Talking Hurts
Michael awakens and finds Colleen initiating “Operation Fun” at the start of episode 7 of Utopia. He’s forced to admit that the vaccine is a good idea as she’s blackmailing him with a whole bunch of porn stuffed on his computer. It’s here Michael realizes that she’s been planted from the very beginning to change his way of thinking. Meanwhile Arby meets Dr Kevin who flies off the handle when he notices Lily improvising on TV. With her failing to stick to the script, he tasks Arby with “earning his place” by going after her. And go after her he does. He shows up at her house and warns the girl over what she’s been saying. It’s here he sits down with Lily and learns more about her story. Going off-script made her feel alive and this seems to get through to him. He sits opposite Lily and learns that she loves the world. With a differing world-view, Arby decides he doesn’t want to be called Arby anymore. The name he chooses is John. Back at Christie Labs, Thomas concocts a heinous plan to have Michael inject himself with anthrax when he’s no longer needed. Not long after, he meets with Lily and they discuss the latter’s purpose after endangering the mission. Jessica and the others rock up at Michael’s house. The former holds a gun up to the doctor and threatens him. Only, Alice bursts in along with the rest of the group. After searching him, Michael reveals that he was actually a patient in the asylum, hence why he was in that picture. Colleen was the one who put him there originally. When Jessica figures it out, a fight between her and Colleen breaks out. Only, Alice hits the killer blow and shoots Colleen in the stomach. Back at the house, Michael goes through the issues with this virus and how it’s being spread from a petting zoo. While they talk, Alice and Grant do some flips on the bed upstairs (wait, didn’t Alice just kill someone in cold blood? Why isn’t she torn up about it?) Anyway, the group head out on their mission which allows Becky and Jessica to share a strangely intimate moment together at the clinic. Not long after, Michael realizes that Kevin Christie is behind everything and he’s Mr Rabbit. It’s actually Michael’s vaccine that’s to blame for what’s happening. We’ve known this for a while though but the characters are finally up to scratch. This eventually brings Jessica to Agent Katherine Milner who happens to be her self-proclaimed guardian angel. She’s been searching for her all this time. It’s here Wilson reveals that Kevin Christie is Mr. Rabbit and pleads with her to help. She refuses though, telling them this is a foolhardy operation. It looks like they’re on their own now. As the group head back, they find Grant and Alice eating sundaes with Ian on the sofa. When the doorbell rings, Jessica finds someone tied up and left at their doorstep while Arby watches on gleefully from afar.
The Episode Review
Tonally, this episode is all over the place. Alice kills Colleen in cold blood and then she’s dancing about and eating ice-cream like it’s nothing. I understand that she’s been hardened by her experiences but it comes off as cartoonish and poorly written. That goes for Grant too who has very little to do here despite being made out to be integral to the plan early on. The plan here essentially sees the group scrambling to connects dots that we’ve already joined up several episodes ago. Seeing the group coming to the same conclusions we have is not fun to watch and eliminates any mystery that may been built up with a slightly different perspective. Regardless of your thoughts on the original series, the plotting here has left a lot to be desired. Still, if you’ve made it this far then no doubt you’ll be prepared for the upcoming finale.
