Under the Dome Finale: “Curtains” (Episode 1.13)
In case you’re curious, here’s a quick recap of CBS’ Under the Dome: One day, a sleepy Maine town called Chester’s Mill is encapsulated—half-snowglobe style—in a clear, semi-solid Dome. Over 13 episodes, the town has had its scuffles; people died; the youngsters have fostered a li’l Dome; there was an epic #DOMEKISS; the two leads, Julia and Barbie, cultivated a seriously effed foundation for a relationship. But most importantly, Chester’s Mill is still Under the Dome, and with second season on the way, spoiler alert: we’re going to be there for a while. This isn’t an exercise in patience, people—it’s Monday-night TV. Hell, at this rate, maybe Big Jim—who we’ve long ago realized to be a total piece of crap—will run out of people to kill if we make it to season three, unless they start letting people filter into the Dome.
But most importantly, this thing is over (for now) and we won’t have to keep up with the rocky road that has been Under the Dome for a while. And so, here we are. “Curtains.” The season finale. We made it. For a show that was promising to start —Stephen King, Steven Spielberg and Brian K. Vaughan (who is writing basically the best comic available right now, Saga) were only a few of the names on-board—it’s been a rough ride. Some episodes dragged us through the season, and others shed light on the show we’d hope for from this summer-event-turned-multi-season-series. I can’t say this has been hate-watching, because there have been moments (even episodes) I’ve genuinely liked, but that’s not true for the majority of this long, long season.
So it’s no surprise that, even as a season finale of what might have been a one-time summer event, one that ends on a massive cliffhanger, “Curtains” still underwhelms. The events are captivating enough: Chester’s Mill is faced with pitch-black surroundings after both Domes are mysteriously blackened. The young’uns finally unveil the mini-Dome’s Monarch butterfly, which they’ve have determined will reveal the town’s new leader (Julia) after Big Jim’s credibility starts looking as dead as Dodee or Rev. Coggins. Big Jim erects gallows to make an example out of Barbie anyone who opposes him—a device that will set the final cliffhanger ending with the series’ semi-hero. We finally see those real “pink stars” and a representative of the Dome has a spoken message for the gang—and it comes in the form of Norrie’s dead mom, who clarifies that these people aren’t trapped—they’re being protected, and judged.