Courtesy of Showcase / Syfy
Continuum explodes its entire premise in one single mind-blowing scene, proving once again why it’s the most exciting sci-fi show on television.
Let’s bitch it out…
I probably sounded a little bitter last week describing how awkwardly Brad Duncan (Ryan Robbins) has been introduced / employed in the last few episodes. And yet he’s completely integral to the revelations that completely derail the show’s narrative in ‘3 Minutes To Midnight’.
It’s impossible not to marvel at what this episode accomplishes. The entire premise of the series suddenly appears to be at risk of completely changing in a completely unexpected way. Kiera says it best at the height of the dramatic confrontation between Liber8, Brad, Kellog (Stephen Lobo) and Curtis (Terry Chen):
“No one controls the future. It is an ever evolving organism free to change and adapt as it sees fit”
This might as well be the mantra of the series moving forward because it’s clear that despite all of the efforts of any individual, clearly no one knows what effect they’re having. Brad’s confession that he’s from the terrible world of 2039 initially seems worthy of celebration for Liber8 because they believe they’ve executed Kagame’s vision and changed the future. And then Kiera begins dropping bombs: she’s from an alternative timeline, there are two Alec Sadlers (Erik Knudsen), Garza (Luvia Peterson) is working for the Sadler from the future, and Liber8 have no idea what future they’re creating. At first I thought that she was just messing with their minds – in fact Sonya (Lexa Doig) suggests the same thing. But when Curtis shows up and Brad plays his Terminator-esque message from Kellog in 2039, you can almost see the deflation in the eyes of the Liber8 group. They have no idea what they’re contributing to, or what their mission even means anymore. Seconds later both Garza and Lucas (Omari Newton) walk out, Travis (Roger Cross) looks dejected and Sonya is completely uncertain. In a matter of seconds Liber8 has gone from victorious to disbanded. It’s insane.
So what now? Who knows? I can’t imagine that this is the end of the road for the group, though their mission seems fatally compromised for the immediate future. Obviously conflict remains: Theseus / Julian (Richard Harmon) is still out there, and Alec is still barreling towards a Piron-initiated nightmare world in which Halo prompts random outbursts of violence and can be used to anticipate terrorist activities courtesy of some ominous Big Brother machinations (hands up if you’d want Brian Markinson’s morally compromised Dillon having control of that system? Didn’t think so). But the underlying conflict between Kiera and Liber8 about changing or retaining the future, the conflict that’s been driving the series for approximately three years? That appears to be gone now, jettisoned in favour of new narratives in this brave new timeline. It’s proof that Continuum is daring enough to reinvent and complicate itself, guaranteeing a messy, complicated outcome for its characters and making for innovative and engaging television for its audience. And there are still two episodes left!
Game changer, folks – that’s what this episode is.
Best Lines:
- Carlos (warning Kiera when she wants to investigate Jason’s dropped charges): “Alec Sadler is a big deal now. He’s not your boy. Not anymore.”
- Julian (as Alec describes the wiring of Halo): “Looks like it came out of a Terminator.”
- Isaac (freaking out over the possibilities of alternative timelines): “Who’s future is this?”
- Garza (abdicating her role in Liber8): “I’m tired of being someone else’s bitch.”
Your turn: what did you think of the shocking development in the warehouse? Is Dillon the most dangerous character on the show? Will Jason (Ian Tracey) kill someone before the season is over? How do the Freelancers play into this newly revised turn of events? And how badass is Kiera for coping through that nail in the foot?! Hash it out in the comments below.
Continuum airs Sundays at 9pm EST on Showcase (in Canada) and Fridays at 10pm EST on Syfy (in the US)