Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Continuum Season One, Episode Two: Fast Times

This episode begins with a flashback to Kiera Cameron's first day as a protector.  We watch as she is outfitted with a CRM chip which records everything that happens.  When Kiera shows up at the police station, everyone is dressed in black for the funerals.  She is told that there will be a joint task force created to investigate the new gang in town.  When she meets Betty Robertson, there is instantly tension.  I have say that I found myself rolling my eyes.  Why is it impossible for any female protagonist to have anything but an antagonistic relationship with another woman?  The moment Betty leaves, Kiera tells Carlos that Betty need not worry because she is not a threat.

In the meantime, the rebels are hatching a plan which Kellog wants no part of Kellog suggests that because the corporate rights act has not been passed that they are free to speak out without fear of execution.  He suggests that they become activists against the corporations and enjoy the freedom that they have now.  It seems that Lucas may have figured out a way to get them all back to their time but there is some doubt as to whether or not his plan will work. Kellog finally says that he wants to stay and asks that they put it to a vote but no one else sides with him.

Back at the station, Carlos gets called into the office.  It turns out that they have discovered that Kiera is not Linda Williams.  It's about time they put two and two together.  To be honest that really disturbed me last episode.  Kiera is quickly taken into custody until they can figure out who she really is. Carols questions her about her identity and she responds that this is need to know information. She instructs Alec to build a background for her that will pass muster and lead elsewhere.  Even though Carlos knows that something isn't right, he is still defending her.


While Carlos and Kiera are in an elevator on their way to holding, a substation is being attacked by the rebels.  She uses her suit to tase Carlos and handcuffs him to the elevator. Before leaving she tells him that what she does will not always make sense to him but that he has to trust him. When she gets out of the building Alec has to talk her through driving because she has never driven a gasoline vehicle before.

We get a little look into Alec's home life as he rushes to grab lunch.  His step brother is not amused and he brushes past his step father.  His mother brushes off his behaviour.  In the meantime Kellog walks into a bank with a bag full of money and says that he wants to start up an investment bank.  Again this had be rolling my eyes.  Is the banker even going to ask him for Id?

Kiera makes her way to the BC powerplant to find that the rebels are long gone.  As Kellog suggested, Lucas' plan did not work.  I love the way she just flashed Carlos' badge for entrance. Uh huh.  This show is going a long way to make Canadian cops look downright incompetent.  When she comes to the intention of the police on the scene she leaves when Alec tells her that there is an APB out for her.  Kiera returns to her hotel room, where Alec tells her about the work of Simon Fasier who apparently has been working with [insert technical gooblygook here] Kiera decides that she has to get to him before the rebels do.

What she does not realize is that even as she is discussing this with Alec, the rebels are kidnapping him. Back at the station, Carlos is getting frustrated trying to track down Kiera.  Betty approaches him saying that someone hacked Portland P.D and that she is tracking them down. Of course she has to let Carlos know that she is on his side by telling him that people are talking about him and the fact that Kiera is making a fool of him.

Kiera makes her way to the Frasier house and after a few seconds of bullying manages to get Mrs. Frasier to tell her that they have taken him to the linear collider at the university.  Alec confirms that this is probably enough to get the device to work.  Before she leaves the Frasiers she grabs their phone and calls Carlos saying that she needs his help.  Kiera claims that she will text them with the address that the gang is meeting at and says that she is in deep cover and wants them to come and arrest her.

Kiera makes a plan to hitch a ride back with the terrorists to her own time.  Alec says a sad goodbye. Just as Kellog predicted the plan does not work and they are still stuck in their time.  The terrorists manage to escape but they realize that they have left behind an important piece of their device.  For her part, Kierra is arrested.  She sits on the bench having flashbacks of her life.  It turns out that Alec's work was good because the police trace her and discover that she has the highest of clearance with most of her file being redacted.  They ask her to join a taskforce to help track down this new gang and even give her a gun.  Okay, I'm rolling my eyes again. 

I am still very unsure about whether or not I like this show.  There still isn't any nuance about what the supposed terrorists are doing and I am not happy that their role is largely filled with people of colour.  I was not pleased with the interaction between Kiera and Betty.  So far, this show is failing the Bechdel test huge.  These characters need some nuance in the worst way.