Helix Review: Five Hundred Immortals
Henry A. Otero
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Once again, the title of tonight's episode "Fushigi" - a word I wasn't familiar with - turned out to be a pretty big clue.
It's Japanese for "mystery" or "secret" and we finally learned the secret behind the entire series is... Immortality.
The cast/crew weren't kidding when they said this show is not what you think. Many people thought Helix was another Walking Dead. Others expected a supernatural medical drama with X-Files conspiracies.
Helix Season 1 Episode 10 surprised me by revealing the fact that there are 500 immortals living among us. Our silver-eyed friends are not aliens, mutations or superheroes - but human beings with eternal life. We still need to learn the specifics, but it's a start right?
The episode kicks off with Sarah undergoing testing for her tumor. I wondered how everyone learned Sarah's secret, but Alan quickly answered that question by telling us that Hatake found her scar. When exactly did he undress her to see the scar? Hiroshi you sly devil you.
I'm not sure why Sarah hallucinated vectors attacking in the lab. I assume it had something to do with her tumor extending into the spinal fluid and spreading to the brain. Either way, it made for a cool scene right?
There's nothing Hatake can say at this point that anyone would believe. Alan even tells Julia that the guy has been lying since day one. Still, Julia tries to get some answers out of him regarding their silver eyes. It was no surprise to me that Hatake dodged the question, telling her it's a rare genetic anomaly. Julia doesn't buy it but he claims he's trying to protect her.
I'm only going to touch briefly on the Anana, Balleseros, Daniel stuff because basically it was all setup for the trio to discover one of Sutton's men had escaped and was heading back to the base. To be honest, I'm not too invested in the Balleseros/Anana romance because the guy can't be redeemed. I know he's trying and even admits he has done some terrible things but killing Doreen put him on my shit list. Period.
Julia tells Alan that Hatake has been stalking her her entire life, so Alan goes to confront Hatake. Instead, Hatake shows Alan video surveillance of good 'ol Cryo-Doc making off with the Narvik samples. Alan and Jules decide to go after him.
Narvik makes it out of the Arctic circle, there's no turning back, millions will die. And those who don't die, they'll be Vectors spreading the disease.
Alan
Naturally Hatake protests, but Alan and Jules head off to an abandoned listening station about fifty miles out.
This is where things get really interesting. Not only do they find Dr. Adrian there with the Narvik, yes attempting to make a deal with Ilaria but there's a mysterious silver-eyed man chained underground. At first glance this man appeared to be a vector, he was pale as death and seemed pretty insane right?
Sutton's soldier appears and kills Dr. Adrian, but Alan spots a hatch in the ground and they descend into an underground tunnel. I thought Alan's remark about a summer cabin down there was great. It's fun when the characters say things that all of us are thinking.
When Alan tells Julia they need to leave before Sutton's man finds the tunnel, the man says... Constance? He goes on to explain that Sutton made him pick a side, so he did and Hatake locked him up down there for twenty nine years. The man also tells Julia that there are rules and there can be no more than five hundred. I had a feeling when he kept repeating "free me," that he wanted to die and so, he kills himself.
The Ilaria soldier eventually catches up with them, but Daniel shows up and saves the day. They toss the Narvik in the fire (or so we think) and burn the place down.
Meanwhile back at the base, Sarah is working hard to find a cure. Hatake encourages her to look into Julia's blood work. Just when she seems close to some real answers, poor Sarah has a seizure that forces Hatake to put her into a medically induced coma.
I'm not sure how much of Hatake's story I believe regarding the man chained in the tunnel betraying her mother etc. but I do believe he sentenced him to life down there. The only part of the conversation that seemed honest, is when Hatake talked about the five hundred.
Hatake: They have gone to great lengths to keep their secrets.
Alan: Who are they?
Julia: The five hundred
Hatake: Yes, five hundred immortals. They run Ilaria Corporation.
Though this is probably not one of my favorite episodes of the season, this major revelation makes it the most important by far. Now we know there are five hundred immortals and apparently there can be no more than five hundred. These immortals run the Ilaria corporation.
Hatake created Narvik to "trim the herd" as Constance put it but his "B" strain doesn't kill, it creates Vectors instead. Since Julia is his daughter, and has his genes, did he somehow trigger her immortality?
Several times throughout the season we've been told this is all about Julia. Vector Peter also seems obsessed with Julia, going so far as to steal the photos from Hatake's album. Is Julia the key from going human to immortal?
I was very surprised to see that Julia had not destroyed the Narvik samples in the fire. Why would she hold on to them? Any theories Helix fans?
This is, without a doubt, one episode I am going to have to watch again. Especially the conversation with the immortal chained in the tunnel. Don't forget, you can Watch Helix online right here at TV Fanatic.
Hatake claims that only Julia can save Dr. Sarah Jordan, will she save her next episode?
