Synopsis of 2×02: Laura helps Niska take steps forward in gaining equal rights for synthetics while the recovery of her marriage with Joe makes progress as well. More familiar faces of the first season arise and Dr. Athena Morrow continues to unravel recent synthetic consciousness for Milo Khoury.
So Here’s The Skinny:
- Laura helps Niska obtain a consciousness test with the CPS that will allow a human trial for her if it succeeds.
- We see new couple Karen Voss and Pete Drummond for the first time this season as they navigate their relationship.
- Dr. Athena Morrow trashes several newly aware synthetics as she attempts to learn the secrets behind the program used to waken them.
- Laura and Joe make significant progress in saving their marriage.
- After being given the whereabouts of the “faulty” synthetics, Hester kills the hostage who provided the information.
- Mattie makes Odi, Dr. Millican’s deactivated synth, her new “headcracker” project.
Niska has returned to the Hawkins family to request their help. Laura acknowledges the danger it might mean for Niska and her family. Joe offers support and praises Laura’s ability to help. Although I’ve yet to forgive Joe for his infidelity, I doubt I ever truly will, his new attitude is making it harder to hold my grudge. Laura will not represent Niska, but she will talk to the CPS and see how they would react in theory.
Welcome back my favorite couple from the first season, detectives Karen Voss and Pete Drummond, as they search for home decor in a furniture store. With a series revolved around the nature of humanity and what it means to be alive, moments such as these remain a treat to be savored. Although to call them a couple might be confusing since their existence as a couple has not been confirmed until this episode. Regardless, they make a sweet pair that’s entertaining to watch and her presence has made him more pleasant than he was in the previous season.
Dr. Athena Morrow speaks with Vee in her new lab. They discuss Vee’s constantly developing cognitive abilities such as her imagination and her fascination with daydreaming of water, of all things. She then meets with Milo Khoury and requests a new synthetic to take apart while explaining what the consciousness program has done to her previous subject’s mind.
Khoury makes an interesting comment about the board game “Go,” in which there are more moves than observable atoms in the universe. He then suggests the importance of such overwhelming facts to remind us of our insignificance to the universe. He agrees to give her another synthetic. So far, this season has shown how even the most intellectual of individuals in this world treat synthetics like disposable trinkets.
Hester interrogates the hostage that her, Max, and Leo took with them in the previous episode. Max and Leo search for unusual synth behavior in an attempt to save those gaining awareness. Hester questions the hostage about why humans hurt them. She peppers in some torture for good effect. Max stops her, but she has no idea why she is wrong. Leo reprimands her only to be answered by the location of where the hostage’s organization takes synths and a question of why it is wrong to use violent methods if they bear fruit.
We can see that Hester is going to be a tool that this season uses to comment on many rules or mannerisms of the world we accept without really considering why we do. Using an inexperienced or previously unaware character to make comments about the state of the world is an effective way to deliver messages if it is done properly and I like it.
Laura meets with the CPS. Boy, are they snippy. The CPS will not agree to grant an open trial to a synthetic, but will agree to allow a trial if her consciousness can be proven through their tests behind closed doors.
At the parlor Mia works at, she learns that the owner’s, Ed’s, mother is getting worse instead of getting better and offers to perform some menial tasks for him. She delivers some clothes to his mother at a nursery home. She empathizes with his mother’s case of dementia. She then drops by the bank to complete her Ed’s loan request, which she doctored, and uses her familiarity with technology to ensure its approval.
Laura explains the CPS’s plan to Niska. They debate about the morality behind synths gaining awareness and being allowed to live as humans. After allowing Laura to accompany her to the CPS, Niska turns herself over to them freely.
Mattie takes matters into her own hands and visits a junk yard to find a d-series synthetic. Lo and behold, she was given Dr. George Millican’s very own deactivated synth with no knowledge of who he belonged to.
Laura and Joe meet with a couples therapist once again. Laura admits that support has been their key relationship building factor of the past week. They commend one another on their support. The therapist claims that they are making meaningful progress and I’m compelled to agree. You may have won this round Joe, but winning this battle will not win your war.
Mattie uses her “headcracker” skills to reactivate Dr. Millican’s synth, Odi. She presents Odi to the rest of her family during a moment of family bonding. Sophie Hawkins, however, is holding steadfast to her reasonable hatred of her father.
Mattie tricks her mother into revealing the location of the hard drive Niska had given her in the last season. This hard drive contains the program that Niska used to bring awareness to synthetics around the globe.
Khoury questions Dr. Morrow on her techniques and the amount of synthetics she is crashing faster than he would like her to. Dr. Morrow voices her disdain for Khoury and her reasoning for it: he uses his genius for the wrong pursuits.
In bed, Laura’s touch portrays forgiveness for Joe and they embrace as they did before his misdeed. I would rather she make him squirm for longer, but marriages require understanding and forgiveness so I can only admire her emotional strength.
At the parlor, Ed confronts Mia about the loan request she doctored and the fact that she lied, which synthetics are supposedly incapable of doing. He learns that she is not your ordinary synth and shoos her away.
Leo confirms where the “faulty” synthetics are being taken and Mia asserts that they must also be taught how to live, not just be saved.
Karen and Pete enjoy a simple dinner. Karen reveals that she spoke with their supervisor about her coming back to work. Pete expresses his concern over whether or not she is ready to return to pretending to be human.
Laura returns to the CPS. She introduces a human rights observer from the U.N., Jan Loovens, who will be present during Niska’s consciousness test as well as Laura herself. They wait to begin the test.
Max sneaks out to their hostage and frees him, out of good faith. Max’s actions are always guided by sympathy and purity, but this one proves to serve no purpose in the end. Hester watches from the shadows, follows the hostage into the woods and drowns him without hesitation or guilt. Not only is she a tool for explaining this world, but she is also this season’s wild card.
Another eventful episode that has provided hints as to how this season will continue. As far as we can see, the rebuilding of the Hawkins family relationships will be very important as well as the fight for equal rights for synthetics.
Have anything to say? Make sure to leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to clue us in on your favorite and least favorite character so far. Then keep tuning in to see how the character’s reputations fare for the rest of this season.
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