Sanctuary does Star Trek: The Original Series

This week’s episode surrounded the team stuck on a frozen submarine stalked by abnormal shapeshifters with partial mind reading capabilities.

“Ice Breaker” felt like an homage to Star Trek: The Original Series. It started off like “The Naked Time,” where the crew uncovers a frozen, deserted space station with all of the life support/heat/energy turned off and the crew members mysteriously dead. Later, it shifted into “The Man Trap,” surrounding a shapeshifter killing isolated men by taking on familiar appearances. Almost every single Star Trek: TOS episode featured the lone woman telling Captain Kirk she’s afraid, which this included. However, if this episode wasn’t a covert tribute, then I’m going have to face-palm the writers for that line. Finally, I got an ensign red shirt feeling when Henry, Will and Magnus initially all teamed up, leaving Declan with the new characters. Unsurprisingly, guess who survived the entire ordeal.

Did you guys guess that Will and Magnus were the doppelgangers? A couple things seemed odd to me. When Magnus first arrived I thought her hair looked great, but unpractical. I wondered why she hadn’t pulled it back into a ponytail. It looked like the team had already set up base, so  she didn’t need to suggest another room. Of course, we learned why towards the end. Regarding the female scientist, if Magnus didn’t know who killed her, why lock both men in the same room?  The abnormal-doppelganger could potentially kill her team member. Could she really visually confirm a werewolf killed the woman? Sure, she can guess from clawmarks, etc. but without testing, it isn’t conclusive.

Will watching Henry’s friend do the heavy work without jumping in, seemed lazy to me and his claim the first team member died from a gas main seemed off. Magnus/Will’s nonchalance at the group’s ice block-freshwater curiosity felt odd. In the end, I became more suspicious when Magnus urged everyone to split up, despite Declan’s reluctance, but then five minutes later stated they shouldn’t have. Considering she said that no one should leave their partner’s eyesight, why didn’t she notice when Will went missing and report it? Telling people to kill each other, but not Will, sounded like Magnus, but seemed contradictory. After they uncovered another thawed abnormal, I still thought they had two on the loose (the original abnormal before they arrived and the new one), but Magnus said they only had one to worry about. These items all niggled in my brain, but because Magnus said them in the Magnus way, I just overlooked them.

I’m up in the air about this episode. I enjoyed the writing and acting, MUCH better than last week. Sanctuary continues to use the split-screen method to good effect. However, I have a personal bias against trapped in a bank, room, or office-type episodes in any series. Also, until Magnus arrived the episode felt boring and like a total white male sausage fest, excluding the lone frightened female researcher. I never really noticed the lack of diversity in the show that much until Kate left. It creeped me out before she joined the cast, but this season, the lack of on-screen diversity freaks me out moreso.

Yes, I know the show typically films in Vancouver. I loved the city when I visited for a week, and I know it isn’t that racially diverse. However, last year they did a better job of rounding out the guest cast for the week.

I love that they’re incorporating Henry into more off-missions and showing his capability. I hated when they pigeonholed him into the tech-geek role. I always thought a guy who lived and trained with Magnus and worked for the Sanctuary since practically childhood should know how to handle himself. So, I’m glad to see more of Ryan Robbins’ serious side alongside the quips.

I liked the return of one of Henry’s old “Animus” friends and I’m sorry he died. His passing and Henry’s mourning paralleled what Will underwent with the passing of  Clara Griffin, the invisible girl.

Unsurprisingly, most of this week’s quotes came from Henry:

“9 bodies is a Tarantino dance party.” – Henry

“Suck it, Tesla. Let there be light!” – Henry

“Badass pilot. Not so badass passenger.” – Henry (recapping Magnus and Will’s flight)

“Bad Will hunting. I’m in!” – Henry

Clacked by An Nicholson
on Nov 20, 2011 @ 21:02 EST5EDT