‘The Hullen Have Eyes’ brings the old team back together and thrusts them into the thick of the Hullen plot.
With Johnny back on the team, we lose the dual-storyline format previously used this season, giving some sense of a return to normalcy. Johnny echoes this want for things to return to how they were, enthusiastically suggesting that the team go on an old-fashioned warrant to get back into their groove.
That’s when Dutch and D’avin share a meaningful look - one that used to be reserved between Dutch and John, and is our first reminder of how long Johnny’s been away. They show him one of the Hullen ships and introduce him to new nerd Zeph, and explain that they’ve been trying to open one of the ships for a while now. Thus far, as in the last episode, no mention is made of D’av going up on one of the ships at the end of ‘Boondoggie’ - raising many questions.
I didn’t love Zeph last episode, and I didn’t love her in this one either. In fact, I found her irritating, mostly because she’s been willing to put everyone’s lives at risks simply in order to prove to them that she was right - something which goes against every value Dutch’s team stands for. And not only did she fail to apologise for her actions, but she was rewarded for them when Dutch sought her out to welcome her onto the team. This time round, the same thing happens again; she abandons the team on the ground as they’re taken prisoner, ignoring Johnny’s call for help, just to prove one of her theories right. Thankfully this time, when they are all out of harm’s way, Johnny tells her firmly that she was wrong, and that this isn't how things will work in future.
What also annoys me in her portrayal thus far is the milking of the ‘nerd’ stereotype for all it’s worth. Incredibly smart and prideful, completely socially inept, and decidedly unable to show concern for others, it’s been so overused that it makes Kelly McCormack look like a bad actress, which I want to believe isn’t the case. Furthermore, she lacks any of the witty banter that has always been a key to the chemistry between Dutch, D’av and especially Johnny, which makes it difficult to see how she’ll integrate into the group. However, Johnny has accepted the mantle of tutor, so hopefully some of his energy rubs off on her, and her character will be given opportunities for development.
Finally, after Aneela featured so heavily in the promotional videos for this season, we finally get a chance to see what Dutch will be dealing with in forthcoming episodes. We finally catch a glimpse of Aneela that’s more profound than her signature jet black lipstick and regal outfits, and discover that despite her gentle voice and composed mannerisms, she is absolutely and completely insane. Any hope that her and Dutch may piece together some kind of peace deal is dashed out the window the moment we see her learn of Khlyen’s death - subsequently slitting the throats of all the men around her. Hannah John-Kamen’s interpretation of Aneela puts viewers on the edge of their seats, as they wait with baited breath for the next murderous outburst each time she appears on screen.
Furthermore, her working with Delle Sayeh Kendry puts Aneela’s odds of success even further upscale, because of Delle Sayeh’s intimate knowledge of Dutch’s team, and her own motives for wanting Dutch dead. The dynamic between the two women, both so hungry for power and revenge, promise for probably the most exciting ‘big bad’ thus far in Killjoys.
Meanwhile, I’m not sure why so much of this episode was spent focusing on the Unseeing and the Hullen’s abandoned town. It reveals important things such as how long the Hullen have been preparing for the takeover, introduces an item left behind by Khlyen referred to as the Remnant, and finally explains why D’avin kept his trip up the Hullen ship from Dutch; he’d had a memory block after his first visit to the ex-Hullen base. However it is unclear if the Unseeing, the Seer or anything about this mysterious town will be brought up again later, or if this was another instance of the showrunners building another facet of the universe without delving into it.
Despite this, ‘The Hullen Have Eyes’ set up some very interesting arcs for the fight to come. What is the role of the Remnant? Why and how did Khlyen put D’avin in control of the Hullen fleet left behind? What is Aneela’s tactic? Will Delle Sayeh swing the Nine to support Aneela’s plan? Though not the most exciting of episodes, it does bode well for the rest of the season.
Killjoys airs on Tuesdays at 9pm on Syfy.
That’s when Dutch and D’avin share a meaningful look - one that used to be reserved between Dutch and John, and is our first reminder of how long Johnny’s been away. They show him one of the Hullen ships and introduce him to new nerd Zeph, and explain that they’ve been trying to open one of the ships for a while now. Thus far, as in the last episode, no mention is made of D’av going up on one of the ships at the end of ‘Boondoggie’ - raising many questions.