Falling Skies Season 3 Preview: Plot, Cast, and Trailer

The cast of Falling Skies
The cast of ‘Falling Skies’ (Photo © TNT)

The post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller Falling Skies returns for season three on June 9, 2013. Noah Wyle leads the cast of the popular drama.

The series also stars Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy, Connor Jessup, Maxim Knight, Seychelle Gabriel, Mpho Koaho, Peter Shinkoda, Colin Cunningham, and Sarah Carter.

Season 1 Synopsis: Falling Skies opens in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. In the six months since the initial invasion, the few survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers work to protect the people in their care while also engaging in an insurgency campaign against the occupying alien force.

At the center of the series is Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), a Boston history professor whose family has been torn apart. His wife was killed in the initial attack, and one of his three sons has been captured. Determined to get his son back and to ensure the safety of his other two sons, Tom must put his extensive knowledge of military history to the test as one of the leaders of the resistance movement known as the 2nd Mass, because of their location in Boston, Mass. They are constantly trying to gain intelligence about the aliens in order to one day outsmart and overtake them and hopefully rebuild their lives.

Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) co-stars as Anne Glass, a pediatrician who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic upheaval in their lives. Will Patton (Armageddon) plays a fierce leader of the resistance, Weaver. The series also stars Drew Roy (Secretariat) as Hal, Tom’s oldest son and a growing fighter in the resistance movement; Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) as Matt, Tom’s youngest son; Connor Jessup as Ben, Tom’s son who was captured by aliens; and Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps Anne in the group’s makeshift medical clinic. Colin Cunningham is John Pope, the leader of an outlaw motorcycle gang and Sarah Carter is Margaret, a wary survivor of Pope’s gang.

Falling Skies focuses on the resilience of the survivors and their determination to maintain their humanity when all else has been destroyed. It is a tale of endurance, commitment and courage in which everyday people are called upon to become heroes. They may be outmatched, outnumbered and outgunned, but nothing can beat the human spirit. Most of all, the series is about the ties that bind people together in the most difficult of circumstances.

The aliens in the series are mighty, mysterious and merciless. They are highly intelligent and use military-like tactics, which makes them an overwhelming force against the 2nd Mass. There are two types of aliens that the human survivors have named Skitters and Mechs. Combining live action and special visual effects, the Skitters have spider-like bodies and incredible strength and agility. The deadly, robotic Mechs stand upright and can shoot bullets from their arms. The aliens control captured children, like Tom’s son Ben, through bio-mechanical harnesses but have yet to reveal their ultimate plan for them.

Season 2 Plot: As the second season opens, three months have passed since Tom went willingly with the aliens in one of their ships. Nobody has seen or heard from him during this time, and his absence has taken its toll on his sons. Tom hoped that by agreeing to a dialogue with the invaders, he would not only free his son Ben from the invaders’ influence but also get a better picture of the aliens’ overall plan.

Many lives have been lost since Tom left, but the survivors of the 2nd Mass still struggle on with courage and resilience. Ben and his older brother, Hal, have stepped up as fighters but quickly butt heads as they both seek to secure their roles as leaders in their father’s absence. Hal has developed a strong, if not flirtatious, friendship with former renegade Maggie. Ben, meanwhile, has become a particularly strong soldier. But even though his prowess is a huge asset to the 2nd Mass, he has an independent streak that could place others in harm’s way.

Amidst the turmoil, Tom’s youngest son, Matt, struggles to find his place in a world torn apart by war and destruction. Also in Tom’s absence, Anne has become more of a maternal figure for the Mason boys. And Weaver, the commander of the 2nd Mass, continues to lead his fighters into battle against the aliens. The unknown effect of the harness continues to be an unfolding mystery and the 2nd Mass will discover the transformative powers the harness has on humans.

Throughout the season we will also be introduced to more mysterious alien creatures. One of these creatures has a connection to Tom and Ben that will be surprising. The survivors will have a nomadic existence as they march toward Charleston, S.C., where they hope to meet up with other remaining existence groups and begin to rebuild society.

Season 3 Plot: As the new season of Falling Skies opens, seven months have passed since the survivors of the 2nd Mass reached Charleston, which has been named the capital of the New United States. Now elected to public office, Tom (Wyle) has taken a more aggressive approach to the alien occupation than former leader Dr. Manchester.

The government has formed a tenuous alliance with a band of rebel skitters who now paint their faces with a red and yellow stripe before battle in honor of Red Eye, their fallen leader. Tom’s son Ben (Jessup) serves as the mediator between Mason and the rebel skitters. But the alliance may not be enough to overpower the enemy Espheni, whose forces are now being led by an even more sinister overlord. To complicate matters further, another race of aliens has just entered the battlefield.

Charleston also faces dangers from within its own walls. Recent battle losses have convinced Tom and the military that there may be a mole feeding strategic plans to the Espheni. Despite the threats they face, the survivors living in Charleston are doing their best to rebuild their lives. Dr. Glass (Bloodgood) and Tom are focusing on their growing family. Newly promoted to Colonel of the 2nd Mass, Weaver (Patton) is enjoying a renewed relationship with his daughter. Hal (Roy) is recovering from mysterious injuries he suffered while trying to destroy an alien superweapon.

Meanwhile, his romantic pursuit of Maggie (Carter) is finally starting to see positive results, though she has a growing concern that something is wrong with him beyond mere battle injuries. And Pope (Cunningham), the non-conformist leader of the Berserkers, has set up his own little Popetown on the outskirts of Charleston.

Guest Stars: Doug Jones portrays Cochise; leader of the rebel alien troops, Gloria Reuben will play Marina Perlata, one of Tom’s key aides. Robert Sean Leonard is slated to guest-star as Roger Kadar, an obsessive but gifted scientist who runs the local power grid and lives underground, earning him the nickname “The Rat King.” Stephen Collins will also appear in the third season as Benjamin Hathaway, the President of the United States prior to the alien invasion. And Terry O’Quinn returns to guest star as Dr. Manchester, Tom’s former mentor and his predecessor as Charleston’s leader.