Falling Skies’ season 2 harnesses its fourth episode of the year “Young Bloods,” as Hal and Ben encounter a new group of youths, one of whom has ties to Captain Weaver, while Matt finds himself increasingly drawn to dangerous missions.

Last episode’s ‘Falling Skies’ episode “Compass” saw a Skitter hunt gone badly leading to a life-or-death situation for a member of the 2nd Massachusetts, while Tom had himself assigned to the Berserkers in order to quell Pope’s distrust of him.  So, how does “Young Bloods” keep things moving?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘Falling Skies’ season 2 episode 4, “Young Bloods!”

Around a lone playground, Matt nervously scooters about in solitude.  Unseen to him, Skitters track his every move, and corner him in an alley way!  With his back against the wall, Matt watches as one of the Skitters’ heads explodes.   Moments later, the other takes a bullet to the brain as well!  Two members of the 2nd Mass celebrate their victory, as a covered-in-blood Matt finds the strength to exclaim “that…was…awesome!”

Elsewhere, Ben and Hal overlook a mysteriously running factory that the Skitters seem to be guarding, when suddenly unseen figures take off with their dirt-bikes!  Ben manages to track them down using his super-Skitter hearing, and the boys enter the thief’s warehouse to find…a bunch of kids living in a community!  Hal confronts them, and uses Ben in a sniping position to get them to stand down, and offers their leader Diego some of the 2nd’ Mass’s supplies in exchange for taking back their bikes.  Confronted with no other option, Diego accepts and agrees to come check out the camp.

Back at camp, Tom vies for a little alone time with Anne by surprising her with one of her favorite treats, but quickly finds his alone time interrupted by the arrival of Lourdes.  The moment gone, Tom heads off to find Matt, only to learn in conversation that the two soldiers Tector and Boone disobeyed orders by using Matt as bait in the Skitter trap.  While Tector acknowledges it was a mistake, Tom rebukes them for their behavior and sends them to sanitation duty, embarrassing Matt.  Just then, Hal and the additional crew roll in, revealing the girl Jean to be Captain Weaver’s long-lost daughter Jean!

After the father-daughter pair catch up, and the youths all settle into the camp, Tom tries to apologize to Matt for embarrassing him earlier, but forgiveness isn’t to be found yet.  Meanwhile, Lourdes learns from Diego’s Spanish that some of her relatives in Parras, Mexico might have died, as the area’s rumored to be destroyed.  After loading up their supplies, Diego, Jean, and a few of the 2nd Mass. Drive back to the youths’ encampment, only to find it destroyed, and the only one not taken by the Skitters to be a young boy named Johnny.

Back at camp, the group tries to formulate a plan for retrieving the missing kids, likely to be harnessed inside the factory glimpsed earlier, but Diego angrily clashes with Weaver over his desire to wait before formulating a plan.  The confrontation leads Jean to yell at her father for the temper that caused her mother to throw him out, a remark that cuts him deeply.  Diego drives off with the rest of his crew, even enticing young Matt to join, something the 2nd Mass only discovers minutes later.

By the time the 2nd Mass arrives at the factory, it’s clear that Diego’s group was already captured and taken inside, putting the fighters in a dangerous spot by entering the factory without knowing its layout.  Meanwhile, Matt makes up strapped face down to a table, having to watch in horror as an alien slug makes its way down a chute, and attaches itself to the spine of young Johnny.

The fighters manage to liberate Diego and the group in the holding room, and arrive to shoot the Skitter overseer just before a slug harnesses itself to Matt. Weaver similarly saves his daughter from such a fate, but Ben finds himself transfixed by the tank holding the creatures.  As he approaches, they react to his presence, and those glowing spikes on his spine light up.  Hal is the only one to see this, as Ben breaks their hold on him and lays waste to the tank with his rifle.  The creatures slide out all over the floor forcing the 2nd Mass to work quickly to kill them all, save for one that bites Captain weaver in the leg.

Having escaped and returned to base, Jean comes to see her wounded father, who trades memories and apologies with her before bestowing the gift of Jimmy’s compass on her.  Jean recognizes that Weaver may not have been the best father, but makes an incredible leader, something she appreciates more and more.  Diego’s group doesn’t want to stay as part of the resistance, but for now Jean will stay.  Or will she?

Hal pays a visit to Ben in order to confront him about his distant behavior and what he saw of the glowing spikes, though Ben remains adamant he should back off, lest he become some kind of target among the survivors for his increasingly alien physiology.  Meanwhile, Jamil comforts Lourdes over her apparent loss, and even Tom makes good with Tector and Boone, though Weaver wakes up to find a note from Jean by his bedside.  In spite of her earlier words, she’s decided to leave with her boyfriend Diego, noting that their group needs her as much as the 2nd Mass needs Weaver.

Later that night, Matt snuggles up to and forgives his father, admitting that he isn’t ready to stand on his own just yet.

Given the literal distance the 2nd Mass needs to cover before making it to Charleston, it might be a while before we've got any real forward movement on the big 'Falling Skies' storyline for the season.  Still, even for an episode the focuses on the kids, often 'Falling Skies' weakest aspects, "Young Bloods" does a solid job of setting up some of the deeper exploration of the mythology, namely the Skitters and their mysterious harnesses.  It's a little rushed, but ultimately compelling enough to keep going.

Did you get your fill of Skitter-y ‘Falling Skies’ action?  What did you think about the episode? Join us  next week for another all-new episode recap of ‘Falling Skies’ season 2 episode “Love and Other Acts of Courage” on TNT!

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