Dear Franklin
Irene’s letter to Franklin begins with a confession. “Franklin, I know this may seem like a sudden change, but I’ve been thinking about you all day. I wanted to tell you how much I care for you and how much I want to be able to be there for you. When I saw that you were driving, it just made me realize how much time we have left together.” She continues, “I know this may not seem like much, but it means everything to me that you’re willing to try and learn to drive. It’s so important that we can keep our relationship alive.” The letter ends with a plea for Franklin to forgive her for what she has done.
Franklin confronts Jude about the pain he’s causing in the house, and how his arrival has changed everything. “You sure about that?” Jude challenges Franklin, as he eventually leaves.
Nick starts playing with the orb he’s brought with him – in front of a hooker in his room for the night no less. Toni and Stella show up, pay the hooker and remind him what happened to their brother and how dangerous this is.
The next day, Nick taunts Stella at breakfast, bringing up her brother Caleb and the resemblance between the two. Stella throws a stiff right hand at his nose, takes the van and leaves him stranded, sporting a bloody nose. ..
Franklin eventually catches up with Byron and reveals that he’s found the orb. He’s pretty excited about the whole affair but Byron shoots him down, claiming that he has things to do.
Gabriel learns that his father was picked up by a hitchhiker and followed by some sketchy people in a car. Gabriel is determined to find out more about his father and find him before he’s hurt or killed.
Irene confronts Franklin about his broken promises, and how she’s clearly not enough for him to want to stay. She’s torn apart by what’s happened and it’s clear this marriage is on the rocks.
While they struggle to work through their marital problems, Byron heads down to the shed, only to find that the orb he placed in the control panel in the basement doesn’t seem to be working. ..
Jude and Irene take a road trip down to Michigan, following the trail for where their father has gone. It’s a pretty remote area they’re heading for, but Irene decides to tag along, wanting a little adventure in her life. Franklin though, does not. For him, their marriage has always been enough but for Irene, she’s been looking for purpose and something extra beyond her current life.
In the absence of Franklin, Jude receives a call regarding the doubloons. He’s confused, given it was Franklin who answered the phone originally. However, he does learn that they’re very rare. Dale wants to know where he got them from but Franklin is confused and hangs up. Just in time too, as Byron has something to show him. ..
Franklin leads Byron down to the basement of the shed, where he reveals a large generator running. Byron intends to charge up the circuit and in turn, give some crucial juice for the doorway to start running away.
A loud explosion rocks the neighbourhood after everything is connected. Lights fizzle on and off, birds fall from the sky, and Toni and Stella get a ping on the exact location.
Franklin and Byron teleport themselves up to the alien viewpoint in the basement. It’s a beautiful vista and Byron is shocked at how picturesque this is. He too asks about going outside, but this time Franklin admits he’s not actually scared anymore. ..
The Episode Review
The sixth episode finally starts to see some movement on the plot, although this story has meandered on and dragged its heels for so long that by now, it feels overdue. ..
The Stella/Toni subplot has been the most egregious example of padding this story, with the road trip stops and the transmissions feeling like unnecessary distractions at this point. ..
Irene and the gang are on the hunt for Jude’s father now, and it’ll be interesting to find out what happened to Gabriel – if this season actually gives us some answers of course.
This far into Night Sky, it’s fair to say this could easily have been a tight-knit 4 or 5 episode mini-series. It’s not a bad show, but this one definitely needs a small shot of adrenaline once in a while. ..
