Continuum
Fast Times
by Jeff King
Episode 2
Reviewed By Lara Luke
2077 As a new recruit, Kiera Cameron is given a quick
orientation of the headquarters. It is here she gets her chip implanted and
activated and her CMR (Cellular Memory Recall) wired into her cortex. Informed
that she is now a passive recorder and her CMR can hold 36 hours of video for
use in court. She is next given her service weapon and a multi tool and is told,
“Don’t trust your gut. Trust the tech.”
2012 Eight members
of Liber8 were sent back in time, however Kagame didn’t make it. Stefan
Jawarski (Mike Dopud) was killed in episode 1. Although five of the six
remaining members want to return to 2077, Matthew Kellog (Stephen Lobo) has
other ideas. He desires to remain in the
present, taking advantage of a life still free of the Corporate Congress and to
use his knowledge for financial benefit. Lucas Ingram (Omari Newton) is a
scientist formerly in the employ of SadTech. He has been working on a way home
using the time travel device still in their possession. He theorizes the local power
substation can supply what is needed to accomplish this. As the group heads
out, Kellogg asks them to pass his regards on to their brothers at home.
Back at the police station Kiera, under the alias Linda
Williams from Portland, is outed as members of the Portland PD arrive with no
knowledge of who she is. Placed under arrest and in interrogation, Kiera avoids
Carlos’ angry questions as to her identity. As she’s talking to him, she
presses her thumb against the one way mirror. Alec takes his cue and scans her
print into his computer.
Outside interrogation Carlos is talking to his boss,
Inspector Dillon (Brian Markinson). Dillon hypothesizes Kiera could be a part
of Liber8 as she is always one step ahead. Carlos counters that his gut is
telling him this is not the case.
On their way to holding, Carlos and Kiera are in the
elevator when the power goes out and a call comes in on the radio that there is
trouble at the substation. Through Alec, Kiera realizes what Liber8 is doing.
Electricity comes back on and Kiera tazes Carlos with her suit and cuffs him to
the elevator much to Alec’s amusement. She escapes the police station and Alec helps
her to steal a car by using her suit as a remote keyless entry device. After a
few quick driving instructions, she races to the substation. Unfortunately, she
has arrived too late. Not enough power was provided for the time travel device
and Liber8 has moved on.
Alec shares a picture of an award winning scientist, Dr
Frazer, who wrote a paper on fusion reactions. He suspects Liber8 will learn of
this and plan to harness this power to activate the time travel device. Kiera
rushes to Frazer’s home only to discover he has been kidnapped by the
terrorists. On her way to the University where the linear collider is, she
contacts Carlos.
When she arrives at the station, Alec realizes her
intentions are to go home with the group. He’s visibly saddened by this. He
reminds Kiera that she doesn’t know what future she is going home to, however
she tells him she’s willing to take the chance.
Using the invisible application of her suit, she is able
to sneak up on Sonya Valentine (Lexa Doig) and take her hostage. She bargains
for the release of Dr Frazer and the group is forced to accept her truce in
order for all to go home. As Lucas sets the device Kiera remembers a night she
was tucking her son into bed after becoming a Protector. She promises she’ll be
there to tuck him in, but when she can’t she’ll wake him up to tuck him in
again.
Lucas starts the process and an ensuing explosion
signaling failure. Truce ended, Liber8 shoots their way out and Kiera turns
herself in as the VPD arrives. She is taken back to the station for processing.
Her previous memory continues as she
leaves her son’s room and Greg chastises her for making promises to the boy
that she can’t keep. Tears fall in the present.
While awaiting her fate with the police, a grieving Kiera’s
new identity is discovered. Alec has placed her as a special agent deep under
cover. Dillon asks her to stay on as a member of a task force he is setting up
to deal with Liber8, and to partner with Carlos.
One thing I did not understand in this episode, and I may
have missed it, is why the five members wanted to go home. In episode one,
Lucas tells Kiera the jump was supposed to be back 6 years. Is this the reason?
They are unhappy so far in the past? Are they without purpose minus Kagame?
I like the contrasting themes that unfold in episode two.
We begin to feel the reality of a wife and mother facing the prospect that she
may never see her family again. Yet we
have another character from the future who is seeking his family in the present
as Kellog makes contact with a girl he believes to be his grandmother.
In 2077 Kiera is told not to trust her gut. Outfitted
with the highest level of technology, it seems like all humanity is taken out
of the law enforcement of the time. Yet in 2012, Carlos responds to his boss
that his gut tells him Kiera is not a terrorist.
Overall, I thought this was a very solid episode. The
characters are beginning to flesh out. As the story unfolds, questions are
forming. And the best thing is, it only gets better from here.
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