Things get heated beneath the Arctic caps in episode eight of Nautilus. After barely escaping the Dreadnought, the crew grows dismayed with Nemo’s leadership, stoking the flames of mutiny.
We reunite with our crew two days after escaping the Company’s pursuit. Submerged underneath the ice, many begin to question their captain’s choices. Ranbir stirs the others to consider mutiny, convincing Boniface to talk to Nemo about turning the vessel around. Nemo refuses, insisting they have enough air to reach their destination. But Humility finds an error in his calculations. Nemo’s uncertainty forces the crew to revolt, confining him to his cabin while Boniface takes over command.
Boniface plans to head to a Dutch trading post to rid the vessel, hoping to escape the Company altogether. The plan is derailed when they get caught in the magnetic field of the North. The force sets them on a cliff sitting above the ocean’s abyss. Ignoring Nemo’s advice, the crew haphazardly attempts to break free, but discovers a leak in the torpedo room.
As the crew seeks the source of the leak, Jiacomo — the lone Nemo apologist — attempts to set Nemo free. But his attempt gets lost in translation as Nemo thinks he’s there to attack him. Nemo bounds Jiacomo and escapes. He seeks to seal the leak on the outside of the vessel. Finding the hole, Nemo makes a grave discovery: metal-eating bugs have infiltrated the Nautilus. The horde, led by a queen creature, is headed to the engine room.
As water pours into the vessel, the team sets a truce to resolve their dilemma. As the crew heed their stations, Nemo, Turan, and Ranbir seek out the bug queen. Using a weapon that Blaster, aka Nathaniel, constructs, they smoke the queen into a torpedo. The horde follows, and they blast the uninvited guests into the ocean.
Free of the pests, their next goal is to balance the vessel off the cliff. Nemo suggests tipping the Nautilus into a current that will allow them to escape the magnetic field. But the crew is hesitant. How can they trust a man who has lied to them throughout their entire journey? Finally, Nemo comes clean, detailing how he became property of the Company. One by one, each crew member shares their story in one of the series’ most poignant scenes.
The camaraderie pays off as the Nautilus lands in the current and soars out of the magnetic prison.
A beautiful episode with wonderful performances from the entire ensemble, “The Tipping Point” excels as one of the season’s strongest. Previous episodes confined to the vessel struggled narratively, but the chemistry of the cast and the emotional stakes pushed for an incredible experience. Standout performances include Andrew Shaw as Jiacomo, whose brute mysterious force is only matched by his big heart. And kudos to Arlo Green, who remains entertaining as Turan, the sole comedic relief.
Rating: 9/10
