Reviews

The Tomorrow People: Kill or Be Killed review

Guess who’s coming to dinner? Uncle Jedikiah is in the hot seat when Stephen's mom learns about his "internship" at Ultra.

By Jen Johnson | October 31, 2013 | | 0

I mean, what’s a little genocide as an extracurricular activity? No big deal, right?

Tonight, we get a little bit of John Young’s backstory, as an apparent juvenile delinquent and foster child who has to steal food while his foster dad blows all their money on booze. Who shows up to save him? Uncle Jed. Hm.

In the present day, the Tomorrow People are tracking Killian McCrane, who might possibly be causing bombings heading eastward. Ultra wants info on him too…which might explain why Jed’s car explodes. Stephen saves him, so now Jed is pretty much obliged to go have dinner at his family’s house despite his former misgivings.

So, young John fell out of an abusive foster home into the hands of Jedekiah. Stephen and John argue about what to do with Killian, and when Stephen goes back to Ultra, his new supervisor is put in direct charge of him. In case you forgot, his last supervisor was, um, sort of murdered for not keeping things under control. The confrontation with McCrane does not go well, and apparently this guy was looking to meet up with John, for some reason.

And what is up with Cara just being let go from Ultra after she faked getting her powers removed? They just let her go? No one questions it? They just let the powerless free, because…?

Anyway, McCrane plans on blowing up a children’s orchestra performance (nice guy). When he blew up the car, his intended target was John? Really? Why wouldn’t he have already known that John left Ultra long before? I mean, geez, these guys are telepathic.

Marla flat out confronts Jed at dinner, about her husband and what Ultra does, and says, “I’m watching you.” Jed wants Stephen to arrange a meeting between John and Jed, which I feel will not go well…even though they both want McCrane. When John tells Cara he’s going to the meeting alone, she gets that female stone face that basically says, yeah, I’m having serious second thoughts about this relationship…

Jed offers John a chance to get McCrane, a “cease fire…temporary, of course.” The result? Both are targets for Ultra. John and Killian’s fight ends in death for Killian, when John confesses that Ultra “turned me into you.”

Aha…so some of the Tomorrow People CAN kill. A little secret John’s been hiding…and I’d be willing to bet that since Stephen is stronger than he is, he’ll be able to kill at some point in the future.

John lies to Cara about McCrane “leaving.” Everyone thinks he’s a hero, but is the truth going to come out? Meanwhile, Stephen shows admiration for his mom, and John shows up in the back of Jed’s car. “Kill or be killed, John,” Jed says…but now that we know John can kill, this puts a whole new spin on things.

Final review: So, this is a show about genocide, at heart, but slickly packaged with beautiful actors and lots of action. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. It does delve deep into certain issues,but leaves gaping holes in its wake. Compared to Haven, which I also review, it follows a formula: Each episode, a new Tomorrow Person exhibits some sort of ability that causes Trouble (Haven) for those around them. The plot of Tomorrow People is just a little more fast paced, that’s all. Both shows have their own merits, and I will definitely keep watching.