Hmm. I thought tonight's ep was the season finale, but it looks like I'm mistaken. That had the feel of a penultimate episode, setting everything up for the big climax next week.
Yeah, that was my impression, that there were two left. I don't blame Gwynn for pardoning the Prime Order soldiers rather than executing them, but she should've done more than just let them go in exchange for an oath of allegiance. There should've been some kind of probation period or something, restricting their movements and keeping them guarded. Although I suppose if manpower was so scarce that she had to pardon them, it might've been hard to arrange guards. Hmm... In that case, she should've immediately sent them out on a border patrol or a food-gathering mission or something to keep them at a safe distance. I wonder where they're going with putting One's red kinj into Tobin's wife. It's clearly not controlling her mind; she doesn't even know she has it. She's definitely the ambitious sort, but not really bad per se. Once she finds she has this power, it may corrupt her, but it's hard to know where they're headed with that. Will Two seek her out and persuade her to join forces? Or are they setting her up to be the big bad for next season? Ohh -- maybe she discovers her power and gets to thinking that she could steal the queen's throne as well as her man.
Well, we were wrong about this week being the finale. This was #10, and Wikipedia has listings for two more episodes and claims that the season will be 26 episodes long! So there's a way to go yet. Though I'm guessing that the United/Yavalla story will be resolved in episode 13 and there will be a new arc after a midseason hiatus. So either Janzo wasn't as clever about the makeshift incendiary as he thought and it wasn't hot enough to burn the white kinj, or Yavalla really is unkillable and they'll have to find some other way to stop her. Probably the only way is with the black kinj of instant death that's in the Plain of Ashes. Whaddaya wanna bet Talon goes there and finds her supposedly-dead father has it? That will probably lead into the second arc of the season. So to sum up, there are seven known kinjes. Here are their current holders: Blue (Asterkinj, portal opening): Talon Purple (mind control): Zed Red (inducing pain): Falista White (group mind assimilation): Yavalla Green (life force transference): Two ??? (teleportation): Three Black (instant death): Unknown I wonder why Munt was able to resist the mind control enough to pause before killing Janzo. Is it the Power of Brotherly Love overcoming the control? Or is Munt's mind just too small for Yavalla to get a firm grip on?
That's my guess, too. Meanwhile, Two and Three remain in the wind, and Falista's red kinj is a shoe waiting to be dropped.
Wow -- this week's episode was terrific! Falista's reaction to discovering she had the Red Kinj was completely different from anything I imagined, and it was handled beautifully. I was expecting a villain turn, but it became poignant instead, advancing the relationships among Falista, Gwynn, and Tobin in a very nuanced and rich way. The fight between Garrett and Tobin was extremely well choreographed. I love the way it utilized space, seamlessly transitioning from the exterior location to the interior set of the tavern, through the set, and back out again to the location, merging the two together in a way you rarely see. The other thing I really loved was a small, throwaway detail, that map of the tunnels that unfolded into a hemispherical 3-D network of wires, like a pop-up book only more elaborate. That was utterly ingenious.
Another pretty solid episode, with the action ramping up as the Outpost is invaded. What happened with Tobin at the end was unexpected, but effectively staged and pretty potent. Over on the Plain (Plane?) of Ashes, they made really good use of Serbian locations again, in this case a stunning system of caves. The outcome here was more predictable. Of course it would turn out that Talon's father is alive and is the guy with the death kinj.
Okay, part one of the thrilling season finale was indeed pretty epic. So, Falista's kinj DOES affect the infected, even though they kinda, sorta have kinjs (kinji?) of their own? I guess it's only the main kinji that provide immunity to its effects, not the white kinj's offspring.
Wow. Really intense finale, and well-made. The scenes of Gwynn on the balcony giving her speech with the sun lighting her from behind were beautiful -- they really got lucky with the timing and the weather. Spoiler: Finale spoilers just in case Talon's reunion with her father was briefer than expected -- I figured he'd be a recurring figure in the next story arc, possibly a big bad. Instead, he was there only briefly, and ended up just being there to catalyze a very unexpected end to Gwynn/Rosmund's arc. I suppose it was fitting that Gwynn would be the one to bring down Yavalla personally, but I never expected the show to kill off its third lead. Heck, sometimes it's seemed that Gwynn got more screen time than Talon, and so many of the narratives revolved around her that she was arguably a co-lead despite getting third billing. So it's quite startling that they ended it that way. Just as well that Falista's apparent death turned out to be a fakeout. It would've been terrible for Janzo to have to live with being the one who delivered the fatal blow, even under Yavalla's control. I wonder if Falista will stick around as a regular now. On the one hand, I'm all for that, since she's gorgeous. On the other hand, it's hard to see what role she'd play, because both the characters she was connected to, Tobin and Gwynn, have been killed off. So now Talon's the "leader." I'm glad they didn't call her a queen. It'd be nice if she decided to institute a democratic system. I never like being asked to root for monarchs. And it seems the big bads next season will be "gods" possessing the black and white kinjes. I hope their powers manifest differently, since it would be redundant just to have another mind-control storyline.
Okay, that was quite the spectacular (and momentous) finale. Among other things, that final swordfight between Zed and Garrett would have done Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone proud. (So, Christopher, are you and I the only people watching this show?)
I was waiting for the finale to start binging it. Haven't read the thread to avoid spoilers, but I see now that there will be 13 more episodes this season apparently? I'm assuming since those are a late addition that these first 13 were structured like a whole season so it's a decent chunk to binge, right?
I didn't really notice. It wasn't as cool as the one I commented on last week that made such great use of the set and location. Still, the production values this season have been top-notch, and I think the writing has been stronger than ever. It's really turned into a pretty good show. Yep, there's a complete season arc in these first 13. Binge ahead.
Yep. It's no spoiler to say that Sunday's ep wrapped up a big arc, while only teasing a new storyline down the road.
I just found out earlier today that Season 4 premieres tonight. I fell off about half way through last season, but I found a site with some recaps, so I'll be jumping back in tonight.
I read about the big ending change on the recap, should be interesting to see where that takes things.
Hmm, I was kind of wondering if we'd see them reject the idea of monarchy and institute democracy. We got some inklings of that with Janzo and Wren's musings about heredity not being the best system, but it looks like there will be an arc to go through before they get there. Meanwhile, Falista, who's been teetering on the brink between good and evil, has now pretty clearly tipped over toward the dark side, which is disappointing. But it led to the surprising and welcome return of a character I thought was gone from the show for good. Meanwhile, we're getting a bit of followup on the awakening of the "gods" in the preceding cliffhanger. Apparently they're awake but still bound, and are communicating with the kinj users when they use their kinjes. It sounds like they're speaking to the kinjes themselves as if they have identities and personalities of their own, with Talon's kinj being the "betrayer." Looks like we'll finally be exploring the nature and origins of the kinjes in a big way. There seems to be some disagreement about the season numbering. Wikipedia has this next set of 13 episodes down as Season 3, Part 2, but The CW's website lists "Someone Has to Rule" as Episode 401. The wiki article does acknowledge that in a footnote, at least.
Eventful episode! And I guess we're getting a new character -- the young would-be assassin -- to replace Gwen.
Thank you guys for posting -- forgot all about it. Reece Ritchie especially seems to be haing a lot of fun in his role right now. I really like him as an actor and hope he gets a another chance as a lead, this time in an adventure movie. Regarding episode numbering... wondering if they filmed this right after Season 3, hence the confusion? I didn't try to look... but any hint of Covid restirctions (other than Black and White Kinj demons?). I disagree with Falista being solidly evil... she was swayed n order to revive Tobin... now the look on his face. Is he now a "zombie", or was he just shocked that 20 men gave their life for him (though i am sure he doesn't know they were duped into it)? Good to see him back, but let's see how it works out. I am really hoping that he can survive the end of the series, and should he remain King, that he appoint Munt as some kind of Ambassador, as he discovered that hidden ability last season. So are we going to have a 3 way fight, between Talon & her crew, Falista and the rest of the 3, and the Demon Gods that are going to try to get back the Kinjs? So we have gained Talon's apprentice, who seems to be able to see through BS ... and glad they won't fart around between the two any more, as the APprentice will know if Talon is lying, and Talon most likely wouldn't with her. Now, with Janzo.... i hope it is only for 1 or 2 more episodes, then reality can hit. He will freak out when the baby is actually born. (I can relate...My firstborn was born at 23 1/2 weeks, and she was in the NICU for months. But the baby came home on Friday, and my wif ehad to start her new job that Monday. Inever had siblings or took care of babies, so it was all on me. She is 16 now, so i think i did ok... but at the time....) Oh, and i assume we will NOT see Munt's girlfirend, and she will fade into the back ground. (Kinda like Janzo's sister)
I was thinking of Falista more as Gwen's replacement, now that she's been upgraded to a regular (and literally so in-story). But maybe you mean in the sense of a female friend for Talon. I think it'll take a while for them to get that close. Man, there have been so many cast changes in this series. Of the seven regulars from season 1, only Talon, Garrett, and Janzo are left.
Well, things are moving quickly. The Three waste no time imposing their fascist order, and now Tobin is one of them. It's unclear whether that's a good or bad thing, since Two was clearly the most unreasonable and hardline of the lot. It doesn't seem like the kinjes take over the hosts' personalities, so a better man like Tobin being Two might be an improvement; but maybe there's a more subtle corrupting effect to the power. Certainly it isn't doing Falista's morals any favors.