The Hollow Men (310)

[Rocky89]

Wow, what an epic episode, and epic ending!

I got a little SG-1 referenced in there with "The Devil You Know" and how Helen handled Hyde bringing up "loosing a child". I like how the team went straight to work on getting to the city, and Henry's "I have to pee" line. I really like how John and Tesla interacted with Hyde, they clearly can't stand him, and I was cheering for John when he was choking him, no one bashes Helen when he's around. Once the team got inside, the real fun began, and I laughed at Henry's face when he went through the gate, and I actually got a little worried for Helen when she walked through. The Helen and Will scenes were my fave (duh) and I loved Helen's move on the bridge, damn that woman has got skills, but poor Will had to go slow.

Is there anything Helen isn't fascinated by? She just went right into that faeces while Will couldn't go near it. It seems most bad monsters hate Will, and I loved how he didn't listen to Helen and kept looking at that-- for lack of a better word, dragon, and his "Nice kitty" was so funny. But Helen was able to save his butt yet again. The "lights" those kids had on their hands reminded me of a Goa'uld device, but it was cool. The people were nice and I know Will didn't like the food, but I'm not sure about Helen. That was a cool pod ride, and I loved her little smirk when she got out. As for Henry ad Kate, I think they had some cool time today together, I always enjoy them together, and how she tried to help his leg.

John and Tesla were great together, they could be a cool team, but I laughed when John left Tesla behind when he said he'd take home with him. I had a feeling Adam/Hyde couldn't be trusted, but damn, John can fight. The one thing I didn't like was how evil and dark PW's character was, no compassion, no heart, just evil. And what was she wearing?

Overall it was a great episode, the FX effect were awesome, it had a movie feel to it, like a cross between Ark of Truth and Lord of the Rings. Awesome cliffhanger, and I can't wait to see what happens next time. OK, I'll review more in my replies.

PS: LOVED Tesla's SOB line.

[Spimman]

What a cliffhanger, I needed a really good midseason finale to lift my mood from other news I heard today :McKay:

The technology is really awesome, I expected more abnormals mixed with the humans. They were all so cold, kinda reminded me of the Tolans.

[hedwig]

It was interesting to hear Polly's character say something about abnormals being so horrible (and seeing Helen's reaction to her statement), and how anti the hollow earth people apparently were about them. I wonder if the people who live outside the city are some sort of abnormals - or the nomadic people that helped Helen and Will anyway. Certainly the ones that helped Adam trap John were abnormals.

It seems most bad monsters hate Will, and I loved how he didn't listen to Helen and kept looking at that-- for lack of a better word, dragon, and his "Nice kitty" was so funny.

I think Helen said it was a basilisk. She was using her mirror so as not to look directly at it, since doing so would cause instant death, which was why she kept telling Will to not look directly at it.

[AresLover452]

LIKE OH HOLY CRAP!!!!! WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!

*Takes Breath*

This was awesome!!

Loved the boys playing somewhat nice with each other until John left Nikola in the Sanctuary. Taht was hilarious!

[llp]

This one was a really great episode. The cliffhanger was so unfair. You know they are coming back, but how? Someone mentioned about those people being holograms. I think they were supposed to be somewhere else in reality but needed to attend the "execution". One of them looked like he was there.
Oh there is so much more to this story.....how long to we have to wait until the second half of the season is on????

[Rocky89]

anyone else get a kick outta praxis? very funny, damian's trek is showing.

Yeah, I thought that too.

I think my biggest crit...dude, polly walker's costume sooo was not flattering.

Agreed, it looked sooo.

I kept getting flashbacks to SG1, Beneath the Surface, in various places of this episode.

BTS, I forgot about that one. Good ear.

And while Tesla may be angry at being left behind, it's a good thing actually given Adam's betrayal - like anybody thought that wouldn't happen. I couldn't help but tsk, tsk over John actually going along with Adam's plan.

Also, since he's not a vampire anymore, he's not exactly able to fight off attacks, so maybe him staying behind was for the best.

I also had the feeling that the group watching the execution were holograms and not real people. And I'm sort of wondering about Polly's character, too. It seemed as though she literally wasn't hearing anything Helen and her group were , saying to her - a hologram would behave that way. Just a thought.

And I thought Polly's outfit was pretty bad, too.

She did respond to what they were saying, and told Henry he was unable to change into a wolf, so I do believe she was in fact there. And yeah, her clothes were a big no.

[RealmOfX]

Have I mentioned recently how much I HATE cliffhangers?!?!?!?!?!?!

Great episode! It was over before I knew it. <sigh>

I'm going to watch it again after I grab some dinner.

quite the cliffie. we end with our heroes all dead. Eek

so, how'll it end up?

my money is on

Spoiler:

helen's dad, who's working for the super abbies will saw, will orchestrate their salvation. the reason will be two fold. stop adam, who's infiltrated, and save the city, which is dying. I think the earthquakes means that the city is doomed and will soon be destroyed

anyone else get a kick outta praxis? very funny, damian's trek is showing.

the episode was pretty well paced if it was kinda all set up for the second part. we have at least 4 distinct groups here....farmers barred from the city, the city dwellers, the monks and the creepies. and they all seem to be operating for their own motives.

I think my biggest crit...dude, polly walker's costume sooo was not flattering.

I'll lay money on that too.

[Chelle DB]

I hate cliffhangers. I wonder if it's necessarily a good idea to always end a season or half season on a cliffhanger? When I say I wonder, I mean I only wonder. I'm sure a lot of you love cliffhangers or feel they are necessary but I'm really over them.
Who ever this "Polly Pocket" is, I don't think much of her character at all.
I really didn't like the ending. I loved the in between stuff but the ending was just too...I dunno what the right word is but I didn't enjoy it at all. Not that I'm concerned for our heroes lives - I'm sure that things will eventually turn out hunky-dory but it just didn't tickle me.
Could really see the trap by Adam when he & John went to to Hollow earth - like that wasn't gonna happen.
Tesla remains awesome as ever...his words were brilliantly said!!
Loved when Kate made a reference to Indiana Jones...thought that was cute - one of my highlights for me.
Didn't like the basilisk - very Harry Potter-ish.
Sadly, I just didn't get the satisfaction out of this episode I was hoping for. Oh well, here's hoping the next half of the season makes up for it.
Sorry. I know most if you probably just love it but I don't. It's fine, don't get me wrong but it just didn't give me the goosebumps I've come to expect from Sanctuary. Sorry.

[meredithchandler73]

My thoughts on Sanctuary Season 3 Episode 10 - The Hollow Men:
--LONGEST. "PREVIOUSLY ON". EVER.
--Love how they mock Tesla for his inability to name things.
--"Huey, Dewey and Screwy"
--"I have to pee."
--I suppose Biggie is still recovering from his injuries, otherwise he would definitely have joined this mission and been on hand to protect Helen.
--"She never loved you, you know that?"
--Adam loves to go for those sore spots and poke at them, doesn't he?
--Ooooh - the first time we see John the killer again. And yet, he doesn't seem out of control. It seemed merely like a response to Adam provoking him. Biggie would have probably wanted to throttle him as well if he kept talking like that. My thought - that John no longer has the energy creature inside of him - seems still very plausible.
--"He isn't worth it. Pardon the pun."
--I like how the door gets jammed due to ice and how it isn't super simple for them to get rid of the blockage. I've often thought about that kind of thing as I watched Indiana Jones movies - how is it that secret doors that haven't been touched in ages still move with ease???
--"Eenie, meanie, mynie…" "There goes Moe."
--Helen speculates that this may be the source of all abnormal life. An interesting thought.
--Helen moves with such grace!!! That drop down to go under the bridge was awesome! Helen gets a 10! Will - ah...3.2.
--Another rock slide. Are those supposed to be happening? Perhaps the underground city is in trouble.
--Love how Helen isn't phased at all by the smell of a huge pile of excrement! A true scientist.
--"How large an animal would it take…" "Oh, quite large."
--Hmmm…here they be dragons!
--I love how Will thinks the basilisk is cool.
--"It's not a toy!"
--"Why would I bring my phone to Hollow Earth?!?!?"
--The farmer that rescues Will and Helen - I recognized him from an episode of SG1. Company of Thieves, I think.
--He talks about trouble with harvests happening more than it used to. Hmmm...is something going on with Hollow Earth?
--Will asks how the boy made the hologram. The father says only the young ones can do it. They lose the ability as they grow older. Interesting! Is everyone below an abnormal of some sort?
--Funny how Helen and Will were both a little afraid to try the food. Looks like it didn't taste too good.
--Adam, Tesla and Druitt working together - scary!
--"Where there's plumbing…" "There's toilets!" "Civilization!"
--I've just noticed there are only 20 minutes left in this episode. I can already tell that I'm going to be pulling my hair out at whatever cliffhanger they leave us with!!!
--Medicinal attributes to the rashi (mushrooms?) they were given to eat? Helen is feeling better. Why did Helen get an energy boost while Will did not?
--Fun to see that Sanctuary logo on the laptop John and Adam are working on.
--"Well done, us."
--I wonder if the shrooms they were eating give a person a high. Helen didn't seem to react too strongly to being captured. That last expression on her face was actually really cute...more like Sam Carter than Helen Magnus, when you get down to it.
--The chick in charge of the underground city (played by Polly Walker) - will we find out that she is basically the underground equivalent of Helen Magnus? That would be interesting. Perhaps in Hollow Earth it's the abnormals that outnumber the humans greatly. But is she human or abnormal?
--"Since when did I become the responsible one in this group?"
--Helen inspecting Kate's field dressing. "Good job. The patient will live."
--Power fluctuations. Helen noted that they noticed other power fluctuations along the way, usually right after earth tremors.
--Ah - the Creepies (scary white-skinned creatures) are back. I like them better in hooded robes than in those white onesies.
--I knew Adam would double-cross them. So, are the Creepies a separate faction down under that Adam allied himself with? Could they actually be creatures he created or enhanced to serve as his own army?
--She electrocuted them?!?! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!?!?! YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE US WITH THAT?!?!?!


More thoughts:
--Perhaps they were never going to be executed. The laws in Hollow Earth dictate that they were supposed to be executed, but someone (the leader? Gregory?) is trying to save them and has lessened the voltage so they wouldn't be killed - just lightly grilled. (Like electroshock therapy.) Notice how just the leader and one other woman was really in the room. The others looked like holograms - not actually in the room, but maybe witnessing what was going on.
--There are strict laws against outsiders because they are trying to protect their way of life. What will outsiders do to their way of life?
--If outsiders are not welcome, how did Gregory get in? Why was Adam brought in? Or was he not brought in? Perhaps he was on the outskirts learning things the whole time and he was hoping Helen would help him actually get into the city.
--I wanna find out more about Adam and his army of Creepies!
--The Head Chick said there were no unlawful transmutations. So there are creatures down there that can transform, but there are rules about when it is allowed. That had a little alarm going off in my head. Doesn't sound like it's a totally free environment for abnormals down there - or at least in the city.
--Anyone see the gang suspended in air by electric chains or whatever and think, "Incredibles!"
--Maybe they are dead...and the avatars that saved Will's life before will step in again. Perhaps because Gregory asks them to do so.

This episode is going to take more viewing!!!

[Skydiver]

Polly Walker is a good actress. I saw her first in Rome...a short lived HBO series about Caesar and rome. It ended after 2 seasons simply because it was way, way too expensive and wasn't winning any awards (with showtime and hbo shows, they tend to look less at ratings and more at awards...Kevin McKidd, currently in Grey's Anatome was one of the main actors)

She's also in Caprica, as Sister Clarice. And seems to thrive on playing avaricious and manipulating women, cold blooded, goal driven and sometimes brutal. That dress of hers last night was just, shudder.

anyway, there seem to be several distinct groups

the city dwellers, led by Polly. seem to be very militaristic. defensive, have issues with abbies. they only allow a few into the city and even then you need a pass, so very cloistered and controlled

the farmers, living on the fringes. the city can't exist without them, yet if the exteriors of the city are infested with monsters like the basilsk, they might need protective devices from the city and its technology, so depend on it even as they are barred from it.

the monks - seem to be in collusion with the city, so not sure if they are an extension of hte city or sympathetic, or maybe a potential source of revolution

the creepies - seem to be led by Adam...but we don't know enough to know if they are loyal, or some sort of abnormal he's tricked into following him

and we still haven't seen the super abnormals....and gregory is most likely amongst their acolytes. Polly knew aboout the will seeing the super abbies...but how can she give refuge to them if abnormals are 'evil'?

I think the earthquakes are an important part of the plot. as are the potential unlimited number of abbies taking refuge down there, especially ones like the basilsk, which would be kinda hard to hide on the surface.

I'm wondering if the city started out as a sanctuary millennia ago. then, when y ou have potential normal humans in with them, divisions started, first for simple protection, but have been warped into some sort of exclusion, seemingly held with violence.

or maybe it was a refuge from the 'dark days' when the vampires ruled. They have suggested that when Tesla's vamps ruled the earth, they weren't kind and gentle overlords. so it may have also been a refuge from that, which has morphed into a discriminatory and militaristic state.....then again, for all we know, they were killed just to make a statement and polly will revive them?

[MidwifeOnBoard]

I hate cliffhangers. I wonder if it's necessarily a good idea to always end a season or half season on a cliffhanger? When I say I wonder, I mean I only wonder. I'm sure a lot of you love cliffhangers or feel they are necessary but I'm really over them.
Who ever this "Polly Pocket" is, I don't think much of her character at all.

Sorry. I know most if you probably just love it but I don't. It's fine, don't get me wrong but it just didn't give me the goosebumps I've come to expect from Sanctuary. Sorry.

I'm cool with cliffhangers, when they actually leave me hanging. When you split up seasons the way syfy does, it's a good way to build anticipation from your audience so they'll stick with the show. This one didn't honestly leave me hanging. Does anyone really think they are dead?

Polly Walker is an awesome British actress. As Sky mentioned, she was in Caprica and Rome, but she's been around a long time. I'm a huge fan. Check out her IMDB for stuff you may have seen her in or may want to see her in.

[jasminaGo]

I'm cool with cliffhangers, when they actually leave me hanging. When you split up seasons the way syfy does, it's a good way to build anticipation from your audience so they'll stick with the show. This one didn't honestly leave me hanging. Does anyone really think they are dead?

Polly Walker is an awesome British actress. As Sky mentioned, she was in Caprica and Rome, but she's been around a long time. I'm a huge fan. Check out her IMDB for stuff you may have seen her in or may want to see her in.

Well no, there are 10 more eps after all, but the hanging feeling for me is along the line of 'can't wait to see how they get out of this one!'

Three things about this ep:
1. LOVED! the scene of Helen jumping under the bridge while Will had to craw down.
2. Surprisingly I found Will and Kate to be alright in this ep. Hope is stays that way.
3. Who thought that leaving Tesla, Druitt and Adam in the Sanctuary would be a good idea?

[sanctuary girl]

I hate the end. I know they are not dead but I am really looking forward to know how they get out of this one.

3. Who thought that leaving Tesla, Druitt and Adam in the Sanctuary would be a good idea?

That one shouted mistake from the start, but I expected more havoc from the three of them.

BTW: I am already joining you in the location from your profile. It's such a long time to wait for the next episode

[jckfan55]

Good episode, but again sort of setting us up for the next one. imho, this can be the problem with big arc storylines. Still, it kept me hooked.

I could predict that Adam was setting Druitt up for something, just not what.

As for the executions, my guess is that the woman is a secret ally of Gregory and somehow the executions were for show for the holo-audience.
Even Martin (Bloodthirsty) Wood wouldn't kill the whole lead cast--esp. the leading lady & exec producer.

My concern about the whole hollow earth storyline is that while it makes a great adventure, if after this situation is resolved we have the Sanctuary people shuttling back & forth it would get too cheesy. IMHO they're going to have to write something so that they can never go back.

when does Sanctuary come back from its midseason break?

[MelissaAdams]

Well I have to say despite 'knowing' that we were going nto get a cliffhanger, it was a mid season finale after all, that the cliffhanger they came up with was interesting and made me both HATE and LOVE this episode.

Of course we know our 'heroes' aren't really going to die, well die and stay dead after all, because they have at least ten more adventures to put out there for us. LOL Still the excitement comes in how in heck are they gonna get out of this one? Maybe Kali steps in, she knows Will's a good guy and he knows she's got something to do with the city since Polly Walker's character said they appeared in their avatar chamber which means he was there before...if I'm following the logic right.

Overall a great episode, I loved how they divided up the team and normally on re watches I'm not keen to re-watch episodes in total...I just hit my favorite parts but this one I've already watched twice from beginning to end.

Tesla was just so classic and yet different at the same time in this episode, it was really great honestly!!!!! His SON OF A B**** was just priceless

And as much as folks may hate to admit it no one really likes strangers dropping into your living room unannounced...the Sanctuary team was kind of presumptious really!!! I mean Helen don't like strangers just dropping by her Sanctuary, though I think she'll draw the line before summary execution. LOL

Overall a TERRIFIC episode but I'm not sure I'm crazy about this mid season finale thing...give me the episodes in order all at once folks, I can't take this stress. Now I'm gonna be pulling my hair out till we find out what happened.