When I first saw advertisements for Helix I wrote the show off as cable network riff on John Carpenter’s classic horror film The Thing. Despite the involvement of Ronald D. Moore, whose revitalization of Battlestar Galacatica had the SyFy channel riding high for quite a few years. Earlier this week while engaging in the endlessly futile act of searching the Netflix catalog I found that the entire first season of Helix was available for streaming and I thought … “It’s only ten episodes, what the hell.”
Let me say that I definitely regret sleeping on Helix, as it was a genuinely pulse pounding thriller that fans of both horror and science fiction will surely love. After binge watching the first season over the last three days I found that season two of Helix will be premiering in January 2015.
The cliffhanger at the end of season one leaves so much up in the air but there are some questions that definitely need answered. If you haven’t seen the first season there are definite SPOILERS ahead!
What Happened to Dr. Julia Walker?
In the closing minutes of season one we find that Dr. Julia Walker is walking into a meeting of the board of Illaria Corporation who all just happen to be immortals. In the 235 days since the events at the Artic Biosystems facility, has she risen to power within that organization? Is she no longer with the CDC?
What is the Significance of “The 500″?
When Constance Sutton (Jeri Ryan) confronted Hatake about the evolution of Dr. Walker she made mention that it was a violation of the agreement of “The 500″. Is there a “Highlander” type rule where there can only be a specific number of Immortals at a given time?
What’s With the Teeth Filing?
We can all agree that Constance Sutton was a cold-hearted bitch, but her bathroom routine involved filing her teeth down with a power tool. Do the Immortals teeth grow into fangs? Maybe they are implying that their existence has helped propagate the vampire myth? Who really knows but it was one of the more significant plot threads left dangling from season one.
Has Dr. Alan Farragut Gone Rogue?
The opening of the season one finale had Dr. Farragut torturing an Immortal in hopes of getting information about the whereabouts of his ex-wife, Dr. Julia Walker. Later we find that he is in Paris, France and is one step closer in determining Dr. Walker’s location and finding out what the hell Illaria Corporation is actually up to. With all this time freelancing has he resigned from the CDC?
Who the Hell was Major Balleseros Actually Working For?
Major Sergio Balleseros was a member of the United States Army but actually was a fixer for Arctic Biosystems while maintaining a side deal with the immortal overlords at the Illaria Corporation. For most of the season he was generally an asshole but eventually found redemption. Is he fighting a counter insurgency against Illaria? Will he pop up again next season? Did he find love in hopeless place?
So What Happens Next?
Season two of Helix will take the CDC field team to an entirely new location with a new disease that may or may not have ties to the Illaria Corporation. Syfy released a promo in advance of the premiere next year and it does not do much in terms of answering those lingering questions.