'War of the World' Season 3 Episode 2 Review: Drama lacks pace as focus shifts to Léa Drucker's Catherine Durand
Contains spoilers for 'War of the Worlds' Season 3 Episode 2
There have been phases in 'War of the Worlds' where the pace slows down a bit, as does the horror and thrill factor, making drama the key essence of the episode. In Season 3, that moment comes earlier than expected as the second episode puts the focus on the black hole, the plans of the invaders from the future, and most notably, Lea Drucker's Catherine Durand who loses her sister to the hallucinations she believes is caused by the black hole.
The episode picks up with Zoe (Pearl Chanda) and Kariem (Bayo Gbadamosi) investigating the case of the being from the future. Bill Ward (Gabriel Byrne) continues to struggle to come to terms with his murder of Emily (Daisy Edgar-Jones) in prison but regrets staying behind bars as he firmly believes his actions saved humanity. When Zoe tells him she can't get him out of prison, he fumes his way back to his cell. Meanwhile, an astronaut who experiences the same hallucinations while observing the activities of the black hole shares his thoughts with Catherine that resonate with the theory she has about the people dying after their visions.
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What 'War of the Worlds' does is explore the unknown, and that might not necessarily be the successful way forward if the network is planning on another season or two. The theory of time travel makes the show a rather advanced, modern-day complex version of HG Wells' classic, and the response to this is something that only time will tell. Two episodes into the new installment, the sci-fi thriller sticks to its pattern of world-building at first and then puts the characters in complete chaos.
There's still a story to be told, especially after the way season 2 ended. Ward still has a key role to play in the series rather than teaching in prison, while Zoe is still primed to be the first casualty should things go south (it already has, by the looks of it). With Drucker's discovery of being able to shuttle back in time and forth and the ones from the future looking to cement their position in present-day earth, there's a lot to unpack and look forward to.
'War of the Worlds' airs at 9 pm ET on Mondays on EPIX.