After that big cliffhanger at the end of the last episode, I’m sure everyone is excited and nervous for this episode. Prepare to hold your breath for a couple minutes longer because it’s not immediately revealed what happened to Two after she collapsed. It is a fun opening and kind of necessary because the episode gets very serious very fast and holds that tone throughout the rest of the episode, so the opening brings a few moments of much-needed levity. While I think this is a very strong episode there is a part of it that left me thoroughly confused. To be fair, I think that’s exactly what the show was going for because the characters are left every bit as confused as I expect most of the audience will be. I fully expect this story point to be picked up at a later time, but in the context of this episode, it is a tiny bit confusing.
The focus of this episode is about dealing with what has been progressively weakening the fierce leader of the Raza. As the ending of the last episode implied, Two’s life is very much on the line. She is critically ill and to save her the crew will have to take some big risks to give her even a small chance at survival. The beautiful thing about this episode is that it allows the audience an intimate look at the strong bond that unites this crew. With Two out of commission, the crew will have to learn how to adapt without her front and center.
But, we all know Two, and as the title of the episode suggests, she’s not one to go down without a fight. With the clock ticking Two makes some pretty bold choices that end up putting her entire crew in some precarious situations. Ultimately, the quest to save Two leads to life and death situations for several members of the crew. A few of them get caught up in an unfortunate encounter that doesn’t exactly go as they had hoped. Another member of the crew makes a completely selfless decision to risk everything to literally battle for Two’s life. The fight to save Two is one of the greatest examples we’ve seen of this crew working as a unified front. They are a powerful team, arguably the most powerful in the universe, but sometimes differences get in their way of fulfilling their greatness. This episode simply shows them working and thinking as a team to save one of their own and it’s a beautiful show of how bonded this makeshift family is. One character in particular really steps up, and it’s not who you’ll be expecting, but oddly, and I think this is out of respect for Two, no single person takes charge.
This episode takes the Raza to Two’s “birthplace" on Earth, and right into the heart of Dwarf Star Technologies. If you thought Two’s past was already full of unspeakable horrors then be prepared, because up until now we’ve only see a very small part of her dark past. Her early days were full of so many horrific things that it’s no surprise that Rebecca was influenced to become Portia Lin. To be perfectly honest, after this episode, fans may actually feel a bit of sympathy for Portia Lin. She was definitely the product of her early years. However, it wasn’t all dark and there were some nicer moments that explain how Two was able to emerge from Portia. Two has a strong sense of compassion that could have only been taught to her at some point in her life. Everything that happens in this episode provides a very intriguing insight into what forged Two and how she went from Rebecca to Portia Lin and ultimately to Two. There is one defining influence in her life that allowed Two to exist as we have come to know her.
This is a Two heavy episode and Melissa O’Neil does some extremely impressive work as she shows Two dealing with some very heavy situations. This episode does have that one confusing part I mentioned earlier, but the overall episode is powerful and goes a long way to further flesh out Two and her past. The sad thing is that I can’t promise that Two survives. This season has proven that having your name in the opening credits means nothing and everyone is fair game for an untimely end. Everyone on the crew fights with every fiber of their being to avoid losing Two, but with Alexander Rook (Wil Wheaton) back in the picture, you can be confident that the crew is in for a hell of a fight. To add to the stress of the crew, Two’s life isn’t the only one on the line. The crew has to rally around at least one other member of their team as their life is put in a situation as perilous as Two’s. As if all of this wasn't enough, the ending cliffhanger raises some interesting questions. I'm sure the ending will leave fans debating its meaning until the next episode airs.
Will everyone survive this episode? To find out, tune into this high-stakes episode when it airs
this Friday, August 26th at 10/9C on Syfy in the US and Space Channel in Canada. This intense episode was expertly written by Ivon Bartok and beautifully directed by Peter Deluise.
Ht the comments with your hopes for this episode. Do you think Two will survive? How dark do you think Two's past was? Are you excited to see more of Dwarf Star Technologies?
Here are some quotes to tide you over until Friday:
“You know, it’s okay to let others take care of you once in a while.”
“You’re trying to give me hope. Take my mind off of what’s going on down on that planet.”
"I understand why you did what you did."
“In case I don’t get the chance to say it…thank you.”
“What the hell was on our ship?!”
About the Author - Aimee Hicks
Aimee works for a newspaper in North Carolina and has a BA in Broadcasting and Cinema. She has been a TV lover since before she really understood what TV was. She has a long list of shows that she loves to watch and can be found on twitter (@ahicks83) live tweeting about each new episode whenever she can. If the show is sci-fi, fantasy, comic book based, drama, or action the odds are good she watches it or has at least watched a few episodes of it. She also has a love for comedies 2 Broke Girls and Mom. She was the original creator and co-founder of LOST Video Island (lostvideo.net) which is still operating under the management of the very capable and skilled group she turned it over to.
You can email her at aimee@spoilertv.com.
