[Review] - Continuum, Season 2 Episode 7, "Second Degree"

Courtesy of Reunion Pictures
The disappointing nature of last week's episode was nothing more then a pot hole. A rare divot, which caused the show to lerch wildly, before regaining control with the wonderful Second Degree. As I said last week, with several important revelations occurring that would have a long lasting impact on the nature of the series, the overall low quality was disappointing. This episode built on those revelations, and delivered a whole episode up to snuff with what we've come to expect.

Hit the jump for the review, which contains spoilers that have spent a lot more time then that looking at pictures of boats.


The episode hinged around something of a pile up of plots from the various players in the game, all centred around Julian's potential conviction in shooting Carlos back in season one (his terrorism charge magicked itself away apparently). Kiera and the police want to see him behind bars, Carlos most of all considering he was the one who took the bullet. Liber8 under Sonya is influencing the jury, Travis' militant faction is all about disruption, and Escher is keeping an eye on things from afar. The viewer would be forgiven if, at the end of the episode, it wasn't exactly clear who had made what happen, and why. I know I didn't. Oh, and someone is stealing the bodies of time travellers.

Liber8's plan is actually kind of brilliant, and goes to show exactly how prepared they are - practically at batman levels. They kidnap a jury member's family, knowing that if Kiera's computer picked up on it and investigated the jury tampering, the judge wouldn't be able to trust that others haven't been influenced as well, and would finish the trail from the bench. The twist being, the judge is crooked and in Liber8's pocket, via corrupt politician whom we haven't seen in a while Tahmoh Penikett. If Kiera hadn't noticed the juror, then chances are he would have influenced the jury, and Liber8 would have gotten Julian freed. Dido if she did. And whose to say that was the only juror Liber8 had coerced. The spanner in the works was Travis showing up and gutting the judge (I assume, since if happened off camera). I'm still not exactly clear on what Travis' game plan is, as right now it seems just to be loud and bloody. He is, however, doing a much better job at recruitment then Sonya's faction.

Carlos is taking the whole time travel thing well in stride, and is wasting no time jumping straight into the deep end. He even gets to meet Alec first time out, something even Kiera waited to do for most of a season. He's being exposed to future tech, utilising the resources, and going whole hog with everything. Apparently, Continuum has no time for Scully's, it's all Mulder's here. And it's nice to see. Kiera is genuinely happy, not having to lie anymore, and I hope it continues for some time. A lot of writers use the Joss Whedon method, essentially that happiness should be fleeting, and characters should be punished for being content. Drama for the sake of drama. Sometimes though, it's nice to see something break a character's way, and Kiera, for the first time since she met Alec, seems to be comfortable. She cracked more jokes, seemed more generally at ease then ever before, and is able to use all her skills and methods without having to waste time developing lies to cover for them.

The briefly lingering question as to whom Alec's new girl (whose relationship is escalating quickly) is working for was answered with a swift ass kicking and neck snapping, and a call to Escher. It makes sense, since Escher and Kellog seem to be competing, that he would have a spy in the house, and the show seems to be seeding a bit on conflict within the spy as she grows more attached to Alec. But what I'm interested in is the fact that the goon who showed up looking for Alec was equipped with future tech. Exactly how many time travellers are in modern day Vancouver? Or is the future tech being manufactured, and if so, by whom. Clearly, it isn't Escher.

Interestingly, the once an episode jump into the future was the first not to be a flashback to Kiera's life. It didn't involved Kiera at all, and thus hard to date. Is it a scene from before the Liber8 execution, or is this our first look at a post Kiera future? In which case, it doesn't look like they've made too many changes with all their time tinkering. And in the intervening years, Thesus appears to have stepped up his game from driving a truck full of empty barrels. His list of charges were truly impressive.

In the end, and with minimal gun play, the episode was mostly about character building. Alec's mother is at her wit's end, and will now be facing charges. Carlos and Kiera's friendship can begin in earnest, and Sonya and Travis continue to work against each other. And a part of me can't help but wonder if Penikett, who appears to be getting played from all sides, isn't actaully playing them all.
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About MR. Clark

Adopting the descriptor of "successfully unpublished author", MR. Clark began writing things on the internet in 2012, which he believed to be an entirely reputable and civilized place to find and deliver information. He regrets much.

3 comments :

  1. Anonymous20 July 2013 at 04:05

    your "then's" should be "than's" ;>)

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    1. by MR. Clark20 July 2013 at 12:36

      Ah, well see there is a perfectly valid and reasonable explanation for that: I am rubbish at grammar.

      Note, for instance, my overly liberal use of commas.

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