The Man Who Fell To Earth: Season 1/ Episode 8 “The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

With Spencer having the authority he needs, he makes a move, leaving Faraday and Justin to go on the run, hoping they can avoid death or imprisonment.

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Aired (Showtime)	6/19/2022
Director(s)	Joss Agnew
Writer(s)	John Hlavin, Jenny Lumet, Alex Kurtzman
Introduced This Episode
Henning	Art Malik

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

“The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell” Recap

You Only Say You Love Me – Edie, Henning, Hatch, Molly, Portia, Justin

The preparations to go on the run without Molly makes Molly feel a certain way. She is Justin’s child, yet she wasn’t chosen to come with her. She is being left behind with Portia. Who, no matter how she tries, can’t make up for the abandonment of her mom.

Though not to be outdone, Edie and Hatch’s relationship deteriorates after the events in the second topic when it is revealed Hatch did, in fact, try to sell Newton’s patents. After all, no one at OriGen was doing anything with them, and he thought they deserved to be studied and explored, not just kept in perpetuity untouched.

So, after hearing that, Edie is done, and in turn, Hatch speaks to Henning, Thorn’s representative, and negotiates $60 million for his shares, with the money to go to Edie as one last apology.

So We’re Partners Now – Faraday, Justin, Lucy, Spencer, Josiah

With Justin escaping with the core, Faraday blowing up the lab, and Josiah retrieving Faraday after said events, Spencer is on the ropes. He knows that, Lucy knows that, so she decides to use this as an opportunity to get a promotion. One which Spencer, of course, doesn’t give without hesitation, but it is increasingly becoming clear Spencer cannot get this done on his own. He is willing to do what it takes, including burning bridges, but this is a CIA operation that is drawing a lot of attention. Someone has to deal with the fallout and keep it from getting as bad as Spencer is willing to let it get – and Lucy volunteers to handle that role.

Sacrifices Had To Be Made – Mary Lou, Lucy, Justin, Josiah, Faraday, Spencer

However, whether Lucy is truly on Spencer’s side, or even the CIA’s, could be questioned. She has secret conversations with someone, and it’s not clear who. Could it be Thomas Newton or someone else? We’re not given any real hints

The only thing made clear is that Faraday was shot before he blew up the lab, and the only one who can save him is Mary Lou, alongside those who work with her and, surprisingly, Josiah. Now, how does Josiah get involved? With Faraday losing over a liter of blood and the average 154 lbs man having 5 to 6 liters, per Healthline, Josiah becomes essential since he is the only one with Anthean blood. Thus leading to a chain of Mary Lou’s people giving blood to Josiah, who gives blood to Faraday, as everyone preps for Spencer and two soldiers to storm the rehab facility.

Which they ultimately do, and Mary Lou dies during the raid. However, she doesn’t die alone or in vain. Yes, Spencer takes the core, Faraday, and Justin, but Faraday being alive is Mary Lou’s repentance for ruining Thomas with Gin and her selfishness. Also, she gets to die next to Josiah, and as she dies, we see her get blood wings, signifying she has truly let go of her guilt and is ready to move on.

Things To Note

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. With the women who donated blood to Josiah, will they become “Nephilim” beings? I know blood doesn’t move two ways, and they were donating to him, but who is to say what Anthean genes do, considering they are alien?

What Could Happen Next

1. Lucy saving the day when it comes to Faraday and Justin
2. Thomas Newton appearing, and him wrestling control of the device with Faraday
3. Spencer going after Molly to have some form of leverage after Lucy’s betrayal
4. Edie and Hatch continuing to have sibling issues

Review

Highlights

Spencer Coming Out On Top and Lucy Hitching A Ride

While Spencer has shown himself as a capable agent, him being batshit crazy has always been his Achilles’ heel. But, there is no denying he got what he wanted. Yes, he had to verbally say he would partner with Lucy, but they work for the government so, she should know anything not written on paper is not binding. And all things considered, if he would betray the woman who was like a mother to him, who is she? What loyalty does he have to her to make sure she gets enough credit to boost her career?

But, with that said, knowing he could betray her makes Lucy all the more dangerous, since there is nothing special about her to keep Spencer from throwing her under the bus if he needs to. So it should be interesting to see who her contact is that could provide her a safety net.

Mary Lou’s Redemption

If you watch the original film (it is not recommended by us), you’ll see that Mary Lou was a notable part of Thomas Newton’s downfall. While others involved betrayed him, Mary Lou introducing alcohol and being a major distraction, she took away so much time from what Newton could have done. So in her sacrifice, it’s like she saved humanity.

You could even add in, she acted as a balm to Justin’s spirit since the level of sacrifice Justin is doing certainly is taking a toll, and the closest person to know what it means to have a juxtaposition to such greatness is Mary Lou. But, as Mary Lou noted, Justin is an asset, not a liability, so she is far more equipped for what is to come.

On The Fence

Edie and Hatch

It might be time to write these two off as liabilities. Edie, even with having a heart-to-heart which lays out she knows how screwed up her dad was, is done with Hatch. He has betrayed her, gaslit her, and she is done. Add in Hatch doesn’t seem like he will be of much use to Faraday and Justin anymore and sold his shares of OriGen too? Hopefully, this means, for the final episodes, those two have played their part, and we can focus on the stronger aspects of this show.

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