Killjoys - S3E2 - A Skinner, Darkley

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Previously on Killjoys, “Boondoggie”

This week’s episode of Killjoys has Johnny returning to Rat City with an unconscious Ollie as he continues his search for Clara. Our big bad this episode is a stylish hackmod by the name of Niko. Visually, she looks to be a cross between Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. (Let that sink in for a second.) She helps runaway hackmods escape capture, but for a fee. Her special move? Killing people with the use of her interchangeable prosthetic leg that can kill and shoot lasers. When you think about it, it’s a pretty ineffective tool since it requires its owner to remain stationery.

Everything Niko does, she does with style and flair. You can tell the costume and set designers really had a great time with this episode.  It was a feast for the senses, but the glitz also served to hide the weak acting of the actress who plays Niko. She’s more feared when whispered about than when we actually see her on screen.

The biggest revelation this episode is that Ollie is actually Clara; her body having been skinned and replaced and her memories wiped. This is definitely an interesting way to write the previous actress who played Clara off the show. I’m not the biggest fan of it, but it might be due to Alice being a necessary tool in the plot. The scenes between Johnny and Ollie were emotional, but compared to the established relationship from season two Clara it leaves a sting of disappointment.

Clara was close to discovering what Niko was up to when her best friend, Yoki, was forced to go to such lengths in order to keep her alive. We also find out there is a colony of hackmods at the end of the J, but it sounded more like the farm parents tell their kids their dead pets are going to; smartly Clara/Ollie declines the invite.

This episode does a great job highlighting that Johnny alone is still a force to be reckoned with. His ability to recruit new allies, adapt tech, and get himself out of many a situation, albeit thanks to Dutch’s training, all point to a myriad of possible storylines for Johnny J’acobi.

Meanwhile, Dutch and D’avin, realizing the limitations of their skill sets, are told by Turin to audition some nerds and have them fill the role that Johnny left open when he went on “an emo walkabout.” The perfect words to describe what’s going on with Johnny right now. I mean yes, it’s totally acceptable since his lover died, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get these jokes off.

Using a simulation, Dutch and D’avin are able to test the possible recruits to see how they react to being in the field. Long story short, all the new recruits passed, which means they now have a growing cache of nerds to help with the hullen problem. But we also have an expanding cast.

How the show will choose to highlight them going forward is something that if done well could prove interesting.

By the end of it all, Johnny leaves Ollie/Clara on Rat City, relieved she now has people she feels are worth staying around for; her own makeshift family of hackmods.

We finally get what we’ve all been waiting for: Johnny back with the gang and Lucy, bringing along with him a map with the locations to all of the plasma stations in the galaxy.

Our Killjoys are recruiting and planning for the eventual war to come against the hullen and Aneela makes a surprise entrance in all her psychotic glory. Hannah John-Kamen completely transforms into this character in every way and is able to pull off frighteningly evil quite well. We also get the reveal of an old friend: Delle Seyah Kendry, who Johnny shot in an alley at the end of last season. Now that our crew is back together, I’m looking forward to the plot moving forward and Aneela unleashing her claws.

Moments Worth Mentioning

When Ollie brought Johnny severed hands and he totally loved it.

Johnny telling Niko he would make sweet love with a mod up version of himself.

The final shot of Aneela’s ships.