S02.E04: Shadow of a Doubt

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

While the planet celebrates Harlan's Day, Kovacs hatches an escape plan, Quell pieces together fragments of her life, and Poe faces a reckoning.

Dropping on Thursday, February 27, 2020.

[thuganomics85]

Whelp, Kovacs/Quell's rekindling is short-lived, as after some sexy times, she reverts back to whatever this killing machine is.  Still not sure what or who is controlling her, but apparently they aren't simply after rich people, but the founders of the planet.  Now that both Hideki/Kovacs' mentor and Dugan are off the table, that just leaves Danica's father, Konrad.  Who, as last seen, was currently rocking a Neal McDonough sleeve!

Kovacs finally has enough of Poe's glitching and mistakes that come from it, so he's pretty much canned him and hired Dig 301 instead.  That almost was enough to drive Poe to rebooting, but Dig 301 asks him to hold off, so that she can try and build a machine that will save his memories.

Trepp has a son as well, who is the main reason she has to be a bounty hunter, because apparently he was killed by a mine, and she has to rent out a new sleeve for him.

Danica and her partner are freaky!  In general, Danica really is starting to show that she is the most dangerous person here.  Carrera/Yager really did underestimate her.

As I figured, Evergreen is some solider of Carerra, that is dressed up in a spiffy, OG Kovacs sleeve!  Love that they found a way to bring back Will Yun Lee this season!

[WatchrTina]

I'm enjoying the SciFi aspects of this show (even though I'm having a tough time following the plot -- having multiple actors playing the same role with different faces will do that.)  But I have to say that this ep contained one of the disturbing examples of wanton cruelty that I've seen on TV in a long time.  The teeth-pulling torture was horrible enough.  But when Danica Harlan had that same woman tied to a rocket with rope passed through her bloody mouth and then had her (and other prisoners) shot into the atmosphere as part of a celebratory Harlan's Day fireworks display . . . damn.  That was some seriously messed-up behavior.  Even her mercenaries seemed apalled.

I have to be honest -- between the confusing plot and torture porn like that, I'm not sure I can stay on board this ride.  

One thing that IS encouraging me to hang on is the return of Will Yun Lee.  I've been a fan of his since back in 2000 when he was on Witchblade.  But this leaves me in a dilemma -- he and Anthony Mackie are now playing two versions of the same person.  Which one do I pull for?

Edited February 29, 2020 by WatchrTina

[Paloma]

18 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

 But when Danica Harlan had that same woman tied to a rocket with rope passed through her bloody mouth and then had her (and other prisoners) shot into the atmosphere as part of a celebratory Harlan's Day fireworks display . . . damn.  That was some seriously messed-up behavior.  Even her mercenaries seemed apalled.

I doubt that the mercenaries were appalled at the cruelty--more like angry and frustrated (especially the colonel) at not being able to interrogate them more now that damning secrets about Danica and the government were about to be revealed.

 

[tennisgurl]

Its OG Kovas! Well, its a sleeve version, but still! The many twists and turns we are already taking! This world must be so freaking confusing sometimes. Like, you run into what you think is a friend you haven't seen in awhile, and its actually just someone wearing their body as a suit? Or someone comes up and gives you a big hug, and you think its a stranger, but its actually your cousin who just got a new sleeve? Everyone should wear name tags! 

I know that this show can get really freaking dark, but the torture scene, instantly followed by executing the prisoners by way of fireworks, is a pretty impressive level of nasty. Honestly, the death by fireworks thing seems even worse. Torture is horrible, but has some kind of point, even if its an evil one. Tying people to fireworks that will launch while your whole city will be watching, not knowing they just watched people die, people presumably against the government that is being celebrated, is just so calculated and needlessly cruel. 

So we find out more about Trepp, who has a son, who was first killed in an accident before he got a new sleeve. Sleeves are creep and have stagnated society and created vast economic issues and are all used for all kinds of screwed up things, from child soldiers to killing sex workers, but it can sure come in handy sometimes!