Helix - S1E9 - Level X
Previously, on Helix: “Bloodline”
Dr. Girlfriend acts as bait, as The Good Doctor, Dr. Frankenstein and Son of Frank use her to capture a vector. TGD marvels that Level R seems to be abandoned now, and wonders where 50 vectors might have gotten off to. He analyzes the vent the vector emerged from and surmises from the draft that there is a level below. Dr. Frank initially resists, but Son of Frank goads him into revealing the existence of Level X, the virus vault. Son of Frank also reveals formally that Dr. Frank created Narvik A and B.
TGD berates Dr. Frank for creating an “apocalypse virus”, and Dr. Frank defends himself, saying that though Illaria wanted a virus and a cure, he created something more beneficial under their auspices, attempting to cast the blame on Seven of Nine and Illaria. When pressed as to Seven of Nine’s whereabouts, Dr. Frank blows them off, saying only that she is “no longer a problem”, and that what comes next will be much worse. Next comes an army.
TGD demands that the virus be destroyed before Illaria can claim it. Dr. Ex-wife demands her own answers from Dr. Frank, asking about the picture of them when she was a child. Dr. Frank admits he knew her mother, and that she was his mentor and friend, saying he used to visit them in Montana. He also claims that Dr. Ex-wife being at the facility now is a mere coincidence.
Suck-up Ginger gets thrown into lockup with Shady MacGyver. Suck-up Ginger is panicking a bit, over the fact that the Illaria army is coming, but will likely destroy the base without a thought for them. He also mentions that 7of9, as one of her last orders, sent a team to kill Captain Cold and her whole tribe to clean up loose ends. This makes Shady mad, because he loves Captain Cold.
Son of Frank relates that Level X is the remains of an abandoned Russian trading post. Pulling up video feeds from Level X, we can see that its corridors are choked with vectors. Dr. Frank says that they are drawn to the heat Level X’s power source emits. As we watch the video, we see a change in the vectors as they all turn and swarm in the same direction. Though the doctors cannot see, we are treated to the vectors all vomiting black goo into a Keep Calm And Carry On coffee mug, and then feeding it to the limp body of Badly Infected Brother. The goo vomit immediately revives him. His eyes go black and he leaps up to a ledge above the rest. He screeches and waves his arms like a conductor and all the vectors respond submissively, clearly now he is Vector Jesus.
TGD and Sweater Doctor test a gas to knock out the vector they captured earlier. Problem is, there isn’t enough gas to knock out the whole of Level X. TGD makes a smart ass remark about bringing the cold to them, and it becomes clear he plans on venting the base to the outside, and freezing the vectors. Doctors Frank and Girlfriend are tasked with timing the venting of the base, while Doctors Good and Ex-wife go down to destroy the viruses. Dr. Girlfriend takes a minute to show us her tumor is acting up.
Everybody bundles up, but the plan involves shutting off most of the power to the base for a half hour. (Which in real life would likely kill all of them.)
Luckily, for chaos’ sake, no one stops to think that turning off the power disables the lock that is keeping in Shady and Ginger, who promptly enact an escape plan. When Ginger seeks to divert from Shady’s plan, Shady smashes his head in.
Meanwhile TGD relays to Dr. Ex-wife that the backup plan is to burn the base to the ground with everyone inside, should they not manage to destroy the virus. They take Dr. Frank’s secret staircase to Level X, and find the swarm of vectors all standing still, but not quite frozen. They make their way into the virus vault, and find canister upon canister of virus; many more viruses than they expected to find; many more than the even the CDC possesses. They begin to dispose of them one by one, marveling at the terrible selection. When they finally find the canister for the Narvik viruses, they find it empty.
Time is closing to enact the reboot sequence, and Dr. Girlfriend is freaking out, culminating in a tumor-induced seizure. Dr. Frank hits the switches early, in a panic. Locked in the virus vault, Doctors Good and Ex-wife are horrified to see the vectors waking up.
Back upstairs, Shady and Ginger escape, but when Ginger seeks to divert from Shady’s plan, Shady smashes his head in. Shortly, Son of Frank finds Ginger dead in the hallway, and susses out that Shady is loose. Outside, Shady makes to hijack a snowmobile, but is knocked on his ass by Son of Frank. Shady tells him about the kill team, and the two agree to go together to save Captain Cold.
TGD and Dr. Ex-wife shove their way through the awakening vectors, managing barely to escape and shut the door behind them. As TGD begins to head back up the secret staircase, Dr. Ex-wife notices another instance of her childhood signature carved into the floor of the stairwell, next to a grate in the floor. They pull aside the grate to reveal a ladder, and her curiosity about her past will not allow her to pass this up. The two head down the ladder, with vectors smashing the door to get out.
At the bottom of the ladder, Dr. Ex-wife is stunned to find the interior of her “childhood Montana home”, revealing another of Dr. Frank’s lies. She begins to realize (finally) that she is somehow the reason for this whole situation.
Son of Frank and Shady find Captain Cold’s snowmobile, but no sign of Captain Cold. As they search, Captain Cold pops out of the dark, having hid from the Illaria squad. When they tell her the squad was sent to eradicate her village, the three head off to save it. They arrive in the village to find the Illaria squad filing the villagers into a shipping container. Shady posits that they intend to set it on fire (for easy cleanup). In a fine example of a Completely Stupid Plan, Shady takes Captain Cold in as a hostage, claiming that Son of Frank is with him. When Brother of Son of Frank sees him, and threatens to ruin the plan by recognizing him out loud, Son of Frank is forced to deck him for appearance’s sake.
In a delirium, Dr. Girlfriend reveals her tumor to Dr. Frank. Her scar is from a failed attempt to remove it.
TGD and Dr. Ex-wife emerge from the crawlspace, and are immediately confronted by BIB (now Vector Jesus), and his horde of vectors. Though Vector Jesus is in control of them, the vectors still seem fearful of Dr. Ex-wife, and she uses this to back TGD to the secret staircase, and the two escape, much to the chagrin of Vector Jesus.
The Illaria Death Squad are just about to light the Eskimo fire, when Shady pulls rank, and insists they let Son of Frank have the honor. Abiding perfectly by the Completely Stupid Plan, the Death Squad captain hands his gun to Son of Frank. Captain Cold and Shady pull their guns, and the three shoot all of the Poorly Trained Illaria Death Squad. Brother of Son of Frank punches Son of Frank and all is well in the family.
TGD marvels at how Dr. Ex-wife knew the vectors would react that way. She relays to him her previous experience with them. They advance through the level to find Dr. Girlfriend and Dr. Frank. Dr. Frank tells them about her tumor, and they tell him about the missing viruses. Dr. Frank is stunned that the virus is missing. They take Dr. Girlfriend to an ICU, and she makes it weird by talking sexy to TGD in her delirium. Dr. Ex-wife takes the opportunity to leave and go demand more answers of Dr. Frank. She asks him about the cabin in the basement. In answer he shows her the other half of the torn picture, which has her mother in it. Surprise, her mother looks just like Gas Mask, her hallucinated pal from a few episodes back. Dr. Frank tells her what we all knew. That the cabin wasn’t a replica; she never lived in Montana; she grew up here at the base, and “Dr. Ex-wife, I am your father!”, as she gamely completes the blatant Star Wars reference with, “That’s not possible!” He turns and shows her his shiny eyes.
Shady, Son of Frank, Brother of Son of Frank, and Captain Cold relax in Captain Cold’s secret headquarters, as Son of Frank reminisces about vague childhood memories.
As we fade out to a musical montage, we see Dr. Sweater pulling a classic “Dennis Nedry” (you may have to stretch for that reference kids), stuffing a vial of Narvik A into a bag and heading out into the cold.
