TV REVIEW: Under the Dome Turns Those Screws Tighter in “Turn”

The Dome is contracting tonight, closing its walls on the poor people of Chester’s Mill, who’ve got to be wondering “What in the heck did I do to deserve all this?”

With the egg outside the Dome, things take a “Turn” for the worse. Melanie’s knocking on death’s door, the Dome wants to squish the town’s citizens, Big Jim feels guilty, Lyle gets even creepier, Junior tries to use his brain, Julia prays to the Dome, and Barbie goes through a testosterone infused manopause.

The Dome Turns Panini Press

Those Dome walls keep closing in ready to put the squish on all those Domeciles, ending their Dome containment once and for all.

Lyle is reading the Bible or maybe just the lyrics of an old 60’s song about turning and seasons and stuff like that. He’s looking pretty serious tonight now that he’s out of that catatonic state he was sporting a couple weeks ago. He’s got his crazy eyes on, so we know we’re going to get plenty of Dwight Yoakum in “Turn.”

Melanie Is Dying (Again)

Melanie is getting sicker and sicker with Junior watching over her. “The Dome is closing in around us. We’re gonna figure out how to stop it. And we’ll figure out how to get you better,” he assures his girl. Wait, Junior’s going to do all that? I don’t think he dresses himself in the morning, so getting all that done seems a little out of Junior’s brain cell paygrade. Could this be the end of our formerly dead teen? For the second time?

Barbie Goes Ballistic

Barbie’s in ultra-bossy mode tonight and has a walkie talkie in hand to show he’s in command. When Hunter confesses he was working for Barbie’s dad, our hero throws him to the ground and turns a little Rambo on the super nerd, dragging him to the Dome walls and holding a gun to the young techie’s head, as he demands to see his dad. Daddy Barbie shows up.

“We need the egg back now! Your son and your daughter will die in here,” Barbie tells his dad.

Daddy practically calls Barbie a liar, liar, pants on fire, adding that Melanie already died years ago.

Joe appears from the bushes where he was hiding and shows his vlog that features Melanie to the elder Barbie. Dad’s convinced. Barbie says to go through the red door at the cellar to get under the Dome and don’t forget the egg.

The Dome walls stop contracting and Melanie feels better immediately. The Dome is temporarily appeased.

Lima Beans and Other Stuff

Meanwhile, Rebecca can’t be bothered by Big Jim, she’s doing calculations. She says it won’t be long before they’re all dead. She’s such a chipper addition to the group. Science teacher is also working on a cure for Melanie in her spare time. 80’s girl is falling apart and, even more troubling, big chunks of her hair are falling out. By my calculations she’s going to be bald in thirty minutes.

They get hunky, EMT, alcoholic, murderer Sam involved. He suggests a blood transfusion… one problem, they can’t type blood. Rebecca suggests lima beans as nature’s way to figure out blood type. I knew those things were good for something. Dome writers, really?

Junior’s got an idea on how to help Melanie. Mom needs to start painting again. Pauline says she hasn’t had any visions, so she doubts that will work, but good effort, sweetie.

Junior blames his dad for the state of 80’s girl’s health. “Melanie’s dying because of you when you threw that egg over the cliff,” he accuses.

Lyle tries to calm Junior down and the two of them attempt to crack the Melanie case together. With that brain trust working on it, I feel like Mel’s gonna be up before the hour’s up even if she is bald. Lyle sees one of Pauline’s old crayola drawings of a couple holding hands and tells Junior “That’s your mother and me entering heaven.” No, I’d say that’s a little bizarre, even for Lyle.

Rebecca chit chats with Melanie and they share a bonding moment. Melanie says the first time she died she was all alone. Now she has all of them, even Junior, and it was worth coming back.

Big Jim Wants his Wife Back

Big Jim declares his love for his wife and uses apologies and “chosen” talk to get her back.

Pauline and Big Jim end up making amends. He says he’s sorry for not believing her, and she says she feels like it was all her fault.

“You were chosen to lead Chester’s Mill,” she tells Jimbo.

“And you were chosen to show me the way.”

Big Jim says she can do it. Paint, dammit, paint! It’s like Ghost revisited, well, without the pottery wheel, no Demi Moore, no hunky Swayze either. Jim’s hand is on hers though. Can the Righteous Brothers be far off?

Pauline paints a bunch of hands and says it’s how they can save Melanie. Four old hands and four new ones. They take off to the school. Oh, and she also sees dripping blood, but mum’s the word on that one.

Sacrifice to the Dome

When Barbie dad tries to return the egg, it goes black. The men in black stop him from leaving with it. There will be no Dome/Egg reunion tonight. Melanie immediately takes a turn for the worse.

Julia prays to the Dome. “I know we’ve screwed up over and over again. I need to ask you for one more thing,” she beseeches. “Please help Melanie. She deserves to live. Everyone in here does. You said that I was chosen. If someone has to die, let it be me.” It’s a hilarious scene because she’s talking to a Dome!

Pauline and Big Jim bust into the diner with their “make new hands but keep the old” plan. It’s all hands on deck with healing Melanie.

Pauline tells Junior she loves him and “no matter what happens” just know that. That dripping blood vision must mean something. Lyle shows up with a fancy pants suit on, tapping his foot, and looking smug. They all drag Melanie to the clearing in the woods.

Pauline takes over the seance of healing and instructs everyone to lay a hand on sick girl. It doesn’t work because they’re missing Angie’s hands. Wait, Rebecca has a plan. Melanie’s hands can replace Angie’s. Poof. Melanie wakes up and is healed.

Not so fast.

A dirt whirlpool looking like a dust filled charybdis whips up enveloping her into a big hole in the earth. Junior wants to jump in, but Barbie and Sam stop him.

“We’ve gotta be smart about this!” yells Sam. Why start now?

Pauline says she’s sorry; it’s all her fault. Big Jim answers with, “I love you.” She says me too. Aw, it’s a Dome reunion for half a second. Blood comes pouring out of her mouth and she looks like she’s the one dying now. The Dome wanted her to sacrifice herself, she says.

Lyle is nearby gloating saying it’s because the Dome wanted him with Pauline so the two of them could do that whole ascend to heaven thing.  Big Jim plants a mighty knife in Lyle’s chest.

Turn, Turn, Turn plays out with Jim looking up, yelling “Why?”

How is everything going to wrap up in next week’s season finale? Do you think the writers are setting us up for a cliffhanger? Honestly, how many seasons will they be able to leave us under the Dome? It seems the story itself has an expiration date that’s fast approaching. See you back here next week for our last Dome discussions of the summer.

Under the Dome airs Mondays on CBS at 10 p.m.