Review Guide:
Episode 2.01 San Jose - Advanced Preview & Review
Episode 2.02 Reunion - Review
Episode 2.03 Scion - Review
Episode 2.04 Densho - Review
Episode 2.05 Oubliette - Review
Episode 2.06 M. Domestica - Review
Episode 2.07 Cross Pollination - Review
Episode 2.08 Vade In Pace - Advance Preview & Review
Episode 2.09 Ectogenesis - Review
Episode 2.10 Mother - Review
Episode 2.11 Plan B - Review
Episode 2.12 The Ascendant - Review
Episode 2.13 O Brave New World (Season Finale) - Review
Helix - Scion - Recap/Review
This episode was a rather shocking episode, not just because of the somewhat sexual content at the beginning, but because Hatake returned. Hatake seems to have completely lost the plot.
We see Alan again this episode who was snooping around trying to find a few answers of his own, when he finally does Peter knocks him out. I understand that he doesn't trust his brother anymore, but I am certain Peter isn't telling the truth or the entire truth at least, he is definitely hiding something. When Sarah mentioned Alan again earlier Peter became extremely agitated. Peter must still be working for Ilaria, as its really the only explanation, especially though as he felt sympathy for them after Alan allegedly blew up the Paris building. I wouldn't feel sorry for people who tried to kill me. I don't think his ties to Ilaria are cut just yet. A long shot is, which would provide a truly shocking twist, is that Peter knows members of the cult and is being used again by Ilaria who most definitely have some involvement with the cult, and is helping them somehow. This could also explain why he doesn't want Alan's help. You would think that if the world was on the brink of a pandemic it would be all hands on deck regardless of the personal issues. It's a longshot, but I could see the writers surprising us with a shocking twist, and I like to stay ahead, and think of every possibility.
If you remember back to episode 1 where Layla, the last surviving boat victim was hung up in the shack, this episode her body was missing when Peter and Sarah entered it to find the dropped samples. Peter's initial reaction was that it wasn't the cult that took it. This makes me even more curious about him having some involvement with the cult, how can he assume it wasn't then, when they are really the only people that we know of that you can blame currently. We do know there are other people on the island, but by the looks of things it’s just infected people. So I doubt it’s them. Then again they don't seem as unintelligent as the people who were infected with Narvik they seem to be functioning normally so it could well be them, and maybe like people who were infected with Narvik they have a mind of their own.
When confronted by Peter and Sarah, Brother Michael didn't even deny that he was aware of what was going on outside the Abbey with the cult members that were infected. His response was that they left by their own free will and that they were following their own path, but we all know that he is being kept in the dark on a lot of things, and that the sisters are injecting cult members with that yellow fungus stuff. Perhaps when someone wants to leave the Abbey he gives his blessing then just before they do the sisters grab them, inject them, then throw them out. I think Michael has lost control over his cult, and knows as much as the CDC team do. He does continue to want to help the CDC team, and even he is questioning Anne now.
Hiroshi captures Julia, but how he knew she was coming was very strange since Daniel, who isn't real told him. Julia confirms this episode that she is indeed still working for Ilaria,but what was even more curious was that the place on the carving found in Alan's tomb led to Hiroshi. Is Hiroshi who Caleb is afraid of, as sure he seems mad, but he doesn't seem at all that dangerous. Also going by Hiroshi's response to Julia telling him she is infected I am starting to consider if it could well have been Hiroshi who came up with the virus in an attempt to try to wipe out all the immortals, as part of his revenge for Daniel and Jayne's death or he at least has some involvement in the making of it. Perhaps he took the original fungus from the cult, and somehow modified it to specifically attack immortals. That would make sense if the writers were to reveal that.
Other notes:
- Why are the children afraid of Amy, what does she/has done to them to make them scared of her?
- What is the pit, is it a place where they store people before they get injected with the yellow fungus?
- Why did Hatake go to the island? Perhaps he stole the virus from the cult, and turned it into a weapon that kills immortals?
- Is that plant in brother Michael's safe related to the virus/fungus?
- Is the fungus the same thing that is killing off immortals or are they both different?
Summary
This episode we found out a lot regarding the infected and the virus/fungus, but it also brought back a few familiar faces from Season 1 that we were waiting to see. The amount of questions though I have is building weekly, and I am hoping the show will start to answer a few, as since the ratings have been declining to series lows after series lows I worry if the show will even make it to the end of the season.
As always, thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought of the episode in the comments!
That beginning scene was kind of gross. Especially when she threw the gloves at him. Ick.
ReplyDeleteTechnically, it's a fungus, not a virus, right? They said it was probably from cross breeding the plants. And then they used a powerful plant on the kids to make them beat up the doc. So they have advanced knowledge of using plants for not so good purposes.
Yeah, Julia's dad has gone crazy. And it looks like he's been crazy for a really long time.
It will be interesting to see why Julia is still working for Ilaria and how it all ties into what Alan is up to.
What did you think of the episode?
ReplyDeleteMy best guess is it's a fungus and not a virus. And I think what's in the jars Alan found, that yellow substance might just be it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Julia was sent there to kill Alan because he probably is already dead thirty years into the future, unless he has become an immortal. For some reason, Julia thinks the cure is on the island. And she thought Alan left her a clue.
I can't wait to see how it all ties together.
I think they only did that opening scene for shock effect and ratings. I didn't like all of it on True Blood either. I think it just brings a show down a bit. Some people love it, but I'm more like if I want that, I'll watch the real deal :)
Totally agree, that scene was pretty gross. I didn't feel they needed to include it at all.
ReplyDeleteI am extremely puzzled as to whether the thing that is killing the immortals is different to the "fungus" that the cult have produced. Do you know if they are both the same thing? As if they are then it is a fungus instead of a virus, then I can start calling it by the proper name.
I really want to know why Hatake came to the island, it can't just be for the fresh air...
Maybe Julia was sent there to kill Alan? As we now know she is working with Ilaria, and if Alan blew up the Ilaria building then she might have been sent to kill him, that's if she wasn't sent there to kill Hatake.
The ratings are going down, last episode was barely watched by 700,000 with a 0.2 rating which is poor. If the show continues with the ratings its getting a season 3 is not happening which will be a shame.
ReplyDeleteWell we know according to Julia that Alan isn't in the grave so he could well have become an immortal. The cure probably might not even be on the island since the CDC are trying to find one, and obviously have had no luck finding one since the outbreak is still around 30 years later.
There are way to many things happening at once to wrap my mind around, I will be glad when things start getting tied together, and questions start being answered.
"but by the looks of things it’s just infected people. So I doubt it’s them. Then again they don't seem as unintelligent as the people who were infected with Narvik they seem to be functioning normally so it could well be them, and maybe like people who were infected with Narvik they have a mind of their own."
ReplyDeleteI'm confused about this whole thing...I mean the people on the boat behaved more like the kids who where drugged with the Mayan plant all Lord of Flies like, but yet in last week's episode, it almost seemed with that infected guy that Peter and Kyle came across, that Peter had some kind of affect on him, similar to how the immortals had control of the Narvik vectors, but yet also the boy looked like he was eaten by the infected outside the grounds, unless they just took him somewhere---kind of reminds me of TWD (even though I don't watch that show ^^)...I wondering if this is the Narvik Virus reverse engineered----The whole thing with the Cult (Like Michael and Amey) reminds me of season one's love-hate relationships (like Hatake and Constance for instance), except it's much more like our CDC characters are on the outside looking in, despite having more information, and not being directly apart of it like in season one...though I suspect that will change.
"Also going by Hiroshi's response to Julia telling him she is infected I am starting to consider if it could well have been Hiroshi who came up with the virus in an attempt to try to wipe out all the immortals, as part of his revenge for Daniel and Jayne's death. That would make sense if the writers were to reveal that. If Julia were sent there to kill Hiroshi that could be the reason (payback for creating the virus)."
Revenge is always a good motive, but Hatake's precognitive abilities are a little scary (referring to the mugs) let alone his obsession with Cabin Fever home decor tastes XD
I'm trying to figure out if Hatake is in fact sick or insane (similar to Julia last season--kind of a role reversal), or if the hallucinations are more than hallucinations--something that is apart of being immortal--or is he just infected also?
They drop the word "time machine" with the Mayan drug, did another weird film reel effect with the transition between times, and now have hallucinations with Horus Godspeed Daniel and Jayne on a looping bleedthrough and sounds like we have a [purge] pit too---it makes me defenately think something really wonky has give with these two time periods!
My favorite scene was surely the Julia dinner scene! The fact that Hatake had those remains in that condition for so long makes me think there either has to be portal back to the current time period or (again like Lost and Helix's first season), there is a cryogenic chamber on that Island!!
Again, Thanks as always for your review! I'm looking forward to the next episodes!!
IT was gross!!!!!!! SYFY just totally competed with HBO, Showtime, FX, and Cinemax!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Robert's response. I'm not sure if we are dealing with the same virus or drug [fungus] in relation to everything we see. I don't know if one can use a fungus to make a virus, but I suppose that could be one way to link it all together--so in some cases it's just various plants, herbs, fungus, but in other cases they did find a way to make it into a "pathogen"--otherwise I don't know how else you could control a whole group of people and deny them of their will and their memory, which ironically is what Ilaria wanted to do with the vectors last season...
I think the plot twists just haven't been big enough, but I think we have to be on verge of some doozies, but what I think is so sad, is that it finally feels more character driven, which is what makes all that shock value really worth it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Kyle didn't get the Doreen treatment. I like him.
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about Peter's behavior regarding Alan, the more I'm convinced Alan didn't blow up that building and that Peter knows it, but doesn't want Sarah to know. The second part of my conspiracy theory...Sarah got passed over for team leader in favor of Peter because Ilaria pulled strings and put their man in a strategic position, similar to what they did with Balleseros (who is still in the credits despite not having been shown yet BTW), and Peter is going to do something that gets the virus started. Maybe something with the Narvik and the fungus, idk yet.
I'm sure the CDC group will cross paths with Hitake....and I'm curious to see if he was equally bat-shit crazy then. Was it really Alan who left that map to Hitake's home in his own grave or was it someone else? Did Hitake help Sarah's pregnancy progress? If Scythe was Constance's biological son and she had him after she became an immortal (big if, she could have had him before, don't know the story there), he might have knowledge of what needs to be done. Why does Caleb fear him? Yeah he's crazy, and has a headless corpse sitting at his table, so it might be a dumb question, but is he the dangerous kind of crazy? Do they actually know each other?
I can't wait for them to start answering more questions than they pose lol
That would be a shame if we don't get a season 3. I think the timeslot is also what's killing it. Late Friday night is not a good time for tv. People go out and stuff.
ReplyDeleteSo I went real quick to read about fungi in relationship to pathagens and/or viruses and I found some interesting things...
ReplyDeleteFrom Wiki:
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is an entomopathogenic fungus predominantly found in tropical forest ecosystems. Also known as the "zombie fungus", it was first discovered by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859.[2] O. unilateralis manipulates the behavioral patterns of an infected ant, affecting theCamponotini tribe. The infected ant leaves its canopy nest and foraging trails, heading for the forest floor in search of an area with a temperature and humidity level suitable for fungal growth. The infected ant will then use its mandible to affix itself to a major vein on the underside of a leaf and will eventually die.[3]
The scientific name is sometimes written Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato, which means "in the broad sense". This is because the species is actually a complex of many species within O. unilateralis.[4]...
The spores of the fungus attach to the ant, eventually breaking through the exoskeleton using mechanical pressure and enzymes.[7] Yeast stages of the fungus spread in the ant's body and presumably produce compounds that affect the ant's hemocoel, utilizing the evolutionary trait of an extended phenotype to manipulate the behavioral patterns exhibited by the ant.[9] An infected ant exhibits irregularly timed full body convulsions that dislodge it to the forest floor.[10]The ant climbs up the stem of a plant and uses its mandibles with abnormal force to secure itself to a leaf vein, leaving dumbbell-shaped marks on it. A search of plant-fossil databases revealed similar marks on a fossil leaf from the Messel Pit, which is 48 million years old.[11][12] Once the mandibles of the ant are secured to the leaf vein, atrophy quickly sets in, destroying the sarcomere connections in the muscle fibers and reducing the mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticula. The ant is no longer able to control the muscles of the mandible and will remain fixed in place. This lockjaw trait is popularly known as the death grip, and is essential in the fungus's lifecycle.[10]
The fungus then kills the ant, and continues to grow as its hyphae invade more soft tissues and structurally fortify the ant's exoskeleton.[8] More mycelia then sprout out of the ant, and securely anchor it to the plant substrate while secreting antimicrobials to ward off competition.[8] When the fungus is ready to reproduce, its fruiting bodies grow from the ant's head and rupture, releasing the spores. This process takes four to ten days....[8]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis
So this might be how the disease is spread, but it still doesn't explain being able to control a group of people...
Yep exactly, I rarely watch it live myself. (Then again I'm not from US so it wouldn't matter anyway). Fridays worked for Z Nation and it worked for Helix last year.
ReplyDeleteIf Helix started in the Fall when everything else started then people might have watched it live, they could have actually paired it with Z Nation. Most people probably just DVR it as they are either busy or already have something else to watch. Maybe syfy might consider DVR numbers when deciding on the shows future.
I like him too, he is slowly becoming a favorite of mine. The show needs fresh blood, and he adds a lot to the show so keeping him around is a good decision.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great theory about Peter. He is definitely hiding something, and I am certain he still works for Ilaria. Putting him in that position gives him a lot of power and control over things so he can potentially change the "game" so to speak. I mentioned Balleseros in my last review at how odd it was to see his name still in the credits despite not being seen yet,he must appear at some point, but I have no idea what his part will be.
I read somewhere, I think it was a TV fanatic interview with Kyra (Julia) who said that we would only see Hatake in the future not the present, which I hope is incorrect as I would love to see how he ended up on the island/why, and more importantly like you say if he was as mad as he is now.
Caleb and Hatake have to have some connection, he doesn't seem dangerous he just seems crazy so I don't know why he is so afraid. Are we sure though Hatake's place was the location on the map? or could it have been on the way to where she was going?
Sometimes I watch live tv, but it depends. Mostly, I'll watch it later. They really need to update the outdated ratings system. Alot of people stream it and I don't think they count that.
ReplyDeleteThey don't. Most networks only count the 18-49 number, but most cable networks though do tend to include DVR numbers when making a decision so I am hopeful.
ReplyDeleteThey should change the way ratings work, especially since some shows get let's say 11million viewers but only a 1.2 18-49 rating, that show would be cancelled because 1.2 is very low despite having lots of viewers. It seems really unfair.
I don't think the kid Soren is actually dead, I think the infected just grabbed him and took him somewhere. Maybe it's something the show will look into later on in the season, as I would love to know what goes on outside the gates with the infected people.
ReplyDeleteYou know I never thought that it might not be real, but now you mention it does seem rather coincidental that there are similarities to Caleb finding her/hatake finding her/ the way she gets treated (tied up etc). If the entire timeline wasn't real then it would be much easier going forward as the show can just continue from where it is in the present instead of having to figure out a way to move the show forward with a huge time gap.
Having said that I can't see the entire timeline not being real, maybe her time with Hatake is not real, but the entire thing is a bit of stretch. I can see her still being tied up in Caleb's cabin or maybe they are still walking to the place located on the map, and she could be dreaming whilst sleeping somewhere. As I saw pics of 2.05 and she was in a cave sleeping with Caleb near her. Daneil and Jayne's remains like you said seem in too good of a condition, Jayne would be barely noticeable since the body would have decayed more than that. Seeing Daniel and Jayne could have been part of the same dream she was having whilst sleeping(well more of a nightmare).
I'm never good at speculating things.
That's an interesting read, I will have to take a more detailed look at the wiki article when I get a chance to get to my computer. Reading on a phone's a real pain.
ReplyDeleteWe know that the fungus was probably physically injected into a person, and that it isn't airborne, but if it can take 4-10 days why did the people on the boat seem to get infected with it so quickly. Maybe the fungus the cult have "created" has been modified to reproduce spores quickly rather than a normal acting fungus.
"Having said that I can't see the entire timeline not being real, maybe her time with Hatake is not real, but the entire thing is a bit of stretch. I can see her still being tied up in Caleb's cabin or maybe they are still walking to the place located on the map, "
ReplyDeleteYa, that's what I mean! It's not that I don't think Caleb isn't real or Julia isn't on the Island, but rather she is not in the future and not with Hatake, as that is why the game the kids played was called "Time Machine", because the psychotropic effects maybe make certain people think they're time traveling...(And the interrogation with Hatake is so similar to the one she just had with Caleb)
"I'm never good at speculating things."
I doubt that, and besides I'm wrong loads and loads of times! XD I'm still kind of hoping that maybe there is truth and/or foreshadowing with the 30 yr time difference. I really hate to give up on the Caleb = Sarah and Alan's love child theory! ^^
Ya I think you're right...
ReplyDeleteIf the thing on Julia's body is real, then maybe that is a "spore" ???
I also rewatched the episode and I was wondering how they would explain being able to control a group of people being a fungus...they made a point to talk about "mind control techniques" in relation to some nerve system symptoms---so maybe the people on the boat were people infected left "outside" the compound and became one of Amy's first 'control groups' and was an experiment?
Am loving this season, did not care for last year.
ReplyDeleteIt must be a spore on her. Since Julia is an immortal the fungus wouldn't act as fast on her, than with normal people.
ReplyDeleteThat would explain why the infected was pretty much waiting outside the gate for Soren when he got thrown out.
On the other hand the infected can speak so it's not like they have lost their intelligence, so maybe they don't need to be mind controlled, but then why would they start attacking people for no reason if they weren't told to.
Maybe the writers were giving us a hint when they called it Time Machine, as I doubt a lot of people would think twice about the name of the game. Hopefully the writers will give us something to work with in the next episode, as I have way to many questions, with little answers.
ReplyDeleteI actually really liked the idea of Caleb being theirs, so I am hoping its true.
(I'm hoping at least one of our theories turns out be true!)
I liked last year's and think if it wouldn't be for last year's, this year wouldn't seem as good as it is. It just finally feels like season one built to something that I care about. Granted last year's also seemed like it had way more horror genre leanings, where this feels slightly more like a psychological thriller (It's more character driven--or about people and their relationships), but then again, it's only been 3 episodes! I'm sure they'll bring the green goo out to play! XD
ReplyDeleteAnyways, glad you're enjoying it. I wish we could the ratings up...
I liked Season 1, but I prefer Season 2 to it. (Even though it's only be 3 episodes) Season 1 at times felt like a slow burn, and there was only so much the writers could come up with in terms of story in such a confined location. This season though the writers can do a lot more since the location is bigger/more to explore.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you're enjoying it though!
http://media.tumblr.com/ca57a93feffcad56bd516f2480aa5273/tumblr_inline_nipt5klJTJ1qh86pc.gif
ReplyDelete