Welcome to Pilot Perception, our feature in which we break down the first episode of each new show in order to help you decide whether it’s worth your time.
The Show: Continuum, Syfy, Mondays at 8/7c
Note: This is an import; the first season has already aired on Showcase in Canada.
The Pedigree: The show was created and written by Simon Barry (The Art of War) and executive produced by Barry along with Jeff King (Stargate SG-1, White Collar), Tom Rowe (Tin Man), and Pat Williams (Smallville). Jon Cassar (24, Terra Nova, Fringe) directed the pilot.
The Cast & How You Know Them: Continuum stars Rachel Nichols (Alias, Criminal Minds), Victor Webster (Mutant X, Castle), and Erik Knudsen (Jericho).
The Premise: In 2077, City Protective Services Officer Kiera Cameron is working at the execution of a group of terrorists – until they travel back in time to 2012 and accidentally drag her with them. Now she has to track them down before they change the course of history, all while dealing with living in the past and trying to figure out how to get home to her family.
A Taste:
What Works: The basic concept is intriguing, and the world-building seems thorough and interesting. I like that there’s a strong female lead more or less on her own, and it adds nuance that she both has a very important work-related goal and a (seemingly) good relationship with the husband and child she wants to return to. Young tech genius Alec Sadler was my favorite character in the pilot, and I can’t wait to see how their friendship develops. There was a reveal at the end of the pilot regarding him that literally made my jaw drop. More generally, this was an engaging hour of television and I can’t wait to see more.
What Doesn’t: I’ll admit I was actually way more interested in the scenes set in the future; I’m not sure whether those flash-forwards will be happening in future episodes or not. The tech Kiera has embedded in her is nifty but at times seemed to make it a bit too easy for her to solve problems; it shouldn’t just seem like magic. And time travel stories are always tricky and very easy to mess up, so to some extent I’m reserving judgment. But overall I really liked this episode.
Our Favorite Line: “But what you may not know is that there’s two schools of quantum time theory.”
You Might Like This if you like time travel shows or high-concept police shows. It reminded me a little of Alcatraz, with chasing criminals from another time, though in the opposite direction. And the scenes that took place in the future kept making me think of J.D. Robb’s Dallas/Roarke series of futuristic mystery novels. (Now that is a procedural someone should make.)
If You’re Interested: Syfy is rerunning the pilot, “A Stitch in Time,” several times this week, so check your local listings. And set your DVR for next Monday at 8/7c.
(Photo courtesy of Syfy.)