Continuum “The Politics of Time” Review!

Many viewers of Continuum commenting on bulletin boards on the internet have commented that the show isn’t as good as Fringe, they mostly complain about the fact that there is less humor and horror. I think Continuum is still finding its way with those things and I think there is a risk that with too much humor the basic premise behind the series will be in jeopardy. At this moment the threat that Liber8 poses, the background story of events in the future surrounding Kiera and Kagame have in my mind really put things on a knives edge. With the start of Continuum I have been able to see more properly what the deficiencies of Fringe are. Despite it being one of my favorite TV-shows and being a real mind opener it can be rather slow at times. Especially during the last season the plot wouldn’t become interesting untill half the episode was already over.

Instead Continuum is fast paced and seems very tightly written with few scenes acting as filler. If you think at the events of any given episode of Continuum and compare them with those occurring in Fringe you will no doubt agree. Continuum seems to have the ability to go into any direction it wants in the future and I hope that it will try a bit of everything. This weeks episode of Continuum is called The Politics of Time and tries yet again to send the series into a new direction, this Carlos Fonnegra seems to take the lead with the present day Vancouver being more drawn into the story than ever before.

As for the Politics of Time…

The story of Politics of Time focuses mostly on detective Fonnegra. After Carlos dates a reporter who has had a row with a friend of his she turns up murdered. Kiera quickly notices how Carlos is attempting to distort the crime scene by deliberately leaving behind finger prints. Carlos’s friend is Jim Martin (Tahmoh Penikett) who is running in an election to become the head of a powerful trade union. Kiera and Carlos are put on the task of finding the killer and see if their is a connection with the election but after seeing footage of Carlos and the victim together Kiera begins to have doubts about his innocence. All this is interspersed with scenes from 2077 revealing Kiera’s best friend had a relationship with her husband Greg just before they were married and thus the cause of Kiera’s suspicion of Carlos is revealed.

While Alec is trying to repair Kiera’s suit Kiera discovers that her part of the time machine has been stolen by Kellog. Kiera suggest he needs it as leverage against her. Alec meanwhile has managed to download all cellphone data streams from the time of the murder and with it manages to map the room in which the victim was murdered. It reveals that Carlos is innocent and that either the wife of Jim Martin or his campaign manager is involved. After confronting them both the campaign manager gives herself up but denies being involved in the murder. As Carlos is enjoying a shower the murderer of the reporter sneaks into his apartment and tries choke him to death with a plastic bag. In a scene never before seen in TV history Carlos punches a hole in the plastic above his mouth and manages to chase away the murderer.

Jim Martin manages to win the election despite the bad publicity but upon entering his limousine we see Kagame sitting besides him, thus it is revealed that he was behind the death of the reporter. Garza drives the limo away and we see that she sports a arm injury which reveals she was the murdered. Kiera and Carlos discuss the fact that Liber8 could be behind the election violence and lament that it is just a small step for Jim Martin to become mayor of Vancouver.

Review…

Continuum was at first criticized for introducing yet another attractive lead-actress after Fringe, The X-files and many non-sci-fi shows before it. Rachel Nichols’ character Kiera Cameron came of as slightly naïve at times in the previous episodes which only fueled accusations that she is merely a pretty face to bump up ratings. After Fringe’s Anna Torv I don’t think any producer would ever recruit a plain-looking woman but I do not think Rachel Nichols was picked for just that. This episode seems to try to dispel that belief, it shows Kiera surprised by her husband Greg’s relationship with her best friend and thus being a bit naïve on a personal basis but also shows she is an intuitive police detective whilst investigating a murder. As such her character has been given flaws that make her more real.

The politics of Time is full of strong women, there is the reporter who is murdered, the ambitious wife of Carlos’s friend, their campaign manager and detective Betty Robertson (Jennifer Spence). They all reveal Carlos’s blind spot, women, whilst Kiera’s blind spot are men. This episode was written by Sara B. Cooper who with writing for Sanctuary, The X-files and the Tomb Raider movie has a lot of ability with writing interesting plots with women that are entertaining also for men.

This episodes manages to shine when it comes to the special effects and drama but it loses a bit with the character of Carlos trusting his friend Jim so blatantly.

Score; 8.5 / 10.

Source; www.syfy.com/continuum/

Next weeks episode of Continuum is entitled ‘Playtime’.