Killjoys Season 3 Episode 3 Review: The Hullen Have Eyes

This Killjoys review contains spoilers.

Killjoys Season 3 Episode 3

“Let’s do some nerdy shit and save the day.”

The wait is over, and the game is on. How long until Dutch and Aneela come face to face remains to be seen, but “The Hullen Have Eyes” makes one thing crystal clear – the two lookalikes have little in common and won’t rest until the other is dead.

This week’s episode of Killjoys provides an incisive peek into Aneela’s world as she begins marshalling her forces for the impending war. Set against the return to the fold of Johnny Jaqobis, the contrast between the two women is startling as Khlyen’s daughter appears every bit the psychotic dictator, brutally killing those who displease her or just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. While it’s unclear whether or not Hannah John-Kamen voices Aneela, she’s clearly up to the challenge of bringing to life two women whose primary focus is to kill the other.

Though life on board Aneela’s battle cruiser finds her crew walking on eggshells, it’s the appearance of Delle Sayeh Kendry that provides the most intriguing possibilities. Whether or not Aneela brought her back from the dead with green plasma remains to be seen, though we do know she’s been “upgraded” by Aneela; what does matter is Delle Sayeh’s refusal to be intimidated by this woman who clearly walks a tightrope of lucidity. Right from the start, she unabashedly informs Aneela of her father’s death and wastes no time putting into motion a plan to help her hunt down Dutch.

It’s at this point that we have to ask ourselves whether or not the leader of one of Qresh’s nine families is in over her head. But this isn’t our first encounter with Delle Sayeh, and if there’s anything we’ve learned to respect over the past two years it’s her political acumen. However, she does raise some eyebrows, particularly since she witnesses first hand Aneela’s reaction to her father’s death. Even though she has a knife to her throat, she apparently has a plan for the two to “share in vengeance.” Delle Sayeh takes a massive risk telling Aneela that “we are queens and queens rise,” because if there’s anything megalomaniacs fear, it’s someone that threatens their power.

Nonetheless, when you’re one of The Nine, a certain air of superiority hovers overhead, but she also knows when to stop pushing after Aneela tells her that “we don’t say her name until she’s dead,” leaving the pair to plot Dutch’s takedown. And though we know she’s now Hullen, Aneela is grooming her as a leader which could represent an error in judgement. Delle Sayeh has an endgame; we just haven’t yet figured it out.

Obviously, one of the most intriguing aspects of Killjoys throughout the remainder of the season rests with the development of Annela’s character and where Kamen-John takes her. To this point it’s been mostly visual with the black lipstick and stylish outfits, but tonight we realize that whatever optimism we may have had regarding Dutch and Aneela achieving some sort of detente was never really a reasonable expectation. Petulant children are rarely predictable, and that’s how Kamen-John plays her tonight.

Killjoys was a topic on the July 2017 episode of Sci Fi Fidelity (36:55).

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Though Zeph wins over Dutch with her performance in the VR simulation, how she’s accepted by D’avin, and more importantly by Johnny, looms as an undercurrent to the Hullen training village story. Is Lucy big enough for two nerds? Johnny doesn’t think so, but it’s Zeph’s oblivious attitude as it relates to what’s going on outside the realm of her current task that makes her such a delightful character. She’s the perfect counterpoint to Johnny’s engaging personality, so it will be interesting to watch her try to integrate into this close knit family that doesn’t ordinarily take to outsiders.

While it doesn’t exactly qualify as world building, the Hullen training village that appears set in Earth 1950s is a nice touch and reminds us of Cold War stories of Soviet facilities just like this where agents were trained before assimilating into American life. But quickly, we leap forward into the bizarre mythological world of The Unseeing, The Undying, The Last Seer, and The Remnant. As intriguing as all this is, what it does for the overall arc may not be enough. Is this just a one and done to show that D’avin’s role in the war against Aneela is greater than previously thought?

Who are these people who have sewn shut the eyes of some of the young people including Quin, a teenager who befriends D’avin and reveals that this is, in fact, their second meeting? The pieces begin falling into place, but to what end? That Khlyen abandoned his man, who is no longer Hullen, comes as a shock and disappointment to The Last Seer, (Aidan Devine) but he’s allowed the development of a religious reverence for these immortal gods who left them all to die and will apparently ride out his days here. But why doesn’t D’avin remember meeting Quin (Sara Waisglass) and the others? It surely explains, however,  the end of episode 301 when he see him secretly climb aboard one of the cloaked Hullen ships. Formerly a reintegration camp, Khlyen shut down the facility leaving everyone else behind, but even as Quin helps D’avin recover The Remnant, the importance of this chapter and this object remains a bit fuzzy.

But why D’avin? Does it have something to do with the Red-17 experiments Khlyen performed on him earlier? Does he possess some latent Level 6 abilities despite the fact that others lost theirs with the destruction of the Arkyn plasma pool? And let’s not forget the super soldier experiments performed on him by The Company. Regardless of why, how D’av handles this responsibility should make for some compelling drama moving forward. Will he place himself in harm’s way to protect Dutch? Or will he be reluctant to take control, leaving the command decisions to Dutch and Johnny?

And what of Dutch? She’s obviously happy to have Johnny back home safe and sound, but since Aneela weighs heavily on her mind, it’s unlikely she’ll have much time to reconnect with her best friend. Zeph’s success rate during her brief time on the team has been impressive, and when she deduces that it’s Dutch’s DNA that holds the key to the Hullen fleet, there’s every reason to think she’s right. Ironically, it’s then somewhat satisfying when her deduction turns out to be wrong, and it’s actually D’avin’s DNA that controls the ship. Score one for Johnny. It continues though to be problematic that her inexperience in the field influences her decisions and as Johnny rightly points out “Your job isn’t just to be right.”

But despite her mistakes, Johnny trusts Zeph to figure out the importance of The Remnant, an act that seemingly seals her place on the team at least for the near future.

While we have yet to reach a crossroads, “The Hullen Have Eyes” continues successfully layering themes and story arcs in this tightly woven tale as we move closer to the inevitable confrontation. Livio Day Spa has been amassing a steady supply of green plasma, yet Niko doesn’t fully understand its use in creating Hullen. Will that knowledge change her approach in the coming war? The hackmod story arc and the dream colony at the end of The J is simply too compelling a branch to abandon. Will we see Olli and the others come to Johnny’s aid in the war against Aneela? And there are still 437 RAC agents out there doing who knows what.

Throughout its first two seasons Killjoys introduced viewers to a wide range of secondary characters whose impact on Dutch, Johnny, and D’avin often drove the show’s action, and we eagerly anticipate their future roles in this tale. But it’s the relationship building that continues to be the show’s strength, and “The Hullen Have Eyes” sets into motion a fascinating reorientation of the power elite as sides are chosen for the coming conflict. Who will draw first?