Harry and John make it to Sanctum and it is there that we learn the truth behind Elena and the night which caused five people, including Lewis, to become shells. Network Netflix Director(s) Farren Blackburn Writer(s) Hania Elkington Air Date 8/24/2018 The Build Up: June, Ben, Christine, Harry, John, Doug John and Harry decide, if…
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Harry and John make it to Sanctum and it is there that we learn the truth behind Elena and the night which caused five people, including Lewis, to become shells.
| Network | |
| Netflix | |
| Director(s) | Farren Blackburn |
| Writer(s) | Hania Elkington |
| Air Date | 8/24/2018 |
The Build Up: June, Ben, Christine, Harry, John, Doug
John and Harry decide, if they are going to save or protect June, they can’t act solo but together. Otherwise, they’ll just fail as they did in the past. So, they make their way to Sanctum, together. During this process, Harry validates his mother and calls her, thus giving her an idea of where they are going and also flaring her up to see Doug. Someone who is surprised to see Christine, since she is suspended, but she is like a force to be reckoned with.
Leading to Doug, with Christine pushing her evidence, taking serious her claims and even bringing the force into it.
Commentary
For added detail, a handful of the Pennines Five ended up at Princess Victoria hospital, the same place, if I remember correctly, Deborah worked. So, with that in mind, was no nurse working three years ago, heard of Deborah’s case, and thought it was happening all over again? I could be wrong on location but it just seems weird that Christine is the first one to spot this stuff. Not to downplay her prowess as a detective but more so question why, with such an intriguing case like this, she is the first one to make progress?
But, with that said, now there is the need to question how far up Doug can take this and how does he explain it? John lying under oath about Elena is one thing, but explaining that Elena’s shifting bodies is what caused this? Yes, there is a photo and video but this is modern times. What is stopping someone from saying what we see isn’t visual effects? Especially as bigwigs catch wind of this.
The Pennines Five: Elena, June, Harry, Sigrid, Ben, John, Runa, Lewis
Though they have a bit of difficulty, including John hurting his leg, he and Harry do make it to Sanctum. Greeted by Sigrid with a rifle but, thanks to Runa, they calm down. It should be noted, however, Runa’s main reason for calming Sigrid down wasn’t because she didn’t want Sigrid killing someone but because June was in trouble. Long story short, June, despite being told her mother wasn’t ready, decides to talk to her regardless. To make things worse, they speak on a boat – isolated, and June almost triggers Elena, June herself gets triggered, and the boat capsizes and June becomes Elena.
However, Elena is still herself while this happens. Which is good for Elena, and a pleasant surprise for Ben, but then comes the issue of June digging through Elena’s memories. Thus revealing she and Lewis were having an affair and he was the first victim that night. For he revealed his love for her and seemingly was willing to leave Christine for her. Something which overwhelmed Elena so she became him, saw him blanking out, and then walked away. Leading to her being harassed and, in her anger, just shifting from one person to another, never back to herself. Hence, not releasing anyone and them being shells.
Which, in digging back years, leads June to slowly become Elena and erase herself from her own memories. Luckily though, thanks to good timing, Harry pops in and does for June the same thing he did when she almost lost herself to Deborah. Thus bringing her back.
Commentary
So, Lewis and the rest are basically lost then, right? They aren’t still one with Elena? Also, next question, if she shifts to them and back to herself, would they be restored or are they lost forever? On top of that, there remains the serious need to understand what kind of connection allows for shifting. This especially is required since June shifted with Elena remaining autonomous. For, previous to this, I just assumed they were telepathically beaming up their brain waves, memories, and all that. Allowing shifters to tap into their whole being. Yet, with Elena still mobile, now there is the need to go back to the drawing board.
Also, I find myself wondering what led to Lewis having an affair? Yes, Christine wasn’t around much but was anything said, did he think of Harry and also, why was Elena taking an art class? It seemed her issue at the time was lack of feeling she could handle so, was she just trying to paint the chaos inside?
No Interference: Ben, John, Harry, June
After the June debacle, Harry and June talk and he is ready to go. He doesn’t trust Ben, relays what Kam said, but June doesn’t want to leave. For one, John needs time to heal and two, she still doesn’t have control. Say what you will about Kam, but she had control and didn’t need a third party to help her reverse the shift. So, just for a peaceful night after the revelations and chaos, she asks of Harry to just go to his quarters.
A place where Ben seems to want conversation, maybe empathize, but in truth, he is just trying to get Harry out of the way. June is a breakthrough and even with secondhand, 80s tech, the stuff she can do is next level and Harry trying to take her away is a problem. So, he locks him into a room and turns out the light. Which, considering it takes, on average, a few weeks for someone to die because of lack of water and food, this seems like a really dumb idea. Especially with knowing June can go into people’s memories.
Commentary
June: No. Steinar — Steinar is sick.
It sort of feels too little, too late for making Ben a villain. For even if, especially with a henchman like Steinar, he seemed like he was one, this show’s writing really does ruin it. There isn’t this big shock or awe involved. You just find yourself hunching like, “Well, that might be one of the few things which makes sense on this show.”
But really, what does this man think putting Harry, in a room used every so often, is going to accomplish? Especially with a girl like June who can see your actual memories? If she gets suspicious, all she gotta do is touch you while you sleep. For once she understands her trigger and, perhaps like Kam, just triggers it on her own, you are screwed. After all, if she killed you, as you, all she has to do is make it look like a suicide. Hell, if the others join in, they can make sure it is called a suicide.
I mean, if June can replicate a baby, even feel kicking, I’m sure she gets a person’s fingerprints. I don’t know about the full spectrum of their DNA, especially once they turn back to themselves, but these ladies don’t seem like the type you should mess with. Perhaps explaining why he tries to charm them – harem style.
Miscellaneous Commentary
The First Meeting
Being that June and Harry’s relationship is the heart of the show, I’m slightly mad that this episode didn’t deal with their early days more. For as much as their love is established, often it is the sole thing which is really worth highlighting with this show. So only having one scene was frustrating as hell.
But, it also brought the need to question when did the letters come in? It never felt that clear how things began and continued to the point that they would run away together. So were the letters to hold each other over through the night? Or to keep, perhaps, administrators and teachers from catching on and maybe slipping something to John?
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- That had to be Kem, who chose her name after her favorite animal, Kamelions (how it is spelled in Norwegian) who was on their way to sanctum right? That couldn’t have been Steinar.
Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs
I just make a lot of noise so they don’t ask me any real questions.
— Harry
Highlights
- Getting a small glimpse of the early stages of June and Harry’s relationship.
- Christine having the police force behind her, when it comes to John, Elena, and the situation at hand.
- Harry and John bonding, him even referring to himself and Harry as June’s family.
- Learning how Lewis ended up a shell of his former self.
- Seeing how powerful June really is.
Low Points
- Ben becoming the villain the show needed but doing it in the episode before last.
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