S03.E09: Minute of Silence

[Lisin]

Kiera and Carlos, reeling from a shocking loss, hunt down a ring of enigmatic high-tech thieves, even as a handsome, yet distant amnesiac begs for help in discovering his identity.

[dr pepper]

Why should Alec believe that the outcome of a corporate rivalry is guarenteed one way or another? After all, he's already seen evidence that the future can be changed.

[XtremeOne1]

I think one issue with this season is that there really is no goal for Kiera anymore. Is this new future guy a love interest? What is Keira after? Where she is going from here? It doesn't even seem like she wants to go home anymore. She's just super cop. And every single one of her attachments have become pretty non-existent. Alec and Carlos both are cold too her, she has no connection to her family anymore, so they give her random love interest, pushing her further away from her goal. I miss the more human Kiera .

 

I thought that super crook would turn out to be her son(who's name I can't even remember he's mentioned so little) and given the flirt and sexual tension between Kiera and future guy, I hope he isn't her son....But right now Keira has nothing. No connections, no goals, just nothing...And with Alec becoming evil corporate guy and Carols spiraling, who are we rooting for and what are we rooting for

[pwin]

Hi, I started searching online for continnuum discussions to see if others found the numerous interactions, motivations, and plots without conclusion excessive on this show. (I came from reading the posts on television without pity.) It feels as if the writers are setting up multiple scenarios so that when they decide how the season ends they will have had a basis for it somewhere in some episode. However, I feel the point of the show has been complicated and obscured by all the minor conflict.

Flashbacks:

I've begun to question how much of the history in season one and two is applicable to this season, and the flashbacks of the future add to my suspicion. The flashbacks are no longer benign and/or curious and perhaps ominous, they are outright villainous. Keira's future self doesn't behave like she used to in season 1/2. FutureAlec didn't care about futureKeira at all, which is very strange considering that before he was intent on the woman. The way the flashbacks occur no longer seem connected to what keira is currently thinking during a show, but instead comes as an aside. I've wondered if the future that we're seeing this season is actually the one that is generated from this new timeline. The reason Keira seems disconnected from it is because that is the future from which deadKeira came and not the Keira we know.

After this last episode:

Carlos, right now, is incomprehensible with his behavior. He confides in Keira but doesn't seem to trust her. In one episode, I worried he was going to make love to that corpse. Now, he is trying to destabilize Keira/Alec's relationship. Why?? And I too don't understand PironAlec's behavior. I figured that, in the past, Alec resented being used for his abilities by Keira, but submitted to Keira's demands/requests because he was inherently good and believed that what she was doing was right. Also, it was his fault she was sent back in time so he has a resposibility to her. That history doesn't seem to mean much now. Why is Curtis back? He is an uber - all-knowing and all-powerful - with a questionable purpose. It bums me out that he is back.

I miss Alec/Keira's partnership. I miss the arc regarding Julian/Alec's relationship; I was encouraged by their reduced conflict which had intriguing possibilities. I would love to see Sonya find out about Kagame's subterfuge in recruiting her; I think the change to her character and its effect on the future of liber8 interesting. Someone said he/she had liked the idea of a nonviolent Julian as opposed to the ruthless Theseus he was supposed to become, and so do I. I suppose Garza will change that. I like Garza/Keira's temporary peace and I hope it lasts. And this is in response to a comment I had read: didn't Keira give Alec1 to the freelancers so he wouldn't be killed? I thought she had said something to that effect. Unfortunately, that recording was heavily corrupted and I missed much of what happened after Alec1 held a gun? to Alec2.

Well, I've never posted on a show forum so I'll start with that. :) Thanks!

[dr pepper]

Outlaw Alec is currently being held by the Freelancers in Dimensional Violations Prison. They should have taken Corporate Alec instead. After all, Corporate Alec is the one most likely to invent time travel and make this mess possible.

 

Agreed on currently living Keira not being from the timeline in the flashbacks.

 

Here's a completely separate question. In the series pilot, what idiot thought it would be a good idea to execute terrorists by blasting them with the entire output of a power plant so there'd be enough energy to run a time machine if someone managed to smuggle one in?

Edited May 27, 2014 by dr pepper

[shapeshifter]

@pwin, I ♥ all of your post. Finally someone has put into words what I've been muttering about on various boards while not seeing much response or consensus. Regarding this part:

...Carlos, right now, is incomprehensible with his behavior. He confides in Keira but doesn't seem to trust her. In one episode, I worried he was going to make love to that corpse. Now, he is trying to destabilize Keira/Alec's relationship. Why??

It's almost like there's two Carlos, right?

I adored season one Continuum. It was my new Fringe. I still look forward to new episodes, but the show has a bit of "sophomore slump." In contrast, Orphan Black, which I didn't discover until the end of its first season, is still firing on all cylinders in its second season.

Back to this episode: I thought I saw a glimmer of a possibility that, as you said:

t feels as if the writers are setting up multiple scenarios so that when they decide how the season ends they will have had a basis for it somewhere in some episode

and that things will coalesce.

@dr pepper, I too wonder if they left the wrong Alec behind. Maybe they will swap them out? Maybe they will bring back the other Alec and they will team up to fight the sharks, that is, Kellogg.

I was hoping for a moment that Kellogg was manipulating Alec for the greater good--but then we saw his smug grim when no one was looking.

New guy is definitely someone who can relate to Kiera's situation and loss. But why does he know her name?

I'm assuming Alec took dead Kiera's chip so he could invent it sooner, but isn't this like the ultimate time travel paradox?

Or would the ultimate paradox be retroengineering the time travel device in the past, sort of reminiscent of H.G. Wells' Time Machine?

Edited May 30, 2014 by shapeshifter

[DrLar]

I also feel that this future guy could be Kiera's son, maybe she should just do a quick DNA test to discard that, she doesn't even suspect it's her son? she was even hesitant that the guy was from the future.

[XtremeOne1]

I think she did run his DNA through every database, and if she did that I think her own DNA would have popped up.

 

Again, given the heavy flirting I really hope he isn't her son....

 

Though throughout the whole episode I thought he was the guy in the flash forward haha

[shapeshifter]

Though throughout the whole episode I thought he was the guy in the flash forward haha

I was so confused. They must all have the same barber or something, and definitely come from a similar gene pool, because they look so much alike. Which ones do you mean? According to the IMDb page for the episode (imdb.com/title/tt3528452/?ref_=tt_ep_pr), we have:

Ryan Robbins playing the as yet man without a name, and:

Curtis Caravaggio playing Neelon, who, despite his futuristic sounding name, according to the Continuum wikia page for Grey Point Security, is a 2014 mercenary--at least as far as we know for now

And then there's look-alike Mike Dopud, who played Kiera's prisoner in the hippie community that got killed off (for now), and Kiera's husband, who looks quite a bit like the others too, only a little younger.

And, finally (for now) there's the kid listed in the IMDb episode page as parkour, Alex Kyshkovych, who does have the future tech of invisibility cloth, and looks like he could be Kiera's son, slightly grown up.

[Maverick]

 My first thought was amnesia guy was Keira's husband from the new, altered future.  But then the hologram should him with a wife and kid.  So like others I thought, grown up son looking for mom.  But I also agree there's some sexual tension there and even the episode description describes him as a handsome stranger so they seem to be pointing to love interest.  He described the city he remembered as bombed out and skeletal buildings.  The shots we've seen of future!Vancouver show it as a gleaming, hi-tech metropolis so I'm still thinking whoever he is, he's from an altered timeline.  Maybe Alec being so desperate to accelerate his discoveries causes too much of an advancement in technology too fast.  The world's militaries get the advance tech (before the governments fall and the corps take over) and it leads to devastating war.  They were emphasizing how Alec wanted to help people and move away from military projects.  I think amnesia guy is going to be the vehicle that let's the time travelers know how they've changed the future and made it worse for everyone.  I thought Chen recognized amnesia guy so maybe he will play into his resurrection story.

[alias1]

Didn't it seem like Kiera recognized someone in the hologram?  Or was she just so surprised that something popped up?

[Grammaeryn]

Maverick that is a great theory on amnesia guy! And it could explain why he knew Kiera's name. Future Alec in future B sends someone back with an update. Or did she check his hands yet?  Freelancer? I guess I'm the weirdo who kinda hope he is Sam (Kiera's son).

 

I'm loving all the random pairings and unclear agendas.  My favorite was Carlos and Alec in this episode.  It makes sense for Carlos since he's basically at a tipping point thanks to Betty's murder. Obviously Kiera has no interest or time to help him so he reaches out to the only other person in the Future club. Wonder if he'll buddy up with Kellogg next time? Kiera is really a shit friend, huh?

 

Next episode we better see more interaction with Liber8 or the Freelancers so Kiera will get a better trajectory.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Grammaeryn

[shapeshifter]

Didn't it seem like Kiera recognized someone in the hologram? Or was she just so surprised that something popped up?

I thought it was just: He's like me. He too has lost his family that is almost a mirror of my family. Maybe we should drink some wine together some time.

Review: http://io9.com/whos-making-the-most-questionable-decisions-on-continuu-1584191204

Edited June 1, 2014 by shapeshifter

[FurryFury]

Hi, I started searching online for continnuum discussions to see if others found the numerous interactions, motivations, and plots without conclusion excessive on this show. (I came from reading the posts on television without pity.) It feels as if the writers are setting up multiple scenarios so that when they decide how the season ends they will have had a basis for it somewhere in some episode. However, I feel the point of the show has been complicated and obscured by all the minor conflict.

 

I actually had to drop the show after s3 premiere. I think season one was excellent, and the drop in quality after it has been so sharp and noticeable I still mourn the potential the show once had. Judging by your comments, I was right to stop watching, too.

So they are introducing a new love interest for Kiera? I wonder why they have dropped the thing with Kellog after s1, it was fun. But then, everything after s1 doesn't make much sense, writing-wise. I wonder if they've changed some of the writing team, because it doesn't feel like the same show.

Edited June 1, 2014 by FurryFury

[greenbean]

Yeah, I liked the rapport between Kellog and Kiera. In S1 they set up an interesting world with good characters, but since then it's like they've abandoned almost all of those interesting points, and want to write a different show.

[TVSpectator]

I am not totally liking Carlos now. I get why he would be so upset over losing Betty buy why is he upset about seeing another dead Kiera? I just don't get it and now he has dragged Suit Alec into this mess as well and I am not liking him. Although, I haven't seen the time traveling Alec, in a while, but I do want him to be the one to survive all of this new timeline nonsense. I so don't like Dillon but he wasn't really too bad in this episode, compared to Carlos and Suit Alec.

 

As with Kiera's story, well I do think it's her son or maybe it's her son from this new timeline?

 

That being said, why are they dragging the whole "There are two Alecs and one has to die" story line? If Kiera can't make a choice then why can't the Freelancers make a choice?

[Maverick]

 

That being said, why are they dragging the whole "There are two Alecs and one has to die" story line? If Kiera can't make a choice then why can't the Freelancers make a choice?

 

 My guess:  hedging their bets.  Hoodie!Alec is locked up and can't meddle with the timeline any longer.  If they ever decide Keira choose poorly, they can always kill Suit!Alec and release Hoodie!Alec back into the wild.

[shapeshifter]

Or if someone else kills Suit Alec, they have Hoodie Alec as a backup. The idea of Alec--who is a type of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and/or Bill Gates--being split into his Hoodie and Suit selves, having them argue, and having the Hoodie locked away, is very meta. The whole show is full of stuff like that regarding the corporations. If it had a bigger audience, like Lost or even X-Files, it would likely generate interesting political discussion.

[wanderingstar]

Yeah, I liked the rapport between Kellog and Kiera.

 

 

So did I. Still can't figure out why they moved away from those two - even just as frenemies.

 

As for this episode, I was confused about this new time traveler (assuming he is). I actually thought he was the same doctor who is involved in the citizenship extraction business in the flashback. Shows you how much I was paying attention.

[TVSpectator]

 My guess:  hedging their bets.  Hoodie!Alec is locked up and can't meddle with the timeline any longer.  If they ever decide Keira choose poorly, they can always kill Suit!Alec and release Hoodie!Alec back into the wild.

I think by now, the Freelancers should know that Kiera isn't going to make a choice and so they capture Hoodie!Alec as a way to decide for her. As with Suit!Alec, I think he was allowed to live (or to be in Freelancer's prison) probably because he didn't time traveled. Although, I do kind of hope that Hoodie!Alec escapes and/or is release because I am not liking the Suit!Alec.

 

 

Or if someone else kills Suit Alec, they have Hoodie Alec as a backup. The idea of Alec--who is a type of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and/or Bill Gates--being split into his Hoodie and Suit selves, having them argue, and having the Hoodie locked away, is very meta. The whole show is full of stuff like that regarding the corporations. If it had a bigger audience, like Lost or even X-Files, it would likely generate interesting political discussion.

 

I could be a spark of political discussion but it's also not an US show, so, that might make people less interested in it because it's not a US base show, nor does it take place in the US (Although, Rachel Nichols  and Tony Amendola are US citizens). Although, people here are (and/or were) already talking about these things (and I would say dating back to 2008/2009) but I really don't know how much.

[Maverick]

 

I think by now, the Freelancers should know that Kiera isn't going to make a choice and so they capture Hoodie!Alec as a way to decide for her.

 But Kiera did make a choice.  When the two Alecs were facing off, she chose to take down Hoodie!Alec and hand him to the Freelancers.  When Suit!Alec chose Piron over Emily, she knew he was the one more likely to bring about her future.

[shapeshifter]

@TVSpectator, I don't see the politics in this show being specifically Canadian or American or Chinese or whatever. I think they're pretty universal globally, just occurring at different times in different places because of the state of economic development in a particular location. Probably I should have said socioeconomics instead of politics, anyway. The show is more looking at social issues in general--like human rights. I'd start a thread, but I'm afraid the show is hemorrhaging viewers this season and it might not get much discussion.

[Locutus]

I think mystery man is her son. Keira getting those "trusting vibes" from him make me believe it. How he got there and why will be the story.

[iMonrey]

 

I actually thought he was the same doctor who is involved in the citizenship extraction business in the flashback. Shows you how much I was paying attention.

 

That's what I thought too. I don't think it's her son though; she scanned him with her CMR and got no matches. I think if it had been her son, even if he's older now than when she last saw him, she'd get a match because her son would be in her database.

 

 

didn't Keira give Alec1 to the freelancers so he wouldn't be killed?

 

I think Alec is locked up for the same reason the Freelancers were locking up members of Liber8 last season - just because he's a time traveler, and that's their job. To subdue all these time travelers and prevent them from messing up the timeline, which the time-traveling Alec was going to do. 

 

 

I'm assuming Alec took dead Kiera's chip so he could invent it sooner, but isn't this like the ultimate time travel paradox?

 

I think Alec wants the CMR so he can fix the Halo project. Jason told him the parts/technology he'd need to complete it wouldn't be available for another 9-10 years. But it's probably part of the CMR.

 

I'm as baffled as anyone else by Carlos' behavior right now. He already knew Kiera was a time traveler. True, it would be disturbing to find her dead body like that, but so long as she's still alive, what's the difference? She was already from the future before any of this happened. He needs to pull it together.

 

[greenbean]

I understand why Carlos is messed up. This is a different Kiera, he doesn't know whether to trust her. This is also a different Carlos. So we don't know how he took Kiera being a time traveller. We don't know what their relationship was like. They could have been lovers in this timeline.

Edited June 2, 2014 by greenbean

[shapeshifter]

I understand why Carlos is messed up. This is a different Kiera, he doesn't know whether to trust her. This is also a different Carlos. So we don't know how he took Kiera being a time traveller. We don't know what their relationship was like. They could have been lovers in this timeline.

This Carlos is only one week different, so he already had a relationship with Dead Kiera. I'm guessing he watched too much Star Trek and thinks Live Kiera is a Borg.

[greenbean]

Oh well, I forgot that the timeline is a divergent from the original. Does Carlos know this though? He may be equally confused. This would explain why he's so shook up.

 

Tbh, I like this Carlos. Notice how he handed Alec the flask of booze when they went to visit Kiera's body? Since when has he been that kind of drinker? I want him to turn into a belligerent drunk and get even more pissy with Dillon and Kiera. Alec will be the only one who understands his suffering.

Edited June 2, 2014 by greenbean

[Bort]

I understand why Carlos is messed up. This is a different Kiera, he doesn't know whether to trust her. This is also a different Carlos. So we don't know how he took Kiera being a time traveller. We don't know what their relationship was like. They could have been lovers in this timeline.

I was totally going to suggest that maybe Carlos and the now-dead Kiera had sex and we just don't know about it, that would really explain why he's taking this all so hard. Because it otherwise just doesn't make sense how he can't seem to reconcile the difference. I mean, he was fine with her previous time travel, it's an extra week, what's the big deal? I think Carlos and Kiera did it.

[TVSpectator]

I understand why Carlos is messed up. This is a different Kiera, he doesn't know whether to trust her. This is also a different Carlos. So we don't know how he took Kiera being a time traveller. We don't know what their relationship was like. They could have been lovers in this timeline.

 

Probably not, I mean it's only been one week (going backwards) and that's it. I can't really see something like them becoming lovers over that time period. Although, I can see them sleeping together (more like a one night stand) but in all honestly didn't the Freelancer!Kiera told Carlos everything?

 

 

This Carlos is only one week different, so he already had a relationship with Dead Kiera. I'm guessing he watched too much Star Trek and thinks Live Kiera is a Borg.

 

I just think that they are really over playing the whole Carlos is distraught over Dead!Kiera. I can see him being confused but why add the bottle? I do wonder if it was him who killed Kiera (which is probably not going to happen on the show and instead we will probably see that it was the Freelancers). Personally, I just think that their is something more going on that we don't know. Although, we do know that Freelancer!Kiera only traveled back one week, so there shouldn't be anything that the Freelancer!Kiera doesn't already know and I think that the massive amount of difference between the timelines was rooted in the moment when Future!Alec arrived back, in time, one week prior to the events of the season 2 finale.

 

 

@TVSpectator, I don't see the politics in this show being specifically Canadian or American or Chinese or whatever. I think they're pretty universal globally, just occurring at different times in different places because of the state of economic development in a particular location. Probably I should have said socioeconomics instead of politics, anyway. The show is more looking at social issues in general--like human rights. I'd start a thread, but I'm afraid the show is hemorrhaging viewers this season and it might not get much discussion.

 

What I mean is that people probably won't take it serious enough to do something about because it takes place in Canada. In my opinion, people will see the events as a problem for Canada only. Although, I would say that this show is probably the right zeitgeist for this decade.

Edited June 3, 2014 by TVSpectator

[shapeshifter]

I just think that they are really over playing the whole Carlos is distraught over Dead!Kiera. I can see him being confused but why add the bottle? I do wonder if it was him who killed Kiera (which is probably not going to happen on the show and instead we will probably see that it was the Freelancers). Personally, I just think that their is something more going on that we don't know

We did see Curtis killing her in some sort of hologram-ish tool--what was it? But maybe Carlos was there and feels guilty for not being able to stop it? Or maybe he feels like this new Kiera took the place of the Kiera he had bonded with? Since this isn't a book where we can know what he's thinking, they really ought to give us a little exposition dialogue.

[Bort]

We did see Curtis killing her in some sort of hologram-ish tool--what was it?

Kiera's CMR had automatically downloaded into Alec's system but then it crashed or got wiped? I forget. Anyway, one of the Alecs recovered it and had it sent to Live Kiera once it was fully rendered.

Edited June 3, 2014 by kariyaki

[madam magpie]

Once again, I have no idea what's going on. I thought the amnesia time traveler was the doctor in the flashback/forward/whatever. This seemed like a totally different episode to me, and the resets they're doing aren't working as well as they did on Fringe. It's all just really confusing.

[Dovega]

What the hell Carlos? You don't trust Keira so you trust with your (and hers) deepest secret ro Alec, whom you don't seem to trust much either? Like, hey, share my pain and break whatever is left of your bond with her, that'll show her. Ugh, Keira doesn't have any real friend left now. I wonder if that's why Ryan Robbins is here.

That last scene was disgusting. Alex really has gone fully bad now. :(