Utopia (2013): Utopia: Episode #1.2 Rewatch
June 26, 2014 3:02 PM - Season 1, Episode 2 - Subscribe
In the second episode of Utopia, the mysterious Jessica Hyde finally appears.
Jessica convinces Ian, Becky and Wilson to leave their lives behind and join her in the shadowy half-light of her conspiracy-wracked existence. After escaping the clutches of the mysterious Network and their heavy-breathing hit man Arby, they track down The Tramp, a man who indicates that there is more than meets the eye to the 'Utopia Experiments' manuscript. He sends the group towards Milner, a mysterious MI5 agent.
Meanwhile, blackmail-magnet civil servant Dugdale (Sweary Jamie from the Thick of It, in a rather different role!) encounters a nervy freelancer who warns him of dark forces at work. Grant, the kid who actually has the manuscript, meets a girl called Alice. He leaves the manuscript with her for safe keeping. How safe, remains to be seen.
What the hell is going on? Why are The Network blackmailing Dugdale? Why do they want the manuscript? And why is a programme with music that sounds like it's from a fairground ride so damn sinister?
Jessica convinces Ian, Becky and Wilson to leave their lives behind and join her in the shadowy half-light of her conspiracy-wracked existence. After escaping the clutches of the mysterious Network and their heavy-breathing hit man Arby, they track down The Tramp, a man who indicates that there is more than meets the eye to the 'Utopia Experiments' manuscript. He sends the group towards Milner, a mysterious MI5 agent.
Meanwhile, blackmail-magnet civil servant Dugdale (Sweary Jamie from the Thick of It, in a rather different role!) encounters a nervy freelancer who warns him of dark forces at work. Grant, the kid who actually has the manuscript, meets a girl called Alice. He leaves the manuscript with her for safe keeping. How safe, remains to be seen.
What the hell is going on? Why are The Network blackmailing Dugdale? Why do they want the manuscript? And why is a programme with music that sounds like it's from a fairground ride so damn sinister?
I love the sequence at the start of this episode where Jessica leads the other three right through someone's house and steals their car keys. The only person that sees them is a baby, who giggles at the random strangers in the hallway.
It's such an artful way to suggest that, yes, you've now slipped out of the normal world and into a much more dangerous, threatening and shadowy place. And it immediately sets Jessica up as someone who is comfortable operating in that world.
It also always makes me look out into the hallway, just in case there are some conspiracy theorist comic book fans using my flat as a shortcut.
posted by Happy Dave at 5:27 AM on June 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's such an artful way to suggest that, yes, you've now slipped out of the normal world and into a much more dangerous, threatening and shadowy place. And it immediately sets Jessica up as someone who is comfortable operating in that world.
It also always makes me look out into the hallway, just in case there are some conspiracy theorist comic book fans using my flat as a shortcut.
posted by Happy Dave at 5:27 AM on June 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
Ah ha. So, who, I wonder, did Becky call? Batman and Robin?
No, don't tell me. But I haven't watched this before, and honestly am enjoying it and wondering.
posted by tyllwin at 7:35 PM on June 28, 2014
No, don't tell me. But I haven't watched this before, and honestly am enjoying it and wondering.
posted by tyllwin at 7:35 PM on June 28, 2014
Of course the only problem with a rewatch thread for a show like this is that I think half the fun of discussing it -- maybe more than half -- is guessing what's going on. For example, at this point, I don't at all trust anything that comes out of Jessica's mouth. I only even believe it's the real Jessica Hyde because the CIA woman and the Tramp seemed to believe it. Whereas you guys at least know that much. I'm very surprised, though, that I never heard of this show.
posted by tyllwin at 1:38 PM on June 29, 2014
posted by tyllwin at 1:38 PM on June 29, 2014
Yeah the speculation part was a lot of fun the first time round. I raved about this show to everyone who would listen, but despite that most of the people I know didn't watch it. Bah. At least it still got another series!
SPOILERS!
So when we first encounter Jessica I wondered how she knew about everyone. At the time I assumed she has precognitive abilities of some sort. This doesn't seem to be the case. My new assumption is she probably checked the Utopia forums frequently, and saw Bejan's announcement. She must have been at the pub, waiting to see what would happen, and has been following them since that point.
posted by Cannon Fodder at 12:19 AM on June 30, 2014
SPOILERS!
So when we first encounter Jessica I wondered how she knew about everyone. At the time I assumed she has precognitive abilities of some sort. This doesn't seem to be the case. My new assumption is she probably checked the Utopia forums frequently, and saw Bejan's announcement. She must have been at the pub, waiting to see what would happen, and has been following them since that point.
posted by Cannon Fodder at 12:19 AM on June 30, 2014
Reminder - Season 2 has begun - Fanfare thread for episode 1 is here.
posted by Happy Dave at 1:33 PM on July 15, 2014
posted by Happy Dave at 1:33 PM on July 15, 2014
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posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:20 PM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]