Contributor: Bronzethumb
Written by Sara B. Cooper
Directed by Patrick Williams
It was bound to happen. Up to this point, “Continuum” has barely set a foot wrong, but “The Politics of Time” is a by-the-numbers procedural episode that’s so divorced from the show’s mythology and overarching story that it’s jarring. And while it’s not a bad iteration of said procedural and it does play well with some elements, this divergence brings the entire arc of the show to a screeching halt and then fails to justify doing so.
Carlos is forced to cover up his involvement with a woman found murdered in her apartment, keeping the truth from his colleagues while searching for the killer. From the get-go, and throughout the episode, it remains a big positive that things are focused on this relatively-undeveloped character. Previously, we’ve only seen Carlos in a work capacity, so it’s a nice change to see him at home and in social situations, along with what he’s like when the pressure’s really on. And to the writers’ credit, they fill in these details in subtle ways, through organic dialog or the background shots of his apartment.
The problem is that all this came at the expense of the episode’s pace and story. In a show built on the premise of Kiera and company versus Liber8, a mystery-of-the-week feels like a big detour into a different show altogether, especially when combined with the overused plot device of a cop trying to cover up his connection to a murder victim. Granted, none of the characters ever really thought Carlos could be the killer, and the “narrowed it down to the guy I recognise” trope gets twisted about, but even a more intelligent take on the cliché is still a cliché, and it’s at odds with what audiences have been watching these past six episodes.
Funnily enough, it’s that same disappointment with how disconnected “The Politics of Time” is from the rest of “Continuum” that will tip audiences to how the episode will end. There’s no surprise, no tension, no mystery that doesn’t have a blatantly obvious answer. Getting new perspective on one of the main characters is great, but that alone can’t engage viewers and there’s nothing else to pick up that slack. We come away from the episode thinking “okay, some stuff happened” and that’s about it. Even the flashback/flashforwards to Kiera’s old life in 2077 lack substance or a new perspective on the character: they’re white noise, with a threadbare link to what’s unfolding in 2012.
It’s not a totally skippable episode. Within the running time are brief flashes of relevance to the larger story, such as Alec’s continuing task of repairing Kiera’s suit (I’m pretty sure Batman had someone of those functions in “The Dark Knight”), and the closing minutes of the episode that do a half-hearted job of tying this particular story with the larger whole of “Continuum”. Giving Carlos some new layers of characterisation buys the episode some goodwill, but on the whole, it barely distinguished itself from the average police procedural and is a disappointing installment of till-now impeccable series.
Score: 6/10
