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Overview
As season 1 of Humans comes to an end, there are a few happy endings, some hints as to what the future holds, but nothing big or shocking.
Characters & Story (with Commentary)
Topic 1: I Want To Steal The Work and Put My Name On It – Hobbs
With almost every synth in place, it seems we learn that Hobbs real goal, all this time, was to actually continue David’s work. However, with one change. He wanted the synths to feel and have emotions, but not possess free will. An example of this would be his modifications to Fred who, can feel anger and want to kill Hobbs but is forced to follow the laws of synth and also obey Hobbs command about not telling the others. Of which, outside of Leo who he wants to test on, are originally planned to be destroyed. Something Karen watches without hardly a peep.
Topic 2: A New Ally – Pete, Mattie, Laura, and Hobbs
With Pete showing up on the scene, the first thought is that he has figured out Niska’s whereabouts and is ready to make his arrest. However, what ends up happening is that he joins the Hawkins family in trying to help the synths? As for why, well that is more so talked about in topic 3. Focusing on the topic at hand though, what he does is help Mattie and Toby escape the almost house arrest situation, as the police go through and check all of the Hawkins family’s things, and they go off to an undisclosed location, with Mia’s laptop, to find proof that Leo isn’t a synth so that they have some leverage.
Leading to, ultimately, Hobbs being forced to let everyone go, but having two backup plans. The first being Fred, who has a tracker in him and seemingly might have had one since Hobbs got him the first time, which would explain the twitching he was doing before, and then there is the 2nd backup plan. Now, before we go into the second plan, let’s talk about the escape!
Hobbs pretty much instructs them all to be let go outright, with no fuss and just monitors Fred. This leads to a reunion of the Hawkins and the synths, for possibly the last time, and as Laura hands off a load of money, and everyone begins their goodbyes, so arrive the cops. Forcing everyone to hide away in the population of those who protest against synth and sneaking into an abandoned flat. There, Leo speaks with Hobbs and tells him the code he thinks he extracted from them is incomplete, and then he asks to speak to Karen. During their conversation, he offers one last chance to be family, and it seems she comes to at least hear them out.
Truth is though, she ends up being either Hobbs’ second backup, or has crafted her own code to ruin everything. For when their minds are synced, she forces Fred, Niska, and Max to relive their worse memories, and this debilitates them. It also forces Mia to be weakened as well, but through showing what she is doing to Leo, and mentioning how she can convince Leo to love Karen as much as he loved Beatrix, it seems Karen relents.
Leaving us with what seems to be one complete copy of the sentient code. Which, once made, there isn’t an immediate clamor to put the code online. In fact, many, even Niska, speaks on waiting. But with this triumph comes a bit of sadness.
Topic 3: And So It Ends – Everyone
After the sentient code program is made, Laura is handed the only copy and so begins the end. Karen goes off on her own but ends up meeting up with Pete who, seemingly, may not necessarily jump in bed with Karen, but does want to at least continue their friendship. As for the main group of synths? Well, Fred is to be left on his own since they can’t undo whatever Hobbs did. This bothers a revived Max highly, but he decides to abandon his brother and join Mia and Leo wherever they plan to go. As for the Hawkins family? Well, they go back to living a slightly normal life. For despite Joe’s indiscretions, aka his affair, it seems him showing empathy as Laura revealed her part in Tom’s death has landed him back in her good graces. Then, when it comes to the kids, Toby seems unaffected, Mattie is still Mattie, and Sophie is coping by acting like a synth.
Leaving the question of what happened to Hobbs and Niska. Well, unfortunately, we don’t learn of Hobbs’ fate, but we do learn Niska’s. We end things with her being on a train, willingly on her own, and learn that despite her personally giving Laura a copy of the sentient code, she also kept one for herself. Thus making it seem, wherever she may go, it is likely she will begin experimenting with making more synths into sentient beings – likely being the major issue of season 2.
Final Thoughts
There is something nice about a season ending without a major cliffhanger. It doesn’t leave you frustrated that you have to wait a whole year for a follow-up, and with the ending featuring Niska having the sentient information, you are given just enough foresight to expect what is to come the following season. But, I must say, a part of this show’s ending, until the Niska moment, seemed like it was made just in case it had to be a series finale vs. a season finale.
Overall, though, I quite liked this season and I am curious where it may go now. We know for sure Niska is going to awaken quite a few synths, but the question comes: will she still technically be on the run? Pete and Karen are the only ones who really made any headway, and considering all the opportunities they had they didn’t put the nail in the coffin. So is it right to assume she is just going to go scot free? Granted, her face is out there, and she nearly got recognized, but now she may very well be off to France.
Then, when it comes to everyone else, assumingly Fred is stuck with Hobbs and Leo and his family are off to hide. So, what can happen with their storylines that can even match Niska’s possibilities? Much less, how can the Hawkins family keep up unless they drag themselves back into Leo’s family’s mess?
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