I understand why Amanda Tapping was so excited about Sanctuary‘s two-part season finale. Visually, “Kali” exceeds anything I’ve seen on the show. It’s easy to tell the difference between the computer-generated backdrops and the amazing on-location stuff they shot. I’m calling this one the Indiana Jones episode, because it has the global feel and the mystical, artifact-ish vibe that you get from Raiders of the Lost Ark and the other Indiana Jones flicks.
The scenes in Tokyo and Mumbai are especially colorful and vibrant. After watching this, I feel like I’ve traveled there myself. I particularly like the dream sequences in which Will encounters Kali (played by the beautiful Sahar Biniaz); they add an element of fantasy and romance, which is essential to Bollywood storytelling.
Two story lines from “Veritas” paid off in this episode. First, Helen Magnus was losing the confidence of the other heads of the Sanctuary network. In this episode, they finally find a reason to remove her from power. (She did lie to them, after all.) Second, Big Bertha was introduced in “Veritas” as a mysterious, catastrophically powerful abnormal that had to be either hidden or destroyed. In the finale, we get to meet Big Bertha, who is both a gorgeous goddess within Will’s fantasies and a ginormous spider, roaming around the ocean floor. Despite my mild arachnophobia, I think Big Bertha is pretty freakin’ awesome.
The wonderful Paul McGillion (Dr. Carson Beckett from Stargate Atlantis) showed up as Terrence Wexford, the head of the New York Sanctuary and a general pain-in-the-butt. Although I loved watching McGillion, I was horrified by what the makeup department did to his handsome face (see photo on right). My God … do you guys think those disgusting prosthetics were really necessary? Personally, I think contact lenses and a slight distortion of his voice would have been enough to indicate that Wexford is an abnormal.
Callum Blue played the villain, Edward Forsythe. Forsythe was probably the weakest aspect of the finale — he came off as more of a thug than a super-rich mastermind of a plot to remake the world. He was comical, not dangerous. The little old Indian woman (Balinder Johal) seemed more amused than intimidated by him. As a result, I couldn’t take him seriously.
The heart of the story was really Will trying to reach Kali before she destroyed the world. Robin Dunne danced his heart out in the big Bollywood number. He looked totally nuts, but I guess that was the point. I loved the moment when Kali declared, “YOU BETRAYED ME!!!”
We have been left with a major cliffhanger. Damian Kindler couldn’t figure out how to end this thing. Let’s give him a few months to figure that out … In the meantime, you will have to find something else to occupy your Friday nights (Caprica perhaps?).
So what did you think of “Kali”? I’ve been doing all the typing — now it’s your turn.
Clacked by Ruby T.
on Jan 16, 2010 @ 04:20 EST5EDT
I enjoyed it – the dance was hysterical and the most ‘out-there’ thing I think I’ve seen on Sanctuary, ever!
I liked Callum Blue though; yes, he seemed thuggish, but many important people are. That’s how they got to be wealthy. I liked Big Bertha, though I’d have thought they could have gone for a crab-like creature instead of a spider (a giant spider-crab springs to mind).
Generally a positive pair of episodes, but in todays climate NEVER end on a cliffhanger. It’s just begging to be cancelled as a result.
You’re right – a crab would have made so much sense for a creature dwelling at the bottom of the sea!
Lucky for them, they’ve been picked up for a 20-episode season 3 (which will have a big story arc).
I think it made more sense for both spiders to be physically similar, just vastly differing in size, in order to justify the psychic link between them.
Besides, the sea spider makes as much sense as the bottom-dwelling sea scorpion. Or real life sea snakes, for that matter.
Yeah, that’s a given. If it was a giant crab instead of a spider, then Will would have had to swallow a mini crab (probably wouldn’t go down as easily – maybe with some butter).
I loved these episodes, altough I don’t like the idea of having to wait nine months to see how things turn out. Will dancing-crazy, in a good way. Firing Helen- bad idea- yes she lied the other heads of houses, but firing her is like firing Bill Gates from Microsoft. She founded the Sanctuary network, for God’s sake! As for getting out of this- shouldn’t be that hard. I mean, big Bertha creates earthquakes via magnetic resonance, right? So all they have to do is to find someone that can create/control magnetic fields *coughs*Nikola*coughs* (create to make one that counteracts the spider’s, control-well, that’s pretty much obvious- direct it somewhere where it can’t hurt anybody) and make Helen to ask him to do that- yes, this will take time, for Helen to get over her pride and for him to accept-altough I think if Helen is convincing enough (a kiss for saving the world isn’t that bad afterall-altough it’s a big world :) ) he would do the job…or maybe I’m too much of a shipper to think straight…but hey, giving him this new crazy power and come up two episodes after with a magnetic spider…I really hope it’s not a coincidence…
Wow, I never would have thought of Tesla’s power solving the problem – you may have figured it all out, Cristina!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks Nikola could solve the problem, because I’ve posted this on other sites and people don’t usually agree with me…I don’t know why, I mean it’s pure physics…you stop a force by counteracting it with a force equal with it, only opposite…and honestly, giving Nikola this power and make him using it only by playing with metal platters is not a good idea. He has to use it in a big way. (Yeah, I’m a big fan of his and a bigger Helen/Nikola shipper, so I may not be very objective, but anyway…) It seems I’m not the only one who sees this as a possibility! Thank you, Ruby! I can’t wait for season 3 and I really hope we’ll be right!
Tesla’s new power hasn’t been explored, so at this point, I don’t know why anyone would be shooting down your idea. In fact, it’s said that the historical Tesla caused an earthquake while experimenting with magnetic resonance. He also created something called an Earthquake Machine (or Tesla’s Oscillator). Whether or not this is true or merely legend is beside the point – Damian Kindler may have read all this stuff about Tesla and decided to incorporate some of that into the character. I wouldn’t rule it out until we see the Season 3 premiere.
Yes, I know, I’ve seen it on MythBusters…I never said they should have done something until season three, I just said that in season 3 they should explore his new power in some way, like solving the big Bertha problem. And trust me, I’m not that confident that they’ll actually shoot my idea…It’s just one of my theories, a hope for the future… And I agree, everything is possible…
LOL – I was actually agreeing with your idea.
I think you misunderstood this sentence: “I don’t know why anyone would be shooting down your idea.”
That means: I don’t understand why those other people don’t like your idea, because I think your idea makes perfect sense.
Thank you, and sorry. My English is a bit rusty. I have to admit, I was surprised that you weren’t agreeing, b/c in the first post we seemed to share this opinion. I backed off because I don’t want to fight with anyone on this. Anyway, thanks for supporting me- and I guess I’ve just ran into a lot of anti-Nikola fans and that’s why they aren’t agreeing- I mean I can understand why a Helen/John shipper would hate my idea, but I really want it to happen. Again, sorry for misunderstanding you!
I just watched this episode, and it was one of the worst episodes this show has ever had. Given how bad this season has been, that actually says something. Losing the Cabal storyline to make more isolated episodes ruined the direction of the show.
But also, as an Indian-American, I found the depiction of Indians, of the mispronunciation of common names like Ravi (even from Magnus, who can supposedly speak an obscure Urdu dialect), and the exotification of the religion, quite disappointing.
Hi Ganesh! I am Indian American as well. My mom grew up in Bombay (or “Mumbai” as they call it). Personally, I found the Indian stuff amusing, not offensive. In particular, it bothered me that Will kept pronouncing Kali like “Callie.” Really, it’s not that difficult to pronounce, right? But in general, I was amused, not offended. In fact, this weird view of Indian culture helps to make it feel more like an Indiana Jones adventure. You’ve probably seen Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (which is where the title of my post comes from) – that’s an awful/laughable depiction of Indians. So this episode of Sanctuary continues in that Indiana Jones tradition.
I agree!!!
I am not sure if the deception was on purpose to make it feel Indian jonesh or just plain ignorance on the part of the writing team, either way it was amusing to watch the general western depiction of India when it comes to movies :)
And the bollywood dance?!?! That was plain dumb… :(
Also, what was funny was the intended subservient Indian women image. I guess they haven’t met girls from Delhi and Mumbai :)
Either ways I am happy that there is a marked improvement from us eating monkey brains to eating abnormal spiders for breakfast :)