There is going to be a lot of fuss made about TNT’s Falling Skies for its genre elements and creature fighting and FX. And rightly so. But much more than that, the show is about holding onto humanity in the face of adversity and times of war. Every generation has their war, after all; this is just one with an enemy unlike what we’ve ever seen before. One of the best ways the show keeps its characters, and its audience by extension, grounded is through its young cast– the kids who aren’t strapping on guns to fight but who stay back, in makeshift schools, protected and sheltered and just trying to live as “normal” a life as possible. Maxim Knight leads that pack as Matt Mason, the youngest of three brothers, who narrates the premiere episode. Through his soft words we learn what has taken place six months prior and just how drastically life has changed since then.
Matt also has a very special birthday coming up when we first meet him. Though it’s hardly cause for celebration, Knight’s sweet innocence during such dark and downright dirty times is refreshing; he is a ray of light and of hope and a constant reminder of what everyone around him is so fighting so hard for. When he tells his father and his brother that all he wants for his birthday is for things to go back to the way they were before the Skitters came, your will smile and marvel at how simple a child’s resolve can be. But when he gets what he had actually wanted for his birthday before– a RipStik– and then spends a blissful few minutes not only playing on it but sharing it with his friends to give them, too, that return to normalcy, your heart will absolutely break.
Knight may not have the tough physical scenes to endure in this series, but he certainly owns the heavily emotional family drama. For such a young man to be able to do so much with just a look is inspiring and somewhat insane all at once. Made Possible by Pop Culture got a chance to chat with Knight for a few minutes on the red carpet of the Falling Skies premiere, and in person he is just as smart and inspiring as he is on-screen.
