Episode Title: Cobalt
Original Airdate: 9-27-15
Everyone is angry. They want their family members back, but aren’t given any information by the soldiers. In an attempt to find out where his wife is, Daniel kidnaps and tortures Ofelia’s soldier boyfriend Andrew. During the torture, Andrew tells of the military’s plans to evacuate the safe zones, but only themselves and not the survivors. The operation also includes the termination of all survivors.
At the base, Liza finds out that Griselda did have her foot amputated. She goes looking for Griselda later, only to learn that the poor lady is in septic shock and very near death. In her final moments, Griselda begins speaking a lot of scary things about the devil and evil, some that may be referencing her husband who is clearly more than a barber, and then she passes. Dr. Exner reveals that whether bitten or not, everyone turns after death. Liza makes sure Griselda won’t.
Nick is being held captive with others in an indoor fenced cage, for some reason that is not important enough to tell the audience. When soldiers come around checking everyone’s temperatures, they note that Nick has a fever of 101. Not caring that he is having withdrawals and NOT turning, they start to take him “downstairs,” but a smooth-talking stranger, also in the cage, trades fancy cufflinks for Nick. The stranger knows of the government’s plans to leave and destroy, and he thinks Nick will be of use to him when he makes his escape, because heroin addicts apparently make the best sidekicks.
This episode was a bit more interesting plot wise, while revealing some new character traits. I’ve always known that Daniel was more than what he appeared to be, I just wasn’t sure what. And I’m still not sure. Clearly he did very bad things to survive once upon a time, and he must do them once more. He is clearly skilled with a blade if he can basically skin Andrew alive. Though there must be some satisfaction in it for him, because Andrew was willing to tell him anything and was still sliced up.
The problem here is the why. Why bother setting up safe zones and taking people to a hospital if the government is just going to destroy it all anyway? I understand it is probably the “last resort” option, but it seems too quick after having just set up the safe zones not two weeks prior. Really, LA doesn’t look all that bad for such a large city. I know we’re on a tight schedule with having to end on a (hopeful) big climax in the finale next week, but I feel this was poorly planned, i.e. poor writing. They set up an outline, dragged out the first three episodes and now they have to rush at the end. At first I liked the slow burn the show started on, but now we’re paying the price for it.
Random thoughts on random moments:
1.) I felt nothing when Griselda died. NOTHING. I’m interested to see how Daniel and Ofelia will handle it next week, but otherwise, it felt like no big deal, which is the exact opposite of how it should be.
2.) Step-siblings Chris and Alicia flirting is just weird. What are they, Cullens?
3.) Five episodes in and we finally get an interesting character in the stranger (billed as Strand) who saves Nick with cufflinks. We know absolutely nothing about him, but he stole the episode.
So how will it all end next week? Travis, Madison, Daniel, et. al. will have to find a way to the base to save Nick and Liza, before Operation Cobalt is put into effect. My prediction is Liza will not survive. She’ll probably die trying to save someone (if it’s Madison, I’ll vomit). She seems the most expendable at this point (other than all the kids, of course), as Travis’s ex-wife. Plus actress Elizabeth Rodriguez is still killing it on Orange is the New Black. Any of the other main characters would be a surprise, and the show hasn’t really surprised me at all yet, so I doubt it will start in the finale.
Channel: Superhero 