Sanctuary (Part 1)

"Sanctuary (Part 1)"
Season 1, Episode 6

Episode	6
Air date	July 17th, 2011
Written by	Joel Anderson Thompson
Directed by	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
US Viewers	4.27M
Episode Guide
previous Silent Kill	next Sanctuary (Part 2)
Cast Guide
Starring
Noah Wyle as Tom Mason Moon Bloodgood as Anne Glass Drew Roy as Hal Mason Maxim Knight as Matt Mason Seychelle Gabriel as Lourdes Delgado Peter Shinkoda as Dai Mpho Koaho as Anthony Sarah Carter as Margaret Colin Cunningham as John Pope Connor Jessup as Ben Mason Will Patton as Daniel F. Weaver
Also Starring
Henry Czerny as Terry Clayton Martin Roach as Mike Thompson

Sanctuary (Part 1) is the sixth episode of Season 1, and overall the sixth episode of Falling Skies. It was written by Joel Anderson Thompson and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan. It first aired on TNT July 17th and drew 4.27 million US viewers.

Plot Synopsis[]

Lt. Terry Clayton (guest star Henry Czerny – The Tudors) of the 7th Mass arrives with word that the aliens are on their way to attack the 2nd Mass. Clayton’s plan to lead the children to a safe haven while the adults remain behind to fight is met with some resistance from the parents, including Tom.

Plot[]

A young kid named Eli visits Dr. Anne Glass for an exam, along with his parents. While Lourdes steps out of the room to get some batteries, everything goes terribly wrong. Eli's parents hold Anne at gunpoint, demanding antibiotics and other medical equipment. The news of Dr. Harris's death and the addition of harnessed children back at base camp have some people, like Eli's parents, worried for their safety. They'll need some type of supplies to trade when they leave the 2nd Mass, and pharmaceuticals seem like a good bargaining chip. Anne makes one last effort to retain the medication, but Eli's father overpowers her. Though he seems apologetic for resorting to violence, it seems like some parents will do anything to keep their families safe.

Tom and Weaver are in close pursuit of Eli's parents, who are now fugitives on the run. It seems that the father's desperation will lead him to do just about anything, including shooting at the people that once kept him safe. During the standoff, an armed stranger suddenly appears and demands the father put down his weapon. The stranger's name is Terry Clayton from the 7th Mass, and he orders the frightened father to hand over the stolen medical supplies if he wants to get out of this situation alive. The family drops the supplies and run away.

Terry tells Weaver some unfortunate news -- the 7th Mass is gone. Completely gone. And the news gets worse -- the skitters are headed in the direction of the 2nd Mass. He says that the skitters got all the kids first, followed by the unrelenting Mechs taking care of the rest of the group. Eight fighters and half a dozen civilians are the only ones who managed to escape, now holed up on an abandoned farm.

Terry says that Porter thinks the aliens are stepping up construction on their giant structures and need more slave labor (in the form of harnessed children). The commander supposedly has ordered them to regroup and have the 3rd Mass join up with the 2nd Mass. In the meantime, they'll need to sit tight for the next 72 hours to see if another attack occurs.

According to Terry, everyone under the age of 20 is supposed to go with him and his team back to the farmland. Tom isn't interested in giving up his kids so easily, and says he'll need to talk to the rest of the parents -- about preparing them for an imminent attack and having to send their kids away.

A worried parent gets wind of the potential plan to send the kids off, while another adult doesn't see the harm in it, as the children have now become targets. It seems that fear is causing a panic among the 2nd Mass.

Meanwhile, Anne hands Maggie some prenatal pills on behalf of Sarah, a pregnant civilian. Maggie notices that the usually calm doctor has been shaken from her earlier attack and says it was good she tried to fight back, against Eli's father. She hands her gun over to Anne, as a means for future protection.

Later, Matt asks Ben about his harness scars, if the needles hurt and what they feel like now. Ben says that when he and the other children were with the skitters, he wasn't really thinking, it's like someone is thinking with you. He says he was very scared when they first caught him, but after they attached the harness, it wasn't so bad. He says that in some bizarre way, it felt like the skitters cared about the kids. In fact, he admits that he almost misses their presence.

Anne is still jumpy after her attack and is indirectly taking out her stress on patients. Hal stops by and says he's worried about Ben that he's not acting like himself. He says his once bratty, smart; little brother is now a different kid.

Later, the doctor meets up with Tom and wants to follow up with Ben. Tom doesn't seem to offer much insight into any personality changes with his son. However, he does mention his hesitancy on taking up Terry on his offer, of moving the children off site. Besides being a leader, he's also a father. He doesn't know what the right decision is and if he can be impartial.

Jimmy, the 13-year-old fighter, volunteers his services to Weaver. He believes he can help the resistance, and Weaver agrees. He's assigns the young fighter night security duty.

While Anne is by herself in the medical ward, she catches her reflection in the mirror -- her bruised face a reminder of her earlier attack. She asks Maggie to teach her how to use a gun. They go out on the range, and Anne takes her first shot. She's surprised at the gun's power and seems to grow more comfortable with the weapon.

That night, the parents and lead fighters hold an open forum to discuss the potential plan of moving the children out of home base. One man pleas that taking the children away would be a horrible decision and break the spirit of the parents. He's so intent on keeping his daughter with him that he even pulls out a weapon against a few of the soldiers. Tom quickly reminds him of the real enemy, and that everyone is just trying to make the best decision in a bad situation. Tom says he'll decide what they should do with the kids if the aliens attack, not Weaver.

While Jimmy's out patrolling that night, everyone hears the fire of Mechs. The attack is under way, so some of the fighters come outdoors to defend the base. As the commotion builds, Jimmy ends up caught in the middle of gunfire. He runs into the building for safety and to notify the rest of the 2nd Mass, but there doesn't seem to be anybody around. Except a skitter.

The alien grabs Jimmy from behind, while Weaver and his men search for the young soldier. He tries to defend himself with the help of a handgun, but it's of no use when a second skitter approaches the teen. Luckily, Weaver arrives in time and kills the alien himself. The shock and fear of the attack turns Jimmy from hardened soldier to teary child.

Anne checks out Jimmy to make sure he's OK. Terry enters the medical station and says how lucky they are, that it was only one Mech that attacked base. He tells them that this is how it started with the 7th Mass -- wave after wave of alien. It looks like the camp will have to reconsider moving the kids to the safe haven.

Back in the auditorium, Ben and his harness scars seem to make some civilians uneasy. In fact, one man calls him a "razorback" and demands that the teen get out of his way. Hal and Maggie rush to Ben's aid, but the words have already been unleashed. The man doesn't trust the unharnessed children and says that the regiment is just asking for an attack by keeping these children around.

After the incident, Ben tells his father that he wants to go with Clayton to the safe haven. He doesn't want to be a distraction for his father and knows that preparing for an attack is more important. Tom asks his son if he's happy that he's back. Ben's response is "of course," but that he wants to leave to help his father, not hurt him.

Because of his heart-to-heart with Ben, Tom decides to send the children with Clayton. He believes sending them with a security detachment offers the kids a better chance of survival -- by leaving, not staying.

The goodbyes between adults and children are bittersweet, but the ends justify the means. Tom offers farewells to his three sons, instilling his trust in Hal to protect the two younger boys. The kids leave base camp, with the rest of the parents and soldiers looking on.

The kids, escorted by armed fighters and Terry, take a detour off the map and end up at a ranch. They go to sleep and will take a tour of the facility in the morning. Later that night, Terry enters a room and we see young Eli, sitting alone. The child asks when he's going to be able to see his parents, and Terry promises that now's the time. The two walk into the woods and come across a young girl, named Megan.

A harnessed Megan tells Eli that she'll take him to see his family, but the young boy resists. Something seems very wrong, and we quickly see why. Before Eli has a chance to run away, a Mech shoots the child while a skitter hauls him away.

Megan tells Terry he's late and inquires about the number of children the soldier has in his possession. It seems that the two have made a deal, for him to deliver more kids in two days’ time perhaps, in exchange, for his own group's own safety.

Terry leaves the woods and returns to the ranch. He enters what looks to be a makeshift prison and thanks the unidentified man for the tip about all the available 2nd Mass children. We see the hostage responsible for offering intel about the innocent young lives. The information is from John Pope.

Other Cast[]

Co-Starring[]

Uncredited[]

Deaths[]

Significant Events[]

After being rescued, Ben Mason has become an outcast due to fear and paranoia. He also has a changed personality and seemingly enhanced abilities.
Some of the kids rescued by Hal Mason have lost their spikes, however, Ben and Rick Thompson still have them.
Paranoia over the de-harnessed kids causes parents to consider leaving the 2nd Mass.
The 2nd Mass meet survivors from the 7th Mass who claim to have orders to take all of the kids to safety while the 2nd Mass links up with the 3rd Mass.
Following an attack by a Skitter scout, the decision is made to send the children with Terry Clayton for their own safety.
The 3rd Mass is revealed to be a cover-up story for Clayton's plan.
John Pope is revealed to be giving information to Terry who is holding him prisoner about all 2nd Mass children.
Terry is revealed to have made a deal with skitters and as part of the deal giving them children.

Photos[]


		Falling Skies Season 1
#01	"Live and Learn"		#09	"Mutiny"
#02	"The Armory"		#10	"Eight Hours"
#03	"Prisoner of War"
#04	"Grace"
#05	"Silent Kill"
#06	"Sanctuary (Part 1)"
#07	"Sanctuary (Part 2)"
#08	"What Hides Beneath"