HELIX's Shadow Falls

Article first published as HELIX's Shadow Falls on TheTVKing.

The title of SyFy's Helix season finale, which aired last night, is "Dans L'Ombre." Translated into English, it means "in the shadow." There is definitely one character lurking surreptitiously in the base, someone who betrays those who trust him and remains uncaught as the frozen base meets its end. Where will Helix go from here?

"Dans L'Ombre" begins and ends about eight months after the rest of season one. While the general format has been one episode equals one day, basically taking our characters through a two-week crisis, the plot spreads its wings and soars beyond that small scope now. To be honest, the story was beginning to feel quite limited, stuck in one base in the middle of nowhere, as cool as that is at the start, but by the end of the hour, the writers have literally opened up an entire world of possibilities as the show is about to get global.

I hope this change of scenery helps. I really enjoyed the middle of the season, when Constance Sutton (Jeri Ryan) showed up and things got tense. But the secrets that have been spilling out these past couple of weeks seem tame by comparison. Even the arc involving Julia's mother seems tired and limp, which could be why Helix couldn't wait to get rid of the new character almost as soon as they find her.

I wonder how much Alan (Billy Campbell) might drag things down. Campbell works great as a supporting player, but as the leading man, is a bit boring. The writers are trying very hard to punch up Alan's arc, reviving his romance with Julia (Kyra Zagorsky) and making his brother, Peter (Neil Napier), secretly evil. Normally, this would be enough to make any character exciting, but even in the scenes where Alan is beating up a guy, he still seems a little bland.

The most interesting character on the show is probably Hiroshi (Hiroyuki Sanada). Originally introduced as an antagonist, we now know that Hiroshi is blackmailed into much of what he has done, and really has been trying to save the day. The sacrifice of his son, Daniel (Meegwun Fairbrother), is heartbreaking, but at least he still has Julia. Hiroshi's mission to protect everyone, especially his family, possibly clearing his name in the process, though he will never live down his guilt and regret, is definitely the most compelling reason to watch.

As "Dans L'Ombre" ends, we are left with more questions than answers. Did Julia slip Alan the virus or the cure? Why is Julia running Ilaria? Are the silver-eyed people a different species, as The Scythe (Robert Naylor, Being Human) seems to imply (Ilaria is, after all, an extinct genus of the marsupial family, so maybe evolution and branching species come into play)? How will Sarah (Jordan Hayes) and her pregnancy fit into the next chapter? How about Sergio (Mark Ghanime) and his shifting alliances? Has the virus spread beyond Puerto Rico? How come Alan can't get anyone in power to listen to him, given his position and the destroyed base, something too big to cover up?

I don't know that Helix is as fleshed out as it should be. There are terrific moments, such as when Alan throws Constance's head into the helicopter to distract The Scythe, or when Hiroshi reveals the truth. But there are also many seemingly unconnecte, threads that don't really advance the main story. I found season one good, not great. Can a second year work out the kinks?

Helix will return to SyFy.

Is HELIX a "Survivor?"

Article first published as Is HELIX a "Survivor?" on TheTVKing.

There's a lot to praise about the SyFy original series Helix. For one thing, it's much smarter than most of the fare on the network. It's a disease outbreak stretched out to full television series proportions, which hasn't really been done before, at least not successfully. It contains some actual science (and, admittedly, some liberties with facts, too). It has mystery, suspense, and mythology on its side.

The thing that has kept it from really soaring for me, though, is the characters. Dr Alan Farragut (Billy Campbell), the lead, is a ridiculous caricature. He's very intelligent, but also abnormally kind, and is willing to fist fight with trained soldiers. He's way too stereotypical a hero, too good at too many things, and lacking any real depth. His relationship with Dr. Sarah Jordan (Jordan Hayes) is beyond dumb and formulaic. I'm not sure if it's the actor or the way the part is written, but it drags the show down.

Thankfully, quietly, slowly, the series has been building up an interesting ensemble that may be the key to take it to the next level. Dr. Julia Walker (Kyra Zagorsky) not only has a unique plot arc, but also some history with the company behind this whole mess that even she doesn't remember. Dr. Hiroshi Hatake (Hiroyuki Sanada) is more than he seems, and actually has personal motivations that extend beyond a grab for power or profit. Major Sergio Balleseros (Mark Ghanime), who I had written off after his murder of the only interesting personality from the first few weeks, stumbles onto some information that could shift his allegiances, making him a dangerous uncertainty.

This is all ramped up in tonight's excellent "Survivor Zero." If you've been on the fence and letting episodes build up on your DVR, this installment, the halfway point of the season, sent out to press for early viewing for a reason, is where things begin to change and get really interesting. There are developments which each of those three mentioned in the previous paragraph that should shock and intrigue you. They are part of a story I really want to see.

All of this is instigated by the arrival of Constance Sutton (Jeri Ryan, Star Trek: Voyager, Body of Proof). Sutton is the head of the parent company that runs the base, Hatake's boss. She comes to check on the progress of the mission, clues of which are revealed in "Survivor Zero" that haven't been obvious before. Her showing up kicks off a number of new subplots, or speeds along those that had been barely blooming, increasing the pacing of the show as a whole.

She is also a heck of a great character. Ryan shines in playing multiple sides, a master manipulator who has her own goals, some overt, some not so much. I've liked Ryan before this, but this is much more of a meaty role for her than the past work I've seen her in, and should she stick around, has the potential to quickly become the most magnetic personality on Helix.

I am loathe to go into details because I think "Survivor Zero" works best without clues. Not being one to watch episode previews before they air, I'm not sure how much has been given away, but popping this into my player this past week was surprisingly rewarding. If this is an example of what is coming for Helix, and by the way it unfolds, I think it is a good indicator of what is planned for the back half of the season, it should really become something to watch in the very near future.

Helix airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on SyFy.

Unlocking the HELIX

Article first published as HELIX Review on Seat42F.

SyFy is stepping outside its comfort zone with the new original series HELIX, premiering this week. It is not a case-of-the-week procedural, nor is it campy, two hallmarks of most SyFy dramas. Instead, this is a serious thriller about CDC agents traveling to a base in the Artic where a mutation could either save the human race or doom it. Heavy, huh?

It’s a great idea for a show. We’ve had exciting movies and miniseries about outbreaks of disease or biological contagions, but I can’t think of a single successful weekly series on the topic. With disease named as one of the most imminent threats the planet may face, genetic engineering debated for moral and hypothetical reasons, and the genre of horror television never having been more popular, it seems an apropos time to toss this into the mix.

HELIX is adrenaline-inducing. There are very tense scenes, and danger seems to be around every corner. The pacing is slow, then ramps up, then slows down, then ramps up again, sure to keep your heart beating fast. There are mysteries the CDC people don’t understand, and scary images that crop up. While not being a full-on horror piece, without constant deaths of characters, it does definitely give you the impression that not every one of the main players will make it out of the season alive. And since the base is home to more than a hundred people, there is plenty of room for body counts.

In a program such as this, set at an Arctic base, one expects some decent visuals. What special effects were included in the advance screener looked pretty cool, but sadly many of those were not finished. I am eager to see the first two installments again when their air to find out if HELIX delivers on this element.

Billy Campbell (The Killing) stars as the head of the CDC team sent to the base, Dr. Alan Farragut. His brother, Peter (Neil Napier, Bullet in the Face), is the only one of the initial three infected that is still alive. If this wasn’t bad enough for Alan to deal with, he used to be with the woman who recruits him for this mission, Dr. Julia Walker (Kyra Zagorsky, Green Season), until she slept with Peter.

This kind of triangle is nothing new, and induces a few groans at playing to such a familiar bit. However, this type of dynamic is utilized over and over again for a reason. We need to care about these characters, and there needs to be tension between them to make the show more compelling. While I wish there had been some thought to originality in crafting the roles, it’s one that works for the show.

There’s a fourth person involved, Alan’s plucky mentee, Dr. Sarah Jordan (Jordan Hayes, House at the End of the Street). Sarah insists that nothing romantic is going on between her and Alan, but Julia doesn’t believe Sarah, since Julia and Alan’s tryst started under similar circumstances. I am hoping Sarah is telling the truth, though, as that would be more interesting and fresh, even if she does have unrequited feelings for her boss.

There are a handful of other major players, too. Dr. Hiroshi Hatake (Hiroyuki Sanada, Lost) runs the base where the disaster occurs, and may be the villain of the show, unless the writers are painting him as a red herring. Daniel Aerov (Meegwun Fairbrother, The Time Traveler), works for Hiroshi. Dr. Doreen Boyle (Catherine Lemieux, White House Down) is a member of Alan’s team whose specialty is animals, which makes her quite suspicious when the base residents insist they don’t have any monkeys. Major Sergio Balleseros (Mark Ghanime, Emily Owens M.D.) is a soldier who is not going to let the contagion get out.

The one thing HELIX lacks, though, is a stand-out character, Sarah seems the most interesting thus far, and Doreen has potential, though the latter also has potential to die early. But unlike in most TV shows, there really hasn’t been anyone to latch onto and get fully behind. The people in HELIX seem realistic because they aren’t abnormally charismatic, but that could end up hurting the series as it tries to build an audience.

HELIX premieres this Friday at 10 p.m. ET.