TV Review: Killjoys (Series 3, Episode 8)

After last week’s metaphysical journey, ‘Heist, Heist, Baby’ feels like a moment of respite, allowing time to reground our Killjoys with a good, old-fashioned mission - a hail back to simpler times.

This season has been more loss than victory, and the opening sequence to this episode does not escape that oppressive feeling. Johnny himself tells his brother that, according to his simulations, there is simply no way they can triumph over the Hullen, and both express concern as to what is going through Dutch’s mind. This resurfaces a theme of lacking faith, something which had previously been explored through Dutch’s moral conflicts - particularly following Banyon’s death.

Killjoys’ most recent instalment is also a shining beacon of character development in D’avin. Of course, it’s been heading this way for a while, but no other episode better demonstrates his growth, both in his relationships with Johnny and Dutch, and as a leader.

Throughout the series, he’s been portrayed as the dumber brother; the muscle without intellect, and has quietly gone along with this unfair assumption. Yet his alternative strategies and military thinking display a depth of thinking that is too often overlooked, thus it’s exhilarating to see him assert himself as more than how others have perceived him.

These scenes of the Jaqobi brothers working together - without Dutch’s guiding hand - also reaffirm their individual skills and agencies. With such a dominant character as Dutch, other characters can, at times, momentarily fade into the backdrop, yet this episode underlines that this core trio’s members are all equally dynamic, strong and complex.

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I’m a little bitter that Jelco made a comeback and ruined an opportunity for our three Killjoys to reconnect emotionally, but one good thing that came from his appearance was his conversation with D’av about the women in their lives whom they are in love with. He tells him that he needs to give Dutch something she doesn’t know she needs, but can’t get anywhere else.

Recently, Killjoys has been particularly skilled in distinguishing D’av and Johnny’s relationships with Dutch, highlighting on what fundamentals their relations are built. Whilst Johnny offers unwavering loyalty and unconditional love, D’av is the one Dutch can go to no matter how grim the situation, and trust to make the right decision for the greater good. This is only emphasised when, confronted by D’avin, Dutch finally admits to what she learned in Aneela’s memories. 

If Aneela is Dutch’s original source, she reasons that when they kill Aneela, Dutch will die also. “Kill Aneela, win the war”, she intones, seemingly at peace with the knowledge of her impending sacrifice. Despite a reminder that D’av is in love with Dutch, he understands he can’t save her without losing the war, upon which rests the future of humanity; his acceptance of what she has to do, regardless of what pain it may bring him, is the ultimate show of strength for D’av’s character.

Despite this devastating news, things are looking up for the human side of the war. The episode focuses on putting together a plan to bring down the Hullen fleet, as Johnny finds a way of disrupting their communications and navigational systems, so that they may not act as a unit. Furthermore, the Hullen camp finds itself immensely weakened.

Aneela has transformed from captive to the one in control, and has figured out how to block ‘the Lady’, assumedly the highest authority for the Hullen, who exists solely in the green. This not only means that an entire armada is now under the guidance of a psychopath, but also that Aneela is not fighting a war on two fronts: from within the Hullen and from Dutch’s army. Undoubtedly this must play in the interests of the humans, whose fight thus far had seemed hopeless.

A small but fascinating moment in this eighth episode is one that draws parallels between Aneela and Dutch, emphasising that the two’s similarities don’t end at their physical identicality, but go much further. Aneela refers to Kendry as her “tether”, which echoes back to how Dutch called Johnny her “gravity”. Both refer to the ones they love most as their anchors, because both struggle with their inner demons and seek stability from the outside. It’s a moment that easily goes unnoticed, but nonetheless is a distinct glimpse into how Dutch and Aneela may just be mirror versions of each other.

With Dutch at peace with the anticipation of her own death, D’avin forced to accept her sacrifice in the name of saving the Quad, and Johnny is being kept in the dark regarding everything that Dutch learned from the Remnant, this episode was a tug at the heartstrings.

‘Heist, Heist, Baby’ makes final preparations for what seems set to be an astonishing last couple of episodes for season three, and for what could potentially be a devastating outcome.

Killjoys airs on Tuesdays at 9pm on Syfy.