End of story. It’s over! They found a way out of the Dome. All of our favorite characters threw themselves into the pit and started new lives in Zenith. Julia met Barbie’s father and he gave them his blessing after seeing they were truly in love. The couple had many adorable babies together and lived happily. The younger escapees found joy in their new lives as well, and were able to finish school properly. Everyone ended up with their perfect romantic partner and no one was put off. Of course, they told the rest of Chester’s Mill about how to escape the Dome, and they were all able to free themselves. Yes, Big Jim too. He actually transformed himself into an exceedingly decent human being… okay, hold up. That’s a lie. All of it, yeah. You knew it when I got to the Big Jim part, didn’t you? That would have tipped me off too. Wishful thinking, yeah? Man, I’m sorry. If it helps at all, “Going Home” was still entertaining, even though I have a few critiques. Don’t be mad.

Big Jim always makes me a little unhappy nowadays. He’s the most predictable human being on the face of the planet. If he doesn’t bother you in the slightest, please let me know. Perhaps I’m being a bit irrational and expecting way too much from Under the Dome. He might be the kind of character who is there as a villainous constant, even if his villainous ways aren’t terribly complicated or veiled. Big Jim is an extremely obvious bad guy. He has a simple method he follows whenever he attempts to win over the town / fill the power void: (1) Acts like he’s all about the safety of Chester’s Mill when it’s really all about him, then (2) legitimately makes it all about him. Big Jim likes being a celebrity most of all. I can understand why most people would like him as the main adversary, but since the start of Season 2 he just hasn’t hit the mark for me. I’m learning to live with the disappointment. Threatening Pine was a nice touch, though. Expanding upon that would do Big Jim’s character some good.

We finally have a dialogue with Pauline! My issue with it… she doesn’t actually convey anything to us that we don’t already know. Yes, she does tell Sam about Lyle losing even more of his sanity after his arrival in Zenith, but that’s not about her character. We don’t discover anything new or shocking about Pauline. The only fun thing we do learn is the real-life application of one of her paintings, but it’s not like she leads us to that conclusion. With all that being said, her first actual interaction with a main character was a bit dull. I don’t think she’s going to be a boring character, but her introduction could have been planned out in a more thoughtful, intriguing way.

Sam has the shakes. Lyle has gone crazy. What will happen to Barbie following his jump down the rabbit hole? Your guess is as good as mine, but having a man on the outside opens up a cornucopia of possibilities. Until Barbie actually manages to get back into the Dome, this show will be a delicate balance of the real danger in Chester’s Mill with the tense political environment everywhere else. And I’m more than a little curious about the kind of connections Mr. Barbara has if he thinks he’s capable of getting his son back to the Dome. Under the Dome shouldn’t get rid of him too quickly. I’ve been aching to learn more about Barbie’s past, and he’s my ticket. Stick around, Mr. Barbara.

Even though “Going Home” was not the best, it was still fun to watch. Sam is alive, and I’m always up for more pink stars. Junior turned down his father again, which is pretty much the most fantastic thing as far as character development is concerned. Could it have been better? Of course, but this wasn’t an episode to make me stomp away and pout. I’m not completely happy, but I’m relatively content.