In The Flesh S02 E06: Season Finale

Holy West Side Story! There’s going to be a rumble in Roarton and the gangs are gearing up for one heck of a battle with Gary and the living aka Pulse-beaters acting as the Jets and Kieren and the partially deceased aka Rotters acting like the Sharks. Maxine will play the part of Officer Krupke and Amy (Emily Bevan) and Philip (Stephen Thompson) the star crossed lovers. Giving tribute to the amazing Broadway show and film and the beautiful music of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, let’s get started, shall we?

Something’s Coming

While Roarton prepares for its Winter Festival, two agents working for Halpern and Weston stop for coffee and are waited on by a partially dead waitress who mumbles that she’s taken her shots and won’t go rabid, “Tea or coffee?” Who are they and why the rush to get to Roarton? All we know is that it has to do with Amy’s blood tests. Dr. Tom Russo is not about to give them her address and that makes him one of the good guys.

Poor Kieren is under house arrest and he’s not only on the outs with his parents, but he hasn’t seen Simon in days. Good ole dad ignores his pleas not to be sent away thinking that Norfolk is nothing more than a summer camp for wayward stiffs. Kieren is locked inside his bedroom.

Maxine does the ribbon cutting at the ceremony of the finished fence around Roarton, but later visits the grave of little brother Danny Martin who died from a fall while visiting the town with his family. Maxine is praying for Danny to rise. He doesn’t and Maxine goes looking for the person who first rose from the grave during the apocalypse

Tonight

Gary wants to kill Simon, but Maxine tells him no. She knows that Simon and Kieren are not important to her secret agenda, but Gary doesn’t care. He kidnaps Kieren but not before explaining why he hates the partially deceased. He was happy before the apocalypse and now… he’s out for revenge. He inserts a Blue Oblivion pill into Kieren’s injection site and Kieren begins to go rabid. Simon (Emmett Scanlon) sees what happens and follows. He has a job to do. Kill Kieren for the Prophet.

Simon’s disciples are ready to rumble and they stand before the gates of the cemetery chanting for the dead still buried in their graves to rise up. Jem and her marching band of pulse beaters are coming around the bend with the intention of stopping the second rising before it happens.

One Hand One Heart

Amy and Philip are celebrating their love and they are such a cute couple. I absolutely love Amy’s outfits. Amy is changing and not only does she feel the cold but her heart begins to beat. Love cures all, even death. When they go to the Winter Festival, Philip puts snooty old hag, Mrs. Lamb, in her place. Roarton has some strange food at their festival. Why are there pigs’ heads on display? Who the hell buys pigs’ heads? Luckily they also sell candied apples and Amy eats one while Philip wins a stuffed animal for her. Eats? Wait a minute, could Amy be the first risen?

Maxine is not a happy camper when little brother doesn’t climb out of his grave. There is only one thing to do and her solution is heading right towards her. Maxine takes out her ribbon cutting scissors and shouts, “First to rise, first to die.”

The Grand Finale

Maxine plunges the scissors into Amy’s beating heart while Kieren stumbles towards the rumble now in progress. Jem is told by Gary to kill Kieren. Gun drawn, she heads towards the cemetery and her brother, but Steve finally grows a pair and steps in to save his son.

The Pulse-beaters and the Rotters watch as Kieren fights the urge to snack on dear ole dad. Can he do it? Will dad talk Kieren out of the drug’s effects only to have Simon plunge the knife into Kieren? Guns are drawn, nerves are on edge; someone is going to get shot.

Conclusion

West Side Story didn’t have a happy ending and neither does episode 6 of “In the Flesh.” Simon takes the bullet meant for Kieren. Amy dies again. Maxine, who is upset that little brother didn’t rise, tells the townsfolk to kill all the partially deceased.

Amy’s funeral is heartbreaking. I can’t imagine the show without her Pollyanna outlook on life. Kieren, who is still recovering from the events of the last few days, requests that all the mourners dress in their most delightful clothing in honor of Amy. Philip, holding the stuffed animal that he won for Amy is unable to leave the grave. All hope is lost or is it?

There is a bright side to this episode: Dad, Jem and Mom accept the injured Simon into the family with open arms while his disciples abandon him; Kieren forgives Jem for Henry’s death and Maxine has been committed. Although the townsfolk are still split on how they want to deal with the partially deceased, right now things have quieted down. Is Kieren’s hands shaking? Uh oh!

But, you ask, what about those two agents working for Halpern and Weston? They wait for Philip to leave the grave, don protective clothing, and then begin to dig up Amy’s grave. Why? What do they know? Had they seen the stuff animal move after Phillip walked away? Is Amy alive?

I guess we’ll have to wait for season 3 to find out. See you next year, my little zombie snacks