The beautifully complex and compelling storytelling of Michelle Lovretta’s Killjoys intensifies as we get closer to the season 3 finale. Episode 307 was incredibly revealing, surprising, and exciting, especially in terms of all the Dutch/Aneela revelations, but there was another storyline at play that reflects so genuinely in the current political climate it deserves to be discussed.
While the war our team is fighting with the Hullen may be a bit out-of-this-world, the struggles between the RAC and the Cleansed is quite familiar (and not just because it nicely mirrors the HackMods).
Sean Baek, who plays Fancy Lee (our beloved Designated Asshole), has gone from ultimate-rule-follower, to Khlyen’s right hand level-6er, to a leading member of the Cleansed. In recent episodes, we see him resume his pre-upgraded life, attempting to help the team while follow his code, only to be met by Turin’s Jelco-like behavior (aka Turin’s being a dick). The history of the HackMods, and now the distrust of the Cleansed, is relatable to Baek, “Yeah, you know, always being seen and/or treated as ‘other,’ not being trusted as ‘one of us,’ resonate with me (on a personal level) because sometimes in 2017 I still go through that.”
In an interview with TheTVJunkies, Lovretta explained, “Over and over in history, entire groups of people have been maligned and presumed to be the enemy just by virtue of where they came from – so why not in this Hullen war?”.
And this weekend, it is clear that these stories are not just a look back at history. These real life versions of these sci-fi stories can still be seen Today: August 12th, 2017. It’s something people in Charlottesville are feeling at this very moment. People in London and Manchester. People in Oregon. Orlando. Ferguson. Tulsa. Flint.
One of the great things about the genre of Sci-Fi is being able to address real world matters – discrimination, police brutality, corporate corruption, environmental indifference, etc – by way of Aliens, Galactic Overlords, and Jelcos. By talking about “distrust of the Cleansed”, we can open a dialogue about what it means to be a woman and/or a person of color and/or LGBTQ and/or Muslim and/or an immigrant and/or disabled. Solidifying another of the many reasons Killjoys (and other shows on SYFY’s Friday night slate, like Dark Matter and Wynonna Earp) are so vital right now.
Share your thoughts on Twitter. Do you relate to Fancy? Let me know, at @yaeltygiel!
Don’t miss new episodes of Killjoys, Fridays on SYFY and Space Channel.
And catch the Killjoys after-show on AfterBuzzTV, Sundays at 5p PT.
— Yael Tygiel