies “You really do suspect foul play”. “There was foul play” Blake says as he gives Jarvis copies of the report from the lab.
“I have reason to believe the compound came from Sophia’s people” he said. “And once I realized Sophia was involved, it all made sense to me.” “Meaning…What?” asked Jarvis. “Meaning you’re not capable of doing something like this alone… Raymond.” Jarvis became upset and spluttered “H-how DARE you! Accuse me!”… They start to argue vehemently, but Blake’s onto Jarvis.
Blake said to Jarvis that Sophia only used Jarvis so she could get control of this office. “You’re a PAWN, Her puppet!” then, Blake softens and says “I know you care about this country, but trusting Sophia will only lead to more death and destruction… Whatever you’re doing, Put an end to it…Now… before it’s too late” Jarvis cites Blake’s accusations as baseless and says that this is where they part ways. At this point Jarvis effectively fires Blake and tells him “You’re Done!” He looked like he would spit fire at Blake if he could have.
Back on the airplane from Moscow, everyone in the cabin is sleeping or appears to be. Sean looks out of his window and sees the Military escort sidling up to the passenger jet. Cabin lights come on and the Stewardess announces that they “…are currently under military escort. There is no reason to be alarmed, Our flight is being redirected to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland only as a safety precaution. At this time we ask that you remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened. Thank you”. Passengers are whispering and talking among themselves.
We see the suspicious man getting up and walking to another part of the plane. On being told to go back to his seat, he says he wants to go to his wife. they were given separate seats, but he wants to be with her. The Attendant saying “I’ll see what I can do” leads him off to the other area of the plane. Arron is now on the phone to Sophia, telling her that their courier just emailed him telling him their plane now has a US Military escort. Sophia say they must get the virus to a better location. as this strain works too quickly. In other words, the tissue they have would kill only those in the plane and not allow it to spread out the way they need it to.
Jarvis is telling Agent Peel about having to fire Blake. As the agent leaves his office, Jarvis gets a call from Sophia. Sophia, no longer playing nice, tells Jarvis to issue a ‘stand down’ order on the Military escort of the Russian jet. “You don’t need to know anything, just do it.” She threatens Jarvis with more destruction of his people and a full-disclosure about Jarvis role in the attempts on Elias life. “You will call off the F-16’s Now!” –Her voice is no longer soft or friendly. She lays it on the line to Jarvis, Jarvis knows he has no hope of arguing her down.
Sophia, in my opinion has just attained the “BAMF” (BAMF=Bad a** mother f***er) Status. She is harder in voice and action than we have seen her before.I believe this is due to having been lied to for all these decades and her knowledge that time is of the essence for her people now.
At the same time, back on the jet, Sean, Vicky and the others see the fighter jets leave. The Captain announces the threat was unfounded and they are now back to the regular flight. Vicky says Sophia must have someone on the inside. They finally land at JFK airport, Sean and Vicky see the flight attendant go through as another steward offered to share a cab with her and called her “Alexandra”. “Oh, my boyfriend is picking me up” Alexandra replies as they walk through past the line Sean and Vicky stand in, waiting to get their bags checked. It was the Stewardess! That is why she was not on the flight manifesto.
Jarvis is told by his secretary that Blake Sterling has been escorted off the grounds. Jarvis thanks her, and turns to face out the window, hi expression could be read as disappointed and even ‘horrified’. Mainly I see anger at the fact he realizes he has been ‘Played’ by Sophia. It is as if Blake’s words have come back to haunt him now. Jarvis has been indeed a pawn in the greater game between two very powerful people.
Back in the infirmary at the community, Simon is bound and in his room. Michael come in to the room and the guard, Carlos, his nose bandaged most likely from the earlier attack on him by Simon, says it isn’t a good idea for him to enter. Michael tells him “Sophia asked me to take care of things. You can go now”. Carlos leaves. Simon looks at Michael asking “So, Sophia asked you to do her dirty work for her huh?” He looks at Michael and continues “You’re going to have to face up to what you’re doing, Michael.
To me, and the billions of people Sophia will ask you to kill.” It appears that Michael will indeed shoot Simon, but he doesn’t. After firing a round, he goes to Simon “We gotta get you out of here” Simon looks back at the wall where a bullet hole is and sighs. Next, we see Michael in the room as Carlos comes back in “Give me a hand with the body” he says. As Carlos comes in Michael knocks him out. Simon and he are going to meet on the northwest side of the compound in the woods.
Sean and Vicky are running through the airport and they see the stewardess with her bag, they chase and try to intercept her but another man drives up, blocking them off from Alexandra. The man jumps out and grabs Sean holding a gun to his head, preventing Vicky from shooting. Sean kept telling her to take the shot. Vicky refuses. Eventually, Vicky puts her gun down and she kicks it away on the man’s instructions. The Stewardess gets into her car, with the case and drives off, letting the other man get into the car with her. Sean and Vicky heist a car as per usual and they drive off in pursuit.
Back into the Community, Carlos is discovered, gagged and bound in Simon’s room. The call goes out “Michael and Simon are gone! Lock down the perimeter before they escape!” Scenes of the woods and Leila and Simon standing, Leila asks “where’s my dad?” Simon answers “He said he’d meet us here”. We then see many of the Aliens going out on search from their streets into the woods
. Michael shows up to where Simon and Leila are, closely followed by the search party. Michael tells the other two “The Perimeter fence is straight ahead… about fifty yards through those trees..” We see them running to the fence. It looks as if they’re about to make it, but gunfire erupts from the search party and fire is returned by Simon and Michael. Leila is seen running to the fence and the search party is hot on their trail.
After Michael lets the other two get ahead, he stays behind and fights with the searchers from the community. It looks like he is completely outnumbered, and we see him get a bullet. As Simon and Leila reach the fence, we see Michael coming up to Leila and he has indeed been shot. Leila holds him, trying to get him to run. Michael falls and Leila is calling for her dad to stay. Michael, while calling her ‘baby’ and so on is hurt bad but tells Leila there is a vial in his pocket. She is to get this to the president as soon as she can. Leila will not leave her ‘Dad’ and does not go with Simon. I was hoping she would leave with Simon. This could have put another twist into the story later.
Michael keeps telling her to go, saying “Go…Leila…” She tells Simon to take the vial instead. Simon leaves, jumping the fence and Michael dies in Leila’s arms, while apologizing to her for the way he had acted before. As Leila is captured and taken back from her father, she see Sophia and looks at Sophia saying “You did this! You killed him!” Sophia’s face is unreadable.
We are left with Sean and Vicky going after the courier of the infected tissue, Simon on the run and Leila, now apparently fatherless, in the hands of “The Others”. Elias Martinez is still in Critical care and Blake has been fired. Jarvis is now the President and realizes what has happened but will he change back to the side of the Humans? Will he have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to Sophia and her people? That remains to be seen…
My take…For what it is worth…
I will miss Michael Buchanan if he did, in fact die. We are left to presume he passed away, but most Sci-Fi people know that “No one really dies in Sci-Fi”. He was in a way a good guy/bad guy, leaning more to the side of peace but stuck in the control of Sophia’s plan.His inner conflict made him an interesting character.
If Sophia did not kill Michael directly, it was her orders and ways that did ultimately result in Michael’s demise. At least from what I saw, Michael saw what he had become and repented for this to his daughter, and to himself. He went back to what I feel the Aliens would really be about were they not facing such desperation in their people’s fate. There are very similar mannerisms among the Eartheaon people. I feel throughout history Man has been like this.
We would all like to think we are so much better than that, but are we really? Best to ask some of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, Australia, Africa etc and see what they would say about this. I doubt our history is much better than we would like to think it is. A lot of the actions in history was based on greed. Invading tribes did not face a supernova or the extinction of their people. Some actions were based on a survival instinct, sure: Food supply, water and shelter, but if they had not wanted it all, but wished to share.
I believe the history of this world would have been very different indeed. I feel that had the aliens been helped instead of lied to and detained all these years, things may well have been very different. Now, the time of their Supernova is nearer than eer, and the desperation in Sophia and her people is making them harsher in their actions.
I feel that sometimes, Sophia would be someone feeling like what Jessica Dovey was quoted as saying: “I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.”. This was when she told another of her people in the last episode that she took no joy in seeing this man (President Martinez) fall, and neither should he. Many people attribute the above quote to Dr. Martin Luther King, but he in fact did not say this.
I do not and never have felt that Sophia actually ‘Hates’ Eartheaons. If anything, she is first and foremost about saving her own people. She is looking at this as more clinical, or unattached than we would in her situation….Or is she? Would we not take a weaker race or species asunder if it meant the survival of our own people? I unfortunately, believe we would do exactly the same thing.
Be sure to watch the next episode of the Event, “One Will Live, One Will Die” which returns on Monday May 9, 2011 on NBC 9/8C. We include the promotional trailer for the next episode and the entire “Us or Them” episode for your enjoyment courtesy on The Event on NBC
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Regards,
Celtica (Jen)
