Beyond: Season 1/ Episode 3 "Ties That Bind" – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Spoiler Alert: This post may contain spoilers. Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.

Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

As Willa begins to explain things to Holden, it seems the answers don’t just lead to more questions but his stress tolerance lowering.

Topic 1: Bye Bye Kevin (Kevin and the Man in the Mustard Jacket)

With Kevin only needed for being a lure and not supposed to see Holden use his powers, he is a liability to Hollow City and their agenda. So, out of kindness, MitMJ lets him see his wife and her pregnant baby one more time before seemingly killing him.

Commentary

I’m glad Kevin is dead. With him not desiring to be Holden’s friend, due to the understandable nature of what that entails, what could he be used for? He isn’t part of the Hollow City and if MitMJ is to be taken serious, and keep up this appearance he is deserving of some high powered title, he can’t have a loose end/ liability like Kevin. Though, with Kevin dying, does that mean his wife is cut loose or with Jeff not coming after Holden to find where his brother is, does that mean Kevin’s life and existence aren’t written out of the show just yet?

Topic 2: No More Keeping Up Appearances (Diane, Tom, Luke, and Holden)

Diane and Tom are separated and it seems Diane maybe dating, or into, Pastor Ian. On top of that, Luke seemingly, the child everyone forgot, has been expected to take a semester off to help Holden get acclimated. Well, at least that was what his dad is expecting. Thing is, Luke has no desire to go from living in Holden’s shadow to pausing his life for the sole purpose of Holden’s.

Commentary

I don’t know if it is because they are a white, suburban middle-class family or what, but Holden’s family bores the hell out of me. Even when Tom and Diane were fighting, it just seemed like a breather from Willa explaining how Holden’s powers and issues manifest. Though, I will say, Luke still remains an interesting character. For outside of the family drama, I still fully expect him to be the one who helps acclimate Holden to modern times and that brother bonding we saw in the first episode still remains an appealing factor of this show. Leading me to hope the parents, with their relationship with each other and the kids established, become minor characters who are only seen when Holden needs to change clothes or something is wrong with his bike.

Topic 3: If Only Feelings Could Be So Simple (Jamie [Emilija Baranac], Willa, and Holden)

Love triangle alert. Jamie sees Holden at a sports store, while he gets some stuff to help when he tries to recapture his memories. There he lies about Willa being his sister, because the truth is so complicated, and gets her number. Meanwhile, we learn Willa is definitely into Holden, especially as she eyes him take his shirt off like she has been dreaming of when that moment would happen.

Problem is, her grandfather Arthur needs Holden to be focused for he is tired of running and it seems she was never supposed to fall in love with Holden. Yet, it is so clear she is long past being able to help that.

Commentary

I’m usually a sap for a good romance but, to be honest, there is something about Holden and any girl on this show which just lacks chemistry. To me, his scenes with Jamie and Willa are the epitome of “look at these two attractive people together, aren’t they adorable?” and honestly they are not. Which kind of sucks cause the actresses are putting in the effort and it seems the actor playing Holden is trying to cute and sort of flirty, but it’s like water and oil.

The unnecessary, love triangle aside, Willa notes that she, Holden, and her grandfather, were on the run in the other world she named “The Realm.” With that comes the question of what were they running from and, again, how was it she was able to come to Holand’s world? The way she makes it seem, she was born in the realm and raised there. So, how did she transfer herself to our world? The way she makes it seem, you move your consciousness to the realm and your body stays. So, with that said, it leads you to question if maybe, like Holden, you are being told too much too soon, though Willa uses a sponge and dishes to try to explain things, or if maybe things are far more complicated than we can assume based off established information.

Either way, it needs to be told how does one end up in the realm and how does one escape it? For with Holden coming back, Willa somehow going from one world to the next but Arthur, who seemingly trained Holand to use or control his powers, being stuck, there are a few things which don’t make sense.

Things to Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Is it just me or does FreeForm have a certain look they subscribe to when casting female characters?
2. I should note, the fight between Tom and Diane is about Holand’s future, especially in terms of his education. Diane has him scheduled to take the HSE but, with PTSD being triggered by his stress, he ends up not finishing the test and walking out.
3. Willa’s mom died during childbirth and dad abandoned her soon after. She was raised by her grandpa.
   1. Who wants to be we eventually meet her dad?