2023/02/11

In 2012 Continuum came to our screens! It was a procedural show mixed with SCI-FI, mainly because it was also a time travel show. Back in 2012 I was hungry for SCI-FI shows in space, unfortunately the last one just got cancelled in 2011, Stargate Universe, and we only had Doctor Who which always had a few episodes a season set in space. When Continuum came, although it was not that kind of a show, I still sunk my teeth into it! It was at least SCI-FI, I mean, time travel! It had a great cast, seasoned actors who all had their fair share into SCI-FI! Rachelle Nichols was the lead actor, she played Kiera Cameron, Rachel also played before on shows like Alias and The Inside but she was also briefly in the Star Trek 2009 movie. Victor Webster plays Carlos Fonnegra, Viktor’s previous roles include Mutant X, Moonlight and Harper’s Island. Even the young Eric Knudsen, who plays Alec Sadler, previously was on the short lived TV show Jericho.

The terrorist group Libert8 also holds some impressive names in the SCI-FI world. Like Tony Amendola Kagame (Bratac in Stargate SG1),, Lexa Doig plays Sonya, well she has a list on SCI-FI as long as my arm. To name a few: Andromeda, Stargate SG-1, The 4400. Same for Roger Cross who is Travis Verta, his previous roles include: First Wave, Eureka, Taken, Stargate SG1 and later of course also Dark Matter. William B Davies as the older Alec Sadler, the cigarette smoking man on the X-files and Stargate SG1 in the later seasons. Then you have Jennifer Spence (SGU, The 4400, Travelers), Brian Markinson (Stargate SG1, Caprica, Salvation), Terry Chen (The Expanse, Sanctuary), Stephen Lobo (Painkiller Jane, Smallville, Snowpiercer, Travelers), Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary, Falling Skies, Stargate SG1), all actors with a heavy SCI-FI history and future SCI-FI shows.

The first season slowly builds up the storyline, Kiera, CPS officer in 2077, thinks she accidentally got sent back to 2012 with the Liber8 terrorist group, during the 1^st season she finds out this may not be the case. She is conflicted because she desperately wants to go home back to 2077 to be back with her son and husband but on the other hand, in the present, 2012, she wants to do her part in stopping Liber8. Just when they traveled back to 2012, she did saw her husband acting all panicky when he noticed she was with the prisoners in the same room, suggesting that he also might know something more about her being sent back to 2012. Rachel Nichols portrays her so perfectly, she is a very talented actress, the way she expresses herself, her body language, those eyes, you really feel what she is trying to bring over to the audience.

Alec Sadler is also a very significant character both in the present as also in the future. In 2077 he is a very powerful man. He is the founder of one of the biggest corporations in the future, SadTech. In the present he is the one who accidentally comes in contact with Kiera, his tech is (of course) similar to the tech Kiera uses in 2077 with her (internal) communication device. She comes to rely on Alec heavily not knowing who he is at that point, not knowing that his stepbrother Julian also has a very important role in the present but also in 2077.

Carlos Fonnegra becomes Kiera’s partner on the police force. Alec has arranged a background for her, saying she’s works for section 6, a secret federal organization and she is loaned out to this police force to help with apprehending Liber8 because she is specialized, but reality no such organization exists. Carlos trusts her but he also knows he never gets the full truth from her up to this point, which is logical because how could she explain this to him.

I have to say in regard to the Liber8 characters, although these are some seasoned actors, in regard of character growth, I missed this with these characters, only in the last episode of the first season you begin to see something going on there. Of these Liber8 characters I think Kellog had the most growth spurt in this first season. But he starts from a different starting point, not so much someone who has no problem with killing, he thinks different than his Liber8 friends. All throughout the season you do begin to wonder who is the wrong one in this, Liber8 or the corporations? Of course Liber8 is wrong because they are willing to kill thousands but the corporations do not seem to be any better.

The Season One Episodes:

There isn’t a bad episode among these first 10 season one episodes, I think on average it would grade the season an 8 out of 10. Every single episode is engaging, there aren’t any filler episodes, it is in fact a roller coaster ride from first to last episode. Every episode also shows a few scenes from the future, 2077, usually it connects to something happening in present day, 2012. In these scenes from the future you often see things about her husband, about his work, that is a bit questionable. Also that Kiera at one point starts to doubt some things she has to do as a CPS officer. The link between 2077 and 2012 is of course Alec, who is a young genius in 2012 and is for Kiera a real support, especially in these first episodes where she feels she is all alone. It seems that Alec Sadler from the future is not so noble as the young man in 2012. It is hard to favor a first season episode except for one, the season finale “End Time” is for me the best episode this season. Julian, Alec’s brother, who throughout the first season, was a little bit more than an extra but in this last episode it becomes clear that he is revered in 2077. Kagame has a plan for himself the audience will not expect but also what he has planned for Travis and Sonya comes perhaps as a surprise. Gardiner (Nicolas Lea), a federal agent, is suspicious about Kiera and Section 6, sees Kiera disappear before his eyes. Alec tells Kiera that her travelling back in time was not an accident but purposely done! Instigated by future Alec Sadler! 

Season Two Episodes:

In the first 3 episodes: In season two it becomes clear that Kiera has been chosen on purpose by old Alec Sadler. Liber8 is behind the shooting of the Mayor. Young Alec moves out his parents’ home, looking for a job. And Kiera has become sort of a vigilante, only having contact with Carlos in the police department. Travis, who survives Sonya’s attack ends up in prison where Julian also is. Gardiner gets himself attached to the Liber8 taskforce, mainly because he doesn’t trust Kiera. During a prison transfer, Travis is being rescued and Kiera and Carlos barely come out alive. During the transfer Travis tries to convince Kiera to switch sides. Alec gets a job offer from Kellog and takes it. Sonya and Travis are at war now, Jason contacts Kiera, telling her that there are freelancers around, also time-travelers who most likely can go back and forward in time. Travis organizes the gangs in the city, which makes him even more dangerous. When Alec tries a drug, slightly modified by Sonya’s people but similar to a drug in 2077, he sees his mother together with Jason!

In episode 4, “Second Skin”, Another CPS agent has arrived from the future, Kiera’s partner but she came back to 1975! She dies but leaves the suit. Travis and Sonya want that suit also. Even Gardiner gets wind of it and wants it. Alec has met a girl. An emotional moment between Kiera and Carlos when Kiera learns Elena, her partner from 2077, has died peacefully. In “Second Thoughts”, Kiera has a lousy day because it’s her son’s birthday, when Dillion is fired, Gardiner fueling everything up, she breaks and almost knocks him down. Her CMR projects a psychiatric counselor who judges if she is fit for duty. Kiera needs to help herself and Betty when there is incriminating information about Kiera, gathered by Betty. Note - Definitely one of the best episodes, in the final moment we see Betty step in Ingram’s car! In “Second Truths” Kiera recognizes a case in 2013 she worked on in 2077! Her advices to Carlos, that there are 2 killers, are to him unfunded and unwelcome. Kiera gets to talk with Escher, arranged by Dillon. Carlos finally learns the truth about Kiera, that she is a time-traveler but he just doesn’t believe and does not want to be around her anymore. Kiera gets captured by the 2^nd killer, rescued by Carlos who says he believes her now. Kellog loses profit to Escher and Alec lets Emily into the lab, against Kellog’s wishes. In “Second Degree” Julian is found not guilty, Emily shows severe fighting skills when a man has entered Alec’s student house and killed two of his roommates. Bodies have been stolen from the morgue by Section 6 but Kiera knows of course that Section 6 does not exist. Gardiner and Kiera start working together! Soon to be Mayor Jim Martin works with Sonya.

In “Second Listen” Alec gets kidnapped by Garza and it becomes clear that in 2077 they knew each other intimately. Gardiner has a lead to those men who stole the bodies. Kiera believes that Escher is involved but he tells her that these men are freelancers, to be recognized by some tattoo’s between the fingers. Man who attacked Emily also had these tattoo’s. Escher has the same tattoo’s. Gardiner goes missing after getting very close to the men behind the stolen bodies. In “Seconds…” Dillon is back at the same time Julian has been released. Upon his release, Julian/Alec’s mother gets shot. Kiera goes a bit of the deep end, going too far with kidnapping Julian, approved by Dillon. Later questioning herself if perhaps this was the reason why Julian becomes what he was in 2077. Note: Great episode but at some points very uncomfortable to watch with the way Kiera is behaving.

In “Second Wave” Garza gets captured by Kiera & Carlos, Kiera even gets a free pass in interrogating Garza but she won’t talk. Walking in a crowd where Julian is speaking Kiera gets noticed by freelancers, she manages to escape but is later captures by Julian’s people. Garza escapes the precinct but is later captured by the freelancers. Escher is still using Emily, she wants out he doesn’t let her. Lucas sees Chen, who is supposed to be dead! He, Chen, also has a tattoo between the fingers! In “Second Guess” Lucas keeps seeing Kagame, Julian turns himself in because everybody believes he is the hacker the police is searching for. Julian points the finger at his stepbrother. New Mayor tries to play Sonya as well as Travis, which turns out to be a huge mistake. While arresting Lucas, Kiera finds the other pieces of the time-travel device. Arc seems to be the “hacker”, Alec decides to destroy it. Julian is the mastermind after all, he is the one posing a Kagame in Lucas’ mind. Lucas is put in an mental institution where he still sees Kagame’s which aren’t there.

In “Second Last” Kellog tries to remove Escher but that backfires. He gives Travis access to the lab, Travis threatens Alec and Emily and steals the second suit. Kiera is being set for a murder she did not commit. Alec confronts Jason about his fatherhood. Emily tells Alec the truth about why she came into his life. Kiera and Carlos come to Jason’s place but are being followed by the freelancers, a shooting war starts. Emily throws away the device, figuring the shooting would stop. Kiera goes after it, leaving Emily behind, becoming a target. An angry Alec goes to Escher.

In the season finale “Second Time” Escher has a huge revelation to tell Alec. Dillon no longer sees Kiera as an ally and Carlos is also persona non grata. Freelancers want to stop anybody trying to time-travel ever again. Captured Kiera is freed by Carlos and he punches his commander. He no longer feels he can be a cop. He takes Betty with him, visits someone unexpected. Escher has created a portal and with the device, time-travel should work. Kiera really wants to go but the Freelancers come again to try and stop this. But when there is an opening, it is not Kiera who gets to go…. . Old Sadler knew what Liber8 was up to, he deliberately let it continue hoping that it would change their present. Her husband was also in the loop of Sadler’s plan, but he wasn’t aware that Kiera was in that room, that she was chosen to go with. Final moments we see Kiera, Kellog, Jason , Garza and Sonya imprisoned by the Freelancers.

Final Word:

The first two seasons are really good, for me it was a gift when Continuum first released in 2012 because it was SCI-FI and it was solid. The characters are interesting, evolve over the course of two seasons. Every episode we do see a few scenes from 2077 which makes you realize even more you are watching not just a cop show, but also a SCI-FI show. Another plus is that the show was released on Blu-ray, which I was extra happy with because I want to watch my SCI-FI in the best possible PQ. Two more seasons to go…well 1.5 to be honest, but it ends with closure, which, for a SCI-FI fan, is never a given!