Falling Skies Season 2 Premiere Down from Last Season

Falling Skies returned Sunday night for its second season, following its season one finale back in August. The two hour season premiere, featuring the episodes "Worlds Apart" and "Shall We Gather at the River," managed to amass (pun totally intended, Falling Skies fans) 4.5 million viewers, with a 1.9 rating in the ever-crucial 18-49 demographic. That's down from the 5.6 million viewers the first season ended with, but a sophomore slump is always expected. 

Falling Skies started off with 5.91 million viewers, though its numbers quickly dipped throughout the first season, reaching depths as low as 3.90 million at the season's midpoint, episode 5. The two-part season one finale saw a rather astounding jump of over a million viewers, with the season capping off at the 5.6 million mentioned above. Here's hoping that the second season retains some of the first year's luck. 

Despite the drop in viewership, Sunday night's Falling Skies premiere was still a success for network TNT, which was ranked as the number one basic cable network for the night, with a 2.3 household rating. If Falling Skies can hang onto those ratings, it's likely that it will outlive that OTHER alien invasion show (ABC's V was cancelled after two seasons). 

Falling Skies stars Noah Wyle as Tom Mason, a leader of the 2nd Mass, a resistance group fighting an invading force of aliens while fleeing the overrun Boston. Season 2 began three months after the first season, with Mason returning after being taken aboard the alien overlords' ship. 

You can check out an interview with Falling Skies actress Jessy Schram here, and order Falling Skies season one on DVD over at Amazon.

The next episode of Falling Skies, "Compass," will air Sunday, June 24 on TNT.