Falling Skies Season 4 Ending Explained: Is Tom Alive? Is He Dreaming?

Created by Robert Rodat, ‘Falling Skies’ chronicles the story of Tom Mason, a professor turned resistance fighter in the face of an alien invasion. Following the Espheni’s hostile takeover of Earth, Tom joins the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment, where he meets like-minded individuals who will stop at nothing to save the world. However, the journey is littered with strange twists and turns, as with each season, the curtains are pulled slightly further back, revealing the extraterrestrial terrors that humanity isn’t yet prepared to win against. In the previous season, the 2nd Mass partners up with a new alien species known as the Volm, who bring in the advanced technology that is needed to defeat the Espheni for good.

While the plan is to neutralize an Espheni mothership stationed in Boston, things go awry when Anne and her daughter, Lexi, are abducted by the aliens. Thus, Tom and his team simultaneously conduct a rescue mission while battling a mole within their own ranks. In the end, they successfully destroy the alien mothership, forcing the Espheni to retreat for the first time since their descent on Earth. In season 4 of this sci-fi thriller, the 2nd Mass has to plot, fight, and win even bigger battles, with more at stake than ever. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Falling Skies Season 4 Plot Recap

‘Falling Skies’ season 4 begins with a reversal of all the advancements the 2nd Mass made in the previous season. Shortly after returning to Charleston, they are ambushed by large Espheni forces, and as a result, the crew is separated into two groups. Tom, Hal, Weaver, and Pope are among the many humans who are now caged in confinement camps. Matt, on the other hand, is trapped with many children his age in a re-education camp, leaving Anne, Lourdes, and Lexi among the few survivors who are still in hiding. All three camps make their own attempts at communication and escape, and ultimately, Tom’s is the first to strike gold. When a man named Dingaan introduces them to a suit capable of passing through the alien barriers, Tom and Pope decide to take the risk, distract the Overlord, and make a narrow escape with the 2nd Mass.

Upon reuniting with the Volm, Tom learns that most of the species have left, and Cochise is leading a group of researchers to figure out the Espheni’s weaknesses. Together, the group rescues Matt, but not before many other children are taken over by the Overlords. Elsewhere, Anne struggles to reconcile with Lexi’s rapid ageing and superhuman development, all of which point to an alien parentage. Things get more complicated when Lexi introduces one of the Overlords as her father, before enveloping herself in a cocoon. This leads to tensions within Anne’s splinter group, especially after Tom, Weaver, and the rest of the 2nd Mass return to Charleston. Before things escalate to violence, however, Lexi wakes up and announces her separation from the 2nd Mass, citing a disillusionment with humanity.

Not long after, the 2nd Mass is faced with the biggest alien attack yet, as the Overlords of the confinement camp are out for revenge. More tragedy strikes the same night, as an accidental gas pipeline explosion wipes out most of the 2nd Mass. Surprisingly, the Espheni, led by a burnt Overlord, leave when they mistake a soldier’s body for Tom’s, whom they have a grudge against. Still, things are far from safe for the 2nd Mass, as the death toll continues to rise, now including Dr. Kadar, Lourdes, and Tector, among others. Maggie is grievously injured and on the brink of death, but is saved when Ben suggests sharing some of his spikes with her. After recouping their forces, Tom and Weaver set out for a new plan, when they land on a game-changing revelation.

One of the alien beamers left behind in the rubble still appears to be working, giving humanity a chance to fight back with aerial offense. Even better, Tom and company find something shining in the sky, and a closer inspection by the Volm reveals it to be the Espheni power source. Thus, a plan is formulated to pilot the beamer to the moon, letting it destroy all of the Overlords’ strongholds. Still, there is the question of who will pilot it, and Tom naturally volunteers. In a surprising development, Lexi returns to the 2nd Mass, and as proof of her loyalty, decides to join Tom on the spaceward mission. While things begin on a positive note, the ship’s hull is damaged in transit, and things get worse due to a surprise attack by none other than the burnt Overlord. Back on Earth, the 2nd Mass fights against the Espheni, hoping that Tom and Lexi will win.

Falling Skies Season 4 Ending: Is Tom Alive? Is He Dreaming?

At the end of ‘Falling Skies’ season 4, Tom drifts off into space, only to be rescued by a new, enigmatic form of alien. Following the Overlord’s hostile takeover of the beamer, all hope momentarily seems lost for the Masons, but in that moment, the Volm poison that Ben gave to Tom comes in handy. Initially meant to be used against Lexi in the worst-case scenario, the poison serum is used against the Espheni instead, bringing the creature’s season-wide enmity with Tom to an end. However, the burnt Overlord doesn’t go out without a fight either, and ensures that his ship’s autopilot is destroyed, leaving Tom with no way to return home. Worse, the beamer is no longer operational, and Lexi realizes that the only way to neutralize the lunar base is to use the Espheni ship instead.

Lexi’s plan to use the Overlord’s ship as a projectile still doesn’t account for Tom being inside the beamer vessel. When the grand explosion ultimately happens, he is flung into space, with no way to change the ship’s course, much less maneuver it to safety. With his death seemingly written in stone, Tom hopes to spend his final few moments reminiscing about his past, until the scene cuts back to Earth, where the Cochise informs the 2nd Mass that the Volm have lost track of Tom and his beamer. Given their expansive search system, this failure is curious on many levels, and only starts to make sense with the next scene, where Tom wakes up in a surprisingly human setting. Instead of a spaceship, he is now inside what appears to be a child’s bedroom. A JFK speech can be heard in the background, indicating that the room is meant to exude a 1960s atmosphere.

The first odd thing about this room, apart from its spatial inconsistencies, is the fact that it is entirely comprised of holograms. Although the first half of the episode has entirely been about dream constructs, these new artefacts around him have more of a technological feel, making it less likely that he is hallucinating. More importantly, the elements appear to be carefully placed by an intelligent entity, with the express desire to make Tom lower his guard. However, when he pulls the curtains away, a vast expanse of space meets his eye through the window, solidifying that this is not a dream. As such, the new alien that we see in the final scene is also confirmed to be real, which makes Tom’s undisturbed reaction to it all the more puzzling.

Who is the New Alien?

Earlier in the season, the Espheni tried to make a peace deal with humans, citing that a greater, more powerful threat is approaching Earth, and the Overlords need organic material to defeat this new enemy. While the 2nd Mass initially doesn’t pay heed to this statement, it is possible that the alien species introduced in the season finale is the one mentioned earlier. Although we do not get a good look at its physical features, the lifeform looks distinct from both Espheni and the Volm, and its multiple limbs put it closer to Skitters than anything extraterrestrial. Two other things that stand out about the new alien are its feminine voice and its ability to speak English, which again indicates some prior contact with humanity.

The most surprising thing about the alien is Tom’s reaction to it, as, instead of being alarmed, he indicates a level of acquaintance, going as far as to call it beautiful. Given his history with the Espheni and the other aliens, this is a very unlikely response, and a sign that he might be hallucinating. Since the very last thing he sees while in the beamer is a photo of his family prior to the invasion, chances are that he is seeing the alien as his late wife, Rebecca Mason. In the same vein, this illusory room is likely a recreation of his own home, all meant to trick Tom into complacency. If the Overlord’s warnings now have a deeper meaning to them, the 2nd Mass’s journey towards freedom is far from over.

Is Lexi Dead? Did She Destroy the Moon Core?

‘Falling Skies’ season 4 ends with Lexi sacrificing herself to bring down the Espheni energy core and assure humanity’s victory. While Tom is ejected from the ship at the last minute, Lexi crashes into the moon’s surface headfirst and is likely killed immediately. Despite the tragic nature of her death, however, her ultimate goal is fulfilled. A colossal explosion wipes out the Espheni lunar base in one go, and the effects immediately ripple out on Earth. Just before the Espheni can gain the upper hand over Weaver and company, they lose their power source and essentially become sitting ducks. The 2nd Mass wastes no time in launching a counterattack, taking down all of the mechs and spaceships, while Pope’s crew uses the signal disruption to wipe out most of the Skitters.

In a way, Lexi’s final charge contextualizes the title of the show, as her actions quite literally send the space-based Espheni control system crashing down. However, this attack is also personal, as Lexi herself is part alien. Throughout the season, we see her struggle with the idea of picking sides, and briefly, she even finds herself working with the Espheni. Still, it is precisely because she has a grasp of both sides of the war that she is the most informed on the subject. Her final sacrifice as such dispels all doubts about her allegiance, both on a macro level to humanity and on a micro level to her father. The season finale’s dream sequence is a transformative experience for both Lexi and Tom, and while he has to live with the consequences of his actions, she dies after attaining closure in this dynamic.

Has the 2nd Mass Won? What Happens to the Espheni?

With the lunar power source completely depleted, the Espheni have no way to fuel their heavy machinery, which completely reverses their power dynamic with humanity. This also has another, more unconventional benefit for the 2nd Mass, as the now unused mech ship can be transformed into ammunition, giving the humans supreme firepower in the ensuing battle. While Weaver and his team have no way of ascertaining Tom’s fate, they still bear the responsibility to carry on the flame and continue the war. The disruption of power also means that the harnesses are likely running on backups, and it is a matter of time before Skitters rebel, or in the best-case scenario, return to their human forms. Thus, the Espheni are faced with a crushing defeat and are essentially on their last legs.

A huge factor in the Espheni’s inevitable loss is the breakdown of their anti-Volm space grid. For the bulk of this season, it was their only barrier stopping the Volm from entering Earth and winning the fight, but now, Cochise’s father has no restrictions and is likely to return with a grand offensive charge. While the Espheni are an all-powerful enemy, their forces are often spread out very thin, and that has consistently been the reason for their defeat. In season 2, we learn that there is an Overlord Overlord assigned per community, and that replacements are rare. The same likely holds true for their lunar power source, as there are no mentions of backups or reserves. Thus, the Espheni’s time as the dominant species is all but over, paving the way for the new alien species Tom is interacting with.