Tag: science fiction

Travelers Season 2 Episode 8: Traveler 0027 Recap

~ Metacrone

Trav208GraceTrevMac

This episode is a big one for the season and the series, with the trial and vindication of Grace/0027, the rushed discovery of the real traitor programmer, the dismantling of the quantum frame (for real this time, it appears), and our first peek at the face of God the Director, through the almost forgotten super secret two-way communication that Ellis made possible.

It’s a lot to pack into one episode, so let’s get started.

The episode begins with the Faction on vacation in the country, taking full advantage of the opportunities now available to them in the 21st century. The team is observing the rebels and their lakeside cabin hideout, while Phillip uses some fancy new software to establish TELLs for the two guards who are easily visible. As they’re overwritten to become travelers, a third rebel comes around the corner, ready to shoot, so that one has to be killed instead of overwritten. MacLaren sends the two new travelers into the cabin, where they force the three rebels who are eating lunch to surrender. Why fight when it would make you spill your delicious 21st century soup?

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Travelers Season 2 Episode 7: 17 Minutes Recap

~ Metacrone ~ 8 Comments

Trav207TrevPhilMarcy

In 17 Minutes, we try something a little different from the intensity of last few episodes. So much so, in fact, that Brad Wright, credited writer on the episode, forgot to include most of the plot. It’s a classic repeating time loop episode, this time combined with the goal of preventing the massacre of the team at the hands of the Faction.

As we begin, Katherine receives a giant, gorgeous bouquet of roses from her mother. It turns out it’s her and Grant’s 10 year wedding anniversary, and he hasn’t acknowledged it yet, even though it’s already 7:00 AM!! She sends him a pointed text to remind him that he’s a lousy husband and that she was bussed in from the 1950s.

Meanwhile. the team gathers for a road trip to a lake in the mountains where a meteorite is about to crash that’s crucial to the science of time travel. While they prep, we get some more misogynist dialogue about the “girl’s” training in “21st Century Female Behavior” letting Mac know that Kat is right, he’s a failure as a husband. It must be 8:00 AM by now and he hasn’t even sent flowers, never mind bought her diamond jewelry.

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Travelers Season 2 Episodes 1-6- Review and Analysis of the First half of the Season

~ Metacrone ~ 1 Comment

Team&Frame

 

The Travelers season 1 finale left the show set up with several crises waiting for season 2. Marcy had been rebooted and we weren’t sure how she was. The Director had been rebooted and was under attack. We weren’t sure how it was, and there was the possibility that it wouldn’t win against the Faction. Grace and Trevor had been shot by Ellis, who’d then been killed by a messenger from either the Director or the Faction. Something was downloading into the quantum frame. There were conflicting messages about whether to kill MacLaren or destroy the quantum frame. Forbes and a strike team were staring at the group in the barn, ready to arrest them all.

It sounds like the set up for an exciting season, but they’d taken care of most of these issues by the end of the first episode, using deus ex machina once again. Everyone who was hurt is okay, thanks to deus ex nanites. Time travel seemed to be working fine. The quantum frame was being dismantled. Most of the FBI agents in MacLaren’s office were now travelers, including Forbes, so everyone was set free and forgiven any crimes.

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Travelers Season 2 Episode 6: U235 Recap

~ Metacrone ~ 1 Comment

Trav206GanginNavalBase

This episode brings the plague and Faction civil war arcs to a close with a giant hand wave from the Director and a whisper from Grace. It’s all very Deus Ex Director Machina. As with episode 6 in season 1, Helios 685, the team spends the episode doing Very Important Things that mostly don’t matter, because the Director will eventually manage to pull off the save.

The episode picks up back at headquarters, with Jenny being moved onto a gurney. They toss her on it instead of placing her gently, then start questioning her again. Carly brilliantly holds her at gunpoint. I don’t know what happened to her IQ this season. Jenny tells her to go ahead and shoot, she wants to die anyway (They brought her back from a suicide attempt 5 minutes ago in their time, FFS.)

Jenny won’t tell them where the frame is or how many Faction members are in the 21st. Grace reminds them that there could be thousands more in the frame. Trevor says it could be anybody they meet.

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Travelers Season 2 Episode 5: Jenny Recap

~ Metacrone ~ 8 Comments

Trav205JennyMarcyCarly

As with season 1, this season’s episode 5 is a game changing episode that reveals what the future world is like, and just how dangerous the 21st is for the Travelers. This time, Travelers inadvertently start a plague instead of preventing one, and realize that they’ve been used by the Faction for months.

Almost everyone’s life is at risk from the new plague. Victims bleed from their eyes before they die, so you know it’s bad. Global pandemic stories are the best.

Part of me feels like this recap should be a transcript of the entire episode. There are a lot of important facts thrown out at a rapid pace, so it’s easy to miss some. I’ll try to control myself.

We pick up not long after 11:27 ended. Jenny commands Phillip/3326 to access memory chain 71985VX and write the information down on her white board. He does so silently, as if he’s in a trance. When he finishes, Dr Derek/D13, the Director’s favorite super doctor, arrives to get a copy of the formula. Jenny told Derek that she would send him a copy, but he was so excited that he wanted to see it for himself. He says that parts of the formula will be difficult to reproduce, takes photos of the whiteboard, and leaves.

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Travelers Season 2 Episode 4: 11:27 Recap

~ Metacrone ~ 2 Comments

Trav204BishopMac

The team is ordered to take part in not one, but two terrorist attacks this episode, occurring simultaneously, against a thinly veiled version of agribusiness conglomerate Monsanto and MacLaren’s old friend Congressman Bishop. They are forced to improvise, as always, with the usual mixed results, but this time the Director is watching them closely.

Carly buys a bomb from a guy at a preagreed spot next to a dumpster in an alley, using codewords and a text conversation on her phone to identify herself. She tells the guy they shouldn’t have any more contact, now that their business is concluded.

Trevor delivers a bomb to a woman using the same code words and text conversation as identification. The package is a different size than the one Carly received. The team has inserted themselves as a middle man in this transaction to make sure that the woman (Abby) is successful with her bomb.

She asks Trevor questions about the safety parameters of the bomb, and he gives her some very specific warnings, including telling her she shouldn’t take it through a metal detector, or blow herself up trying to get through security. Guess we know what went wrong the first time.

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Travelers Season 2 Episode 3: Jacob Recap

~ Metacrone ~ 3 Comments

Trav203JacobCarly

This episode is a race against time, as more travelers who have been tortured while bound to wheelchairs are discovered, and the team realizes they have a serious problem on their hands. These travelers died instead of escaping, but their team leader was spared, so Mac and the gang race to find him and the man responsible for the abductions. There is also a significant time jump, allowing the team to become old hands at living in the 21st, and the spring flowers to become dreary fall clouds.

We open with Mac watching Kat through his rainy car window as she approaches. She’s all out of focus and flowing, idealized and soft. Here we go again. He gets so annoying when he decides to be the perfect husband to his perfect 21st century model wife. Future girls never looked like that.

She gets in the car and asks if he’s told Walt about the baby. He replies that he hasn’t told anybody. They share a soft, secret smile. Ha, he’s not keeping it from people solely for the reason she thinks.

Cut to an abandoned building with bloody, tortured travelers bound to wheelchairs, being asked familiar questions by the screen in front of them. What is your mission? When are you from? The sound of a gunshot can be heard as the screen goes dark.

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Travelers Season 2 Episode 2: PROTOCOL 4 Recap

~ Metacrone ~ 1 Comment

Trav202Marcy&David

The travelers take a minute to deal with their personal lives in this episode, after the events of the last few episodes have left them in an upheaval. Phillip finds a missing family member and a new friend. Mac and Carly seem to have given up on each other for the moment, and instead work on their hosts’ separate relationships. Marcy and Trevor spend time with David and Grace, as they all heal from injury and trauma. The team is finally starting to settle into their new lives and personas.

Phillip frantically searches headquarters for Poppy the turtle, who is safely crawling around on the floor. He picks her up and gives her a heartfelt apology. You’ve gotta love a man who loves his turtle.

Meanwhile, several people experience the worst timeshare sales pitch ever, as the salesman locks them in the room after they’ve already been there for hours. They’re quickly turned into travelers, even though there’s no visible threat to their lives. The consequences of the timeshare pitch just aren’t worth the free meal or whatever they promise you, kids.

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Travelers Season 2 Episode 1: Ave Machina Recap

~ Metacrone ~ 3 Comments

Trav201Mac&FrameDup

Welcome back to the 21st, fellow Travelers! It’s been a long year for us since we’ve heard from the Director, but only a short time has passed for the characters. We get a huge new mythology infusion this episode, courtesy of an important new character. We also check in with virtually every character from season 1, answering the question of who is and isn’t coming back this season, along with picking up the story within hours of the finale.

But first, we meet Vincent Ingram, who is in the process of describing his recurring nightmare of his experience as a survivor of the 9/11/01 tragedy. Only this nightmare has a twist, because he isn’t the original soul to live in his current body. He’s traveler 001, sent as a test case, then meant to send the future an email confirming his arrival and die in the attacks. No plan survives contact with the past, including the first one, which went wrong from the moment of arrival.

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Agents of SHIELD Season 5 Episode 4: A Life Earned Recap

~ Metacrone

AOS504Daisy&Guy

Fitzzz!! He’s back, in disguise, the time traveling man with a plan! I feel safer already, even if he does want Daisy to fight to the death. His Boba Fett/Star Lord disguise is totally about pretending to be the coolest, richest guy in the quadrant so that Kasius will want to impress him, and Kasius loves a good death match. Fitz’s framework persona will come in handy for acting the part, if I’m right.

It’s a busy episode, with several important reveals before Fitz arrives at the last moment, and a distinct lack of Maya. Let’s get started.

Kasius steals Daisy’s blood as he tells us about his heroic rescue of the human race for fun and profit, spurred on by his messianic vision that he could make a killing in the inhuman trade, if he saved the human race used the remnants of earth as his own breeding program. Senara looks bored to tears. He probably pulls out this story every time he gets drunk.

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