Humans Season 2 Episode 3 Review: What Happens Now?
Ron Gilmer
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If perception is reality, at what point will the synths be accepted as equals by the human race, now that more and more of the synths act just like us?
That's where the story is headed, and in Humans Season 2 Episode 3, all the human characters are grappling with just how to accept the inevitability of synths living side by side with them.
The Niska story is obviously the most thought provoking, but all the storylines deal with the sea change of synth self awareness in their own way.
Mia finally telling Ed about her self awareness was big enough, but to drop that she's warm for his form too must have been hard to take.
Just imagine yourself in that situation. What would you do? Ed is clearly lonely, so any port in a storm for him, right?
I like you more than anything I've ever seen, or heard, or touched. Everything normal is bigger, brighter when I'm with you. You make everything MORE.
Mia [to Ed]
People name their cars for goodness sake, and spend more time with their phones than actual people.
So, if there were self aware robots out there, and one of them told you they had feelings for you, how would you react to that?
I bet a lot of you out there would go for it. If the alternative is being alone or lonely, would it be so bad to have a "relationship" with a machine?
This has been told in sci fi stories for years, but it takes a more understated approach here.
Another interesting idea put forth is people mimicking synths.
Renie, the schoolmate of Toby, is into it hardcore, and Toby is totally fascinated with it.
Joe and Laura's daughter Sophie is also going down that road, even to the point of not showing pain when she cuts herself.
Of course, they might not be copying synths. There is a possibility that they ARE synths.
If there are child synths out there, then that opens up a whole new can of worms, doesn't it?
It occurred to me that Hobb's granddaughter could very well be a synth.
Dr. Morrow's sad tale had a big reveal. Now we know why she is so into AI research.
Uploading the consciousness of "V", her daughter Ginny, into the mainframe is her way of dealing with that loss.
And don't be surprised later on that she comes up with a synth that looks a lot like Ginny, so she can have her own Life Model Decoy daughter! Not creepy at all.
The fact that she's willing to threaten Hobbs' life in exchange for his cooperation is more than a little disturbing, dontcha think?
She is obsessed with bringing Ginny back, and that doesn't bode well for anyone involved.
Morrow works where the Silo is located, so we know now that Leo and his crew will eventually come into conflict with her, since the renegade synths are being held there.
Niska's testing went about as I expected, so it was up to Laura to get her to relive the murder to convince the government she does indeed feel.
Niska is a hard one to figure. She definitely feels things, yet she refuses to bend to human will and let those feelings out.
Or she's just crazy.
Niska: He was going to rape me. I said no to what he wanted. He was going to force me to do it anyway. I was scared. And I'm sorry I can't cry, or bleed, or wring my hands so you know that, but I'm telling you I was.
Laura: You were scared.
Niska: Yes. My whole life is being scared, being hurt, being angry. Sometimes things become too much for anyone, don't they?
That seemed to be a turning point for Laura, but finding Astrid's phone number in Niska's things takes this to another level.
I have no doubt Laura will bring Astrid into the fray, and hopefully this will elicit the "human" response she's looking for.
Mattie deals with her affinity for synths in a different way: she wants one of her own.
Whether she would ever have feelings for a synth is open to discussion, because right now it seems she only has a scientific interest in them.
I did think of Odi more as a lost puppy here, and their interactions are beyond cute.
Mattie: What's your name?
Odi: I am Odi.
Mattie: I'm Mattie.
Odi: Hello, Mattie.
Mattie: Hello, Odi. Can you feel?
Odi: I believe I can. What happens now?
The full blown romance between Pete and Karen shows us where the future may be headed in human/synth relations, and it's pretty much like what we have now.
Karen is working hard to keep her secret, to the point of eating and drinking into a bag where her stomach should be.
But oopsies, the bag breaks, and Pete has to turn her off and drain the beer from her body before she short circuits. Don't you hate it when that happens?
The stories were a little scattered this week, and it felt kind of disjointed to me.
The Pete and Karen story seems to be treading water, but I assume their search for this super synth will eventually lead to the Silo.
The plot is chugging along, and at some point most, if not all, of the paths will converge.
I like the Mia thread, mostly because Gemma Chan is doing such a great job as Mia, but the Niska story has the most opportunity for explosive developments.
Show them how you feel-that you CAN feel. Everything depends on that.
Laura [to Niska]
I'm still expecting the big court case to happen, so that should be fun!
That's my take: tell me yours. Would you entertain the idea of a relationship with a synth? What plot line interests you the most?
And, of course, you can watch Humans online right here on TV Fanatic!
