Hardly a Review: Continuum

I don't make it a secret that I'm not a big fan of Dr. Who. Don't get me wrong, I do watch it on occasion, and I do enjoy it, and every so often I come across a villain I do enjoy, and at the end of the episode I'm reminded of the reason I probably won't watch next week. The basic fact is that Dr. Who is, for me, an example of time travel done wrong. The fact that we jump to a different point in time every week, with a different villain every week, is a real barrier to me, and I honestly can't become immersed in the episode or feel like the Dr. is in any real danger when I know the next time I see these villains will probably be in some monster mash-up at the end of the series. On top of that there's very little continuity in time travel. Spending most of their time in the present or near future, and then darting to random far-off dates, makes it very hard for me to believe the universe the show takes place in has any continuity or is in fact believable. I want to know what the culture and society of the year 4252 is like, I want to know what problems mankind is facing, and I want to know if they're resolved, but what I do know is that after the 45 minutes is up I probably won't see this setting ever again. All it's problems seemingly solved by one fleeting visit by the Dr.. This I can't buy into.

Now I know what you're thinking, that's a pretty big preamble, and the show I'm about to spend the rest of my time writing about is completely different from Dr. Who, to the point where they're basically incomparable. You want to know if I've lost my mind and if I'm going to turn myself in to be tried for crimes against good taste and politeness. Well, dear citizens, it may not all be apparent at first, but sit with me, and like a good Dr. Who episode every single thing will become clear by the end.

Now, Continuum is, indeed, a completely different kettle of fish. Set primarily in the present day, but with flashbacks to the year 2077, it's genre could best be described as an action/sci-fi/csi mash-up. The main character, Kiera Cameron (no relation to David), is part of a counter-terrorist organisation, who is accidentally sent back to the year 2012 by a group of terrorists who are attempting to achieve their goals by manipulating the course of history. Unbeknownst to them, and to us for the majority of the season, is that someone else is manipulating them all, from the future, for their own ends. If I've not already covered the basics, here's a trailer where you can watch the effervescent Rachel Nichols in action.

The first season is 10 episodes long, with a second season of 13 episodes planned for next year. Now while I don't mind a season being so short, and I think shows like Game of Thrones pull it off rather well considering how many story lines they have to follow, my main criticism of Continuum was that it ended before it felt like it was even getting started. The season finale felt like something you would expect from a mid-season cliffhanger in any other import from across the pond, and the subplot revealed itself so slowly it felt at times like there wasn't enough bait to warrant biting down on the hook. However when you look at the dystopian future Kiera is trying to protect, and the ideals the terrorists are willing to kill for, it's plain to see this was never going to be a back and white show, stick with it and you are rewarded.

The nature of the future and the series-long story arc, reveal themselves in flashbacks of Kiera's past... in the future. This is an example of how darting about in time can be done well, albeit on a very basic level. Something I hope for the second season is for these flashbacks to become a lot more complex, for dramatic irony to be used extensively, and for things to unravel and conclude in parallel. Since the first season ended without really getting into the meat and potatoes of the show's universe, I'd like to be left slightly confused at the end of each episode, and I'd like the internet to explode with theories and ideas that will eventually be proved right or wrong as the show progresses. That is the hallmark of a great TV show.

Another notable point of the show is that is has a fixed and limited cast, that includes both heroes and villains. This means that when people get killed off, or characters make and break alliances, it affects the pace and nature of the show, especially when you know everybody and each of their motives. This has to inevitably change in the second season, especially if numbers start to dwindle, however I hope they keep the same intimate feel, and I hope the addition of new characters would change the dynamics and affect the story as much as the removal of characters.

Finally, and more importantly, I want to address the complex and paradoxical nature of time. The entire premise of the show is to alter the past to change the future, and seeing as we've only seen the future through flashbacks, the characters impact on the timeline, and if they can even make one, has yet to be seen. Seeing as this is the entire foundation of the show, I hope they don't go down the road of predetermination, in the same way as Dr. Who, where it seems almost impossible to change the past, present, or future, despite the Dr. often behaving like a bull in a china shop when attempting to solve a problem. In fact this leads me on nicely to tying the two shows together. You see, a lot of my problems with Dr. Who, and the reason I find it hard to feel immersed, are neatly illustrated in Continuum, a completely dissimilar experience. To me it is almost like the shows are so different is the reason why a comparison works. While I wouldn't like to see one become the other, as it would destroy the heart and soul of either show, and I certainly would like to see Dr. Who become darker or edgier just simply for the sake of it, I do feel like Continuum has an intimacy, complexity and continuity that just makes it work on a whole 'nother level. As far as I'm concerned, it's like 29 out of 34 stars and you should totally catch it when it airs in the UK on Syfy this week.

Right, that's all you get. I'm gonna go get drunk.
Jamie out xoxoxo