It’s the season finale of Under the Dome and here’s hoping for some answers, specifically WHAT IS THE DOME AND WHY? I know it’s a long shot, but one can only hope.

Melanie has just disappeared into the magical crater and Pauline has just been stabbed. What is everyone going to do? Junior wants to go after Melanie. Big Jim wants to save Pauline. Pauline whispers into Julia’s ear that the Dome chose Julia and someone else- a man- to save the town but she doesn’t know who. Hm, I wonder who it could be.

Lightning suddenly starts striking all around. Joe postulates that the Dome is shutting down based on his limited evidence. Barbie and Julia hear cries over at the Tilden farm. They rush to find Farmer Tom stuck under a tractor as his son, Aidan (Bryant Prince), cries for help. Unfortunately, a lightning bolt strikes the tractor, electrocuting Farmer Tom to death. RIP Farmer Tom, we hardly knew ye. The kid’s dad just died and he doesn’t even seem to be affected. Julia takes him to school as Barbie goes off to the crater. What a random little death that was.

At the crater, Joe, Norrie, and Hunter search for a signal, but fail. They decide to go down into the crater to find a way out. There are odd purple glowing rocks but mostly it is very dark and I can’t really see what is happening. Then they see a butterfly gently fluttering in the cave. Could it be a way out?

At the school, Big Jim, Sam, and Rebecca argue over Pauline’s condition. It’s hectic. Big Jim and Junior are desperate, but she doesn’t look good. Big Jim tells Pauline what he did to Lyle. Sam wants to talk to Big Jim and Junior in private- or three feet away from Pauline. He tells them that Pauline’s internal damage is too much and she is going to bleed out. But Big Jim is convinced the Dome would not bring her back just to let her die. He says his family was CHOSEN, okay? So deal with it everyone!

Junior has a heart to heart with his mother. She asks him to bring her a canvas and paint so she could paint a way out possibly. She says she is glad she saw her “sweet” boy become a man. Um, Pauline, your son is absolutely insane and unhinged. The other characters may have forgotten all he has done, but I haven’t. After Junior leaves, Pauline basically begs Rebecca to kill her so she can leave peacefully. She doesn’t want to go on…

As Joe, Norrie, and Hunter exit the crater, Barbie comes upon them. He is mad they went down there, but they tell him about the butterfly. To Barbie, I guess this means that this is totally a way out. He immediately walkie-talkies to Julia, telling her to round up the town and get them out to the crater-tunnel. Seems to me like he should’ve checked the tunnel for himself first as they did not actually see a legitimate way out. Terrible plan.

Big Jim is frantically searching for saline to help Pauline. He refuses to listen to Andrea, who tells him they are all going to the crater. For some reason, Joe and Norrie are back at the school even though everyone is supposed to be going out to the crater. Norrie has (another!) freakout moment, talking about what she will do when she gets out without one of her moms and why she came in the first place (apparently she punched a girl who made fun of her hair). Joe comforts her, relaying stories of Angie and getting to meet her. Yadda, yadda.

Meanwhile, as Junior gets the canvas and paint for his mother, he notices a painting she did of herself. It’s a blonde woman with stab wounds and blood coming out of her mouth. Cut to: Pauline looking pretty bad. She once again begs Rebecca to end her life. Rebecca grabs a syringe…

Outside the school, it is pouring rain and everyone gets on the buses to go to the crater. Norrie’s mom (there she is!) demands Norrie get on the bus, but Norrie refuses. Barbie steps in and diffuses yet another problem. Lightning strikes and the rain and clouds disappear immediately. I can’t help but wonder where all these random townspeople have come from? Anyone else? Big Jim rushes up to Sam. He got the saline!

They rush into Pauline’s room. She isn’t doing well. She says she loves everyone and then dies, finally! Big Jim loses it. He sees Rebecca holding the death syringe. For the love of god, why is she still holding the syringe? Rebecca defends her actions, saying Pauline wanted this. Girl better run cause Big Jim is mad. Sam tries to get in between them, but Big Jim punches him out of the way. He grabs a hammer(!) and tells Rebecca no one will miss her then hammers her to the head. Oh dang!

Moments later, Junior rushes in to find his mother gone and Rebecca dead. An injured Sam gets up and tells him what happened. Big Jim has taken Pauline’s body to their home. He stares at the creepy self-portrait she did. He throws a tantrum and then starts begging the Dome to bring her back or he will murder all of the Dome’s friends (Julia, Barbie, the kids). He gives the Dome three seconds to bring her back,but nothing happens. So, he lights the house on fire. He has officially lost it, again, but really this time.

Over at the crater, Barbie barks out instructions at everyone about how they are going to leave the crater. Some random man who I shall call “Smart Citizen #1” asks how they even know its safe and Barbie gives a non-answer. I applaud you “Smart Citizen #1” because this plan is totally ridiculous. The earth starts shaking as they all enter the crater. A gap/ledge forms as more of the ground falls away. Julia gets a walkie call from Andrea, asking for help, so she runs off.

Julia arrives at Andrea’s house and grabs a baseball bat and a knife. She finds Big Jim holding a gun to Andrea. While she is there, Sam walkie calls Julia to tell her about Pauline’s death and Big Jim. She plays stupid and puts the walkie down. Andrea tries to appeal to Big Jim, saying she was his friend, but he just shoots her in the head! Yup, he’s crazy. He wants to ruin the Dome’s plan and wants to kill Julia slowly. So, he puts away the gun and tries to attack her with his hammer! A fight ensues. Julia has got some kick to her. She calls him meaningless and stabs him in the foot, escaping into the woods.

Julia runs through the forest, escaping Big Jim’s bullets. She runs into Sam and Junior. Junior says he will stop his father and goes to confront him. Junior tells Big Jim that he won’t be leaving the town. Big Jim tells his son that it IS his town, little boy. So, Junior shoots him in the chest. Big Jim does not fall over though. Probably should finish the job, Junior? No, just gonna run away, okay.

In the crater, Julia is reunited with Barbie. The whole town is now in the tunnel. Barbie asks about Big Jim and Julia says “Junior is taking care of it,” which should make anybody uneasy. Junior rushes towards the crater as Big Jim slowly follows. It’s so dang dark in the tunnel, I can barely see what is actually happening. The mini-gap appears to have grown bigger and injured Julia can’t make the jump. She tells Barbie to go ahead without her. She also tells him about Pauline’s vision. He will be the one to save the town. As he rushes ahead, Junior makes it into the crater and he and Julia wait. Big Jim slowly lurches towards the crater, which is now covered by branches.

Barbie catches up to everyone else in the crater. They have reached a dead end and don’t know where to go. Norrie tells Barbie they should follow the butterfly, so they do, but they reach another dead end, but this wall is covered in glowing monarch butterflies and I rejoice because I can finally see in the tunnel. But then they all fly away and it is dark again. Norrie has a “Norrie” freakout, but Barbie notices one butterfly sitting on a rock. He puts his hand on the rock and it glows. Um, okay. The wall then completely falls away revealing Melanie standing in whiteness. She tells everyone to follow her and come home. The end.

WHAT THE HECK? Okay, I know we weren’t going to get all the answers, but literally no answers? What is happening here? I have no idea, and frankly, it’s hard to keep interest in something in which you have no clue why it is happening. They haven’t explained a thing and it is very frustrating to me. If the show gets a third season, they better explain. It’d be one thing if the story was character driven, but it is totally plot driven, and the plot is very thin. I don’t know if I’ll stick around for another season. The second season as a whole did not advance much of the plot. It was just one problem after another and I don’t think anything of significance really happened. Hmm.

Also, as far as the characters go, I found they often forgot things about other characters instantly. Junior kidnapping Angie. Sam killing Angie. Big Jim going crazy multiple times. I mean, how can these people just act all normal under such extreme circumstances? The writing was just a bit thin. The characters would often say and state obvious things, most notably Joe, Julia, and Rebecca. The audience isn’t full of idiots, we know what is happening if we see it. Or am I giving viewers too much of the benefit of the doubt? Those moments of blatant plotting “oh this is happening so I’m going to say it out loud” moments were very hard for me to stomach.

Well, that is it for my Under the Dome Season 2 reviews. Hope you guys enjoyed them and/or the show. Will you be tuning in for a season three? Let me know in the comments below. Also, please feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or concerns below. Thanks!

Under the Dome airs Mondays @ 10/9c on CBS. Watch full episodes online at CBS.com, Hulu and Amazon Instant Video.