SpaceGypsies

***This review contains spoilers throughout***

The A Plot of episode 4.04, “Monsoon”, begins very similarly to Amanda Tapping’s “Samantha Carter gets a love life” Stargate SG-1 episode, “Chimera”, where an annoying man approaches Sam Carter in a coffee shop with a terrible pick-up line only to turn out to be her new boyfriend. Here, we learn from Will and Henry’s expository opening (and the screen label), Magnus has traveled to an airport in Africa to meet a new associate, and when a man offers a cringe-worthy come on, the viewer wonders, “Is this really the new associate?” Magnus has barely rebuffed him when another fellow proffers cage match tickets as compensation for his rude cell phone behavior, and we again speculate. The one other woman present introduces herself to Magnus as a scientist studying lemurs. Before we can consider that perhaps *she* is really Helen’s contact, a crew of bad guys interrupts and orders everyone to hand over their bank access numbers. So…not your average pick-up scene after all.

The rest of the episode views as a cross between a “Die Hard” movie and “Ghostbusters”. Magnus deals with abnormal bandits Bruce Willis style: complete with flying glass and taking them out one by one using their own equipment and weaknesses. Newly minted “Special Agent” Abby’s promotion (and moronic new partner) threatens to submarine her progressing relationship with Will Zimmerman when they butt heads over nabbing a Stenopelohabilis (Steno, for short) on the loose. Henry’s just along for the ride on this one, and we see neither his supposedly in-residence girlfriend Erika nor Biggie.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Fandom exploded post-episode over “the kiss” – girl on girl – at the end of the episode, with passionate responses from fans of opposing viewpoints. Amanda Tapping had announced at San Diego ComicCon that Helen would have a kiss this season. From her refusal to identify the smoocher/ee as male or female, I deduced without benefit of James Watson’s abnormal intellect the osculation involved another woman. When fans have asked, Amanda has stated before that she didn’t care whether Helen had a relationship with a man or a woman and that in a life as long as Helen’s one would suspect she had had dalliances with a variety of lovers. This perspective plays well with many of Amanda’s fan base of varied sexual orientations, but not as well with more conservative viewers; that she and the writers chose this does not surprise, though regrettably, these things serve only to divide.

Amanda and many other genre actors tout the intelligence of fans. I hope that we can find a way to discuss our differences of opinion intelligently and respectfully. I find suggestions of pulling viewership over show runners’ choices virtually as ineffective as Will’s threats over pet names – unless people put their viewership where their vows are. A mass exodus of broadcast viewers could imperil a season five of Sanctuary, however, a sad prospect for true fans.

As for the remaining forty-four minutes of Monsoon, the action and acting on the Africa A Plot did not disappoint; however, I might have enjoyed a rerun of Ghostbusters equally as well as the B Plot. After ten years of Mulder and Scully, plus Profiler, Criminal Minds and Bones, I do not expect to see moronic FBI agent caricatures on a serious show. We also have another episode of Will threatening people who call him a pet name, never to follow up on his pledge. Rather than developing into a believable partner for Helen, Will seems even less capable than earlier seasons – emasculated even (but for the implied congratulatory sex with Abby on the couch in his office). The episode completely underutilizes Henry as Will’s ineffectual Tonto. The writers throw away the one aspect of the B Plot I most enjoyed – that Abby’s promotion would bring conflict between her and Will.

The guest cast included John Novak (Colonel Ronson from Stargate SG-1), who chews up the scenery as the bullet-proof bandit boss. Carlo Rota of La Femme Nikita, Queer as Folk, Little Mosque on the Prairie and 24 had fun with the cage fight promoter revealed in the end as Feliz, Helens’ associate. Both Charlie Carrick (xray-visioned Tyler) and Martin Cummins (Abby’s partner, Brad Sylvester) have genre credits including the V remake with Morena Baccarin; Cummins also played Aden Corso (another guy who came on to Sam Carter) on Stargate SG-1’s “Forsaken”, which introduced us to Warrick (Sam’s “Space Race” partner). Helen’s snogging partner, Sandrine Holt has worked on genre and other film projects and had regular roles in TV shows The L Word, Runaway and 24 – some with her Asian heritage emphasized; some, not. They all served creditably with the material given them.

My bottom line – Helen’s story line drives the show (in large part but not exclusively because of Amanda Tapping); deviation from it often as not lets me down. I prefer a focus on action and real conflict and tension in dealing with abnormals over following the characters’ sexual exploits. I find myself really missing (and looking forward to seeing) Nicola Tesla. As irritating as fun, no one gets under Helen’s skin as well as he.

Stargate fans may remember Brian Markinson as the holographic or biomechanical being “Lotan” generated by its spaceship to communicate with SG-1 in the episode “Scorched Earth”. The ship had begun terraforming the planet on which SG-1 had previously resettled the Enkarans, who refused to move (again). Markinson has had various series regular roles in Canadian-produced programs, including the Battlestar Galactica prequel spinoff, Caprica. That he showed up on Sanctuary didn’t surprise, nor did his butting heads with Samantha Carter Helen Magnus.

Having reviewed Source Code for SpaceGypsies previously, I commented how repetitions of the same event can become tedious rather than building tension. Especially in a 45-minute television episode, seeing the same scenes repeatedly uses up a lot of minute real estate without adding much to the story. Here first Henry tells his girlfriend, Erika, who has shown up with her own news (the B Plot of the episode) about a mission in Jakarta to capture an abnormal called the “Crixorum”. From there, Will and Magnus add information with each retelling the Jakarta incident from their perspectives – sort of – and answer to Markinson’s U.N. inspector for the way the mission went pear shaped. By the time Magnus kicks Greg Addison and his team out, we think we have the full story, but only after the U.N. team leave do we learn the truth.

The writers take the chance that having the viewer find out what truly happened in bits and drabs along with Addison will work like a Perry Mason episode, intriguing the viewer as the truth comes out through various witnesses’ testimonies. Only my faith in Magnus to come through in Perry fashion kept me tuned in through Addison’s relentless obnoxiousness (and his primary techie’s arrogance). I felt badly that Magnus and Will left Henry and Biggie out of the loop, too, even if they didn’t seem to mind.

Speaking of Addison’s insufferable manner, which Magnus “hangs a lantern on” early on, the writers have Magnus and Zimmerman play “good inspectee/bad inspectee.” Helen seems uncharacteristically calm about the UN inspection. Will even calls her on her “zen” attitude, but I would classify it more as “resigned”, which isn’t the Helen Magnus we have come to know over three seasons. It begs the question, “How much has 113 years of solitude and reflection changed Helen, and will we like this version?”

Will responds with the most vocal irritation through most of the episode, including to Addison calling him “Sport” and profiling him; his physical threats ring empty because he does not follow through. I don’t buy Zimmerman as any sort of menace any more than Addison does. We have no doubt, however, that Magnus will keep her promise – the real zinger of a retort – when she tells the pompous blowhard, “You come near us again, and I’ll arrangefor you to be eaten.” I much prefer this Helen to the zen one.

The B Plot, Erika’s HAP pregnancy, raises some questions. With Kate Freelander’s absence, will Erika appear regularly? Magnus says her pregnancy could last as long as 22 months, but, with everything going on, “The Sanctuary is no place for a baby.” Might this forecast Henry’s departure? I hope not, though I know Ryan Robbins has many projects on the go. Henry provides so many comedic, tender and fun geek moments – his opening scene with Erika arriving (“Stopping? Listening!”) provided one of the best of the episode – that his exodus would leave a gaping hole. I’d sooner see Will leave.

*Sun Tzu, who also said, “All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.”

When I taught a summer writing class a few years ago, I suggested a way to give feedback on the writing shared. For this review of Sanctuary’s season four episode two (aka part two of the season premiere), “Uprising,” I will offer “what I liked about it” and then “what I think would make it even better.”

***This review contains episode spoilers throughout.***

What I liked about “Uprising”:

Sadly, my favorite thing about the episode was the references to other shows; writers throwing those little gems into the dialogue make me happy.  Henry’s “Better…faster…stronger” line harks back to the 70’s TV show, Six Million Dollar Man. Will uses a line from The Princess Bride: “Have fun storming the castle.” Whether intentional or accidental on the writer’s part, Tom McBeath as Villanova makes an allusion to his Stargate SG-1 character Colonel Harry Maybourne and an episode in which he figured prominently, “Foothold.”

I noticed that Pascale Hutton (as Abby Corrigan) looked lovelier than ever, which made her Captain Kirk routine – leaving a lover at every mission location – more believable. Frankly, in the past, she has appeared almost frumpy and a lot less competent. She deserved Magnus’s, “Well done, you.”

We do receive some preparatory explanation for Kate’s future absence from episodes.

I’m enjoying more Bigfoot involvement beyond serving tea and growling. We see Biggie – rather than one of his less hairy counterparts – figure out someone has a “different agenda.”

While obscure genre references, focusing on competency, laying the groundwork for future developments and using existing (interesting) characters more all improve a show, I had a few bones to pick:

I understand the show runners’ choice to separate the “Victorian England” action and storyline from the present-day action into two different episodes. While that afforded Amanda Tapping another opportunity to direct without juggling a demanding role as well, the dearth of Magnus/Tapping makes for a fairly dull episode. Faced with the daunting task of making all the talking heads on computer monitors interesting, Tapping did the best she could with the material given; I chalk this one up to bad (boring) writing.

Helen’s (uncharacteristic) almost immediate revelation to Will of her whereabouts jarred me; Helen has always maintained more mystery than that. I think I might have enjoyed it more had she refused to tell him anything.

Speaking of Dr. Zimmerman, I also do not buy the others making him head of the Sanctuary Network on even a temporary basis. Most of the other heads of household have worked for the network for many years. Regardless of his position as Magnus’s protégé and the elimination of his glasses and Will-vision, he in no way inspires my confidence in him – nor obviously that of the world leaders who refuse to take his calls – as Person In Charge of a Starbucks much less the whole network. I think the show runners have taken this step prematurely. It could have been even better if…there had been at least *some* discussion and/or disagreement to them handing him the keys to the kingdom rather than unanimous agreement.

Sometimes the little things bother me. For example, Henry spends a whole conversation packing a messenger bag that Villanova’s goons take from him before he enters the compound; they could have eliminated the useless actor “business” or had Henry fight to keep his toys. The writers attempted to humanize Villanova with the story about his son’s death, but his annihilation of large numbers of sentient beings spoke volumes more, making that scene obsolete. Without a firm grasp of David Milchard’s other work, I will chalk up his wooden characterization of Garris, the reluctant Hollow Earth leader, to the cat’s-eye contacts; I have no excuses to offer the young woman who played the empath (and looked like she had appendicitis) nor Agam Darshi’s sudden turn as a coy schoolgirl telling Garris she’s going with him. A scene in which Helen asks Kate to go would serve better.

If we take this as part two of a two-part season opener, I remain optimistic for the season; as a stand-alone, this episode disappoints.

When last we left Doctor Helen Magnus (“Into the Black”, Season 3 finale), she had followed old nemesis, Adam Worth, into Victorian London in hopes of thwarting his plans to go back in time to save his daughter, Imogene, who originally died of “a rare blood disease” (Leukemia).

NOTE: The first section of this review contains casting spoilers only. However, the reader is warned that following the double lines, the text includes content spoilers for the season premiere.

Martin Wood directs “Tempus” with his customary deft hand. As one who enjoys the “split screen” shots less than others do, I appreciated the limited use of it this time. “Tempus” has the rich, sumptuous look of Victorian England, aided by Christina McQuarrie’s elegant Magnus and Watson costuming. Lee Wilson and his group at Anthem have done themselves proud yet again. The special effects of this episode meet and exceed the standards set in previous seasons with seamless doppelganger shots involving both characters who’ve traveled back in time.

Guest appearances by Peter Wingfield as James Watson and Ian Tracey as Adam Worth, do not disappoint; Margot Berner plays Adam’s daughter, Imogene, with the sweetness and innocence of youth and makes us feel for the doomed girl.  Christopher Heyerdahl returns as John Druitt (with hair!), the only other series regular cast member in the episode besides Amanda Tapping.

Before I knew it the closing credits rolled and left me wanting to know more. As with all good storytelling, this “chapter” offers new questions while answering some, leaving us to ponder the possible consequences and eagerly anticipate the rest of the once-again-13-episode season.

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October Sky, in which he played the author and real-life NASA rocket scientist, Homer Hickam, provided my first movie encounter with Jake Gyllenhaal (as a lead). A dozen years later, in his Source Code character, Colter Stevens, we find the same kind of everyday guy – someone we might go to school or work with – in difficult circumstances racing to overcome obstacles to pursue his scientific (and personal) desires. To carry the comparison further, both characters have encouraging, supportive females present and have a difficult relationship with their father.

Gyllenhaal’s Homer Hickam blossomed under the tutelage of a beautiful and sweet, though sickly, high school teacher Miss Riley, who (along with his mother) supported his teen exploits into rocket science in the age of the cold war era race to the moon. Colter Stevens, an army helicopter pilot, pursues a different explosive science.

Stevens awakens from the last thing he remembers – flying a mission in Afghanistan – to find himself in the body of another man named Sean Fentress, aboard a commuter train to Chicago. Moments later an explosion detonates, killing everyone on the train. Stevens awakens again, this time inside a pod of some kind, strapped into his seat as he would be on an aircraft. We hear a disembodied voice trying to communicate with him; eventually Air Force Capt. Colleen Goodwin, played by Vera Farmiga, identifies herself and reminds him who he is. The Source Code project allows him to participate in the last eight minutes of another person’s life, sending him on a mission – no choosing whether to accept it or not – to identify the terrorist responsible for blowing up the train because the same party will activate additional devices later in the day. Goodwin urges Stevens to complete his mission as the Source Code thrusts him repeatedly back into the last eight minutes of Sean Fentress’s life.

While the story line and multiple renditions of the same event beg the inevitable comparisons with such recent flicks as Dennis Quaid’s Vantage Point and Denzel Washington’s Déjà vu or even the older Millenium (airplane crash investigator meets time-travelers), Source Code weaves its own, unique tale. Gyllenhaal hasn’t the same je ne sais quoi of those older actors, but this dis-ease in his own skin lends credibility to his jumping into another man’s life. He doesn’t know it all; he *questions* it all – what Goodwin and the “mad scientist” project head Dr. Rutledge tell him, where he is, and what he can or cannot accomplish. He shows no complacency or acceptance of his supposed fate. Between the deft direction of Duncan Moore, the editing and the other aspects of the story – future bombings to prevent (not just resolve the train bombing) and Stevens’ personal story merging with that of Fentress – the repetitive nature of the plot created a great, building tension rather than becoming tedious.

Source Code is a timely, not-too-distant-future sci-fi story that does not disappoint. If you like mystery/suspense as well as sci-fi, you probably will enjoy Source Code. This review is based on a DVD viewing rather than theatrical release.