Anne (MOON BLOODGOOD) and Lourdes (Seychelle Gabriel) are put on hospital detail, which seems logical enough. This goes poorly thanks to a confrontation between the snotty heart specialist in charge (he's like Charles Winchester without the manners or wit) and Anne, a baptized-by-fire combat medic who isn't gonna take any guff, consarn it. It soon becomes apparent that all is not hunky-dory in Charleston. Jeanne mentions the cramped living situation for most of the "non-essential" survivors, for example. This is starting to sound like Cowslip's warren all over again.
The soldiers of the 2nd Mass are chafing, too. The Berserkers and Hal (Drew Roy) especially. Matt (Maxim Knight) gets in a fight over another kid's assertion that Tom made a deal with the aliens, and then Pope (Colin Cunningham) and company are busted trying to steal weapons, along with Maggie (Sarah Carter), who was actually trying to stop them. She's got "wrong place, wrong time" down to a science. At least this time she didn't get pregnant.
Tom goes to Manchester, who sort of kind of promises amnesty if he stands with him against the no-confidence vote. Hal goes to talk to Maggie, who's still annoyed he didn't react correctly to her kid disclosure. I like how, even in the throes of an alien invasion holocaust, people still have time for overwrought relationship bullshit. This is why you don't allow governments to form.
Next up, Jeanne is speaking at the vote. Manchester counters by bringing Tom up to talk. This goes...somewhat less ideally than planned for him. His stirring speech is interrupted by Sgt. Jerkoff letting everyone know a de-harnessed boy has a message for Tom. Could it be...? No, it's not Ben, just some kid delivering a meeting request from Red Eye to Tom. Manchester balks, putting the kid in lock-up and ordering everyone to hunker down. He's not pleased with Tom, though seemingly ignorant of the fact his military wing could seize control at any time.
So Manchester does what any craven would do, he approaches Pope. To the Berserker's credit, he tells Manchester to get stuffed. Meanwhile Hal frees Maggie while delivering a stirring speech about fresh starts. Surprisingly (or not, depending on your opinion of Maggie), it works. Bressler still gets the drop on them, and Manchester orders the imprisonment of the entire 2nd Mass. But what's this? Bressler doesn't see it that way, detaining Manchester and declaring military takeover of Charleston. Congratulations Tom, it's your first coup.
On one hand, being part of a real-life governmental overthrow has to be pretty exciting for a history professor. On the other, military control of civilian governments rarely turns out well. With one episode left this season, it seems unlikely that this will be resolved before next year. More likely there's going to be some big reveal in the much touted "final five minutes" of the season finale. Guess we'll know next week.