Time to go back in time after all the excitement of last
episode – 18 hours ago at the Leith Bazaar. Monks with guns shoot up the place,
killing lots of people
This is why Alvis was arrested last episode, accused of
ordering the attack. Dutch, John, D’avin, Pree and Pawter all debate what to
do. While D’avin has some initial doubt about the innocence of the
revolutionary – to Dutch it comes down to them owing Alvis for helping them so
many times in the past. Their plan at the moment is to wait to see what the
Company plans
The three Killjoys then discuss what Khlyen said last
episode – that something was coming and Dutch needs her team. They need info –
about Khlyen, Level 6 and Red 17 all of which were mentioned. Preferably by
hacking the files they stole from the RAC
They’re interrupted by an emergency broadcast – of Alvis
pleading guilty. Dutch & co naturally believe the confession is
faked/coerced. Alvis is sentenced to death and a curfew is enforced. Dutch is
determined to free him and not convinced that this isn’t linked
Dutch goes to ask company man Hills for more info – Hills
isn’t very sympathetic about Alvis’s plight but he tells them that the Lethians
have a powerful case against him. Dutch begs to be able to see him before he
dies – he agrees but he still thinks Dutch needs to keep out of it for her own
sake.
Dutch sees Alvis who confessed to protect his fellow
monks. He is worried about Westerley, though and he tells her about his plans
for Westerley and his hidden weapons. Dutch really doesn’t care since she’s
there for him but he decides saving the planet is a condition of saving him.
John and D’avin go to the empty and damaged Leithe market
to get Bellus’s opinion (since her business is in the market). They want to
talk to her about Level 6 – she talks about rumours of RAC agents being forced
into Level 6 when they disappear with lots of extra worrisome rumours like
re-animation, gene splicing and other goodness. For extra suspicion, they’re
completely off the hook for raiding the RAC.
John gets his hacker contact, Carline get to work on
Khlyen’s data. And she gets stabbed by Khlyen for her trouble. He doesn’t care
about the files – he wants the liquid John stole, which she doesn’t have.
Back to Dutch & co who are all dressed up as Monks to
enter the tunnels under Westerley (populated by “rat-people” – people without a
job who the company basically drives under ground). They have to prove
themselves to the Rat King but he doesn’t trust them – and wants them to
perform a Monk-ritual to prove it. Thankfully John has done his monk homework
and pulls off being a monk excellently
That gets them access to the weapons, fake IDs and the
news that some guys stole monk robes (shocking no-one, the attack on the Leithe
Bazaar was not done by real monks). As they leave John warns the Rat King that
he’s not a true believer so he needs to get a real blessing for his sick kid
(or, y’know, a doctor). The Rat King, rather oddly, says John doesn’t get to
choose if he’s a True Believer. Which yeah, I kind of agree that you can’t
CHOOSE belief (though you can fake it) but a guy knows what he believes. Now,
whether John’s a good/saintly person is another thing
When they leave the tunnels they find a lot of people
angrily gathered in defiance of the curfew. Pawter tells them that the Nine
(the head of the company) are voting on whether to honour the 7 Generation rule
(the rule that says any Westerley family who is a good little worker for the
company for 7 generations gets land on Leithe – something that has been
promised for some time since we’ve already seen that Hills is a fifth
generation looking forward to his grandkids getting land on Leithe).
Dutch gets a call from Delle Seyah, the nice
representative of the Nine who has popped up from time to time: Delle claims
the vote isn’t their doing but necessary because Leithians are all terrified of
Westerlands after the monks shot up the bazaar. She also wants Dutch to visit
her on Kresh – calling in her favour to make it so.
Dutch isn’t a fan of this plan, but John points out they
can’t face both Khlyen and the Nine because that’s some powerful enemy
stocking. So they have to split up: John and Dutch to Qresh (Pawter tells John
to look up her mother, Seyah Simms… one of the Nine. In response to John’s
shock, Pawter says “yes, I’m a pretty pretty princess.” Because she’s fun like
that – she also can’t contact her mother directly because of the whole family
drama). While D’avin has to take the evidence they’ve found to Hills to try and
delay Alvis’s execution.
There’s also a nice moment when D’avin suggests they all
run away together. Dutch can’t because of Khlyen, but it’s a definite “we’re
moving past our issues and working together again.”
On Qresh they meet with Delle (who certainly dances on
the edge of flirting with Dutch), she wants Dutch to play bodyguard since the
vote is very “contentious”. Delle rather brutally sums up the whole issue with
the 7th generation accord – it was easy for their ancestors to
promise it – but, in Delle’s words “who knew so many of them would actually do
it?” Delle also helpfully points out who Dutch can shiv, who needs preserving
and who can be left to die. I kind of like her. She’s so honestly awful and
glorious with it.
John tries to give Pawter’s mother Pawter’s message. She
denies having a daughter. Ouch. After skewering Delle’s motivations Dutch and
Delle continue to have their complicated relationship before Dutch and John
consider random silverware stabbing and how Dutch has started to consider
Westerley “home.”
On Westerley, D’avin goes to Hills with the evidence to
protect Alvis. Hills is not interested because his bosses are not interested.
And when D’avin returns home he finds he has a visitor – Khlyen who takes a
phial from his room. He calls Dutch who tells him to wait for her. Of course,
D’avin doesn’t. Which is also when John gets the news that Khlyen killed his
hacker contact, Carleen.
As Dutch and John prepare to leave, Dutch sees the genetic bomb being taken into the council room. They intercept him and take the bomb off him – much to Delle’s annoyance. She activates the bomb herself. It goes off and several people in the council chamber are reduced to dust. John chases Delle and she seems quite outraged that he’s trying to stop her. She patiently explains that it’s a coup and, no, no-one will believe him over her. The only reason why Dutch is there is because Khlyen insisted – possibly because something terribad is coming to Old Town.
And Dutch faces off against someone who knows Khlyen –
and fights way better than she does and doesn’t even flinch when she stabs him
in the eye. He says he’s level 6 and John shoots him in the head. She gets up
and shoots him a few more times, just to be sure.
They run to Lucy, recapping us on how political
assassinations are totally outside of RAC’s normal remit (it’s aggressively
neutral). More, Delle’s attack is being blamed on Alvis’s resistance, giving
the company an excuse to wipe them out and call off the whole 7 generation
promise. They’re going to carpet bomb Old Town on Westerley (which is where D’avin
is) and turn it into a new
Sugar Point.
D’avin is busy getting himself easily beaten by Khlyen.
Totally predictably. Khlyen also helpfully explains why he’s returned to
Dutch’s life – because of the kill warrant on D’avin and how D’avin is totally
dragging Dutch down. And he isn’t killing D’avin because when he killed Dutch’s
husband he lost her for 6 years
Lookit THAT bombshell!
Dutch and John arrive in Westerley just as the bombers
arrive – the crowd to the tunnels, including Pawter and Pree. He does bring the
good booze.
Meanwhile Alvis is working on his own escape with nifty
hidden toys so they can find him in the tunnels. Alvis leads his people to the
deep hidden bunkers (and is pleased that Dutch is coming closer to picking a
side). The group splits, those trying to flee on Lucy going with Dutch, the
rest hiding in the bunkers with Alvis.
Pawter chooses to stay in the bunker – they’ll need a doctor and she
cannot leave them when it’s her mother who is partially responsible for this.
John lies to pretend that Pawter’s mother said nice things about her because
he’s a nice guy.
At Lucy Hills and the Company are locking down the hanger
– and Dutch I quick to pin all the responsibility on Hills; the man who framed
Alvis and gave the Company the excuse to bomb. Hills denies all knowledge – and
he’s the one who pulled the alarm to give people chance to flee; Hills is a
Westerland after all. Dutch challenges him and he agrees to let them go onto
Lucy. He then goes to get a drink. I actually feel sorry for Hills.
They get on Lucy – but there’s no D’avin. John convinces
Dutch they have to leave – and have faith in D’avin’s abilities to know to get
to safety.
Alvis and his fellows get to the bunkers.
The bombers hit Oldtown – Hills is one who dies in an
excellently short but tragic scene.
On Lucy Dutch records a message to D’avin who she knows
has been captured by Khlyen – she pledges to find him. He’s in a facility where
nasty medical things are being done to people – making one guy scream and it
looks like the guy John and Dutch shot is being put back together again. He is on Arkyn a planet that is supposedly
uninhabitable – in the Red 17 facility.
John receives an automatic-message from hacker Carleen.
Whatever it is it shocks him.
And so ends the first season of Killjoys – and I have one major problem with it. It’s only ten
episodes long. That is far too short for this awesome show
I say this not just because I love this show and it’s probably the favourite thing I’ve been watching for the last 10 weeks. No, I think it needs more time because it’s huge. The world building, the Quad, the company, the monks, the resistance, the killjoys are all vast vast vast topics. The political conflict between the planets – from the Qreshi elite to the Leithian middle class supporting and being used by the elite all over the exploited and abused Westerland. There’s a lot of huge analysis of class and conflict here that is really well done.
We also have some real development of side characters
with some excellent nuance and history: Pawter and Alvis have both had some
real development. Even Hills and Turin are complicated characters beyond being
just characterless antagonists.
That’s aside from the major characters – D’avin and Dutch
both have huge, complex and mighty backstories and John interacts in
complicated ways with both of them
On top of that, the plot lines have been really well
woven together – seemingly one-off episodes like Sugar
Point run and One
Blood and Vessel
containing information which later becomes essential in the plot. That’s some
nice writing and I’m generally really impressed how this complex world has been
shown to us.
There’s a lot there – and the short 10 episodes to
explore it all is just far too short! I have complained repeatedly that I
wanted more time with John and Dutch together without D’avin adding more
complexities to their excellent relationship. I didn’t think we had time to
fully explore D’avin’s past as well as Dutch’s myriad issues and the world
itself. I don’t think we had time to fully follow John’s own anger at his
brother and him rebelling against the idea that he’s the nice guy who has to
fix everything. All of these were excellent points that were touched upon but
10 episodes is just far too few to tackle them all.
Which is my endless complaint of this series – I love the world, I love the characters, the plot line, the conflict, the wonderful analysis of class and oppression and conflict along with some excellent gems of episodes that touch other issues like Vessel (which was gloriously nuanced). I love this series, it’s just too short! With some shows managing to perpetrated 24 agonisingly pointless episodes on me when this amazing show full of so much potential and only got 10 episodes to tell it in!
Inclusionwise we have the awesome Dutch. She is clearly
an amazing character – she’s strong, capable, complex and more than a little of
a super-hero. There are tropes with her – the child-warrior with a superior, paternalistic
male mentor (two of them no less!) is a tired one and does link so much of her
excellent character and amazing skills to a male teacher. Dutch is also
frequently sexualised in a way that D’avin and John aren’t – and if we were
upholding sexuality as a valid weapon in a Killjoy’s arsenal then that would
also have applied to the men as well (especially since there have been times
when Dutch has called on D’avin to distract women with his muscles).
I also wish there were more prominent women with her – we
have Bellus who was painfully underused and moderate appearances from both
Delle and Pawter – so Dutch doesn’t exist in an all male world by any stretch –
as an added bonus she respects (even Delle) and is respected by them as well.
We also have episodes like Vessel which do have some interesting look at female
characters and sexist issues. I do like Dutch, I like her a lot – she’s not
perfect, but she is a good female character and doesn’t exist in an all male
world .
She is also a WOC – which makes this a show with a Black
woman as a protagonist which is extremely rare. That can’t be noted or
respected enough – and she is sexual without being shamed for it or turned into
a Jezebel, determined without being presented as an “angry Black woman”. There
is never a hint of us doing anything other than cheering her on and loving her
experiences.
But she does move in a very white world. The other main
characters – D’avin, Pawter, Bellus, Alvis, Khlyen, Turin and Hills are all
White.
Pree serves as barman and general care taker and he is a
Black man – but he is a very very minor character who literally exists just to
provide background and occasional soothing words, words of wisdom and support
for the main characters. Delle is an interesting character who is glorious in
her evil awesomeness – but she does drip in sinister, cunning Asian stereotypes.
And Fancy appears briefly, again, he’s a character with a lot of potential and
even depth (the idea that every organisation needs a bastard) but again he
rather screams sinister inscrutable Asian (albeit with more fun). I am still
very interested in these characters, but they are tropes.
On sexuality – we’re in shaky territory. In the last
episode it did seem much clearer that Delle is probably attracted to women –
inferred from her flirting/taunting of Dutch. But, really, is this the best we
can manage with inclusion – an implied bisexual/lesbian manipulating villain
who alludes to her sexuality through taunts? It’s there… I guess
Unlike with Pree – no, I’m not listing Pree down as a gay
man because this form of “portrayal” is annoying. You are not portraying a
minority by presenting a collection of stereotypes and relying on that to
replace any actual labelling. The only way Pree is read as gay is because he
ticks so many stereotype boxes – that isn’t portrayal.
And if he were? Well, again he is a collection of stereotypes and he exists to be a shoulder to cry on, deliverer of support and wisdom and occasionally fun, witty comments to the rest of the crew. He’s a new form of Gay Best Friend – the Gay barman. GBF with access to the good booze (though your GBF will usually have access to the good booze or you might want to send him back to the distributor for a new model). So, choices – either I say Pree isn’t a representation of a gay character because all he is a big bag of gay stereotypes supporting straight people. OR I say he IS a gay character – who is a big bag of gay stereotypes supporting straight people.
Yes there are problems but it’s still an awesome series,
an awesome series with a Black female protagonist and an awesome series I desperately
want to see come back again as soon as possible
And a note to Syfy. You renewed 12 Monkeys. You renewed that appalling second season of Helix. You inflicted Olympus on us – I’m sure the UN Secruity
Council passed a resolution against such cruelty. You can redeem yourself by
renewing Killjoys
Dear gods of television. Three series of Under the Dome and five – FIVE – of Falling Skies! And I still don’t know
what demonic entity is behind Beauty and
the Beast still being renewed. I have suffered TV gods and you owe me
another season of Killjoys.
