Well, now what's next?

Things weren't looking good for Dutch by the end of Killjoys Season 4 Episode 1.

Having a flashback episode was certainly an effective way to ramp up the tension going into a new season. It effectively extended the cliffhanger.

That is to say extended part of the cliffhanger. We still have no idea what has happened to John, D'avin, and Kendry floating around in an elevator in space, as last seen on Killjoys Season 3 Episode 10.

But, based on the framing sequences, things weren't going well for Khlyen, Aneela, and especially Dutch, who was infected with some black goo, by The Lady I'm guessing.

So Khylen told Dutch a story, based on her and John, that's supposed to save her from The Lady. Not that how is even marginally clear yet.

What followed was the next phase in the relationship of Yalena Yardeen and John Jacoqis.

It had already been revealed that Yalena had caught John trying to steal her ship, Lucy. That was the least of her problems, as she was the suspect in the murder of the prince she was to marry.

Fast forward to seven years ago, months after their initial meeting, when Yalena and John were tapped out on Laryon Docking Station.

Poor Yalena was both the more responsible and the more naive of the duo, thinking they could establish themselves as freight haulers without any real idea of what that involved.

These two relative innocents were exactly what was needed. Why would anyone need 24 cases of beet wine? The J has never struck me as a health-conscious kind of place.

No, they were there to distract Company security forces and the RAC, so that the poison could be stolen for the assassin while Yalena and John were being interrogated.

The fun part of this episode was seeing early versions of favorite characters such as Hills Oonia, Pree, and Turin and their initial interactions with Yalena and John.

Most of the spotlight was on the great, now late Joe Siano, killed by Fancy on a Level Five Warrant on Killjoys Season 1 Episode 6.

This flashback has me wishing for more of Big Joe's earthy wisdom. It was easy to see why Dutch eventually became his protege.

Whatever possessed Yalena to shoot a RAC agent? Sure, she didn't know what a RAC agent was, but the badge should have given her pause. Clearly, Assassin Yalena was in control, not Strategist Dutch as she would become.

It seemed that this was the time that Yalena and John learned to work together as an investigative team, with him being the machine whisperer and her the ass kicker.

The result was essentially a case of the week, tracking the assassin and determining her target.

I'm still fuzzy as to why the assassin came after John. She basically said that he was interfering with her mission. If that was the case, who was her actual target?

At least Yalena was able to get the assassin to empathize with her so that she could get the antidote to the poison which was killing John.

This was John's first glimpse into who Yalena really was ... a stone cold assassin hoping to become something more.

Since John was a runaway grifter looking for direction in his life, he could certainly understand her aspirations.

Yalena needed John's inherent goodness, while John craved Yalena's steel. In essence, they completed each other.

Could that be what Khlyen was hinting about in his fanciful recasting of history?

Another big question is where does D'avin figure into all this since he wasn't mentioned at all this episode? Hopefully, we shouldn't read anything into that.

Now what to make of that ominous ending? Khlyen said that The Lady will break Dutch, just before he laid down a symbol I couldn't make out in his tea leaves. Too esoteric for me.

So what will Khlyen and Aneela be doing while Dutch to seeking John?

Then a wounded Dutch wandered through the forest, screaming for The Lady to come at her. Be careful what you wish for people.

When Dutch fell, the black goo in her body drained into the land itself. Does that mean The Lady is polluting the Green Space, for some reason? Or is the Green healing Dutch?