This was another episode that I found confusing the first time through. Actually, the second time, through, too. Is this show getting too convoluted?
We learned a lot more about John Doe, whose real name is Brad Tonkin. He mentioned that his wife and daughter were dead, the skyline was gone and that he was in the Cowichan River Militia. Even more disturbing was that he remembered Kellog's name from his time, but not Alec Sadler, and his voluntary trip from the future was one-way. Is Brad from an alternate future? Did old Alec's plan to change the future work, but backfire with an apocalypse?
Brad was apparently the one that put the DaVinci Code cryptex thing in the safety deposit box, and Alec saw Brad firing something on what I can only assume was the dead Kiera's CMR feed. Did Curtis kill Kiera, or didn't he? Is Brad the one who killed Kiera?
The thing with the broken necklace that belonged to Brad's late daughter, plus Sonya's death threat, made me think that Dillon's daughter Christine would die at the end of this episode. But no. At least Betty's death made Dillon afraid of what might happen to Christine. About freaking time, because you'd think a cop at Dillon's level would have learned a long time ago that undercover work is, um, dangerous. I was happy that Kiera screwed over Dillon by extracting Christine herself. Although the fact that Christine met Julian and read some of his Theseus manuscript might push her over to Liber8's side for real.
I keep thinking that Liber8 has already succeeded in changing the future, but according to the frustrated Sonya, none of their corporate sabotage plans have worked yet. This week's centered on Gautuma (see what I mean about unpronounceable and unfriendly corporate names?) ready to start clinical trials with what turned out to be a stolen supply of Liber8's street drug Flash. I found this part of the story a bit confusing and circular, too. Did Gautuma actually develop Flash in the original timeline? Is that how they became the biggest of Big Pharma?
There was more of the father endangering child theme with Jason, who was apparently cured of his temporal dementia by Alec's circular and way too early re-invention of Halo. Unfortunately, Halo appears to need more clinical trials than just Jason trying it on. I like Jason and I hope this doesn't mean something terrible is about to happen to him. Alec is a dangerous guy to be around.
Alec now has star chamber trouble with what I am assuming is the precursor of the Global Corporate Congress. He also completely alienated Carlos by stealing Kiera's body, and infuriated Kiera when she discovered what he did with her doppelganger's CMR. Even though Alec was in jeans and a hoodie pretending to be his old self for the time traveling Viking funeral, he's just not Alec any more. What is going on with Week Ahead Alec in Freelancer prison?
CEO Alec wants to launch Halo with Julian's social media help. Like everything else that happens on this show, it makes me wonder – would that change the future? Did the change already happen, and is that where Brad Tonkin is from?
Bits and pieces:
— In every scene with John Doe/Brad Tonkin, I expected him to go out of Kiera's windows. Maybe that was some "break through" symbolism there.
— Loved that Kellog thought Kiera was making a booty call. How funny that she actually had two stray time travelers hanging out at her apartment at the same time.
— We got an "awww" flashback to Betty's first day, where she noticed how hot Fonnegra is.
— Christine's alias for the Gautuma undercover job was "May Polachetto," who is going to be a Liber8 martyr in the future. Another hint that Christine would die.
— The entrance hall of the building where Kiera met with the Freelancers was absolutely stunning and very time-travel-y, if a building could be considered time-travel-y. Have we seen that building before?
Quotes:
John/Brad: "Ribbons of dark slashed a starlit sky, something something we defy..."
Dillon: "No more Bettys."
Kiera: "If they haven't been born yet, we haven't had a chance to leave them."
Alec: "It's like getting a wedgie from the Fortune 500."
Sonya: "If you betray us, I will slit your pretty throat myself."
I'll get you, my pretty. And your little dog, too.
Kiera: "No more Bettys."
Carlos: (to dead Kiera) "So long, partner. (to living Kiera) I'm really happy you're still here."
Three out of four Viking funerals,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Billie, I think Gautuma did develop Flash on Kiera’s original timeline, and now they were going to produce Flash a little earlier than they were supposed to, much like Alec is developing Halo years ahead of its time. And because there were terrible side effects to Flash on the original timeline, Kiera must have thought they were going to be even worse this time around and decided to sabotage the whole thing. She also had personal motivation, considering her sister died from abusive Flash consumption.
ReplyDeleteLiber8’s plan was neat. Did they just played Kiera or was Kiera aware and playing along? From the way the story developed the former is more likely, but since one of this season’s themes is Kiera being aware, I’m sort of hoping she is secretly allying with Lyber8’s agenda.
I thought this one was a pretty great episode overall. CEO Alec’s character development on the beginning of the season was pretty rocky, as if the writers were pushing the accelerator too much so they could quickly set him apart from Week Ahead Alec. But ever since they locked Week Ahead Alec away and focused on CEO Alec, the results have been pretty fantastic. That Kiera/Alec scene by the end was my favorite of theirs. I mean:
"The Alec Saddler I know, the one I met two years ago, he wouldn’t have crossed that line, and he wouldn’t have played on Carlos’ grief to get rid of the evidence."
Go, Kiera! Alec has crossed several lines now: he drilled his dead friend’s body, he made the evidence disappear, he played on Carlos’ grief to do it and now he totally kept deadly information from Kiera. I mean, God, Alec, Freelancer Kiera could die and you still chose not to tell her a thing. Bastard! Erik Knudsen totally nailed the moment, displaying the conflict on Alec’s face as he chose to be evil, evil, evil.
"The Alec you met two years ago is dead, or locked away somewhere."
Now, Kiera, pay attention and go rescue Nice Alec.
Very interesting development on John Doe’s front of the story. I was relieved he was not Kiera’s son, otherwise the flirting going on in the previous episode would’ve been very discomforting (although not nearly as discomforting as what Orphan Black offered us last night). It does seem he comes from an alternate future, one in which Matthew Kellog is a big deal. Now that’s an interesting path to take. Kellog was one of my favorite characters on season one, but he’s been a not-so-entertaining question mark ever since. Could they be setting him up as a big villain? Maybe. Or maybe not, since this show likes to stay on the grey area for pretty much every character.
ReplyDeleteNow, if neither Alec is going to be a big deal, shouldn’t this timeline collapse? Or Alec is only necessary to the timeline because of the tech he creates and as long as he creates it (no matter who rules the world) everything is fine? What makes a timeline collapse anyway? Maybe I shouldn’t care so much, whenever I start thinking too hard on this show’s rules of time travel, it’s my mind that collapses.
This season has been pretty great so far, and I can’t wait for the final three episodes.