‘Under the Dome’ recap- 'Outbreak'

This episode of Under the Dome entitled “Outbreak”, focuses on the people of Chester’s Mill as they fall into a state of panic. An outbreak of meningitis strikes their community, threatening their already depleted medical supplies. Meanwhile, Julia continues to search for answers into her husband's disappearance.

The episode starts with Julia and Barbie in the kitchen. Julia has become suspicious of Barbie. So she follows the coordinates on the map and they take her to the radio station’s DJ Phil Bushey’s trailer. While there, she finds out that her husband sold his car to the DJ. Then the DJ faints in his doorway from the epidemic.

Linda and Big Jim are trying to police a crowd at the wall. We see that the military is leaving out and the townspeople are angry and afraid. Then Linda faints from epidemic. Big Jim gets the crowd under control. Barbie and Big Jim take her to the town hospital where we see utter chaos.

A large portion of the town is infected and Norrie’s Mother (Alice Calvert ) has to take over the situation because she is the only doctor available. Norrie and Joe are also at the hospital because of the seizures. Those two spend the whole episode touching one another to trigger the seizures and recording what happens. They discover that they are saying that the “Pink stars are falling in lines...”. Earlier in the Junior and Angie subplot, Angie tries to escape by attacking Junior but he fights her off and tightens up the restraints. This altercation takes Junior to the hospital to get his hand fixed. While there, Big Jim asks him to quarantine the place and prevent no one from getting out. He does this well by preventing a riot.

Meanwhile, Barbie and Big Jim try to find antibiotics for the sick but discover that someone stole them from the pharmacy. Then they head over to the Reverend’s house and they stop him from destroying the medicine.

Julia goes to the cabin where Barbie killed Peter. She gets sick and faints. After talking to the DJ, Barbie finds out where Julia went to. He takes her back to the hospital and he reveals that he is an enforcer and Peter owed him or his employer cash. Big Jim goes to find Angie as the bunker began to flood.
Junior becomes a deputy after preventing the riot. Then the episode ends with Barbie out of the Julia’s house and Joe inviting Norrie and her parents to stay with him.

This was the best episode so far. This episode sets up some new issues to worry about. Big Jim knows about Angie and he will do something about it. Barbie’s secrets are unraveling very quickly and that aspect of the show keeps me hooked. Over the course of the season, Julia is figuring this narrative out piece by piece. I like what is going to happen. The acting is decent and the story is getting better.

Under the Dome airs on CBS.

Image: CBS