On the plus side, it pays dividends on the character front as the various strangers start to bond and form stronger connections. Still, it feels lackluster compared to what came before and I don't think this will go down as one of the show's more memorable episodes in the long run.
Between the two settings (mall group and church group) the mall sections were certainly the stronger. It just seems like there's more going on there and it gives the show more momentum. The characters themselves are also more proactive. They set goals and try to do things. The church group is largely content to just sit around. It allows for quiet character drama, but it still isn't as engaging.
They do, at least, bare witness to the first legitimate supernatural event and suggestion of otherworldy creatures. A moth-like thing flies into a guy's ear, multiplies and rips the guy apart from the inside. We even see said man sprout butterfly like wings. At first, I thought he was going to turn into something, making the "humans are the monsters" concept a bit more literal, but he just dies. I'd say that would be too on the nose, but I don't think it would be that far outside the realm of possibility.
OK, random tangent, the guy who plays the priest is Dan Butler, aka Bulldog from Frasier. I really do need to pay attention to the credit scrawls, because I honestly didn't notice that. Now I'm going to be waiting for him to break down and declare that this stinks and that it's total BS. I'm not joking, this revelation is going to alter how I view any scene with him from here on out. I guess it's to his credit as an actor that he "disappeared" into the role the way he did, so there's that. I don't know if I'm going to be able to "unsee" it, though.
While this is presented as a horror series, there are bits of comedy that pop up. Some levity is good, but not all of it seems intentional. The sight of the mall group releasing a fleet of helium filled balloons is presented as somber and serious, but it didn't come off that way to me. Seeing as the balloons were red, my brain immediately made reference to the far more upbeat German pop song. I don't know if they released 99 of them, though it didn't look like it.
The episode tries its hand at lore building, with one character bringing up a local fairy tale about a similar incident. I don't know if it will go anywhere and I'm not sure on whether or not it should even tie in. I guess we'll have to see how it plays out.
We're only three episodes in and you can already see who the highlight characters are going to be. Natalie and the mall manager have consistently been the strongest elements. Credit goes to Frances Conroy and Isiah Whitlock jr. The prior is developing a creepy detachment from humanity and a fascination with what's happening. The latter, meanwhile, is just an average guy trying to maintain some semblance of order in an incredibly chaotic situation. You can't help but feel bad for the guy.
Overall, this episode is good, but it wasn't quite as strong as its predecessor in my opinion. The character development will likely pay dividends down the line, but it also resulted in a slower paced episode. We'll have to see what approach the next episode takes.
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