Tag: Hard Sun

Travelers Season 3 Episode 8: Archive Recap

~ Metacrone

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Welcome to the beginning of the end, fellow Travelers! Episode 8 marks the start of the story cycle that will take us through the season finale. These are three exciting, well-written episodes, and I’m looking forward to writing about them. They’re also very emotional and filled with plot and science.

So, rather than spoil anything, let’s get started.

The scene opens on beloved Canadian actor Christopher Heyerdahl, who you’ll definitely recognize from somewhere if you’ve watched any genre TV in the last 30 years. His character, Andrew Graham, is alone outside, in a deserted area, wearing a pair of coveralls and burning the personal effects of Linda MacVicar, who was Aleksander Andrieko’s foster mother in S3 Ep3. He even has her purse and phone.

The phone rings as he’s slowly removing and examining the items in her purse. He gently places a unicorn figure on top of the pile, then answers the phone, but doesn’t speak. It’s Linda’s foster son, Ronnie, who was also shown in episode 3.

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Hard Sun Season 1 Episode 4: Can You Hear Him Now? Recap

~ Metacrone

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Episode 4 continues the story of the Good Samaritan killer, which was begun in the previous episode. The Grim Reaper seems to have become an agent of chaos, in addition to his role as bringer of death. He’s given up on trying to get God’s attention, and wants to send a message to humanity and to Father Dennis instead. Father Dennis has become the stand in for an absent God, while the entire cast are becoming new versions of Job, with the threat of Hard Sun slowly stripping everything they love from their lives .

The other characters also put time into their season long story arcs, but without the same intensity that we’ve seen in previous episodes. After the deep questions of episode 3, this episode focusses on much more mundane questions. Hard Sun is still coming, but no one particularly cares what it is or what it means, as long as they can take care of their own until it gets here.

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Hard Sun Season 1 Episode 3: Luke 21:25 Recap

~ Metacrone

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In this episode, society and individuals continue to unravel. People don’t need confirmation that the Hard Sun files were telling the truth, they instinctively know that something’s going on, and that this is the explanation. But Elaine didn’t release all of the science, so everyone is turning to other realms to explain what’s happening. Hard Sun graffiti is becoming ubiquitous, with “What is Hard Sun?” joining “Hard Sun is coming” all over London. Bargaining and questioning are joining anger and denial as the characters work their way through the stages of grief and dying.

Episode 2 touched on the Hard Sun Truthers, who believe that there’s a scientific explanation and want it released. This episode begins to explore the religious and philosophical ramifications. Hard Sun is beginning to take on the guise of biblical prophecy. Through a delusional serial killer, a stubborn priest, and the Old Testament story of Job, it explores the ways religion rationalizes catastrophic events that happen to the masses, and bad things that happen to good people. Religious motifs dominate the episode.

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Hard Sun Season 1 Episode 2: One Thousand, Eight Hundred Days Recap

~ Metacrone ~ 1 Comment

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The overt theme of episode 2 is protection of loved ones and how that’s best accomplished. Do you tell all and keep them close? Do you keep secrets and keep them at a distance? Do you lose hope and give up on life? Do you become so overprotective that you’re willing to cross any line to protect your own?

Do you stick your head in the sand and pretend the crisis isn’t happening for as long as you possibly can?

That’s the choice of most of the British people, as Elaine has the Hard Sun story published, but MI5 quickly has it debunked as a hoax. Elaine and Charlie are now relatively safe, but left with the underlying theme of the night, paranoia. The paranoia theme is really the stronger theme, since Elaine and Charlie don’t trust each other, Charlie’s family life is strained, Daniel is spiraling again, Grace continues to stalk them, and there’s a new serial killer on the lose, inspired by the Hard Sun story.

The cinematography is very Hitchcockian, with odd camera angles and shadows that distort people and make locations look sinister. Elaine and Charlie spend a lot of time looking sideways at each other, instead of straight on, slyly trying to determine if the other can be trusted, or if they can get away with their next lie. There’s a strange glow to the light, reminding us at all times that the Hard Sun is coming, and the changes have already begun.

The villain of the week looks like Harry Potter’s friend Hagrid gone bad, grimacing insanely at everyone he encounters. He even goes to Hagrid’s isolated cottage in the country. We’re reminded that a friendly giant turned into a scared, violent ogre is only the beginning of the troubles ahead.

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Hard Sun Season 1 Episode 1: The Sun, The Moon, The Truth Recap

~ Metacrone

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My review of season 1 is HERE.

Hard Sun is the code name for a secret government file of documents that show the progress of a world-wide extinction level event occurring over the course of the next five years caused by changes in the sun. It’s also the code name for the event itself, which is already underway. Though there will be graffiti all over London that reads “Hard Sun Is Coming”, that’s not really true. Hard Sun is already here.

The government doesn’t want you to know that, though, and they’re willing to kill to keep the secret for as long as possible. Hard Sun, the TV show, begins with a government agent reading the Top Secret file in her office, her face turning ashen as she understands its implications. She is Grace Morrigan (Nikki Amuka-Bird), MI5 agent and one of our major characters.

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Hard Sun Season 1 Review

~ Metacrone ~ 1 Comment

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Welcome to HULU and the BBC’s new apocalypse prequel! Hard Sun is a 6 episode crime drama/”end of the world is coming” combination, from Luther creator Neil Cross, focusing on two detectives who accidentally find out about the prediction that there are only 5 years left until the sun destroys life on earth, and an MI5 agent who’s determined to keep the news under wraps and maintain normal society for as long as possible, no matter who she has to hurt to do it.

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