D’avin is in a fight for reasons against a hulk who seems
to feel little pain. Alvin is also involved trying to hide some weapons he’s
smuggling. Alvin tries to talk to him about it but D’avin counters that he’s
not from Westerly and his years of fighting other people’s wars are over.
So much to unpack there and it’s just a few lines… that’s
the kind of thing Killjoys does well.
He heads to Pree’s bar who is having a big day but also
having to kick out his own rowdies – which is what he puts up with the Killjoy
crew for, specifically D’avin since, being off Lucy, he has to live somewhere.
Of course without a ship he can’t actually chase any decent warrants as a
Killjoy either.
But Dutch has come to visit. It is very very very
awkward. So very awkward. Lots of awkwardness. Really really awkward.
Dutch and John are much much much less awkward and kind
of awesome. He’s also contacted Carline from
few episodes ago who has finished fixing Dutch’s broken neural link so
they can track down Khlyen and kill him dead. Which means strapping Dutch into
a machine to do some brain riding
This ends up with her in Khlyen’s vision seeing various
locations which she describes before they have to pull her out before permanent
damage sets in. But she knows where he is – a hidden part of the RAC where he
is clearly a very respected member. Dutch is horrified by the idea that she
thought she escape Khlyen and ended up working with him after all.
Alvin decides to give D’avin a book about his faith to
pass on to John because “he seems into sacrifice.” D’avin rightly calls this
very very creepy. He mainly wants to know that D’avin isn’t going to tell the
Company about the weapons he saw – to which D’avin is clear: if there’s not a
warrant, it’s not his business.
Dutch and John go to Pree’s bar to plan their raid on the
RAC, with D’avin sort of trying to involve himself and being pushed away firmly
by John – but Dutch wants his help. Awkward. They tell him about Khlyen on the
officers only floor of the RAC – where they bring the RAC to places which “need
order” (which sounds waaaay more ominous to me than it does to any of them).
The revelation has shaken Dutch’s priorities a little – now as much as she
wants Khlyen dead, she also wants answers.
D’avin decides to strike a deal with Alvin.
We join Dutch for some memories, of Khlyen being kind recruiting
her as a child and some hints about her family history – her name being dishonoured
and her father relying on her to redeem it. It’s all a nice, sweet memory. They’re
visions/memories from the neural link. Prompted by this she shares with John
some of the better memories she had with Khlyen. John nicely skewers it,
pointing out how she’s grown and developed since they first met (her in a blood
stained wedding dress apparently) and Khlyen isn’t the one who made her who she
is – she made herself. Regardless of what she wants to do – John is definitely
on her side and supporting her.
Alas, D’avin interrupts this sweet moment with his presence. Curse that wretched presence. So they’re all off to the RAC base (orbiting a moon the Company screwed up in the past). Their reason given for docking is to dissolve their team. Which is kind of sad and moving (but also includes the phrase “so say we all” which earns all the geek points”).
Except boss man and general arsehole Turin gets involved
and is looking at suspending all their licenses because he’s never liked them very
much. D’avin decides to tell them they’re splitting because of his whole
stabbing thing which kind of buys them some time to get to the floor they want,
especially since D’avin has borrowed one of Alvin’s weapons to shut down the
power of the entire RAC
I call shenanigans. Shenanigans are called. Dutch said this was the most secure space station ever yet the WHOLE THING can be brought down by a little device that D’avin smuggled in past a scanner that alerted over John’s stitches? SHENANIGANS! SHENANGIANS I SAY!
D’avin has done it so he can take the blame if it’s found
out because Guilt and Big Brother.
Turin takes a random guess as to who is behind it. Is
anyone ever going to explain why he hates them so much? D’avin is busy being
tortured by Turin. Because he’s super nosy about Dutch being so damn amazing,
about her being protected and her being pegged for “Red 17”. The almost
mythical level 6. Turin, all evidence to the contrary, claims he isn’t the
enemy and wants to help Dutch.
John takes the chance to ask Dutch to be awesome –
because of they fail their license will be pulled and they can’t fight their
own people.
Dutch reaches Khlyen’s floor – to be confronted by him holding two sticks. He wants to spar and she wants to ask questions – while John spies and steals his voice print. They fight and he wins. She then recites several of the murders she performed for him, how he made her hate herself. She has a needle of poison that she threatens to inject herself with. She has finally realised Khlyen’s weakness – it’s her and a perfect way to take away his control. When he challenges her she injects herself.
She demands he answer her questions so she can go get the
antidote – she won’t go until he does. We learn that the RAC is more than it
seems (uh-huh no surprise) and he’d been watching her for a long time, only getting
involved when she took a level 5 warrant, a kill warrant, which he took to mean
she’d stopped avoiding her assassin past. Except she didn’t of course – John took
that for her. She also asks “why me” as he shoots a random lackey and she
steals his gun. Because she didn’t poison herself – just very convincingly
faked it.
She doesn’t kill him, just leaves. And leaves him quite
ratty with his secretary who seems quite used to clearing up bodies.
Meanwhile John finds his way to a strange device they saw
in Dutch’s vision of a nifty computer which he operates with the voice print he
copied from Khlyen, stealing lots of info. Unfortunately he also can’t help
himself stealing some of the liquid computer. Bad John, no cookie. This forces
Da’vin to free himself with water (do I have to call shenanigans again?
Handcuffs that short out and open because they get WET?!)
The gang gets back to Lucy – but to free her and let her
escape, Dutch has to stay to free the ship. He demands she come with them
because he doesn’t want to work without her – but she overrides the computer
and forces them to leave. It sounds a lot like a goodbye.
And Turin arrives to shoot Dutch in the leg – he’s bait for… whatever she’s involved in. Which would be Khlyen who stabs him in the back. Khlyen then takes her away, talking ominously about “what’s coming.” He tells her only that he needs her to live – and he tells her he’s level 6.
Alvis is still on Westerley looking for D’avin but Pree
warns him that the company is rounding up monks. Avis gives himself up to
Hills, the Company man – accusing him or orchestrating a massacre. He’s beaten
and arrested.
Dutch returns to D’avin and John, injured. They quickly get
medical attention for her though D’avin doesn’t buy the level 6 excuse. D’avin
promises to make Khlyen pay and Dutch has the best come back “I don’t need you
to fight my battles.” Though he wants to
While Khlyen looks quite upset that John has broken is
liquid computer. He also rags Turin’s injured self away.
D’avin on not fighting someone else’s battles. In some
ways, yes, it’s very selfish. He’s declaring the desperate plight of
Westerlands (and this series is very clear it is desperate) isn’t his problem
so he doesn’t have to care about it. This is an aggravating attitude that hits
many desperate and marginalised people
At the same time, D’avin was a soldier who fought for someone
else’s causes and ended up with a terrible mental illness, years of anguish,
trauma and, as part of that, recently tried to kill his brother and did leave
bodies in his wake. He is clearly haunted and tortured by it and his life is
rather a mess now because of it… given what is happening in D’avin’s life now
and his history, expecting him to step up for someone else’s cause at this
point is also shaky. Clearly he doesn’t oppose them – but does he have the
energy and mental resources to step up for someone else’s fight?
John and Dutch – so awesome together. It’s a shame really
because it makes me hate D’avin way more than he deserves simply because he
gets in the way.
Alas, I had to call shenanigans twice in this episode.
Really, Killjoys, being sci-fi is no
excuse to being illogical. I disapprove. But John’s little smile and “I’m gonna
touch it” makes me forgive a lot.
This whole episode raised a whole lot of questions and I’m
genuinely excited about the answers. It’s been a long time since a show has
made me desperate for the next episode.
