If Killjoys episode 507 had a theme, it was most certainly played out in the title, “Cherchez La Bitch.” The search for the physical body of The Lady has commenced full force, but along the way we got more than a little soul-searching from some of our Killjoys characters, a development that gave us a little more insight into each. And for that, I’m profoundly grateful as I’m a sucker for backstory. I love backstory, I adore backstory, and I crave backstory.
But before I wax clumsily eloquent about what went on in episode 507, it’s important to remember that there are SPOILERS ahead. So, if you haven’t seen the episode, you need to beware of SPOILERS coming in the next paragraphs. The Lady says you have been warned. so Cherchez la SPOILERS.
I’m always thrilled at the way Killjoys writers are able to offer glimpses into the characters in these short bursts of honesty, particularly when times are trying within the storyline. And while we get a fair amount of that in this episode, I’m going to start with one of my favorite characters in the show — Fancy Lee. Fancy got a nice bit of run in this episode, which I was delighted to see. Fancy offers up the reticent, self-contained, somewhat surly hard-ass type that has, just beneath the surface, some softer qualities. They come out at times, but often in interesting ways.
KILLJOYS — “Cherchez La Bitch” Episode 507 — Pictured: Luke Macfarlane as D’Avin — (Photo by: Brendan Adam-Zwelling/Killjoys V Productions Limited/SYFY)
In this episode, we learn a couple of things about Fancy, which The Lady and her minions should file away for the future. First, hanging him from the ceiling and shocking him as part of the torture process only irritates him. As we saw in this episode, he’s in the mother ship and he’s bloodied and beaten, but still with a fighter’s mentality. A nice little kick of the legs, a pike at the top, and he’s loosened himself from the bondage that was holding him.
But that’s not necessarily the cool part. As he wanders the ship looking for an escape, he discovers things. There are some interesting pods in one corridor, as well as a sound that’s very distinctive. Fancy is gathering some interesting information that, we will find out later, proves very useful. But that’s still not the coolest part, or the moment that Fancy delivers the ultimate rebuttal to the torture he’s undergone.
No, that comes on Westerley when he stumbles upon one of our resistance folks. You see, Zeph is back in Old Town trying to get to her old lair when she and Turin are flushed by members of a kill squad. Squatting in an ugly, dank alley, she gathers up a medallion in her hands and begins to pray (remember that) moments before a kill squad member is about to end her life. And that’s when Fancy shows up, having somehow gotten off the ship (Lucy calling?).
The rage of captivity and torture are released on this poor kill squad member as Fancy stabs him repeatedly and ferociously. It was an intense and messing killing, but what would one expect from a man with some scores to settle. You don’t torture Fancy Lee, let him escape, and expect not to feel some pain in retaliation. Fancy delivered some retribution and I enjoyed it. Whey stab a guy twice when 6-7 times is more rewarding. It was an intense moment. I enjoyed it.
Sean Baek has created a character that doesn’t get a ton of screen time, but when he does, it’s always a pleasure. Fancy’s “man of few words, but many irritated looks” persona is certainly a fan favorite, judging by the social media activity. I find him to be the show’s ultimate man of mystery, an anti-hero that lives a bit by his own set of rules and codes of honor, the Quad’s own High Plains Drifter. And obviously, he can take a pounding and still be lethal. Welcome back, Fancy Lee — may your blade stay ever sharp.
KILLJOYS — “Cherchez La Bitch” Episode 507 — Pictured: Kelly McCormack as Zeph — (Photo by: Brendan Adam-Zwelling/Killjoys V Productions Limited/SYFY)
And while Fancy Lee’s intense and lethal blade action was one of my favorite parts of this episode, it was by no means the only thing that was compelling. Dutch, Johnny and D’Avin now have a goal – find The Lady’s body and destroy it, and thereby destroy her hatchlings along the way. This episode gave us the daylight at the end of the tunnel, the end game that we were wondering about – The Lady is aboard the armada command ship (confirmed by Fancy, I might add. How? Because he’s Fancy…and Lucy provided some help. That’s right, Lucy is back) and her real body needs to be destroy. Time to strap up, folks.
I thought there were many good moments between people in this one. Pree figures out Gared had been awake a while and they had to have some time together to sort out who they are and what their relationships is. Pree tells Gared that “It’s not about building anymore, it’s about protecting what you have. This is the best thing I’ll ever have.” Gared opens up and tells Pree that “I can’t be your partner unless I”m your equal.”
Both sentiments are well-put and absolutely on target. It’s a good moment between two people who care so much about the other, but went about trying to protect the other in divergent ways. It was telling for both and the audience. Well played as always between Gavin Fox and Thom Allison.
Zeph offered a little bit of her backstory as well when she and Turin returned to her lair on Westerley. We discover she was raised in a village that didn’t allow women to read or encourage them to think. As she said, she realized she was “smart as shit” and ran away to a Scarback monastery where learning, that which she so craved, was available to her. She admitted that sometimes when she acts cocky, it’s just a mode of self-protection.
In fact, in this episode we see Zeph really doubt herself, rattling off the list of “failures” she thinks she’s been directly responsible for. It was interesting to see Turin offer some uplifting words to the young lady.
KILLJOYS — “Cherchez La Bitch” Episode 507 — Pictured: Kelly McCormack as Zeph — (Photo by: Ian Watson/Killjoys V Productions Limited/SYFY)
“I’m a shithead to everyone, it’s my brand,” he tells her, then adds that she’s the “good stuff,” the “best stuff” they have. It’s an inspiring moment, a moment of curmudgeonly softness from Turin — just before he tosses her into a room and locks the door. He’ll lead the kill squads away by the time she gets through the door. Was it noble on his part? Or does he simply believe that Zeph is the last, best hope for this thing to work? Regardless, it’s confirmation that Zeph is valued and needed. The Angry Ginger as cheerleader? Who’d a thunk that?
Again, Zeph shares a bit of her story with us and remember that medallion she was rubbing just before Fancy saved the day? I suspect we are going to see a little more of what Zeph was exposed to as a youngster. She admitted she’d seen the hatchling creatures before and a search of the data base yielded nothing, but she ends the show by telling everyone she knows who knows how to kill it. Is Zeph about to make the journey back home?
That was the impression I got from the little history lesson of her life, the rubbing (and close-up) of the medallion, and the somewhat resignated way she admitted to knowing where to get the information they need. Take me home, country roads. If so, that should be interesting.
I won’t even go too deeply into Pree and Zeph’s march to the safe house early in the episode. It’s fun, it’s kind, it’s inspiring, it’s the kind of scene that delivers so much good stuff. Zeph sees little hope and Pree, as usual, drops some wonderful wisdom on the situation, saying “I refuse to eat shit. Spending my possible last days afraid of some lady bitch with a bad case of PMS.”
Again, Zeph’s worth is confirmed by Pree who says she’s the one that needs to come up with another cunning plan because “I’m just the eye candy.” Just so good. Eye candy, indeed, sir. Let me add this – Thom Allison and Kelly McCormack are scintillatingly good together. I could watch them banter, kibitz, kid and learn endlessly. So well done, you two. Toss in Turin and we have magic. When he semi-mocked Pree for screaming during the hatchling scene…beautiful.
On a good note, Calvert is back in the game. Johnny, Dutch and D’Avin need to send a message to our resistance folks and the only place to do that is a military complex on Leith. Turns out, Calvert is ex-military, so she’s recruited out of her holding cell (Do not touch that woman’s pudding, understand?). Now, I loved this whole arc. The idea that Leith’s military complex is actually a tourist attraction. Coining the phrase “militainment,” we see that Leith’s base is also an entertainment park. It’s just hilarious.
Of course, Johnny and Calvert go after the communications array while Dutch and D’Avin sit topside. This is funny because they get roped into a bit of tour guide action and while reticent initially, by the time we get back to them, they are fully engaged in entertaining the large group gathered around them. It’s funny as hell and good fun. Oh, naturally they get captured by some real military types (along with Johnny), but it was fun and provides some more moments of reflection and contemplation between Dutch and D’Avin, as well as Calvert and Johnny.
KILLJOYS — “Cherchez La Bitch” Episode 507 — Pictured: Sean Baek as Fancy Lee — (Photo by: Ian Watson/Killjoys V Productions Limited/SYFY)
Calvert’s story is simple, she has child and Jeers employed her to kill Sparlo to keep her child safe. She ditches the other three to try and make her way to her girl, but Johnny intercepts here (Naturally he has escaped confinement) and convinces her, after some fisticuffs, that they need her help. Again, we get a little bit of a look into the Calvert character – the daughter, the medical diagnosis-and-false reality, the real fear.
It’s good stuff and gives us a little more empathy for Calvert, though I think there may still be a little screw loose thing going on there. Johnny is re-recruiting Calvert while Dutch and D’Avin talk about Johnny’s eventual departure and what that might mean for them.
“I”m worried about Johnny leaving,” D’Avin tells dutch, adding that Johnny has always been the connector between himself and Dutch. It was a good moment, a moment of honesty and worry about the future. I love that optimistic tone, where the future is still very much a possibility. Our heroes haven’t thrown in the emotional towel yet, which I think will stand them in good stead. Calvert and Johnny ride to the rescue of Dutch and D’Avin, then all four make their way out of military amusement park into the hills where an old friend comes to find them.
“Permission to rescue your asses,” Lucy intones as the ship is about to land. Turns out, when Johnny sent that message to his ship, Nucy kicked a switch on the dormant Lucy program and the return of Johnny’s beloved girl was at hand. Johnny’s relationship and affection for Lucy is palpable and their reunion is uplifting. It’s also funny that Lucy tells Johnny that Nucy is their child…and Nucy has Johnny’s eyes.
Obviously, the affection is mutual. But also aboard are Zeph and Fancy, who confirms the location of The Lady’s actual body. The mission is now laid before our heroes, even as Gared, Pree and Turin are still in the breeze somewhere.
So here we are. Everything about this episode pushed us to what will be the final goal – eliminate The Lady at the source. A “kill the head and the body will die” type of scenario. You can’t help but wonder how Khlyen will figure into all this, as well as what shape The Lady will be in while in the human form. That humanity thing is still effecting her. It was funny when she asked if Khlyen was “done grieving yet. Yes or no?”
Just kind of a out-of-the-blue offer. Clearly, dealing with the residual humanity within the human shell is proving a bit more of a challenge than she’d expected. The results are fun. Again, a subtle little moment that offered us a bit wider glimpse into both these characters. We’re not hit over the head with it, just a subtle little nudge that gives us a few more tidbits. I enjoy that kind of storytelling, it makes one kind of ponder possibilities and that’s fun.
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