So far I haven’t been much of a fans of the third season of Continuum. This season is a lot better than season 2 but sadly it makes unique mistakes of its own. I dare say I feel far less invested in the characters than I did before. Both Kiera and Alec (both versions) have become somewhat unlikable and Carlos is sadly too often absent. For all I know this may be by design, a cop from the future wearing a skin-tight body suit with which she can overcome super villains is only going to last for one season as a premise. Despite some other things I don’t like this show finally seems to have started growing on me again. Both this weeks episode and the one last week were directed by Amanda Tapping (Stargate, Sanctuary) and she maintains an exciting directing style.

Each of us is judged by what we leave behind

Waning Minute is set almost entirely in the future a few years before 2077. Kiera (Rachel Nichols) has managed to capture Stefan Jaworski, a Liber8 terrorist, in a remote mine. While travelling back with her prisoner her plane crashes. Kiera and Jaworski are captured by people called Gleaners, who live in the fringes of society in small agricultural communes. The Gleaners are uncertain what to do with either of them, they hate Jaworski  because he is a terrorist but they also dislike Kiera and the Corporate Congress after farming was outlawed. Kiera’s CRM has been blocked from transmitting data by Sonya Valentine (Lexa Doig). She is not a Liber8 terrorist yet and merely helps the Gleaners as a doctor. At this moment she is treating Kagame who has suffered a gunshot wound. He is allowed to take shelter because some of the Gleaners owe him a debt, but they fear that as the leader of Liber8 he will draw attention. Neither Jaworski or Kiera know that Kagame is also at the compound.

Kiera’s husband Greg hears of her death from an actuarial who offers a settlement for the air crash she was in. The actuarial suggests that pilot error was the cause which hints that the plane may have been sabotaged after Kiera informed her superiors she had captured Jaworski. Kagame meanwhile tries to recruit Sonya Valentine but she is not easily encouraged to become a terrorist. Kagame (Tony Amendola) states that the Gleaners are not truly free, they simply dangle from a longer rope. Kiera witnesses staff from the Corporate Congress loading fresh fruits grown by the Gleaners onto aircraft, at the urging of Jaworski she does not show herself as it would expose their operation. Kagame takes a bite out of an apple and drips blood on it, with his DNA all over the apple he hopes to send a message that he is still alive to the Corporate Congress.

Meanwhile some of the Gleaners are eager to sell either Kiera, Jaworski or both. The older members warn that all the money they could earn would merely draw attention. The Gleaners signal the outside world that they have Kiera. The old Alec Sadler discovers Kagame’s apple and knows where the Gleaner compound is. He orders a strike to kill everyone despite knowing Kiera is still alive. Kagame knows he needs to flee the compound before the strike and convinces Sonya to aid him walking. Kiera also manages to flee the compound to capture Jaworski who fled after killing a Gleaner. Kiera detains Jaworski and is rescued by the City Protective Services. However she is forced to watch the Gleaner compound being destroyed in an airstrike. Jaworski  taunts her that despite the jail cell he will go to he is more free than she is. Kagame and Sonya also watch the airstrike. Kagame manages to convince Sonya in joining Liber8. Alec Sadler, unaware Kiera survived gives his condolences to her husband Greg.

The episodes concludes by revealing that Kiera was reminiscing the story to the Freelancers after Curtiss Chen is revealed to have killed the alternate Kiera. Kiera explains that from now on she is no longer trapped with being a member of the CPS and thus she has become as strong as both Chen and Kagame. Meanwhile in the Freelancer jail cell one of the two alternate Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen) wakes to find Chen hanging in his cell. Alec scream for help but the guard that reacts is overpowered and killed by Chen after he wakes from his ruse. Alec looks on despondent as Chen escapes.

Conclusion

I really liked this episode. I have been waiting for a Continuum episode set entirely in the future for some time now. The origins of Liber8 are explained in some detail and one cannot do anything else but sympathize with them. I am not sure that was the idea as they are still terrorist but their goal for the first time seem more real and not just some stereotypical slogans you can expect. I was happy to see the character of Jaworski  back in action. As you may remember he was killed in the pilot episode and since then only shown in flashbacks. I can only hope his character will return through some other story telling device because his gruff straight spoken manner has definite appeal. Because Continuum is on a tight budget most of the scenes set in the future were either set outside in a quarry or in the Gleaner underground lair. However, there were enough special effects shot to make it believable. I hope the producer will do more such episodes in the future. I don’t expect to see 43 minutes worth of special effects shots in the style of Minority Report as long as the story makes it worthwhile.

As for Kiera Cameron, not that she has managed to free herself mentally of the constraints she had to live by in the future she will have opportunity to grow. Her character has become a bit stale ever since it became obvious she wouldn’t be returning to the future any time soon. With this epiphany she will instead do everything she can to prevent the Corporate Congress from ever become a reality.

Score; 9.2 / 10. One of the best episode of Continuum I have seen in a long time. Good work Amanda Tapping.

Source; http://www.showcase.ca/continuum/