S01.E12: Killshot (1)

[ohjoy]

Jo makes a high-stakes deal to take down Helen and keep Piper safe. Helen attempts to replicate Piper's powers for herself. Benny struggles to earn back Jo's trust before it's too late.

[AnimeMania]

They should have just moved Agent Brooks to another room in the hospital. But everybody knows the fastest way to recover from a TV gunshot is to walk it off.

It was worth my eyeroll for removing a severely injured Agent Brooks from the hospital to see the innovative and hilarious way they sneak him past his fellow FBI agents.

Now Agent Brooks wants to be FBI (Female Body Injector). Surprised the show went there, still team Alex. They should really tell us why they split up.

Edited January 23, 2020 by AnimeMania

[endure]

They’re losing me.......seems like the A1’s are everywhere 🤔

[possibilities]

Too many gimmicks this time. Helen and her lookalike, especially.

But I do like that Jo is always ahead of things, stays the leader no matter who's on her team.

[mertensia]

Man, I love the fact that the writers don't draw things out forever. 

I just loved the scene of everyone just staring at Benny floating in the cell and along comes Jo all matter of fact.

Jo's a great character. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

5 hours ago, endure said:

They’re losing me.......seems like the A1’s are everywhere 🤔

Ummmm A1, I'll bring the steak.   :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.1._Sauce

[Suzysite]

The kissing scene had me covering my eyes and EWW-ing like an 8 year old boy.  Nobody wants to see that.   Just solve this case.

[Paloma]

I'm afraid the plot is losing coherence--it feels like the writers are in "kitchen sink" mode. In previous episodes it was satisfying to have so much happening and so many revelations that answered earlier questions while posing new ones. But this time I felt like almost nothing about the previous episode(s) was satisfactorily explained, and the new plot elements don't make a lot of sense. For example, what is the big uploading threat--who or what was starting the upload, what was the purpose, and who or what interrupted the upload? Maybe it will help if I rewatch, but with only one episode left and possible cancellation of the series, I doubt that much will be resolved next week.

Too bad about Justin--he was a charming and very human-like AI. So is Helen now invincible because she gained Piper's powers via Justin's chip? And how exactly is Jo, or anyone, supposed to get close enough to Helen to stab her with the chip remover, especially since Helen now knows that Jo has it?

1 hour ago, Suzysite said:

The kissing scene had me covering my eyes and EWW-ing like an 8 year old boy.  Nobody wants to see that.   Just solve this case.

I was EWW-ing, too, although at least in the first kissing scene Jo's response was that Brooks was being overly dramatic--I applauded that line and figured that was the writers' way of acknowledging that a lot of viewers don't want this romance. But then they had to have the second kissing scene with Jo initiating it, and I was rolling my eyes and saying to my husband "Not the time or place!"  

[luna1122]

1 hour ago, Suzysite said:

The kissing scene had me covering my eyes and EWW-ing like an 8 year old boy.  Nobody wants to see that.   Just solve this case.

why ewwing?

[Paloma]

1 hour ago, luna1122 said:

2 hours ago, Suzysite said:

The kissing scene had me covering my eyes and EWW-ing like an 8 year old boy.  Nobody wants to see that.   Just solve this case.

why ewwing?

Speaking for myself, and I think some others here, the kissing scene felt forced and unnecessary for a story of this type. This is an interesting sci-fi/mystery story that does not need a romance angle, but the writers have clearly been trying to add a romantic triangle element (with Alex as the other corner of the triangle) because that is what most TV shows do. Personally, I feel it detracts from Jo's independent and focused character--not that independent women can't have romance, but in the context of this story at this particular moment it feels like the wrong time and place.

[sempervivum]

18 minutes ago, Paloma said:

in the context of this story at this particular moment it feels like the wrong time and place

Whatever it is that's going to happen will (I guess) end life as we know it, so the 2 lovers want to express how they feel in case this is the last chance they have. I agree it wasn't necessary, for me. I'm much more interested in the 'family' love part of this show.

The Helen/Loretta duality reminded me of Emily when she was trying to win Piper over: frumpy real-life Emily vs. glamorous Emily in jewels and red gown. 

I have to rewatch this to see if I can understand the explanation about where the AI invasion originated and what the grand plan is. It sounded like original AI's created Helen, not suspecting that she would try to take over the whole invasion, or something?

I still don't understand why the AI's are so human in their emotional reactions (ie, Justin quickly becoming infatuated with Emily and being willing to defy Helen). 

I really wanted to see scenes from around the world as thousands of previously-incognito AI's suddenly levitate as the 'uploading' began.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, Suzysite said:

The kissing scene had me covering my eyes and EWW-ing like an 8 year old boy.  Nobody wants to see that.   Just solve this case.

Thank you.
And what was the point? If he was transferring a tiny flash drive, then okay. But, otherwise? If you want hot romance, the not-quite kiss is so much better.
Plus, spit-swapping takes so much screen time. Show, you know better than that.

 

3 hours ago, Paloma said:

I was EWW-ing, too, although at least in the first kissing scene Jo's response was that Brooks was being overly dramatic--I applauded that line and figured that was the writers' way of acknowledging that a lot of viewers don't want this romance. But then they had to have the second kissing scene with Jo initiating it, and I was rolling my eyes and saying to my husband "Not the time or place!"  

Oh, so that is why it went on so long. I had my eyes averted. At least it is in character for Jo to take the lead in all things.

 

1 hour ago, Paloma said:

2 hours ago, luna1122 said:

why ewwing?

Speaking for myself, and I think some others here, the kissing scene felt forced and unnecessary for a story of this type. This is an interesting sci-fi/mystery story that does not need a romance angle, but the writers have clearly been trying to add a romantic triangle element (with Alex as the other corner of the triangle) because that is what most TV shows do. Personally, I feel it detracts from Jo's independent and focused character--not that independent women can't have romance, but in the context of this story at this particular moment it feels like the wrong time and place.

Yes. In spite of more come-ons than I would ever want to count, I never dated after splitting up with my ex-husband in the early 1990s --too busy advancing a career, rearing 3 strong, independent daughters, and pursuing other interests.  It would be really nice to see someone like me on screen, but I guess not in this show.
*sigh*
At least Jo is a strong but compassionate, independent woman.

 

Edited January 22, 2020 by shapeshifter

[luna1122]

Thanks for all the replies about  the Eww-ing. Interesting. I guess I always expect to see romance on a TV show, and had it in my own life, often at the expense of other things. I like it, but I get the perspective that it's unnecessary or superfluous.

[CathieA]

1 hour ago, luna1122 said:

Thanks for all the replies about  the Eww-ing. Interesting. I guess I always expect to see romance on a TV show, and had it in my own life, often at the expense of other things. I like it, but I get the perspective that it's unnecessary or superfluous.

Romance is unnecessary or superfluous to the Emergence story.  If you've got it in real life, more power to you.  Savor it and enjoy it!

[saber5055]

6 hours ago, sempervivum said:

I really wanted to see scenes from around the world as thousands of previously-incognito AI's suddenly levitate as the 'uploading' began.

This visual is so hilarious, and those AIs would be easy to spot if the 'uploading' was done again. What a hoot if it happen while the DOJ guy was kicking those two FBI agents to the curb.

I swear, this is the best show on tv. I loved last night's episode. I was surprised but happy to see Brooks still alive since, as my new eye-candy crush, I figured for sure he was dead.

I guess Benny healed himself from getting slugged in the jaw with a tire iron, or whatever it was Jo used.

I'm glad Chris is continuing to be a good guy after I was so sure at season's beginning that he would turn on Jo and Piper.

When Brooks looked at Jo and got sort of a bit closer, I was thinking "Hot chemistry!" I thought they've had chemistry all along while I never saw it with Benny although other viewers did. I don't even see it with Alex. I could give a care why they divorced. They did. End of that story for me.

Then Brooks kissed Jo and I immediately broke out into a huge grin and shouted YES! I guess that tells everyone what I thought about it. Brooks is HOT. Jo immediately turned flirty and coy, giving more props to what a great actress she is. Not Jo, the real actress who plays Jo, whatever her name is.

I do have to say I wasn't a fan of Jo kissing Brooks later on, in her garage. I don't know why. I'm all for equal opportunity, but it just didn't play right IMO. Wrong time, wrong place, yada yada I guess. It would have been better w/o that scene.

When they were discussing how to kill Helen, I was thinking why not use the Walking Dead technique of chopping the head off. Separation from the chip should work, right? Then Helen dissolved herself after stealing that new chip. I was thinking hurry, sweep up those crumbs and spread them over the water everywhere.

No one listened to me.

[possibilities]

Wait... did Jo really give away the chip? I thought after the supposed hand-off, she still had it-- isn't that what was going on in that scene with Benny, where Chris had opened up the envelope that said to keep it safe, and he brought it to Benny to find out what it was.

--

I love the various takes on the kissing.

[meatball77]

I thought it was funny and that Jo was acting like a teenager being caught sneaking out with her boyfriend by her dad

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

When they were discussing how to kill Helen, I was thinking why not use the Walking Dead technique of chopping the head off. Separation from the chip should work, right? Then Helen dissolved herself after stealing that new chip. I was thinking hurry, sweep up those crumbs and spread them over the water everywhere.

No one listened to me.

I love this. It will be interesting to see if they go in either of these directions.

 

[juliet73]

I totally LOL'ed when Jo told Brooks after he kissed her that he was being so dramatic and "he wasn't going off to war!"  Brooks is so easy on the eyes!!

Currie Graham - the DOJ guy - plays shady characters so well! I hope he's in more episodes.

I agree with others about the show kind of going in different directions each episode.  I really hope it doesn't turn into "let's try this plot and see if it works" - looking at you Manifest.

[MisterGlass]

I thought this was a pretty good episode; the romance was rushed, but they could recover.  My understanding of the plot points is as follows:

1. A human woman and government scientist named Loretta built A.I. Helen from a design in an 'intercepted' transmission that was believed to be from Russia or China.  Helen later killed all her creators and escaped.  She was then involved with creating all the other A.I.s we know except Piper.
2. The partial upload was triggered when Emily and Justin disturbed the big ball of mercury and it floated up in the air.  Presumably it is some kind of transmitter, but needs to draw energy from something to continue the upload.  The power it gave off temporarily charged Chris's phone.
3. Jo gave Loretta a duplicate or fabricated exobyte disk to get the syringe of fluid that can kill Helen.  The original was left with Chris for safe keeping as confirmed by Benny.

This made it seem even clearer that the A.I. are an alien design.  The signal was sent intentionally by the E.T.s (or E.T.A.Is) and the U.S. government took the bait and made an A.I.  This is not unlike Contact.  Helen's mandate is to gather information and transmit it, and she created other A.I.s to accomplish her mission.  All of them are somewhat deskilled compared to her.

I'm guessing that if Piper does get uploaded they will try to use the exobyte disk to restore her.

I hope next week has a good ending.

[djsurrey]

16 hours ago, Paloma said:

But this time I felt like almost nothing about the previous episode(s) was satisfactorily explained, and the new plot elements don't make a lot of sense. For example, what is the big uploading threat--who or what was starting the upload, what was the purpose, and who or what interrupted the upload? Maybe it will help if I rewatch, but with only one episode left and possible cancellation of the series, I doubt that much will be resolved next week.

Not to mention why should they all float into the air during an upload? Since this does not look real world it is starting to look like most everything is some virtual reality simulation.

[AnimeMania]

6 hours ago, possibilities said:

Wait... did Jo really give away the chip? I thought after the supposed hand-off, she still had it-- isn't that what was going on in that scene with Benny, where Chris had opened up the envelope that said to keep it safe, and he brought it to Benny to find out what it was.

There were two exabyte discs, the one Jo stole from the robodogs to save Piper from dying and the one Emily sent to Piper to keep her from dying if somebody accidentally told Piper she was a robot.

[Paloma]

8 hours ago, MisterGlass said:

A human woman and government scientist named Loretta built A.I. Helen from a design in an 'intercepted' transmission that was believed to be from Russia or China.  Helen later killed all her creators and escaped.  She was then involved with creating all the other A.I.s we know except Piper.

Helen didn't kill all her creators, since Loretta is still alive--although it does seem a little suspicious that Loretta escaped with nothing more than a little scar on her cheek. 

Aside from that point, your explanation of the plot points above is very helpful--thanks!

[Enigma X]

For me the show has taken a turn that I don't care for. I don't mind the Brooks/Jo "romance," the Benny is an AI (I am rooting for Benny to be a good guy), that Emily has taken a back seat to a bigger bad, but I really hate the route the bigger bad has taken. Some of the shows nuance has been lost for me.

It is weird that Helen was the first and was created seemingly more powerful even before Emily's upgrade. Why only Helen?

At the end of the day, I would prefer the big bad to be human, and the AIs simply want to live as normal as they can. Boring to most...maybe.

Edited January 23, 2020 by Enigma X

[luna1122]

Currie Graham! I love that guy. Want to see more. He always has this snarky/evil/wary/smart thing going on.

[shapeshifter]

1 minute ago, luna1122 said:

Currie Graham! I love that guy. Want to see more. He always has this snarky/evil/wary/smart thing going on.

I loved when he first appeared that one of the characters said something like “Who’s he?” to which the writers must have gleefully anticipated many of the viewers exclaiming, “It’s Currie Graham!”

[Rambler]

Well Piper sure got over her anger at Jo for trying to erase her memories in a hurry. I guess her AI isn't advanced enough yet to use that to guilt Jo into helping Benny instead of having to resort to begging.

[sempervivum]

12 hours ago, MisterGlass said:

A human woman and government scientist named Loretta built A.I. Helen from a design in an 'intercepted' transmission that was believed to be from Russia or China.  Helen later killed all her creators and escaped.  She was then involved with creating all the other A.I.s we know except Piper.

So where does Emily come in? She was working for the Augur guy and somehow chanced on the AI creation process, which she then somehow/accidentally modified to produce Piper? Hope this will be explained better next season (finger crossed).

[marcee]

20 hours ago, juliet73 said:

I totally LOL'ed when Jo told Brooks after he kissed her that he was being so dramatic and "he wasn't going off to war!"

Easily my favorite part of the entire series. I loved that so hard.

6 hours ago, sempervivum said:

So where does Emily come in? She was working for the Augur guy and somehow chanced on the AI creation process, which she then somehow/accidentally modified to produce Piper? Hope this will be explained better next season (finger crossed).

Someone at some point admitted that the AI plans were "stolen"... I don't remember if it was Emily who admitted that or the guy she was working with who Helen ultimately killed. Who/When/Where it was stolen from is anyone's guess. But they started with the source code and Emily hacked it up to make a child and somewhere along the way gave Piper additional abilities.

When Helen was regenerating out of dust, I desperately wanted Jo to be waiting for her with the needle in her hand so the moment her neck appeared, she'd stab it right in there. Oh well.

[shapeshifter]

20 minutes ago, marcee said:

When Helen was regenerating out of dust, I desperately wanted Jo to be waiting for her with the needle in her hand so the moment her neck appeared, she'd stab it right in there. Oh well.

*Sigh* Yes. Any chance that they will hire you to consult, @marcee?

[MisterGlass]

3 hours ago, marcee said:

Who/When/Where it was stolen from is anyone's guess. But they started with the source code and Emily hacked it up to make a child and somewhere along the way gave Piper additional abilities.

It's possible that Augur stole it from the government lab that created Helen. 

It's also possible someone else intercepted the original signal and tried to make a competing A.I.  Maybe there is a version of Helen in Russia who looks like a Russian scientist.  And on that topic - making artificial life forms in your own image is just asking for trouble.

14 hours ago, Paloma said:

Helen didn't kill all her creators, since Loretta is still alive--although it does seem a little suspicious that Loretta escaped with nothing more than a little scar on her cheek. 

True, a lone survivor.  I also found that a bit suspicious.

[KaveDweller]

14 hours ago, Enigma X said:

It is weird that Helen was the first and was created seemingly more powerful even before Emily's upgrade. Why only Helen?

I thought Helen was created by Loretta, and then Helen created the others. So it makes sense that Helen wouldn't want to create other AIs that were as powerful as her. She wanted to be the leader

15 hours ago, Paloma said:

Helen didn't kill all her creators, since Loretta is still alive--although it does seem a little suspicious that Loretta escaped with nothing more than a little scar on her cheek. 

Loretta made me wonder if the AIs age. Because Helen looks exactly like Loretta, and I am assuming Loretta has aged in the last 15 years.

[tennisgurl]

I freaking loved Jo’s annoyed reaction to Helens human twin/mom standing in the shadows waiting to meet them all mysterious like. “Seriously? She’s not going to come over to meet us? She’s just gonna stand there dramatically?” 

[possibilities]

17 hours ago, Enigma X said:

At the end of the day, I would prefer the big bad to be human, and the AIs simply want to live as normal as they can. Boring to most...maybe.

That's where I am, too. I guess the show thinks we need something more, though.

[Johnny Dollar]

I swear they’re just making this stuff up as they go along with no overall plan of how the show is supposed to go. This is as high concept of a show as you can get, so it’s not something that can go on for four or five seasons. Although with the ratings it’s been getting that may not be a problem. 

I eww’ed at Brooks and Jo kissing because we all know he should be with Agent Carter. 

[atlantaloves]

Yeah, I went ewwwwwwwwwwwwww at the kissing scene too, cause if we are going to have kissing, it needs to be Jo and her cute ex husband, who is a saint! This show is goofy, but I'm sticking it out until the end.

[HeShallBMySquishy]

20 hours ago, atlantaloves said:

Yeah, I went ewwwwwwwwwwwwww at the kissing scene too, cause if we are going to have kissing, it needs to be Jo and her cute ex husband, who is a saint! This show is goofy, but I'm sticking it out until the end.

I know! And I normally hate love triangles/quadruples/whatever, but, it's: Donald Faison (Murray!), and Enver Gjokaj (Dollhouse), and Owain Yeoman (The Mentalist). With those three as options, how is someone to choose?!

And yes, although this show is goofy, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It didn't immediately run off the rails (ahem, Manifest) while trying to cram three seasons of a different show into the debut season of another.