Reviews

Continuum, Season 2, Episode 7: Second Degree, Review

Continuum is an intelligent show, maybe too intelligent for its own good, it baffles the rest of us.

By Jen Johnson | July 21, 2013 | | 0

So, Second Degree, Julian’s trial…things are getting interesting. Travis may have been busted out of prison, but Julian is still stuck there, remember? I also have to admit that the 10 pm time slot on a Friday kind of sucks. Does anyone watch this now that it got moved from Mondays?

For those who are still watching, one of the biggest questions for any series is, where is it going? Continuum has the potential to go on forever, as long as Kiera keeps battling the now fractured Liber8, but one of the biggest questions has not been answered halfway through the second season: Where is the time travel device, and is it ever going to be used? It seems to have been completely forgotten by now.

Kiera’s former partner’s body has been snatched from the grave, so of course there are questions. Including the fact that Chen and Jaworski’s bodies got signed out by an unknown Agent Warren. Ugh, another new unnamed person, like Mr. Escher. And then there’s Agent Gardner with his waxy face, watching everything.

Of course, when Kiera “throws him a bone,” so to speak, she thinks Gardner might actually cooperate. When she goes to the courtroom, the entire jury erupts in cheers of “Free Julian Randall!” and are evicted, so obviously, Liber8 is behind this somehow, and Kiera was able to sense it. Travis has built up such a following that he’s able to threaten mayoral candidate Jim Martin, the no longer friend of Carlos. And Gardner actually does help by getting footage of Travis moving the bodies.

So, why does Sonia show her face at the courthouse? Who exactly is trying to get the trial to fail? For a show that’s on at 10 on a Friday, it requires quite a bit of concentration. One of the jurors has a kidnapped family Kiera is trying to save, on a fishing boat somewhere. In Vancouver. (Kellogg’s boat, maybe?) Right next to the ocean. That narrows it down. Not only that, but Alec’s mom commits perjury to save Julian in the trial, much to Alec’s dismay. What will HE say on the stand?

Kiera agrees to hook up to some untested tech Alec has been developing, even though it might not be safe, but Carlos gets to see Kiera’s abilities in action for the first time. And yes, Alec and his “girlfriend” Emily are still together. She proves she’s pretty kick ass by killing off an intruder looking for Alec, and calls for cleanup. Very efficient.

Surprisingly, Carlos is taking the whole time traveler thing in stride, and is very accepting. He’s now able to use her tech without having to question it, although he jokes that in 2013 she “hasn’t even been born yet.” Kiera even gets to show off her suit’s abilities by going invisible to help beat the crap out of the family’s captors, while Alec tells the truth in the courtroom, leading to an emotional conversation with his mom.

Somehow, I get the feeling something very, very bad is going to come out of that. Mom lied, son didn’t…what’s really going on here?

Julian is acquitted, but flash forwards show him on trial in 2077 for even more heinous charges. Jim Martin offers to help Carlos, indicating that he has an in with Liber8, and sure enough he’s in a car with Sonia in the end.

Final review: Continuum is an intelligent show, but sometimes I feel it’s too convoluted for its own good. There are layers upon layers and so many double crosses it’s hard to keep track. Julian’s future crimes are unexplained. I have no idea how they relate to his acquittal in 2013. I thought the episode with the holographic shrink was bad, but for some reason, I was not impressed by this at all. The one shining point is that Carlos finally knows that Kiera is from the future. Alec’s girlfriend is a liar, the judge lied, the mayoral candidate is lying…come ON. There is so little focus on future outcomes anymore, I’m baffled.