First thing is first! Inspector Dillon is FIRED. Whoa. At least we know that there is accountability in this universe. The continued failures to contain, capture or keep incarcerated members of Liber8, the assassination of the Mayor, the destruction of the downtown skyscraper and the resurgence of heavy gang activity (Dillon’s task force original focus) had to be answered for. But why now? Was it Liber8 manipulating events? Was it Gardiner’s constant pressure through his chain of command? Did it just take that long for the government’s system to catch up with events? I’m not sure and I’m not sure it even matters. Whatever does matter from this will manifest itself once Dillon figures out what Kiera can do to help him and asks her to do it – as she offered. We’ll keep that in our back pocket for now.
Now we have Inspector Nora Harris who on the face of things seems like a true investigative policewoman. Does she have an angle? Is she really working for someone else or is she just an internal departmental hired gun brought in to right the ship? Did she really make a decision at the end to keep Kiera around or is she just letting it slide for a bit based on the Trojan Horse Virus found on Betty’s computer and Kiera’s interesting suggestion on how to use it to their advantage? I don’t have enough information to answer any of these questions but it will be a while before my suspicions against Nora will subside.
As a subtopic to this is Detective Ed Lahm. Will he be around for a while or was he just brought in to help find the mole? Gardiner, Nora and Lahm’s assault on Kiera about birth and marriage certificates was interesting. It tells me that the three of them had done some hard looking into Kiera but found nothing.
So Betty is the mole. I was targeting Carlos but I can’t say as though I’m surprised ([see my post from Split Second here](o http://forum.galacticwatercooler.com/showthread.php?16380-Continuum-Episode-2-02-Split-Second--SPOILERS-)). She’s always had a bit of Edward Snowden feel about her and I’ve always been curious as to if she aided and abetted Fred Nettinger of Tendyne Systems in season 1 episode Game Time. If so she would know that Kiera has a CMR and can potentially be hacked into. Or at least reset. It could make for a sporty hour or so for Kiera in the future.
I’m not totally clearing Carlos. For a highly decorated detective he has sure left a lot on the table with Kiera that is unquestionable. Is it the Army-Foxhole effect in play? The two of them have been through some pretty harrowing situations together. Perhaps those situations have created a bond between them that blinds Carlos to the questions he should be asking about Kiera? That’s about the best idea I have on it.
Alec gets a new lab! It’s not as neat as a Microsoft or Apple born in a garage/barn but it has it’s charms. I like how it feels a little like Torchwood’s Cardiff digs. For wanting the control he craves he sure goes into the partnership with Matthew a little willy-nilly. What makes me think that Matthew will manipulate Alec as much as he can the whole time to only benefit himself? Matthew isn’t a philanthropist and he knows that Kiera has killed his sister in the line of duty and also was present when his grandmother was killed. There could very well be ulterior motives in place here well beyond that of Matthew’s personal wealth. He WAS a member of Liber8 after all. What exactly was his role in the building bombing in 2076/2077?
There is definitely more to Jason than meets the eye. This guy wasn’t a simple lab tech sent in by the elder Alec Sadler in 2077. He seems to have a decent handle on the Time Travel schematics and is not just a crack pot as Kiera thought at the end of season 1. Plus there is Alec’s drug-induced dream about Jason which Alec has NEVER TOLD ANYONE ABOUT YET. I suspect we haven’t seen half of the story behind this guy.
I’m glad that the storyline of Continuum hasn’t brushed aside Kiera’s separation from Sam. It’s important to show why Kiera wants to return to 2077 so badly. Plus they did it in a way that really depicted how intense the separation has been for her at a time when she was reeling from the death of her close friend and partner Elena last episode.
The introduction of Mr. Fairweather was just brilliance. Kiera needed the psychological assistance. It makes her more human and less superwoman. She is more relatable like this. She is having the problems most of us would have and Fairweather helps her adjust at such a trying time.
On the other hand, Fairweather adjusts well to a 2013 time shift. Perhaps too well. There is no questioning that this isn’t a full psychological break. But maybe the program is just that good that it can sense and adjust to radical changes in environment.
Finally on the shrink thread, Alessandro Juliani plays Mr. Fairweather very well. I’ll always see him as an extremely misguided Gaeta from Battlestar Galactica but this role showcased his range to a logically benevolent character with a heart. I’ve seen him in Fringe and Man Of Steel. I look forward to seeing his next role in CW’s The Hundred.
The Trojan Horse Virus is a fantastic play – by both sides. It was great on the part of Liber8/Betty to completely throw the scent off of her but now that it is known it will be fascinating to see how Nora Harris/Kiera utilize it to their advantage. Kudos to Kiera for figuring out a way to keep using it. And that most likely was one of the things that helped Nora make her decision to keep Kiera around – at least for now. However, my big question regarding the Trojan Horse is will it be a tool for the VPD/Kiera to use or will it turn out to be a continued vulnerability/liability?
It’s rare to get an entire episode without any main Liber8 members in it. Although we see a 5 second clip of Lucas they weren’t main actors in this episode. I doubt we’ll see another like this in the immediate future.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I believe Gardiner to be a good guy with (unknowingly) misplaced intentions. He isn’t doing anything a good cop/FBI agent wouldn’t do and I doubt he is being directed by Liber8. I could be dead wrong, but I sort of like him. Plus, WHAT DID ELENA TELL HIM?!?!?!?!
Background Notes:
- There is a continued search for Mr. Escher by Kiera and Alec
- They know Section Six was only created when Betty went looking for it (This could be a fantastic ability for the government to create a background for a lead solo agent and not just a Liber8 imbed, BTW)
- Gardiner actually talks to Alec on the phone. Now Gardiner has a voice and a name to go with Kiera’s Section Six contact
- Harris/Gardiner let out that only Dillon, Carlos, Betty and Kiera have details on Section Six
Interesting Notes
- Did you like the old Simon game-like ball being played with during Sam’s party with the Harry Potter Wands?
- We see were Kiera/Sam’s animated toy soldier came from
- This episode is dated via Nora’s recorded interview with Kiera as March 15, 2013
