Continuum: The Desperate Hours Review

Note: This Continuum review contains spoilers.

Continuum: Season 4 Episode 5 “Zero Hour” 

Penultimate episodes rarely disappoint, and “The Desperate Hours” brought the fireworks in a big way. Any misgivings that I had were with what was left out, even though I was impressed with what was delivered. Kiera’s tenacity when faced with the seemingly impossible goal of returning to her son feels selfishly short-sighted rather than heroically determined, and I’m increasingly finding it difficult to root for Kiera to get what she wants. However, since other characters acknowledge this flaw in Kiera’s motivation, I trust that my expectations are about to be thrown for a loop when the finale airs.

The transformation other characters go through in this episode was a delight to see. Dillon, for example, turns against Kellog in the eleventh hour, blowing the whistle on the Escher assassination to give Carlos a reason to arrest the Piron CEO. Carlos meanwhile confesses he doesn’t want Kiera to leave and perhaps is glad that arresting Kellog has the additional benefit of foiling Kiera’s plans. And of course, there’s the biggest redemption of all for Travis, who may have taken Kellog’s words about his legacy as a killer and a terrorist to heart and instead died a hero.

Travis could have left, but he didn’t! Kiera let him out, perhaps she thought she could use his help later had he survived, and he made it to the parking lot. For whatever reason, he decided to return to the VPD offices and put a stop to the “failsafe” Terminator Time Marine, Rawlins. Carlos acknowledged in the end that Travis saved a lot of lives, and I even got the impression that Kiera came to realize her reliance on Brad may have been misplaced. These character moments were really what made this episode shine.

No, it wasn’t the action scenes, although they were impressive, too, but the chaos that resulted from Kellogg’s arrest also served to distract. What about Curtis and the Traveler? Why is Brad necessary for Kiera’s plan if Kellogg’s Piron security was going to get Kiera into the complex? Are the Time Marines so desperate to help Commander Kellog get a kidney transplant that they’ll kill cops and lose two of their own to spring the younger donor? In all the confusion, it was easy to lose sight of why everyone was doing what they were doing.

Alec is particularly inscrutable in his devotion to Kiera’s cause. He has adapted the time ball to work with the Time Marine’s device, but it appears that Kellog had a team of scientists watching and duplicating his every move. Is Kellog planning to use his time sphere as well? Alec’s knowledge is the key to everything, but since he lost the actual key to Brad, I don’t see how he and Kiera can use Kellog as their new inside man even though they seem confident they can do so.

I loved this episode; I really did. But I thought I knew where things were headed, and this violent upheaval was not what I expected. Usually I like my expectations shattered, but it’s nicer when the surprise comes from a clever twist rather than a vigorous shake.

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