Junior’s Got a Gun!

This episode, titled “Outbreak,” was the best yet, with the residents of Chester’s Mill dropping like flies, thanks to an outbreak of something highly contagious. This is more of a study in the behaviour of trapped people, who are angry and confused. I’m sure we can expect more of the same. Once again Junior Rennie (Alexander Koch) is my favourite character, with his infuriating smirk, and his childlike attitude. You can clearly see he’s always two words away from saying, “wait till my dad hears about this!” Well Junior, he most certainly will want to hear about what you’ve been up to. Or maybe not.

Julia Shumway (Rachelle Lefevre) is now suspicious of Barbie (Mike Vogel), and has stolen a map from his bag. She obviously intends on snooping. Our in-house, under the dome preacher, Reverend Lester Coggins (Ned Bellamy) has finally lost the plot, as we see him preach to an unruly crowd, who are gathered at a part of the dome that sees soldiers pulling out on the other side. We don’t know why the troops are hauling butt, but people are taking it as a bad sign with graffiti painted on the invisible barrier. Sheriff Linda (Natalie Martinez) starts to collapse so Big Jim Rennie (Dean Norris) and Barbie take her to the hospital.

Angie (Britt Robertson) is still stuck, like a sink plug with a chain, and by the end of this episode she looks just like one. Junior is in la la land hoping she’ll wear a dress he takes down to her, but that doesn’t quite work out. After he leaves her alone, she spies a pipe (nice one, down there for days and only now sees it? Mmm) that looks like might be worth shouting at. (To be honest, if I saw that pipe, the last thing on my mind would be to shout at it). While attempting to hold on to it, the pipe breaks away from the wall and water comes pouring out. Angie falls unconscious after hitting her dome (pun very much intended).

This episode is mainly about the outbreak, and as the hospital starts to fill, one of the two mothers of Norrie (Mackenzie Lintz) is asked to stand in as Doctor, thanks to her medical experience. Alice (Samantha Mathis) has a tough job on her hands and she’s running desperately low on insulin, which she needs for herself. As more people are rushed in, Jim asks her what the problem could be. Meningitis is the only thing that would give the symptoms all the sufferers are displaying, she tells him. He then does the dumbest thing yet witnessed in the show so far (although Linda will top it by the end of the episode), by handing junior a loaded shotgun, and ordering him to keep anyone from leaving, for fear of spreading the virus further inside the Dome.

Julia sneaks out of the hospital after finding out that her husband had not only sold his car, but was last seen at a cabin where Barbie was also spotted. This last nugget was provided by Junior Rennie, rather gleefully, I might add. She gets to the cabin but collapses after learning something important. Junior tells Barbie where she’s gone and he goes to look for her. Finding her unconscious, he takes her to hospital where she recovers, after being treated with medicine, which had to be forcibly taken from a now, god fearing Lester. The preacher has had a change of conscience, and returns his substantial take in the drug money to Big Jim.

Barbie spills the beans to Julia about who he really is, because she discovers what her husband was really up to, and is obviously upset. She warns Barbie to be out of the house by the time she returns. Sheriff Linda (profile below) decides to do the unthinkable, after witnessing a scene where Junior shows some unusual courage and people skills, after he successfully prevents a riot at the hospital. She makes him a Deputy! (Yes, I too uttered the phrase, what the fu**!). While all this is going on, a soaked and freezing Angie is discovered by Big Jim.

I’m dying to know what Big Jim’ll do, but self preservation is his motto, so it’s anyone’s guess. This has been a great episode by far, and I hope they can keep this up, as it makes for great television.

Grade: A

Nav Qateel.

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(Deputy) Sheriff Linda Esquivel’s Profile

Linda Esquivel is a deputy with the Chester’s Mill sheriff department, under Sheriff Duke Perkins. She is engaged to a local firefighter, Rusty Denton, who is outside the dome when it comes down.
Linda appears to be no-nonsense and responsible, with a good relationship with Duke, her mentor. He implies there are things about Chester’s Mill that she doesn’t know.
She’s now had to take over as Sheriff, and at first feels overwhelmed, but she eventually gets it together and is now doing a great job. So far.
[Parts Taken from IMDb]