2-4. Polyphony.

Jonas has grave news for the cluster.

Running Time: Approx. 58 minutes. Written by: Lana Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski. Directed by: James McTeigue.


THE PLOT:

Will's meeting with the BPO executive all too predictably turns out to be a trap. Fortunately, the cluster was prepared, and Will is able to escape. They are also now in possession of two resources they did not previously have: the knowledge that some of BPO's executives do not agree with the hunting of sensates, and the "blockers" used by Whispers to cut off the connection to other sensates. Riley has a contact who knows a chemical engineer, and he is able to study the pills - with Kala looking invisibly over his shoulder the entire time.

Kala and Capheus experience different types of unrest in their home countries. Kala is made the target of religious protesters' anger at her temple, which has now been transformed by new laws banning "idolatry." Capheus finds himself in the center of a protest about water prices, which have risen to a level that many people cannot afford. "Water is life," Capheus argues - and, when he is caught on camera defusing a potentially violent situation, he finds himself the subject of a local television interview.

In Mexico, Lito interviews the father of one of the members of Angelica's first cluster - a journalist who had interviewed Lito at the start of his career, and who disappeared in Chicago in pursuit of "the story of the century." Meanwhile, Sun's refuge comes to an abrupt end when the police knock on the door of the woman hiding her...


CHARACTERS:

One aspect of this series that I truly appreciate is that I actually believe in all of the relationships. That's quite rare - It is very common in films and television to have to nod your head and squint past screen couples who don't really fit together. All of the couples in this show work: Wolfgang and Kala, Will and Riley, Lito and Hernando, and Nomi and Amanita. Nomi and Amanita have been particularly strong this season, and this episode sees a highly effective moment with them at the center. As Amanita dodges over-persistent FBI agent Bendix on her motorcycle, Nomi is left to worry helplessly. Amanita's not a sensate, so Nomi can't simply look in on her - She's just left to wait and wonder, her anxiety further stoked as she experiences the potential for violence in the protests affecting Capheus and Kala. It's a startlingly suspenseful scene, and I found myself sharing in Nomi's relief when Amanita arrives safely.

Sun's friendship with Min-Jung is also well portrayed, and the two share a nice moment as the older woman reflects on Sun's character. She observes that for all of Sun's strength, she has a kind heart. "It was what made me like you the moment we met," she tells Sun. "Part of me wants you to find your brother and make him pay for what he has done... Whatever you do, child, do not let it be at the cost of your beautiful heart."


THOUGHTS:

After I finished this episode, a horrible thought occurred to me: I am now two-thirds of the way through this series. There are only eight installments remaining (admittedly, the last of those a very long installment, but still...). That is starting to make me quite sad. Not only do I love this series, but it is so clear that there is much more to explore with these characters and this concept, far more than can adequately be explored in seven episodes and a feature-length wrap-up.

The least of those is the BPO plot.  The conspiracy thriller story provides a narrative skeleton for this series, something to create incident and bring the characters together in focused moments - But as much as it makes for effective cliffhangers and set pieces, the real hook of the series for me lies with the characters and their individual stories. I like some better than others, of course - I will never care about Kala's husband and father-in-law no matter how much the show might want me to, and her scenes with the cluster are easily more enjoyable than the ones focused on her marriage - but all of the characters come across as credible. Even Sun, who is perhaps a little too capable at times, has an emotional vulnerability that offsets her "action hero" persona.

Speaking of action heroes... I rather like that Riley's friends joke about Lito's "cheesy" movies, much to his chagrin. First: Based on what we've seen of them, Lito's movies are cheesy, and there is merit in him recognizing that. It's also amusing when he self-deprecatingly echoes that criticism a few scenes later, to the father of the missing journalist. Which provides an opening for the older man to reject that dismissal, telling Lito: "You underestimate yourself."

The roles are being mixed more and more as the series goes on. Lito, who was the most disconnected from the cluster for most of the first season, has now become the go-to person whenever some convincing falsehoods are needed. But the last part of this episode sees him acting as an investigator, and - even accounting for prompts from the cluster - doing a genuinely competent job.

As per usual, the episode ends on a strong, in this case rather gruesome, note. But at this point, I'm dreading this series' ever-advancing end more than any of BPO's shenanigans.

Oh, a final note: I have so fully accepted Toby Onwumere's Capheus that I didn't even remember until after the episode's end that he wasn't the original actor.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

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