Falling Skies, now under new showrunner David Eick (Battlestar Galactica) may not be back on our screens with season 4 till mid-2014, but production is already under way on the next (hopefully) exciting instalment in the apocalyptic alien invasion series.
While details are scant so far, we already know what the first episode will be titled, thanks to a playfully mysterious tweet from Falling Skies official Twitter handle that read “#FallingSkies is back in production! The title of episode 401 is “Ghost in the Machine” – wonder what this means…”
(source: examiner.com)
We’ve all heard the phrase used a thousand times over – in music thanks to the amazing Annie Lennox, and in TV in shows like The 4400, Caprica and Bones, but what does it mean exactly?
The “ghost in the machine” is British philosopher Gilbert Ryle’s description of René Descartes’ mind-body dualism. The phrase was introduced in Ryle’s book The Concept of Mind (1949) to highlight the perceived absurdity of dualist systems like Descartes’ where mental activity carries on in parallel to physical action, but where their means of interaction are unknown or, at best, speculative”
(source wikipedia via ^ Tanney, Julia “Gilbert Ryle”, in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy; Dec 18, 2007; substantive revision Mon Nov 2, 2009)
Quite what this means in the context of Falling Skies is pure speculation at this point, but given the almost daily existential crises that have gripped the 2nd Mass., of late with their split from the duplicitous Volm, and decision to head back out on the road and take the fight to the Espheni on their own terms, the term would no doubt have a particular relevance to the beleaguered survivors led by Tom Mason (Noah Wylie).
While priority obviously must be given to fighting for their physical existence, there must be deep down, prolonged questioning about the nature of their lives now, that can’t be acknowledged or admitted to, lest they take their eye off the survivalist ball.
This must do something to the psyches of the survivors, who may be physically in one piece but psychically ailing.
That could explain the images in the trailer (below) of everyone trapped in various oddly detached realities that bear little or no resemblance to the ripped apart world as we know it.
Are they day dreams? Mind games? Some twisted kind of torture? Or just the mental and emotional outworking of a host of troubled souls?
Although as the trailer also makes clear, the “one piece” part of the equation may be up for debate once again too as the 2nd Mass., has to deal with a massive explosion … and the rumoured introduction of a villainous new baddy (just how many can Earth can handle I wonder?)
Then there is not the inconsiderable issue of a mysterious new silver-haired woman (unnamed at this stage but played by Harry Potter alum Scarlett Byrne who is described in the deadline post that broke the story as a “a mysterious young woman with special powers and an unusual connection to the alien invaders”.
She is said to be the lynchpin of the whole season, according to a report in blastr.com, an oblique reference which could play out in all kinds of thrilling ways given the creative pedigree of the man now in charge of the show.
Certainly his presence augurs well for a taut, narratively rich and consistent season 4 which will be a refreshing change after the generally lacklustre, wildly contrary season 3.
However it plays out, it’s bound to the exciting edge-of-the-seat material – strap yourself in folks!
Here’s a featurette on the shooting of season 4
And a sneak peek at season 4