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'"Occupation"'
Terra Nova
Season
Episode

12
First aired
December 19, 2011
Directed by
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Occupation is the twelfth episode of Season 1 of Terra Nova. It was broadcasted as the first half of the two-hour season finale. The Eleventh Pilgrimage begins to arrive in Terra Nova and the mysterious Phoenix Group from 2149 arrives to facilitate the pillage of the past with the help of Lucas and Mira.

Synopsis[]

The episode starts with Lucas in 2149 overlooking the training of a powerful military force from a balcony. His employer, Doctor Weaver, approaches him and tells him everything is in order. He then questions about the scar on Lucas's neck and Lucas tells him that he was attacked by a Nykoraptor. Weaver expresses his concern that with the Eleventh Pilgrimage, Hope Plaza would be too well guarded, but Lucas assures him that they have the best army that money can buy.

In Terra Nova, Taylor and Jim are setting up a strong defense in front of the Portal Terminus, knowing an entire army could come through. Dunham asks why they can't just destroy the Portal Terminus. Malcolm explains that it wouldn't do any good as that would simply cause the portal to open somewhere else within three kilometers of the colony.

The Shannon family discuss the possibilities of the upcoming war and as the army departs, Jim promises Josh that if Kara comes through, he will get her to the colony safely. Maddy and Reynolds kiss goodbye, and Jim and Elisabeth tell the kids to hide if the fighting makes its way to the colony. Taylor and Jim head towards the portal and Washington is left in charge of the colony.

Taylor and his soldiers prepare to fight if an army comes through the portal. Hope Plaza communicates to Taylor, asking if he is ready to receive the Eleventh Pilgrimage. Taylor thinks there may be a surprise attack, but follows standard procedure, yet still ready to play defense. Hope Plaza sends the first person through, who appears to be a normal colonist. Soldiers search him and is deemed as clear. The man's son and wife come through and are also cleared. As more colonists come through, they are checked and sent towards the colony. Finally, Kara comes through. Jim runs up and the two greet each other. Another colonist comes through, who says "Help me," before revealing he has a bomb strapped to his chest. Before anyone can react, the bomb goes off, sending everyone flying. Jim's last memories before he goes unconscious are injured, mangled colonists and soldiers staggering about.

Jim wakes up in the infirmary at the colony with a powerful headache and a ringing in his ears, unable to understand the nurses and doctors. Jim staggers outside, only to see the Terra Nova colony in ruins. The gates are half-destroyed, with soldiers and tanks driving about, occupying the colony, and Mira, Lucas and Weaver residing in Taylor's office. Disoriented, Jim walks over towards two of the enemy soldiers, muttering about Taylor. One of the soldiers knocks him down with his gun and prepares to hit him again, but Elisabeth saves him saying he is confused. Elisabeth checks on Jim and tells him that the kids are fine and that the colony was taken over three days ago. Washington surrendered after 26 colonists were killed, while Taylor is still out in the jungle somewhere.

Jim and Josh Hugging

Jim returns home and is greeted by Maddy and Zoe, who are happy to see him alive. Jim then confronts Josh, who is mourning in his room, holding the necklace that Kara gave him, who tearfully tells Jim that the explosion killed Kara.

Later that night, Jim angrily storms about upon learning the new rules that their occupiers set down for them. Every weapon in the colony was confiscated and searchlights constantly patrol the colony. Jim compares the experience to that of his time in Golad Prison and then asks where Washington is. He is glad to see that she didn't resist and therefore wasn't sent to the brig. He discovers that she is being kept somewhere where the occupying soldiers can keep an eye on her at all times: Boylan's Bar.

Down at Boylan's Bar, the soldiers constantly frequent it and bully Boylan so that they never pay. Jim asks Washington if they have a plan, after he reassures her that it was the right thing to do to surrender the colony. She tells Jim that the military occupying them are known as the Phoenix Group, hired killers. She also tells Jim that the explosion destroyed the Portal Terminus; however, the Phoenix army brought a new one, one that can go both ways. It was destroyed, however, after a run in with some Carnotaurus. She also informs Jim that Malcolm is working on it for them.

Meanwhile, Lucas, Mira and Weaver are searching for Jim as he might know where Taylor is hiding.

Jim confronts Malcolm and demands to know why he is working for the Phoenix Group. Malcolm is glad to see Jim is still alive and angrily tells Jim that he was pressed into service. Malcolm had refused and so the army had taken Malcolm's lab assistant, McCormick, and smashed his head in a window and let him bleed to death on the floor. Jim tells Malcolm that it is very important he stall the repair work. They then cleverly outwit Lucas, Mira and Weaver, who enter the lab, by having Jim pretend he is mentally crippled after the bomb blast and he is now hard of hearing and seemingly mentally incapable. Lucas buys it, but Mira doesn't seem so sure.

In the infirmary, Elisabeth is removing bullets and shrapnel from injured soldiers, when she begins to notice that all the bullets have a number hand etched on them. She informs Jim of this and Jim realizes that they are map coordinates. Coordinates on where Taylor can be found. Jim knows that Taylor will want to talk to him and he devises a way to sneak out of the colony.

The next day as food is being handed out to the colonists, Jim informs Josh that he should ask for his job back at Boylan's Bar, as he might overhear something from the drunken soldiers.

Lucas and Weaver prepare to head out in their rovers to determine the status of the supply of valuable meteoric ore that is extremely valuable in 2149. All Weaver can do is complain about the massive bug bite on his arm, complaining how the bugs here are vicious, but Lucas seems less than interested. As the rover squadron begins to head out, they are stopped by Casey Durwin, whose motor to his wheelchair is broken. He eventually fixes it and moves; this was a key distraction for Jim to stowaway on board one of the rovers.

The rovers arrive at the cliff overlooking the Triple Junction valley where the commander of the Phoenix Group, Hooper, informs Lucas and Weaver that the valley is filled with a couple hundred thousand tons of meteoric ore. Weaver, quite a greedy man, is anxious to get started with mining the precious material. However, Hooper informs him that the wildlife is a problem. Weaver then grabs a gun, takes aim and fires at a Brachiosaur, which kills it. Lucas informs Weaver that they are harmless. Jim, angry at the senseless violence, takes that moment to sneak away. Hooper then informs them that they plan to set off a bomb that would clear out the wildlife as well as the trees.

Jim meets up with Taylor, Reynolds, Dunham, Reilly and the other soldiers that survived. Taylor informs them that Carnotaurs killed two of his soldiers and asks how Washington is doing. Jim tells her that she surrendered the colony and feels like she really disappointed Taylor. He also informs Taylor that they are about to destroy the valley.

Taylor and the others arrive at the spot where a Pyrosonic bomb was planted by the Phoenix Group and Reilly prepares to disable it. However, the bomb is a different type than what Reilly is used to, but she tries to disable it to the best of her ability.

Weaver spots them from his position on the hill, and informs Hooper and Lucas that his father is disabling the bomb. Lucas demands Weaver to detonate it, but Hooper informs him that they are still well within the blast zone.

Reilly finally disables the bomb and they escape.

Lucas and Hooper get back, and Lucas, in a fit of rage upon learning that Taylor successfully disabled the only bomb they had, fires a powerful cannon-like gun into the valley. It explodes in midair sending fiery debris over his father's Rhino Transport. However, they manage to dodge the fireballs and escape, causing Lucas to go into a further fit of rage.

Jim makes his way back to the colony before he is missed and when he is caught, pretends to be disoriented and had stumbled outside the gate in confusion. The guards inform Elisabeth that if he is caught outside the gates again, he will be sent back in a body bag.

Mira and Lucas relax in Taylor's office and Mira appears disgusted at Lucas's drinking habits. A Phoenix guard comes forth and asks Mira to fulfill the orders of their employers to explore an area known as The Badlands. Mira seems confused at this order and tells the guard that there is nothing out there. However, the guard won't tell her why the employers want that area explored. Weaver, meanwhile, is delighted about how rich he will become when he can get back to 2149 loaded with three whole containers of meteoric ore. Skye comes up and asks if she can speak to Lucas privately. Lucas, who oddly views Skye as his "sister", has taken a liking to her. Skye explains that since Taylor still refuses to talk to her for being the Sixers' spy, she will ally herself with Lucas.

Jim comes up with the idea of placing tracking devices on Phoenix army soldiers and rovers so that Taylor can keep tabs on them and begin to slowly hurt the army. Jim organizes the colony to achieve this goal. Various soldiers and rovers are taken down in the jungle, and Lucas begins to get suspicious that someone is helping his father.

At the bar, Lucas recognizes Josh as a member of the Shannon family. He cruelly taunts Josh as he can see it in Josh's eyes that Josh lost someone he cared deeply for in all of this. Josh is forced to leave when Skye comes and Lucas orders him to leave. Lucas questions Skye about his own father and seems to enjoy hearing about Taylor's pain. He then appears to make an unwanted romantic move towards Skye, to which she resists. Lucas is stopped when Josh comes forth and heroically punches Lucas in the face. Lucas then orders the soldiers to hold Josh back and Lucas delivers several blows to Josh as well. Skye, screaming, runs to go fetch Jim.

Lucas sits back and watches as his men rough Josh up until he is bleeding everywhere and severely disoriented. Boylan tries to persuade Lucas to stop, claiming that Josh is just a kid. Lucas tells Josh that he is somewhat hurt that he would be punched as he was being nice to the colony, and he now has to make an example out of him. Jim then appears and slams one of his crutches into Lucas's head and begins to fight the guards. The guards eventually overpower Jim, and Lucas, suspecting that Jim is the one helping his father, orders him to be searched. Lucas realizes he is right when he finds a tracking device in Jim's pocket. He orders both Josh and Jim to be thrown in the brig.

Production Notes[]

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Trivia[]

On the DVD release, this episode contains extended scenes:

  • At night, Elisabeth and Jim can be seen in bed. She doubts her decision to have accepted the offer from Hope Plaza to go to Terra Nova. Jim comforts her and says that otherwise their children would never have breathed clean air or eaten healthy food.
  • Skye's mother, Deborah, tells her that she should try to say sorry to Commander Taylor because she is somewhat responsible for the coming fight. However, Taylor ignores her and Skye is unable to do so.
  • One more shot of Skye, almost in tears, when Taylor drives off without looking at her.
  • Lucas briefly talks to his officers when the bomb is being placed in the forest. He suggests that a few soldiers should stay behind in order to guard the bomb until the explosion. The officer Hooper first thinks this is a joke before realizing that Lucas is serious. In the end, no one is being sacrificed. (The TV Version features a brief alternative shot for a more suitable scene transition.)

Unanswered Questions[]

  • Who are the "Employers" of the Sixers and the Phoenix Group?
  • How did Lucas's employers "know" about the place called the "Badlands" in Terra Nova? How do they know there is something to find there?


Series Stars
Jason O'Mara as Jim Shannon Shelley Conn as Elisabeth Shannon Christine Adams as Mira Allison Miller as Skye Tate Landon Liboiron as Josh Shannon Naomi Scott as Maddy Shannon Rod Hallett as Malcolm Wallace Mido Hamada as Guzman Alana Mansour as Zoe Shannon Stephen Lang as Nathaniel Taylor
Season 1 Episodes
"Genesis: Part 1" • "Genesis: Part 2" • "Instinct" • "What Remains" • "The Runaway" • "Bylaw" • "Nightfall" • "Proof" • "Vs." • "Now You See Me" • "Within" • "Occupation" • "Resistance"
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