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Eight Hours | Season: 1; Episode: 10 | Rick runs off to rejoin the Skitters and meets Megan, whose body is slowly changing under the influence of the harness. Speaking for the Skitters, she promises to lead him to them if he tells her everything he knows about the 2nd Mass. However, after doing this, she departs, leaving him feeling betrayed by the Skitters. Arriving at the rendezvous point for the three regiments with his troops, Weaver confirms that the 4th and 5th Mass have been destroyed. On learning that the Skitters know the whereabouts of the 2nd Mass, Tom decides to evacuate the civilians while leaving a small force behind. While Weaver's strike team are away, the 2nd Mass comes under attack from Skitter mechs, but Scott and Ben save the day by finding and transmitting the right frequency to confuse the aliens. Believing his attack will turn into a suicide mission, Weaver sends Hal back to the 2nd Mass to report that the 4th and 5th Mass did not show up and are presumed destroyed. Returning to the strike force, Tom meets Pope, who cannot go with him as he is caring for a wounded man, but presents him with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. He then finds Weaver, and as they approach the Skitters' base Tom succeeds in bringing down a Skitter ship which then crashes into the Skitters' structure with a spectacular explosion. On the way back to the 2nd Mass Tom and Weaver are blocked by Karen who has been captured and now wears a harness. Karen explains that the aliens dont understand how a less advanced species has been successful against them and they find it interesting and want to talk. This angers Tom and Weaver since the aliens are now only paying attention to their victims when they fight back hard. An alien ship lands and Tom is asked to come aboard. He agrees only after being told it is the only way to save Ben from the transition that is befalling him. The episode ends with Tom taking Karen's hand and leaving a shocked Weaver behind.
| Mutiny | Season: 1; Episode: 9 | It now seems likely that not only was Colonel Porter killed some time after the events of the previous episode, but also that the 4th and 5th Mass met the same fate as the 7th Mass. Captain Weaver has Tom locked up after Tom questions his mental state, his ability to lead the fighters and help the civilians and his orders to contine the attack in the face of heavy odds. Tom manages to escape with Hal and Jimmy's help, confronts Weaver and convinces him to improve his original plan. Meanwhile, Uncle Scott and Ben work to disrupt the Skitters' transmissions. Captain Weaver presses on with the plan to attack the Skitters base, asking for 50 volunteers, in the process letting everyone know that Colonel Porter is dead and the 4th and 5th Mass may be gone. He also tells the gathered fighters that protecting the civilians is protecting the future.
| What Hides Beneath | Season: 1; Episode: 8 | Colonel Porter returns to the 2nd Mass and informs them that not only has the 7th Mass been destroyed, there has also been no contact with the 4th and 5th Mass. While at 2nd Mass HQ Colonel Porter tells Captain Weaver and Tom that the Skitters are falling back in every major city and that it is the best time to strike the Skitters base, he also says that there is a plan to attack not only the Skitter base in Boston but across the country at the same time. Weaver orders Tom to scout out the massive Skitter structure and determine how best to destroy it. At the last moment, Weaver takes the place of one of the scouts and leads the group himself. Meanwhile, Pope is placed in charge of developing the explosives required to destroy the structure. Anne performs an autopsy on the dead Skitter and finds a harness attached inside it. While scouting the Skitter structure, Tom, Hal and Weaver spy a tall, humanoid third alien species directing Skitters. While returning to base, they meet a strange woman that invites them into her home. Tom and Hal take up her offer while Weaver guards their motorbikes. While inside, Weaver takes off, having removed the spark plugs on Tom and Hal's bikes. They eventually track him down to his old house where Tom finds him drinking whiskey in the backyard. Weaver explains that he had separated from his wife before the invasion and couldn't find her when the attack began. He found his younger daughter who had been harnessed and inadvertently killed her in removing it. They are interrupted when a Skitter mech shows up, forcing Hal to hide and Tom and Weaver to work together to destroy it. Realizing that the only person who knew their location was the strange woman they met earlier, they return to her apartment and discover she is an agent of the Skitters who use her to capture people. While questioning her, a young woman turns up at the door inquiring whether any more people have been there. She turns out to be Karen, Hal's girlfriend, who has now been captured and harnessed. Before Hal can do anything, Tom looks through the peep hole and comes face to face with one of the new tall aliens. They return to the school with this news and find Pope demonstrating that a bullet made out of mech armor can penetrate the mech itself, to the applause of onlookers. Rick, who observed this, takes off, followed by Ben.
| Sanctuary (Part 2) | Season: 1; Episode: 7 | Pope escapes from Terry's encampment. Ben believes that Terry and his group are untrustworthy; later, Mike searches the barn and discovers a series of backpacks and clothing left behind. Terry reveals his Faustian bargain with the skitters to Mike, and attempts to turn Mike to his side. In the wee hours, Mike warns Hal and the rest of the group. Hal leads the children back while Mike provides suppressive fire to allow them time to get away. Mike argues with Terry – unwilling to sacrifice Rick or any other children to save himself – and is killed. Meanwhile, Tom begins to suspect something is wrong, because the expected 3rd Mass has not arrived. The next day, Hal and the other children rest in a suburban home, while sending Ben as a runner back to the 2nd Mass to warn them. Terry and his men find the children, but before they can assault the house, Pope fires from the tree line, killing one of Terry’s men. A firefight ensues, wounding Pope in the leg, but Tom emerges from the forest to strike a deal with Terry. Terry leads both groups back to Sanctuary, into an ambush led by Weaver. Although Terry’s men are immediately subdued, Terry’s treachery causes Tom to shoot him. Back at the school, Sarah gives birth to a baby girl, Charlotte. A funeral is held for Mike; after, Rick tells Ben the Skitters "would never kill one of our own".
| Sanctuary (Part 1) | Season: 1; Episode: 6 | While Anne is treating a young boy, his father robs the infirmary of medical supplies. The father, son, and the son's mother flee shortly afterwards. Tom, Weaver, and Mike give chase. Weaver acquiesces in allowing the family to leave the group. Along the way, they meet Terry Clayton (Henry Czerny) who is the leader of the 7th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment. He alleges his entire unit was wiped out by both Skitters and Mechs. Meanwhile, Hal notices subtle changes in Ben’s physical and dexterity development. Hal confides in Anne; he's witnessed Ben performing 102 push-ups, and his demeanor seemed out of character. Later that evening, a Mech performs a ‘feign attack’ at the defensive post guarded by Jimmy and Parker. Parker is killed, and Jimmy flees inside the school – unaware he has been pursued by a Skitter who has penetrated the encampment. Ultimately, Weaver comes to Jimmy's rescue, killing the Skitter. The next day, with grudging compliance of the parents, Terry leads the children to his encampment, accompanied by Mike. Terry is later exposed as an enemy collaborator, exchanging children for his personal survival. Pope turns out to be Terry's prisoner.
| Silent Kill | Season: 1; Episode: 5 | Tom works up a plan to extract his harnessed son Ben along with the other captive children from the local hospital. Captain Weaver tells Tom the plan has too many holes and that he should alter it. Meanwhile, Dr. Harris shines a bright light in the captured Skitter's face and tries to inject it with an unknown substance. The Skitter lashes out and strangles Harris in retaliation. Elsewhere, Hal comes up with an alternative plan, relying on stealth and infiltration to retrieve Ben from the hospital where he is being held captive. Hal volunteers to wear Ricky's harness and pretend to be a prisoner to rescue Ben. Anne learns to kill a Skitter (without making a sound) by taking advantage of the "soft palate" in the back of the Skitter's mouth. She stabs the captive Skitter in its weak-spot in front of Tom and Hal to prove her theory. Weaver then approves Hal's plan, and sends Tom's team in. Hal successfully enters the hospital and sees a skitter leading Ben's group to rest. Hal blends in with the group, unbeknownst to the Skitter. After lulling the group to sleep, Hal strikes and kills the Skitter. The team finally rescues Ben and five other children, and return them to the basecamp. All but one survives their harness-removal surgery. Ben awakes later, apparently recognizing his father.
| Grace | Season: 1; Episode: 4 | Tom and his team are sent to scout out an old motorcycle shop to see if any vehicles can be salvaged, and Weaver insists he take Pope along. After arriving at the store, Pope manages to escape and attacks a nest of sleeping Skitters, attracting the attention of nearby Mechs. Meanwhile, Anne attempts to communicate with the captured Skitter, while Harris is more interested in simply dissecting it. Mike's son, Ricky, awakens from his harness removal surgery, and immediately reattaches the harness to help the skitter escape. Ricky is interrupted before he can open the cage. Tom's team makes it back to the school with a few motorcycles.
| Prisoner of War | Season: 1; Episode: 3 | The 2nd Mass is joined by Dr. Michael Harris (Steven Weber), an old acquaintance of Tom's and the only doctor to have discovered how to safely unharness enslaved children. A failed attempt to reclaim Tom's son Ben leaves Hal and his girlfriend Karen at the mercy of the aliens but another 2nd Mass soldier, Mike, saves his own captured son instead. A Skitter orders a Mech to kill the remaining kids in front of Hal, takes Karen hostage, then releases Hal to deliver a message: take one, the rest die. Tom realizes now that he can't rescue his son without endangering the other captives. Tom manages to capture a live Skitter to be used for medical research, and Pope becomes the 2nd Mass' new cook.
| The Armory | Season: 1; Episode: 2 | Commander Weaver sends Tom and a small squad to scout out a possible weapons armory, but they are taken hostage by a group of outlaws who then try to use Tom and his team as leverage to acquire food, weapons and a vehicle. The trade is interrupted by an alien ship, which kills most of the outlaws. Their leader, known only as Pope, is taken into custody. Margaret, another one of the outlaws, agrees to help and fight for the 2nd Mass and help Tom find his enslaved son Ben, who was seen at a nearby hospital only days before.
| Live and Learn | Season: 1; Episode: 1 | Six months after an alien invasion has destroyed 90% of the human race, history professor Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) is made second-in-command of the 2nd Mass (Massachusetts), a group of soldiers and civilians that include two of his sons, Hal and Matt. Weaver, 2nd Mass' commanding officer, sends Tom, Hal and a small group of soldiers on a recon mission to secure food, water and supplies for the rest of the troop. They are waylaid by Skitters, six-legged alien soldiers, and Mechs, bipedal hunter-killer machines, but manage to acquire enough supplies to last a couple of days. While on the mission, Hal catches a glimpse of his missing brother Ben, who has been enslaved by the aliens via a 'harness'.
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