In
last night’s episode of SyFy’s Helix,
the gruesome carnage of last week was replaced with interminable sibling
squabbles among the various characters. Besides
borrowing heavily from a variety of sci-fi and horror sources, Helix draws considerable inspiration
from TV soap operas. There were only
two fatalities, a disappointingly low count, though one was fairly spectacular.
The show was not as much about the impact of Narvik B, the bioengineered virus
destined to alter the future of the human race, or the Ilaria Corporation’s
efforts to retrieve it for use in their evil plan for world domination. It was all about family.
Tanuk
confronts Anana about his sister’s love of the treacherous Major Balleseros,
who may still be an Ilarian agent. Miksa
confronts his stepsister Julia about their father’s evident preference for his genetically
altered daughter over his adopted son.
Allen, who we learned episodes ago is technically Dr. Hatake’s ex-son in
law since he was once married to Hatake’s daughter Julia, confronts Hatake
about his hubris in designing a virus that could bring immortality to the human
race. While sneaking around in the air
ducts, Peter, now no longer a zombie, confronts his brother Allen for being a
know-it-all and never taking him seriously.
Spencer, the Ilarian assassin also known as ‘the Scythe’, confronts Dr.
Hatake about decapitating his mother, the hazardous Constance Sutton.
Where
are the zombies when you need them most?
But most of them were either cured or dispatched in the past couple of
episodes. On Day 12 only a small remnant of the original research team has
survived all this. They are holed up in “the
cabin”, a bunker deep below the Arctic Biosystems laboratory—a place made to
look like Julia’s childhood home, which in fact it was. While the staff grow increasingly anxious and
rebellious, Allen, Peter, Julia, Miksa and Dr. Hatake—the “good guys”—play a
game of cat and mouse with the Scythe and his two Ilarianettes. Meanwhile, among the Inuits, Anana, Balleseros
and Miksa’s twin brother Tanuk strategize about how to save the villagers from
another attack by the Ilarians.
(Playing
a twin on this show definitely ensures the longevity of the actor’s contract.)
Along
the way, we learn that the Scythe, whose real name is Spencer, is a couple of centuries old, even though he looks like a
high school kid. And Dr. Hatake was born
in 1501. This argues for the earlier hypothesis that
there is some extraterrestrial connection with Ilaria and “the 500”. Given the timeframes involved, the technology
needed for bioengineering would not have been available during Spencer’s or
Hatake’s life span. The silvery eyes and
miraculous healing powers of those exposed to the beneficial effects of Narvik
B are due to incorporation of alien DNA.
The
canisters of Narvik A and Narvik B virus are scrimmaged back and forth between Team
Arctic Biosystems and Team Ilaria. Julia is stolen from the group during a
claustrophobic elevator scene, and suffers the brutality of her captor, the
Scythe. This includes the removal of one
of her fingers, which is then sent in a letter to the group in the bunker. Further dismemberment is threatened unless
the virus is turned over to the vengeful and sociopathic Scythe. (Dismemberment and decapitation have been
recurring themes in the show.)
The
Scythe achieves his vengeance against Hatake by wiring both Julia and Miksa
with explosive collars and having him choose which one will live. Perhaps this is a metaphor for the difficult
choices parents must often make. Sometimes
you just have to let a youngster make his or her own decisions, even if it
means their head might explode. There is a touching if messy scene of parent-child
reconciliation followed by horrific self sacrifice. Hatake overpowers the hateful Scythe, knocks
him to the floor and deactivates the remaining collar. For the moment, Team Arctic Biosystems gains
the upper hand.
But
wait, what is in that big box the Ilarian’s brought to the base? Like a gameshow hostess, the remaining
Ilarianette twirls some dials, and the mysterious container falls open. It’s—somebody’s mom!
The
season finale is next week, and the coming attractions appropriately ask: “Who
will survive?” For more information, see
Helix | Syfy. Helix is on SyFy Friday nights at 10:00.
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