Of Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Ronald D. Moore changed the face of sci-fi with 2004 Battlestar Galactica reboot, but after a few hours of failed network pilots, he returned to SyFy with Helix 2014. It’s a dark and twisted sci-fi horror series about a deadly virus being studied in a secret arctic base.
What begins as a dialogue-heavy, slow-burn thriller slowly peels back the layers to reveal the bioweapon’s history, the megacorporation behind it, and a wild late-season twist that turns the entire premise upside down. Seemingly forgotten today, it was a small hit for SyFy, and with only two seasons, it makes for a light weekend entertainment that will keep you glued to the screen.
Nothing good happens in the Arctic
Helix starting with the former couple Dr. Alan Farragut (Billy Campbell, The Rocketeer) and Dr. Julia Walker (Kyra Zagorsky) leads a team to investigate the black site ArcTech BioSystems Facility, where Alan’s brother, Peter, was stationed and succumbed to a deadly new virus. The site operates under the watchful eye of Dr. Hiroshi Hatake, who seems to know more than he lets on. After the discovery of the zombie-like infected, the Vectors, the new team realizes they are in over their heads.
The first season starts slowly, but as the number of vectors and dead bodies start to pile up, it’s clear that there is a sinister purpose behind the secret research. Things pick up over the halfway point in episode 7 when Star Trek: Voyager’s Jeri Ryan arrives with heavily armed mercenaries to take control of the situation, but even a military force falls to the arrival of a mysterious assassin determined to protect the base’s secrets from prying eyes.
Avoids a lazy writing crutch
Helix makes two bold storytelling choices that set it apart from other mystery box shows. Each episode represents one day, keeping the timeline consistent, and there are no flashbacks. I didn’t appreciate the second part until recently after watching it again that, has recently gone through The event. The SyFy series uses hallucinations that may or may not reveal the truth to the audience. At the time it annoyed me, but a decade later it’s a refreshing way to tell a story.
I enjoyed Helix Season 1 when it first aired on SyFy and thought it had a good balance in its pacing, although some episodes were a little slow; for once, a sci-fi the puzzle box series has a payoff that is worth the trip. I wasn’t alone in feeling that way, either Rotten tomatoes Season 1 has a critic rating of 79 percent fresh with an audience score of 72. And, like most of the fans, I didn’t come back for season 2, thinking the story was finished.
Helix ends the story
Helix Season 2 takes the same suspense and mystery of what’s really going on, but moves it to an island inhabited by a religious cult. Steven Weber (Wings) plays Brother Michael, and there are no points for guessing that he’s up to no good on the island. Season 2, harkening back to the bold choice of Season 1, features real flashbacks and lots of them, but this time they help fill the 15-month gap between seasons as some characters are drastically different when we see them again .
It wasn’t until recently that I even knew Helix Season 2 existed and continued the story. Lacking the excitement of the first season, it goes off the rails at the end but goes so far into crazy town that I can’t help but respect how the writers didn’t play it safe. Picking up towards the end, the story comes to a conclusion, but whether it is satisfying or not is up to one’s interpretation. I’m glad it has a real ending and not a cliffhanger teasing a third season that never comes.
You can stream Helix on Pipe, Disney+and Hulu.
