Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Continuum Season One, Episode Five: A Test of Time

 
Once again, we start with a flash from the future. Kiera is on a mission when she learns that the liberate is planning an attack on a high value target.  She believes that her husband is in imminent danger and watches from an aircraft as the building get blown.

Now that Edward is back it looks like he intends to take Liberate on a much different path from the one started by Travis and there may be dissension in the ranks.  Edward hopes to inspire a new generation of freedom fighters but Travis wants to make sure that it is understood that they are still very much at war. Edward makes plans to attack Kiera, but apparently, not the way that she will expect it.

Kiera is walking and she notices that she is being followed by a member of Liberate - Garza. Not from her location a woman named Lillian Johnson is being attacked. Travis snaps her next and then Garza takes off. 

The next day at the station, Carlos tells Kiera that there is something different about her.  Alec chimes in to agree saying that ever since her suit went off and she has been trusting her gut that she has been less like the future cop that she is.  Over the computer Kiera sees a bulletin about the murder of a Lily Jones, which happened at exactly the tie that Garza was shadowing her last night.  Carlos is not impressed that Kiera failed to tell her about this.

They head over to the scene and learn that someone very powerful killed her. Carlos says that this kind of brute strength of Travis and Kiera says that Lily Jones was the name of witness which section was building against Liberate.  Apparently, she ran before testifying and the records were sealed.  What I would like to know is why Carlos doesn't ask exactly what Section is because it does not sound like any government agency that I am familiar with. Kiera tells Carlos that her Lily has a butterfly tattoo on her upper wrist. Kiera takes a break to talk to her sources (read: Alec) and it turns out that Lily is her grandmother and Liberate is targeting her family.

Kellog tracked down Liberate and brought a fruit basket but none of the crew is happy to see him. Travis says that Kellog is a deserter but Edward answers "regardless we don't ever take arms against one of our own." When Eward asks about the path that Kellog is on, he hands over a bag filled with money.  Edward asks if Kellog stole the money but Travis says that he made the money in the market and believes that in funding a revolution that this is a good start. 

Kiera believes that it is only a matter of time until they find her grandmother.  Alec wants to know more about Kiera and she tells him that her grandmother died in her 50's and she was only four years old at the time.  Alec asks if it's a coincidence or is Liberate really targeting her family but Carlos interrupts their conversation.  Kiera gets a message from Kellog asking that they meet.

Liberate has created a machine to do quick DNA testing and when it is pointed out that a sample from Kiera is still needed, Travis volunteers to get it. Edward says no and assigns Sonya, which from the look on Travis' face, does not make him happy.

Kellog and Kiera meet and he tells her that they are going after her grandmother. He tells her that because she threatened Louis with killing his grandparents, that got the group thinking about what would happen if one of their ancestors died. Edward wants to run an experiment to test paradoxical vulnerability.  If your descendant dies that means that you were never born, so then what happens to the person in 2012 because if you were never born, then you couldn't possibly go back in time. Kiera wants to know how they know the details about her family, and Kellog tells her that he doesn't know the details of how the escape was planned, but he is certain that the guards were in on it. Kiera realises that she might be there for a reason, "part of a bigger plan."
 
Kiera calls Carlos to tell him that she spoke to her sources and the witness Lily Jones is not only in town, but that Liberate is seeking her out.  Carlos suggests they round up all the people by that name and put them in protective custody.  As she is walking, Sonya pokes her with the machine and though Kiera chases her, Sonya escapes.  Back at the station, Kiera tells Carlos that she walked into a bike messenger. It seems that Carlos has tracked down eight women by the name and so they agree to split up and find the girls.

Kiera talks to Alec about the woman she believes is her grandmother and admits to having googled her.  She pulls the woman aside and tells her that her life is in danger.

Back at Alec's, Julian pulls him aside to say that his step father has a really big meeting planned.  Alec is not impressed and claims to be in the middle of something big to avoid it. Julian suggests that he spend more time with his family but Alec makes it clear that he does not consider him family and that sitting in the living room is not going to change the world. As he walks away, Julian tells him that they may not be real family but they are the closet thing they have.

As Kiera leads Lily into the car, Liberate watches and she gets a call from Carlos saying that he just got a call that a Lily Jones was involved in an assault.  When she asks about the name of Lily's parents she realises that this woman is not her grandmother.  When she arrives at the scene that Carlos called her about she discovers a Lily Jones with a piercing in her nose, one in her lip and to make matters worse, she is under arrest for assault. 

Kiera takes the new Lily into custody and learns that this is actually her grandmother. Kiera is not at all happy to see her grandmother. On the way to the station, her grandmother attempts to strangle her from behind and Kiera has to bite her and pull over.  When they stop Lily demands that she pull down the window so that she can throw up.  Kiera looks at her with her tech site and discovers that she is pregnant.  Just then a truck crashes into them and it's Liberate. Garza starts to shoot but before she can kill either Kiera or Lily the Carlos shows up with a few squad cars in two.

That night, Lily grabs a bunch of pregnancy tests and we learn that Carlos took the other Lily to the police station. Kiera calls Alec and asks him to track down some people.  Kellog calls and she asks him to be on call.  Kiera tells him that she found her relative and Kellog promises to ask nothing in return. When Kiera hangs up, he gets a call from Edward.  It seems that they have taken his grandmother Maddie. When Kellog call Kiera back she does back twice, she doesn't answer.

In the bathroom, Lily takes a pregnancy test. The test is of course positive and Lily says this is a nightmare. When opens the door, Kiera notices the butterfly necklace. We get another flash to the future and we see Kiera take a pregnancy test and discover that not only is it positive but that she is having a boy.  She tells her future husband that she will have an abortion, but he gets down on one knee and proposes. This prompts her to tell Lily that having a baby doesn't mean giving up on her dreams.  Lily isn't buying it and points out that she doesn't have a job or a place to live.  Kiera again interrupts and tells her to talk to the baby's father because he may love the baby.

This time when Kellog calls, Kiera answers. He tells her that they found out that he tipped Kiera off and that now they are going to use him to get to her. Liberate wants to trade Maddie for Lily. Back at the station, it's pure chaos when Carlos gets a call from Kiera. He is not happy and actually compares the Lilys and their parents to cats of all things. Considering that in the scene at the station we saw nothing but women, it's impossible to read this statement as anything but sexist.  She asks him to track down someone else.

Lily tells Kiera that she still hasn't changed her mind and so Kiera tells her about how she didn't think she was ready when she found out that she was pregnant and that they got together and got married. When Lily says that she doesn't even have a family, Kiera responds, "You don't have to, this little girl is the opportunity for you start a family of your own." Okay, I understand the point of keeping the timeline her but much of this episode has read as very anti-choice.  Lily has very strong reasons to be concerned about having a baby and having the father be happy about it, does not always lead to a fairytale ending as Continuum is suggesting this episode. Furthermore, for every legitimate reason that Lily raises to be concerned, Kiera sweeps it aside like it's unimportant. Women need to make that decision for themselves without any sort of pressure and this is especially true when the woman is socially marginalized in some way, as Lilly is.

Louis gets a call that Kellog is ready.  Carlos is waiting for Lily and Kiera and they switch cars. He tells her that he could got suspended and she promises to take the heat, for which he replies, "damn straight you will." This is twice now that Carlos has covered for her without knowing all the details.  They haven't known each other long enough for him to place that kind of trust in her.  I guess this is what happens when female protagonists are turned into special little snowflakes.

Kellog meets up Liberate as Kiera watches from a distance.  It turns out that he has Kagame's Mother, who happens to be pregnant with him. Edward orders Maddie released in exchange. From a distance Travis shoots Maddie right in the chest. Kiera pulls up and shoots but Liberate gets away.  Kellog is panicking over Maddie and begging her to stay with him because the ambulance is coming but she dies. In case you are keeping count that is two people of colour to die on the show thus far. Kiera points out that Kellog is still alive and Kellog asks says he doesn't care about that.

In another flash to the future Kiera watches the news with her son crying.  Her husband comes in and tells her that the location of the meeting was changed. She tells him that she could not survive losing him.

In the present Lily leaves with Jake her boyfriend on Kellog's boat. Kiera tells him that she appreciates it and he says, "see you soon."  Alec tells her that Kellog is going to cash in this favor but Kiera isn't worried about because she is more concerned that Maddie died and Kellog didn't disappear or die. Alec tells him that it doesn't prove anything.  Kiera hopes that Edward believes that they cannot get to her through her family.  Edward is pissed at Travis because he gave his word. He tells him, "you behave like a mad dog and I will put you down." Travis however does not seem bothered.