For much of its length, this feels like a winner, with a welcome change of focus and an expansion of the mythology.Stephen's encounter with the individual that Jedekiah euphemistically refers to as his partner intrigues and adds another layer of interest to things.Meanwhile, John's fear of being human leads to a mutiny as his charges begin to tire of his insisting they have to give up their lives and join him in hiding because of some promised land that perhaps only exists in his mind.While the fact that the 70s term "jaunt" is used for a ritual combat just makes the people that understand it roll their eyes, there's a real opportunity to show the Tomorrow People kicking back and relaxing without any tedious life or death stuff.
But the episode falls apart completely with an utterly terrible last quarter.The party the Tomorrow People are attending improbably and disappointingly turns out to be an Ultra trap.Jedekiah drags Stephen along to see if he'll be able to stand by and watch his friends be massacred...a test he fails completely even if Jedekiah doesn't make the connection with his covertly saving them.Potentially interesting supporting characters are given short shrift and John commits casual murder but doesn't think to polish off with Jedekiah.And then, just to rob us of any sympathy, Cara commits an act of sadism against a character who demonstrates more humanity than the rest of the Tomorrow People and throws away a strategic advantage for the sake of petty revenge.Um, yay?
The episode is almost saved by the final moments as Stephen teleports with Astrid.It's a moment of beauty and wonder that epitomises everything that The Tomorrow People should be and which this version frequently fails to me.More of this and less of the machine guns, please.
But the episode falls apart completely with an utterly terrible last quarter.The party the Tomorrow People are attending improbably and disappointingly turns out to be an Ultra trap.Jedekiah drags Stephen along to see if he'll be able to stand by and watch his friends be massacred...a test he fails completely even if Jedekiah doesn't make the connection with his covertly saving them.Potentially interesting supporting characters are given short shrift and John commits casual murder but doesn't think to polish off with Jedekiah.And then, just to rob us of any sympathy, Cara commits an act of sadism against a character who demonstrates more humanity than the rest of the Tomorrow People and throws away a strategic advantage for the sake of petty revenge.Um, yay?
The episode is almost saved by the final moments as Stephen teleports with Astrid.It's a moment of beauty and wonder that epitomises everything that The Tomorrow People should be and which this version frequently fails to me.More of this and less of the machine guns, please.
