Barbie's fate lies in Big Jim's hands and the Dome presents a new threat when it becomes magnetized. Meanwhile, Julia seeks out the help of a stranger to save the life of a mysterious girl who may hold clues to the origin of the Dome.
"Heads Will Roll" is a much better episode than just about all of the first season. I still don't care about any of these characters. At least this premiere knows what it wants to do and simply presents a problem with fatal consequences. The characters have to react - a quality that they didn't really do at all last year. They can't act nonchalantly about their situation any more. Metal objects are flying at their heads and will kill them if they don't get out of the way - with the example being Linda who likely won't get any tears shed by anyone in the show or watching it. It's well executed action that's entertaining.But Under the Dome is still aspiring to be something much bigger and better. All of the supernatural mysteries and "explanations" about the dome simply made no sense. The season finale last September was so absurd. I remembered none of it. And here, the show is trying to write itself out of that giant mess as quickly as possible. Instead the supernatural stuff plays as straightforward and simple. The new girl who Julia saves only has to wander around town in order to be mysterious. The dome gets magnetized and the stakes are life and death. That's just simple. It's not about the chosen leader or the pink stars are falling. All of that stuff is still lingering but the show smartly just focuses on the problems of the here and now. It still asks those existential questions about the people underneath the dome. But the metal objects hurling at people was exciting and that was the most I've enjoyed Under the Dome probably since the pilot.
However, what really irks me about "Heads Will Roll" is the emotional resolution of the episode's major plot is Julia deciding not to kill Big Jim. The supernatural forces behind the dome want the killing to stop. And yet, the episode ends with the mysterious girl who we are led to believe is connected to the Dome - if that wasn't clear just read the episode's official description above - killing Angie. That's just contradictory. The argument could be made that the Dome sees Big Jim making an effort to change and Angie is just not willing to accept that and would rather he just die. That goes against the Dome's agenda - whatever the hell that is. So, they solve that problem by killing Angie? That just goes against everything they worked to accomplish in this premiere. It largely just feels like the show deciding it wanted a big and epic death in this premiere and realizing that the death of Linda simply wouldn't make that many viewers upset. With Angie, I'm sure there will at least be a bit more sadness. However, I just feel relieved. Now, Britt Robertson can go star in something actually good.
Some more thoughts:
- "Heads Will Roll" was written by Stephen King and directed by Jack Bender.
- ER alum Sherry Stringfield is on board as Junior's mom who reportedly committed suicide but appears to still be living. It's a very weird mystery that I just have no clue what the show is doing with.
- New series regulars Eddie Cahill and Karla Crome don't make much of an impression.
- At least Angie got to pour coffee for Stephen King before she died.
- I still don't like this show at all. Despite writing about it more than I should have last year, don't expect much coverage - if any at all - for Season 2.
