Falling Skies

I like Star Wars but not Star Trek.  I liked Lost but always felt like I never knew what the hell was going on.  I have no idea who Dr. Who is.  So my family is totally baffled by the fact that I luv, luv, luv Falling Skies on TNT (Sundays @ 8 PM, Central Time).  http://www.fallingskies.com/

I am a history geek through and through and I think that is one of the reasons why I like the show.  The main character, Tom Mason, a former history professor, is trying to hold what's left of his family together after an alien invasion.  The show, now in Season 2, started off in Boston and the survivors refer to themselves as the 2nd Mass.  In the first season, there were a lot of historical military references.  Second season, not so much.  However, if you look closely during certain scenes, there are political slogans, cartoons or grafitti in the background.  This season the survivors were visited by a rogue pilot (named Churchill) who encouraged them to make the journey to Charleston where a larger group of survivors are trying to rebuild the country. 

“It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.”

Patriotism is a major theme of the show.  The rag-tag Resistance started off hunkered down at JFK High School and the mural on the school depicts Lincoln and great moments in American history.  The use of the bulletin board in the school lobby to showcase missing children reminds you of lower Manhattan following the days of 9/11.

Religion is a subconcious topic of the show as well.  Lourdes is assistant to the 2nd Mass's resident doctor (who's really a pediatrician and is sometimes in waaaay over her head) and we've seen Lourdes lead the survivors in prayer.  There is also a character named "Pope."  I like Pope but most viewers don't. 
I've always been a fan of Noah Wylie from his ER days.  Noah Wylie works because he's just a regular guy.  He lost his wife in the invasion and is trying to keep his 3 sons alive (the oldest played lacrosse!).  He's not a jacked-up ex-Marine out for alien blood.  He was handed a gun and will use it to keep his family and the rest of the 2nd Mass safe. I also like Will Patton (Remember the Titans, Armeggedon).  He's great as the gruff, battle-hardened leader of the 2nd Mass.  The actor who plays Ben, Tom's middle son who has some alien issues himself, reminds me of a younger Leonardo DiCaprio.  The aliens are insanely creepy and there have been some genuinely super scary moments. Oh!  and they just got picked up for Season 3.  Whoop!  Whoop!!!