(I’m going to plead busyness for not getting this out… I spent the past week at ComicCon in San Diego – where, unfortunately, I found no Killjoys. But I wanted to make sure I keep up!)
So far in Killjoys, we’ve been learning more about our characters, mysteries and all, than we have about the fascinating world of the Quad. The little bits that we saw in the first three episodes gave us hints of a unique society, based on the Nine Families, the higher-class citizens of Qresh, and the trampled-on non-citizens of Westerly. Tonight’s episode, though, gives a good view into the dysfunctional, privileged world, people who think so highly of themselves and so little of others that they’re not even willing to have their own babies!
Once again, Dutch is handed a warrant, rather than getting to choose her own, something she obviously is unhappy about. “I would say you’ve been voluntold,” her broker, Bellus, tells her. The job? Find a missing “breeder,” a young woman carrying the only remaining heir to the Lahani family, one of the Nine. Without this child, the family will no longer have claim to ancestral Qreshi land, and this will trigger a war, says Delle Seyah Kendry, the Lady who comes to hire Dutch.
Warning her that her “lovers” must keep their hands off of the pregnant girl, she tells Dutch that the young woman is missing – part of the team’s job is to find her. And be discreet about it. “This broker assures me you’re the best female Killjoy,” she tells Dutch. “I’m the best, period,” Dutch replies. And why does a surrogate carry the family’s heir? “We find birth gauche,” the Lady says, “an unnecessary risk for our wives and daughters.” So they outsource the job to chosen daughters of Leithian farmers, who are often distantly related to Qreshi ancestors.
But as they’re talking, Kendry takes notice of Dutch and her surroundings aboard Lucy. “A less discreet person might ask why a low-born Killjoy possesses an instrument reserved for female royalty in other parts of the J,” she sort of asks. Royalty? Another bit of Dutch’s mystery? Could she be descended from a royal line?
And Johnny catches D’Avin looking up his own mystery. He’s set an alarm if D’Avin goes looking through the ship’s databases. “You’re the breach,” he says to his brother. “You set a trap for me!” D’Avin replies, indignant. “You say tomato, I say that’s what you get for not confiding in your brother.” D’Avin’s searching for Dr. Pim Jaegar – “I got my head scrambled a little during my last combat mission. I think this doctor can help.” I think there’s more to D’av’s search for the doctor – what do you think is behind this? Could this mysterious doctor actually have implanted something in D’Avin that’s causing a problem? Whatever it is, there’s more than “help” involved in D’Avin’s search. And Johnny wants to be part of D’Avin’s life, in a way that D’Avin doesn’t seem willing to let him be. There has to be something in D’Avin’s background that he’s ashamed of or worried about coming out.
Once again, the crew looks to rebel leader/Scarback Alvis for assistance in finding the surrogate. He tells them that there was a massacre at the convent that the women were living in, but that the surrogate lives, and only the mother superior knows where she is. He gives them the information on the location of the safe house. Who would kill a group of young child-bearing women? Another clue to the instability of the Families – could it have been a rival family looking to eliminate the only heir to the Lahanis?
The visual effect of the field projection surrounding the safe house was fantastic. Johnny has fun with it, going right through and sticking his head back. “You should have seen your faces,” he laughs at Dutch and D’Avin. And ours, too!
They find the surviving group of young women, who aren’t allowed any contact with men (or with meat…). D’Avin fascinates the girls, and when Dutch tells him to stay with them, he questions her. “Don’t you think it would be better if you stayed with the girls?” “Why,” Dutch asks, “because I have breasts?” “Sorta… Is this a trick question?” “They like you. You’re a big muscley distraction, and we need that right now.” She tells D’Avin that she grew up in a place like this – “you grew up in a fertility cult?” he asks, incredulous. She reveals just a little bit to him – the place has obviously struck a chord with her. How many other young girls lived at Khlyen’s House of Murdering Angels?
Security’s been breached – someone else is trying to get in and get to the surrogate. Though she never admits it, they have to have been hired by Dutch’s client Kendry – rather than trying to prevent a war by ensuring that the heir lives, she instead wants to ensure that the family dies out – in a grab for the land owned by the childless family. The KJs are able to get the girls out, but the rescue takes a heavy toll – their caretaker tries to betray them to save herself and is killed by the girls; and Jenny, a girl with amazing engineering skills, sacrifices herself to let her “sisters” escape.
The child is born on Qresh, as required by the families’ rules of succession, but just barely. And Kenry is none too happy with Dutch for actually achieving what she had been asked to do, but Kendry admires Dutch’s ability to succeed, and is curious about her background – could she actually be a member of a ruling family? With the musical instrument hanging on her wall, her artistocratic bearing and speech, and her exotic beauty, there’s something there that can’t possible be “common.” It will be interesting to see where this potential and unlikely relationship will lead.
KILLJOYS — “Vessel” Episode 104 — Pictured: (l-r) Aaron Ashmore as John, Hannah John-Kamen as Dutch — (Photo by: Ken Woroner/Temple Street Releasing Limited)
One bit of fun from ComicCon – Syfy had a “street team” giving out all kinds of stuff for Killjoys, Dark Matter, Dominion, Geeks Who Drink (Zachary Levi’s new show), and Sharknado (this was a hoot – “sharks” dancing in a circle in the street…). I wasn’t lucky enough to get my hands on all of the stuff they were giving away, but I got this “warrant” picture:
If I can get Syfy to give me anything leftover, I’ll be sure to let you know! Meanwhile, watch tomorrow night for the next episode!
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