Killjoys finished its first season with an action-packed finale that answered many of the season-long questions, split up our core group of characters and Killjoy team, and opened up a whole new dynamic to be explored in hopefully new seasons. Not surprisingly, “Escape Velocity” was written by creator Michelle Lovretta to close the first season arc and set the stage for more Killjoy adventures. Ken Girotti directed the episode and his impressive list of credits includes Orphan Black, Vikings, and Daredevil. There was a lot of story to tell in this episode, but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the fight scenes in this episode.
We find out that Alvis (Morgan Kelly) was arrested as the instigator of the massacre by monks in the Leith Bazaar. It’s the company’s way of justifying bombing Westerley and getting out of having to award farms to the seventh generation families there. It’s a pretty clever plan on the face of it as it gets rid of the revolutionaries too. Once again, kudos to Lovretta for the careful writing all season to lead us to this satisfying payoff in the finale.
Dutch (Hannah John-Kamen), John (Aaron Ashmore), and D’Avin (Luke Macfarlane) end up being pulled in three directions. They try to help Alvis but are still trying to find out what Khlyen (Rob Stewart) is up to and then have to answer Delle (Mayko Nguyen) when she calls in her favor. All of which inevitably leads to the team having to separate.
John and D’Avin visit Bellus (Nora McLellan) on Leith to try to get answers about what really happened in the Bazaar. Bellus proves to be less informed than we’ve been lead to believe. She thinks the “scar-backs” were actually behind the massacre and she also accepts level 6 as merely a rumor. She does concede though that there have been lots of instances of killjoys simply disappearing. She also mentions rumors of agents being forced to join and rumors of gene-splicing, reanimation and other “crazy shit.” All of which we’ll see by the end of the episode… She’s also completely baffled that they’ve gotten away with breaking into the RAC.
Meanwhile, Dutch visits Alvis and brings him his prayer beads, which happily turn out to be much better than plain prayer beads! Loved the scene in which he turns them on his guard! Another cool special effect. Alvis tells Dutch that he’s confessed to save the rest of his order. He tells her about the self-sustaining bunkers under the city and how to get the codes so that there’s a refuge for the inevitable company retaliation.
I was once again struck by home much Ashmore and Kelly look alike when all three Killjoys enter the tunnels dressed in monk’s robes. I was really happy to once again see one of my favorite Toronto actors – Noah Danby – as the Rat King. Of course, that was a bit short lived as he tells the trio that they can have the codes because his people are tired of having to hide in the tunnels. I will say that having the people who have been living in the tunnels come out to be killed seemed a bit stupid to me.
However, getting the codes in the first place was a really great scene. We see John live up to what Alvis had been hinting at. When the Rat King wants a blessing for his daughter, John steps up and shocks the other two by reciting scripture and performing the blood ritual. Of course, the significant part is that John can’t let the lie of his blessing stand and confesses to the Rat King that the blessing wasn’t real because he’s not a true believer. He urges the Rat King to find a doctor for his daughter. The Rat King, however, tells John what John still doesn’t realize himself – it’s not John’s decision. Has John been chosen?
The Rat King also has the IDs of the three who stole the robes and really did commit the massacre on Leith. D’Avin takes the tags to Hills (Frank Moore), but it’s obvious he’s not surprised and he’s not going to do anything about it. Meanwhile, John and Dutch get pulled to Qresh for the vote. Pawter (Sarah Powers) gives John a note to give to her mother. Seyah (Jayne Lewis) turns out to be a massive bitch. I loved that John tried to lie to Pawter in the end about what her mother said, but she knows he’s lying. I have to say that I hated that Pawter ends up going into the bunker in an attempt to make amends for her family’s involvement.
On Qresh, it seems that Delle has taken a real interest in Dutch – and clearly not just for protection. As soon as Dutch realizes that it was simply a ploy to get her away from Old Town, she decides to leave, only to run into the assassin with the genetic bomb. We get the first indication of what they’re up against with the level 6s when Dutch stabs him in the eye and it doesn’t phase him. I loved John blowing him away and telling him to “Stop licking my partner!” In the end, Delle sets off the bomb herself.
Dutch realizes that the entire thing has been a political assassination and that the RAC has been involved at the highest level. She remarks that the RAC doesn’t do political – but then, if they are available to the highest bidder, this seems like an inevitable consequence. Clearly, there’s more to be revealed here. There’s a wonderful shot of the group entering the Ancestral Hall looking down at them on a spiral staircase that is a wonderful metaphor for the twisted labyrinth of intrigue that they find themselves caught up in.
Meanwhile, D’Avin spots Khlyen in his rooms going after the liquid that John stole and then hid there. We already know that Khlyen has cold-bloodedly killed Carleen (Danka Scepanovic) despite her telling John she was safely hidden somewhere very remote. I’m still not clear who (or why) sent John footage of Carleen dying. Regardless, D’Avin does tell Dutch that Khlyen is in his rooms and then foolishly disregards her telling him not to go after him by himself.
We learn a few interesting tidbits. Khlyen tells D’Avin he’s the reason he’s back in Dutch’s life. That it was her taking his kill warrant that showed him that she was ready to start killing again. D’Avin tells him that it was John that took the warrant, but Khlyen is undeterred. He tells D’Avin that Dutch needs him to save her from D’Avin’s mediocrity. The most interesting thing we learn is that the thing that sent Dutch away from Khlyen was him killing her husband!
It seems inevitable somehow that Khlyen should end up capturing D’Avin. We certainly had enough foreshadowing of D’Avin telling John and Dutch to get away throughout the episode do expect it to happen by the end. However, I didn’t expect D’Avin to end up as part of Red 17 on the moon Arkyn – the one which was the failed terraforming experiment. We see Fancy (Sean Baek) is already undergoing transformation into a level 6 – no doubt based on his cold-blooded killing of Big Joe.
Dutch and John return to Westerley, but it’s too late. The company ships are already on the way. Alvis remarks that he didn’t think Dutch (Killjoys) picked sides. Dutch tells him, “I’m not picking sides. I’m picking a team.” I’m latching on to that with the hope that we will see Alvis and Pawter again next season.
Pree (Thom Allison) is reluctant to leave his bar, which he declares is more than simply a bar to him. In the end, he leaves on the ship with Dutch and John. The only reason they are able to get the ship out is because Hills allows them to. Dutch accuses him of orchestrating the whole thing, but it’s clear he didn’t know about the bombing of Westerley – after all, he will lose everything now too. The last we see of Hills is him apparently being blown up in Pree’s bar.
So season one ends with a lot of answers and a huge cliffhanger. Will Dutch and John continue to be Killjoys? Will they be able to save D’Avin or will he become a level 6? Is Hills really dead? What is Delle’s next move? Is she head of the Nine – or whatever number they will now be? We see that Seyah is still alive – will Pawter and/or her family play an important role? Will Pawter and Alvis be able to get out of the bunker? And what exactly was on that transmission that John received from Carleen? Was her program able to decrypt all of the information? Hopefully, it’s at least enough to find Red 17…
In a recent interview, Lovretta stated that she has plans for the next season – or more – of
Killjoys. That’s abundantly evident by the careful writing and plotting throughout this first season. She laid the groundwork of the mythology and carefully built the universe – no small task with such a short season. Lovretta also shared that they knew going in to the season that they wouldn’t hear about a pick up before now, but that this is the likely window to hear, so hopefully once all of Syfy’s summer fare has finished airing and the dust has settled we’ll hear some positive news soon. What did you think of the finale? Are you dying for that second season? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Feel free to share this review with the hashtag #RenewKilljoys!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, Agent Carter, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The X-Files, Defiance, Bitten, Killjoys, and a few others! I'm active on the Con scene when I have the time. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
