I haven't posted here in A LONG TIME, but I have to say this past Sunday's episode had some issues for me, as well, both inside the forced dreams and even AFTER.
First, even if he didn't realize many of the folks in his forced dream at the University were people he didn't meet in real life until after the invasion (such as Pope -- ESPECIALLY Pope!), it would seem he might still cue in on some things at his "home" that just seemed WAY OFF for Boston...
For instance, the big plant just beside his steps, near the top -- the one with the funny leaves -- I'm pretty sure that's a Fatsia japonica. That's BARELY hardy here where I live in Climate Zone 7b (it's really more like 8a, but they still officially call this 7b -- the plant is listed as hardy from 8-10). And there were other plants outside the "home," along the streets, that were all green and some looked semi-tropical, more like Charleston (or maybe Jacksonville -- I lived there briefly and have spent enough time in Charleston to know the area). At any rate, almost NONE of the plants in Boston should have been green on Dec. 14, which was the supposed date.
I couldn't tell at the end of the show when he went back to the house if the "Fatsia" was there or not, as it was dark and the house was now in the ruins it should be, BUT, either way, I can't understand WHY the Espheni would move him 800 miles up the coast for interrogations -- especially when we know Karen had been right there in the greater Charleston area. His escape also seemed a bit too easy.
That leads me to believe he must still be in yet another layer of dream, one that's finally convincing enough that he'll think he's free, maybe. Previews for the next couple episodes appear to imply they'll have to trust a possibly compromised Tom again... What if it's not the Third Mass. and Charleston trusting him, at all, but him finally giving away secret plans to the Espheni in a dream they've finally made real enough for him to believe?
I sure hope they haven't jumped the shark on this one... If they try to convince us this dude walks from Boston to Charleston in anything less than weeks (even in a dream)... well, that'll just be sad.
Jeff