CBS 'Extant' Episode 7 and 8 Recap 2014: Show's Premiere Proves to Be a Hit
CBS, "Extant" and Halle Berry all have one thing in common: big. The summer TV series "Extant," along with its huge puzzle-like story arc, appears to be forming something that wraps up some story lines and opens others.
Last Wednesday's back-to-back episodes tied up some plot points for Yasumoto (Hiroyuki Sanada), as well as for head of security Gordon Kern (Maury Sterling). But it also opens some brand new chapters for the rest of the cast.
Just like last Wednesday's "Extant" of two episodes back-to-back, I will provide back-to-back reviews of episodes seven and eight, titled "More In Heaven and Earth" and "Incursion" respectively.
In "More In Heaven and Earth," audiences get to see the return of Kryger (Brad Beyer) who some thought had disappeared or was dead. Fortunately for the audience and for the storyline, Kryger lives to fight another day. In the last episode, Kern, the head of security at the International Space Exploration Agency (ISEA), told Sparks (Michael O'Neil) that he had secured and disposed of Kryger. Surprise, Kern had Kryger locked in the basement of Kern's home to interrogate him.
It is between episodes seven and eight that the relationship between Kern and Kryger keeps switching, even Kryger points it out. Kern seemed like a foe, now he is a friend, then he is a foe again. In the beginning of the season, Kern was a loyal ISEA head-of-security to Sparks. But by episodes six and now seven, the layers of Kern as a loyal, devoted and secretive man fall away.
Kern is scared of this thing in the mobile unit, the alien baby, and he most of all sees the capability of Sparks. Kern is powerless to lash out at Sparks so he self-medicates with drugs, and he lashes out at others, including his mother who visits. But Kern devises a plan with Kryger's help.
Meanwhile, back at the Woods family household, Ethan (Pierce Gagnon) can speak Japanese. Ethan learned it at school after he heard two Japaneses girls speaking it. John (Goran Visnjic) was just as surprised as the rest of us. Ethan is evolving at an alarming rate: he is speaking Japanese, and he learned how to ride a bicycle in 60 seconds.
John, who has been the patient and dutiful father in the beginning, now seems scared and uneasy by Ethan's development. It is John's fear of Ethan's revolutionary step that prompts him to slow down Ethan's progress. Molly (Halle Berry) says it best, "You want to slow down Ethan's progress, that goes against everything you believe in."
Molly is no longer quiet or pretending anymore. Molly is going after Sparks with all the little evidence that she has: just the video of the Aruna mission. That is it. Besides the fact that Molly wants to make Sparks sweat, she wants to see the baby. As she puts it to Doctor Barton (Camryn Manheim) and to John the baby is half hers.
When Molly finally confronts Sparks in his home with the video, she mentions Sparks' daughter. Molly says, "Before you go to bed tonight, get down on your knees and pray for Katie's forgiveness, tonight and every night." Amen!
As the end of the Episode 7 draws near, there are four puzzle pieces that we learn. Firstly, Julie's (Grace Gummer) boyfriend Odin (Charlie Bewley) is perhaps an anti-technology group leader. Odin believes that artificial intelligence (A.I.) and its technology is the extinction of humanity. To Odin and his followers, Ethan is the end of humanity.
Secondly, Molly wants to learn about the baby. She is no longer hiding or pretending. Molly attempts to get some answers from one of Sparks' colleagues but to no avail.
What we do learn is that the baby is connected to Molly. For example, when Molly gets caught in an empty office space, the baby warns her to get out by using flying pigeons which create the strange symbol.
Third, Ethan is evolving and learning. There is nothing John or anyone can do to stop it. John tried to override Ethan's programming and he could not.
Finally, Kryger stated it best to Kern. These beings that came to Earth did not come here to look down on us. Kryger says when he saw them they were looking up. It means that these creatures see themselves as Gods.
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