Written by: Kevin Berge
Courtesy of: denofgeeks.us.
Quick Take: Continuum is an engaging if uneven time travel action series that starts slow but has an unwavering direction that makes the series improve with each couple episodes. It's a series that both surprises and confuses but is well worth the time spent, let down mainly by a short run time.
***This is a spoiler-free review for the most part, but some points will allude to events and perhaps give the reader preconceived notions of what to expect. If you want to go into the show completely blind, you should not continue reading from this point.***
The story of Continuum begins rather conventionally. A futuristic terrorist group known as Liber8 are being executed for their crimes in the year 2077. Things go awry, and the terrorists are able to escape into the past to the year 2012 where they plan to change history to topple what they see as a corrupt society ruled by corporations.
What the group doesn't plan on is that a protector (future policeman, basically) named Keira Cameron played by Rachel Nichols (Alias, GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra) follows them back when she is caught in the blast radius of the time travel device. As the show's primary protagonist, she has two goals: stop Liber8 from destroying her future and return to her time to see her son and husband.
The trick with Continuum though is that first impressions can be deceiving. The show twists and turns the plot to show the flaws of a completely one sided view of the conflict, often making it hard to distinguish who is in the right. However, first impressions also hurt the show's presentation which too quickly falls into the TV trap of a procedural in its first season, taking a while to find its footing.
Once the series does make the leaps it has been setting up from the beginning, it can be hard to stop watching. This complicated time travel focused show deals with paradoxes, corporate greed, and justice with clear writing that always helps to set up the future episodes.
The story of Continuum begins rather conventionally. A futuristic terrorist group known as Liber8 are being executed for their crimes in the year 2077. Things go awry, and the terrorists are able to escape into the past to the year 2012 where they plan to change history to topple what they see as a corrupt society ruled by corporations.
What the group doesn't plan on is that a protector (future policeman, basically) named Keira Cameron played by Rachel Nichols (Alias, GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra) follows them back when she is caught in the blast radius of the time travel device. As the show's primary protagonist, she has two goals: stop Liber8 from destroying her future and return to her time to see her son and husband.
The trick with Continuum though is that first impressions can be deceiving. The show twists and turns the plot to show the flaws of a completely one sided view of the conflict, often making it hard to distinguish who is in the right. However, first impressions also hurt the show's presentation which too quickly falls into the TV trap of a procedural in its first season, taking a while to find its footing.
Once the series does make the leaps it has been setting up from the beginning, it can be hard to stop watching. This complicated time travel focused show deals with paradoxes, corporate greed, and justice with clear writing that always helps to set up the future episodes.
Courtesy of: showcase.ca.
The acting in the show by largely lesser known actors is strong, dealing with a variety of complicated roles. Rachel Nichols is the actress to watch out for in the future with clear leading star charisma and action chops. Victor Webster who plays Carlos Fonnegra, a 2012 cop who primarily works as Keira's partner and confidant, is inherently likable in a role that could have been cliche.
Erik Knudsen is given the show's most difficult role as Alec Sadler whose role in the show becomes increasingly complicated in 2012 and 2077 and manages to make every aspect of his character strong. The rest of the cast are a variety of TV regulars including Lexa Doig (Andromeda), Roger Cross (24), Richard Harmon (The Killing), and Tony Amendola (Stargate SG-1).
No one feels out of place, and their characters always evolve in believable ways even when some of the backstory for choices is left to the imagination. They are helped though by a script that never wavers even as the show came close to being cancelled and ultimately only ran for 42 episodes over 4 seasons. This hurts the pacing which rushes by its final season but never breaks the intended direction.
Science fiction effects are often hit or miss on television due to budget constraints, and Continuum is not immune from this particularly in flashback scenes to the original future of the show. Still, enough of the effects are memorable and well done without going overboard, and the show is consistently well filmed particularly the multi-staged and physical action scenes.
This is a bitter sweet series that can at times be tough to follow, but once it gets going, it never loses its charm. The second and third seasons contain many top notch episodes that ratchet up the action and the twists in the storyline. If you can forgive the show starting slow and ending too quickly, you'll be signing up for a show that is engaging and immensely rewatchable.
Erik Knudsen is given the show's most difficult role as Alec Sadler whose role in the show becomes increasingly complicated in 2012 and 2077 and manages to make every aspect of his character strong. The rest of the cast are a variety of TV regulars including Lexa Doig (Andromeda), Roger Cross (24), Richard Harmon (The Killing), and Tony Amendola (Stargate SG-1).
No one feels out of place, and their characters always evolve in believable ways even when some of the backstory for choices is left to the imagination. They are helped though by a script that never wavers even as the show came close to being cancelled and ultimately only ran for 42 episodes over 4 seasons. This hurts the pacing which rushes by its final season but never breaks the intended direction.
Science fiction effects are often hit or miss on television due to budget constraints, and Continuum is not immune from this particularly in flashback scenes to the original future of the show. Still, enough of the effects are memorable and well done without going overboard, and the show is consistently well filmed particularly the multi-staged and physical action scenes.
This is a bitter sweet series that can at times be tough to follow, but once it gets going, it never loses its charm. The second and third seasons contain many top notch episodes that ratchet up the action and the twists in the storyline. If you can forgive the show starting slow and ending too quickly, you'll be signing up for a show that is engaging and immensely rewatchable.