Blue on Blue

"Blue on Blue" is the fifth episode of Under the Dome, airing on CBS on 22 July 2013.

The episode was written by Brian K. Vaughan and directed by Jack Bender. The episode shares its title with a 1963 song composed by Burt Bacharach and recorded by Bobby Vinton.

Synopsis

A soldier outside the Dome tells Barbie that the military is getting ready to leave, and that the government is afraid that the dome is starting to affect magnetic fields. The Chester’s Mill residents receive an unexpected visit from their loved ones on the other side, as the United States government plans a strike against the Dome.

Chester's Mill is a place like any other. At least it used to be. Until we were cut off from the rest of the world by a mysterious Dome. Invisible; indestructible; inescapable. We don't know where it came from or why it's here, but now that we're all trapped under the dome together, none of our secrets are safe.Julia Shumway

At the McAlister residence, Joe and Norrie test a pair of walkie-talkies, and Joe theorizes that the two of them are acting as receivers for the Dome's messages; when they get too close together, they produce feedback. He then shows her to a stretch of the barrier where thousands of monarch butterflies have been drawn to the Dome. In the Rennie's fallout shelter, Angie McAlister wakes as Rennie returns the next morning after turning off the water and draining the bunker. Rennie assures her that he will release her once she explains why she is chained inside the shelter. Angie insists that Junior has been keeping her prisoner because he's insane, but Rennie claims that he needs time to think, and leaves the bunker as Angie screams for help. Back on the surface, Rennie finds Lester Coggins outside his house; the Reverend claims to have heard the voice of the Lord Almighty telling him one word – "Moab." Rennie suggests that Coggins replace the batteries in his hearing aid, and instructs the Reverend to stay away before storming into the house; Coggins adjusts his hearing aid, and smiles as he listens to a garbled voice repeating what sounds like the word "Moab." At the McAlister residence, Barbie wakes in his car and hears Joe and Norrie nearby; Barbie approaches the barrier, causing the butterflies to scatter and reveal the soldiers on the outside. One of the soldiers waves to Norrie as a pair of busses pull up to the field outside the barrier, and Joe spots his cousin Frank among the dozens of civilians that deboard. Barbie questions the military's decision to allow the families of the townspeople to approach the Dome, and Norrie claims that Chester's Mill is getting its own Visitor's Day.

At the WYBS station building, Julia reports that the townspeople will be able to visit with their loved ones beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Sixth Street Bridge. At the Rennie residence, Junior returns home in a police officer's uniform; Rennie attempts to confront his son, but Junior interrupts him to explain that the military has bussed in the townspeople's relatives. Rennie authorizes Junior to "recruit auxiliary officers" for crowd control, suggesting Junior's high school classmate Carter; Junior claims to need supplies from the fallout shelter, but Rennie orders his son to return to work. At the Sixth Street Bridge, Joe and Norrie head for the barrier along with dozens of other townspeople as Barbie watches from nearby; Linda Esquivel soon arrives, enlisting Barbie to put up police tape in order to keep people a safe distance from the Dome. Linda then spots Rusty Denton on the other side of the barrier and the two approach each other, kissing against the barrier. At the WYBS station building, Phil tells Julia that Dodee Weaver heard nothing about Visitor's Day, but that she has picked up another strange broadcast; Julia listens to Dodee's receive, and hears a military message – "Zone One is painted; green for 1315." Phil claims that the message is irrelevant compared to the good news of Visitor's Day, and Julia wonders if her husband will visit; she explains that she knows what Peter, Phil and Barbie were involved in, but claims that the Dome changes the situation. Their conversation is interrupted when the receives picks up a transmission by journalist Jeff Glor. Outside the Dome at the 6th Street Bridge, Glor explains that the military has evacuated nearby towns and established a ten-mile perimeter around the Dome; the United States government has only now allowed the press near the barrier in order to document Visitor's Day. At the barrier, Rusty uses his tablet to show Linda a cover of People magazine featuring them with the headline "Dome-estic Disturbance: Chester's Mill Cut Off From the Outside World." Rusty claims that they've been offered a deal to make a reality show, and Linda writes "Amazing!" on a notepad for him to see. On the Bridge, Joe searches the crowd for Angie, but Norrie spots a man holding up a sign with her name and hurries to the barrier to face him; when he sees her, he flips his sign to reveal another message: "Hello, Norrie. My name is Michael. I'm your dad." Norrie insists that she was born from an anonymous sperm donor, but Michael shows her baby pictures of herself and a photograph of himself and Alice together as proof. Moments later, Coggins bellows from the crowd, calling the townspeople "sinners" and claiming that Chester's Mill is Moab, but his rant is interrupted by Rennie, who bustles the Reverend off the Bridge. Rennie tries to threaten Coggins, but the Reverend claims that he no longer fears Rennie; he insists that he fears only God, and that the only way for Chester's Mill to survive is for them to confess their sins. Rennie claims that they saved Chester's Mill, but Coggins counters that they merely helped drug dealers to produce poison; the Reverend then tells Rennie that if Jim does not confess his crimes to the town within one day, Coggins will do it for him.

On the Bridge, Phil spots his sister holding a whiteboard with his name and approaches the barrier as Julia searches the crowd for Peter; she then approaches Linda, who confesses that she doesn't know how to tell Rusty about Freddy's death. At the barrier, Alice and Carolyn find Norrie and Michael; Alice berates Michael for his sudden appearance, and Norrie berates Alice and Carolyn for lying before running off through the crowd. Elsewhere on the Bridge, Julia approaches Barbie to ask if Peter has visited; Julia agrees not to blame Barbie for Peter's bad decisions if Barbie agrees to watch for Peter's arrival. Moments later, Julia spots Peter's sister at the barrier; as she approaches, the woman holds up a typed letter, which Julia reads before tearfully thanking her sister-in-law. Julia then explains to Barbie that the letter, which was written to Mary from Peter, said in part: "I know this is confusing, but all I can say is sorry. Tell Julia she deserves better." Julia then leaves the Bridge. At the barrier, Dodee uses sign language to converse with her mother, and Barbie moves through the crowd before spotting Andrea Grinnell trying to cross the police tape to get closer to her son, who has returned to Chester's Mill after ten years away. Barbie attempts to calm Andrea before Junior approaches, ordering Barbie away from Grinnell; Barbie scoffs at the idea of Junior in uniform, but leaves Andrea. Elsewhere at the barrier, Linda approaches Rusty, explaining that she has news about Freddy; Rusty uses his tablet to ask if his brother is okay, and Linda shakes her head, apologizing. In the river basin beneath the Bridge, Joe catches up with Norrie, who claims that Michael is "just some creep who wants to be on TV." The two are then approached by Ben and Truman; Ben explains that he learned that China threatened to attack the United States after the appearances of the barrier, believing the Dome to be "some kind of illegal super-weapon." On the Bridge, Barbie watches as a soldier informs Dodee's mother that the visitors have to leave; he then asks Dodee if she can lipread as well, and the two approach the barrier where Barbie flashes his 13th Speccom medallion attracting the attention of a soldier. Barbie learns that the military has been ordered to abandon the Dome after Visitor's Day because "something big is going down," and discovers that the order was given the previous night "after the butterflies showd up." The soldier then leaves with his unit, and Barbie tells Dodee that the government will not allow the Dome to interfere with the outside world; he explains that Coggins must have picked up a military frequency on his hearing aid, and heard the acronym MOAB, which stands for "Mother Of All Bombs." He deduces that the military intends to launch its "largest non-nuclear missile" at the Dome, killing everyone inside.

On 6th Street, Linda tells Julia that Rusty left without saying goodbye after learning of Freddy's death. Moments later, Rennie returns, and learns from Dodee that the Army intends to blow up the Dome, and Barbie confirms it; Julia then reveals the message that she and Phil picked up at the radio station, and Barbie realizes that the launch will occur at 1:15 that afternoon. Julia suggests evacuating the townspeople to the tunnels below the abandoned cement factory, and Rennie agrees to dispatch a fleet from his car lot to move the sick and the eldery. At the Sweetbriar Rose, Joe learns that Rose hasn't seen Angie since Dome Day, but their conversation is interrupted as Julia broadcasts over the radio to announce the impending missile strike. At the McAlister residence, Alice and Carolyn listen as Julia encourages the townspeople to take shelter against the possibility of the Dome collapsing on the town. Outside the Sweetbriar Rose, Ben arrives to hear the broadcast over a car radio as Julia instructs everyone who can to evacuate to Sanders Cement Works On the road, Coggins clutches at his Bible as he listens to Julia's broadcast. At the radio station, Julia assures the townspeople that she is not conducting a drill, and signs off. In the Rennie's fallout shelter, Jim returns with a boltcutter and breaks the chain on Angie's ankle, then apologizes for Junior's behavior, and explains that Angie deserves to "die a free woman." Angie rushes out of the shelter and up the stairs to freedom. At the Shumway residence, Julia retrieves a bottle of wine and turns down the photograph of her and her husband. At the Cement Works, Julia escorts townspeople into the tunnels as Barbie sets up emergency lights, though Barbie expresses doubts that anyone will survive the missile strike at all. Julia agrees, then asks about the coin that Barbie used to persuade the soldier to talk; Barbie explains that he used his reputation as a member of a unit that had rescued a captured soldier from Iraqi insurgents, but admits that it had been his unit that had inadvertantly killed that soldier's entire unit themselves in a confused firefight that allowed the insurgents to capture the soldier in the first place. He then notes the irony of now being killed himself by "more friendly fire." At the Rennie resident, Junior returns home and head for the backyard before his father calls him from the front porch, admitting that he released Angie. Junior flees the property in his squad car even as his father insists that they must get to the Cement Works. At the WYBS station building, Phil refuses to leave before setting one last playlist, explaining to Dodee that no one is going to survive the strike. At the McAlister residence, Angie rushes into the house and searches for Joe, but finds Junior in her bedroom with a pistol; he claims that they are "not finished yet."

At the Cement Works, Rennie explains to Linda that Junior is still out in town "tying up a few loose ends," and Linda instructs Jim to make sure that the new deputies keep the peace while she ties up a few loose ends of her own. Elsewhere at the Cement Works, Phil sets up a speaker system to broadcast Beethoven's piano music to keep the refugees "mellow"; Barbie then approaches him and returns a watch belonging to Phil's grandfather, which Phil had lost in a football bet. At the McAlister residence, Angie asks Junior what's happening, and he turns on her radio; the two listen to Julia's recorded broadcast explaining the impending missile strike. Junior explains that everyone is going to die; he set down his pistol and apologizes, and Angie sits next to him, kissing his forehead before holding his head in her lap. At the Cement Works, Barbie spots Julia drinking her wine and sits with her; she admits that she misses Chicago, but that she is glad that she returned to Chester's Mill since experiencing the town after the appearance of the Dome. Barbie begins to make a confession to Julia, but is interrupted as Alice and Carolyn arrive, searching for Norrie; she speak with Julia before attempting to leave, but are stopped by the newly deputized Carter. Julia, however, leads Barbie into the tunnels toward the exit that she and Junior found previously. On the street, Joe and Norrie search for Angie; when Joe realizes that the time is 1:11, he suggests that Norrie return to the shelter, but she insists on staying with him. At the Cement Works, Phil plays the Skeeter Davis song "The End of the World" and dances with Dodee. At the WYBS station building, Linda climbs to a balcony where she finds "R.D.+L.E.=4EVR" carved into the wood. At the McAlister residence, Angie holds Junior's head in her lap. At the Cement Works, Dodee and Phil confesses that they hate each other as they dance. Alice and Carolyn hold each other, and Jim comforts Rose. Downtown, Julia and Barbie drive an abandoned street. Elsewhere in town, Joe and Norrie arrive at a park, and drop onto a swinging bench. Joe claims that they are too late, and the two kiss moments before the missile collides with the Dome, denotating. At the WYBS station building, Linda shields her eyes from the fireball. At the Cement Works, Rennie urges the townspeople to remain calm while he heads up to the surface. At the park, Joe and Norrie marvel that they are alive, and realize that they touched without provoking a seizure. Above them, they find a massive black mark in the sky from the missile's impact against the Dome. At the WYBS station building, Linda receives a radio call from Rennie, who tells her that "everyone is okay." She cries, and breaks out laughing. On a backroad, Julia and Barbie park and approach the barrier to discover the Dome still in place and unaffected by the missile strike. Julia takes Barbie's hand, and the two look out over the scorched wasteland on the other side of the barrier. On the Sixth Street Bridge, Rennie removes his wristwatch and approaches the barrier, testing the Dome to find it intact. Moments later, Coggins arrives, claiming that he saved the town by repenting; the two look out over the scorched wasteland ont he other side of the barrier, and Coggins insists that Rennie must confess to his crimes. Rennie considers, then calmly pushes Coggins' head against the Dome, causing his hearing air to rupture and kill him. A moment later, Rennie spots a monarch butterfly briefly land on the Dome before taking off again; Rennie then retrieves his watch and leaves the Bridge.

Cast

Starring

• Mike Vogel as Dale Barbara
• Rachelle Lefevre as Julia Shumway
• Natalie Martinez as Linda Esquivel
• Britt Robertson as Angie McAlister
• Alexander Koch as Jim Rennie, Jr.
• Colin Ford as Joe McAlister
• Nicholas Strong as Phil Bushey
• Jolene Purdy as Dodee Weaver
• Aisha Hinds as Carolyn Hill

And

• Dean Norris as Jim Rennie

Guest Starring

• Samantha Mathis as Alice Calvert
• Mackenzie Lintz as Norrie Calvert-Hill
• Beth Broderick as Rose Twitchell
• Ned Bellamy as Lester Coggins
• Dale Raoul as Andrea Grinnell
• Jeff Glor as Himself

Co-Starring

• John Elvis as Benny Drake
• Andrew Vogel as Carter
• Al Vicente as Dell
• Arianne Martin as Georgia
• Josh Carter as Rusty Denton
• Ellen Rice as Dodee’s Mother
• Gary Weeks as Norrie's Dad
• Rahsheem Shabazz as Young Soldier
• Nick Madrick as Bullhorn Soldier
• Ed Ricker as Andrea’s Son

Reviews

• "Or 'How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love the Dome'," by Matt Fowler at IGN.com
• "Butterflies and a Jack Rabbit," by Carla Day at TVfanatic.com
• "An Apocalypse That Doesn't Come," by Frances Roberts at DenofGeek.com
• "The End of the World," by Laura Aguirre at ScreenCrave.com