The Man Who Fell To Earth: Season 1/ Episode 6 “Changes” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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As Faraday studies and explores what it means to be human, Josiah’s health takes a turn, and Lisa makes a discovery that brings Spencer joy.

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Aired (Showtime)	6/5/2022
Director(s)	Sarah Harding
Writer(s)	Jane Maggs, Jenny Lumet, Alex Kurtzman
Introduced This Episode
Teddy	Christopher Colquhoun

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Recap

Old Wounds Barely Heal – Hatch, Edie

No matter what Faraday does, it doesn’t erase the past. OriGen is losing money, and Edie, partly fearful of the CIA, wants some sort of cushion or protection. So, she plans to sell the company to a Big Oil one whose CEO has a US senate majority leader and the intelligence agency in their back pocket. Hatch isn’t necessarily for this, but Edie didn’t come for a discussion but rather deliver the message personally. After all, there is still a lack of trust due to her firm belief that Hatch sold the company out.

Changes – Josiah, Faraday, Justin, Teddy, Hatch, Molly

Josiah is in a weird place. His mind is attracted to sounds, like the strumming of a guitar and the sounds of bees, and the allure draws him in. This becomes quite frightening to Molly and Justin because he goes beyond acting peculiar and puts his life in danger by standing in the middle of intersections or walking into random shops.

For example, he walks into a guitar store and plays as if he has been all his life rather than him having a long interest. Faraday explains this as Josiah becoming a drone since he is infused with Faraday’s DNA. This price that is being paid scares Justin and Hatch brings his former partner Teddy, a doctor, to check on Josiah, and from what he sees, Josiah is a miracle. But, lest we forget, no good act goes unpunished, and it seems Faraday extending Josiah’s life by wiping 20 some odd years of ailments has now begun to wipe away pieces of Josiah.

The Wonders Of Humanity – Josiah, Faraday, Justin, Teddy, Hatch, Molly, Spencer, Lisa, Drew

Time is coming up for Spencer, and Drew lets him know in person that he maybe has a week. But with Lisa finding Newton in a bunker within Cambodia, Spencer buys some time. Also, with Faraday/Justin/Newton’s machine coming online? Oh, he has all he needs, and while Hatch thinks he has leverage, he doesn’t. From what it seems, Spencer has evidence Hatch did try to sell his sister and family company out, including who he was willing to sell to.

But, perhaps what matters more than Faraday and Justin creating stable fusion energy is their bonding. Throughout the episode, Faraday really analyzes Justin’s family. He takes note of Molly being an adept who, even at her age, has so much autonomy and options. There is a note on customs like families eating together alongside taking note of emotions like joy, fear, and shame, which leads to Faraday seeming to rapidly evolve. Which makes it so he is more human than ever and able to not just be a colleague of Justin, but maybe a true friend now. For she has worked so long to understand him, and now he is finally able and willing to reciprocate.

Things To Note

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Is Hatch non-hetero and Teddy his ex?
2. So are we not going to see Edie’s son again?

What Could Happen Next

1. Josiah has a full journey from going to adept to drone, and back to adept
2. Spencer learns what Faraday did to Josiah and uses that as evidence to take Faraday down
3. Molly learns the truth about her dad
4. We learn whether, as Spencer notes, Hatch did try to sell Newton’s patent and whether the story is complicated or straight forward

Collected Quote(s)

Shame is fear towards inward
— Faraday

Review

Highlights

It Finds The Alignment Between An Emotional Storyline and Faraday Being Obtuse

Like the fusion machine “The Man Who Fell To Earth” seemingly was looking to find stability. Heck, as most shows try to do in their first season, the idea is to find what works and what doesn’t and get a rhythm. The show seems to have gotten its rhythm in “Changes,” whether for the episode or from here on out.

It figures out how to harness the obtuse and eccentric Faraday in a way that doesn’t make him feel like comic relief or someone meant to provoke other characters. Rather, it taps into that childlike mindset of being used to doing things a certain way and frustrated by a place that does something different. It is a place that values completely different things, and while you find it all foreign, you realize it is you that is the foreigner in the situation.

Making it so, you see both the experience of the immigrant and perhaps a child all in one. The difficulty to relearn, adapt, and yet, still a piece of yourself forever unlike this new environment you live in. Which is challenging, for you seem to have gotten on rhythm, know how to do all the rituals, and understand the culture. Yet, while you know what’s right, it’s a challenge to say why it is.

But, as shown through Faraday learning to understand Josiah, Molly, and Justin, sometimes it isn’t about knowing but feeling, and in learning to improvise, you learn how to live in the moment rather than become stagnant in theory.

Lisa Getting To Be A Bit More Active

It’s well established who Spencer is and what he is capable of. We’ve heard it and seen him act on it. Lisa though, she has mostly been stuck to a desk. So to see her in the field, bust Teddy up a bit, and make the Newton discovery? I don’t want to say it makes it feel like she is finally pulling her weight. More so, it seems like the show is recognizing that Lisa can do more than perhaps check off a box of some kind. Her existence matters, and while it may not have previously, she is now going to have an active role that may or may not make Spencer question whose side is she on?

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