Terra Nova TV Show - Vs. - Terra Nova Recaps, Terra Nova Reviews, Terra Nova Episodes

Terra Nova

Episode Report Card

Daniel: B | 561 USERS: C+

YOU GRADE IT

A Spy in the House of Duh

By Daniel | Season 1 | Episode 9 | Aired on 2011.11.21

In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description!

We start out slow and then all of a sudden it's an exposition avalanche! It's Harvest Festival time in Terra Nova, which commemorates the time Taylor came through the portal with a noble spirit that embiggens us all. But present-day Taylor is preoccupied with the search for the Sixer spy. He's interrogating Boylan, who deliriously reveals to Jim that there's something buried by the Pilgrim's Tree (the legendary tree where Taylor lived when he arrive). Jim does some literal digging and finds a skeleton that Boylan later confesses having helped bury at Taylor's behest. At the time, Boylan, reveals, Taylor blamed it on his son, Lucas, and that was the night Lucas vanished.

Jim's investigation -- in which he involves Elisabeth -- winds up causing him to clash with Taylor, who arrests Jim on suspicion of being the Sixer spy himself. Turns out it's more of a test of Jim than a legitimate arrest, and Taylor reveals that there are bigger interests in Terra Nova than Hope Plaza: people who want to strip-mine Terra Nova of the resources that this new world has to offer. Lucas -- who was working on technology to make the portal work two ways -- helped bring Taylor's old commanding officer across to relieve Taylor of his command, in the interests of those nefarious strip-miners, but Taylor refused, and killed his old CO after the CO drew a gun on him. Keep in mind this is all according to Taylor's account, but he sells Jim on his sincerity in protecting Terra Nova from the same people who turned the Earth into the 2149 hellscape that they're trying to escape.

In the end, Taylor appears to actually be the benevolent dictator he seems to be (as opposed to the benevolent messiah with the hidden agenda), but they're no closer to discovering who the Sixer spy is. The latest Sixer ambush comes after Boylan was brought into custody, so it's not him (or not only him). But the fact that the Sixers have trained dragonflies like carrier pigeons in order to spy on the colony is kinda cool.

Daniel is a writer in Newfoundland with a wife and a daughter. If he had one bullet in a gun while watching Terra Nova, he knows exactly what he would do. Follow him on Twitter (@DanMacEachern) or email him at danieljdaniel@gmail.com.

Want more? The full recap starts right below!

Terra Nova's got a great big convoy -- well, three rovers and a couple of motorcycles -- heading out into the jungle, while we get an extra-special dragonfly-eye view... a dragonfly that's actually some sort of robot that returns to Mira. "What have you got for me today?" she asks, after it lands on her arm.

Taylor's interrogating Boylan about what information he's been feeding the Sixers. Boylan says it's just a strict medical-supplies-for-money arrangement, and he hasn't told them anything. Taylor's not buying it, and he's not going to let Boylan rest until he starts talking. I mean, he pretends to suggest Boylan get some rest, but then he flips on the sirens so that Boylan can't sleep. I'm not sure that would work on me, but I also don't think I'm that hard to crack. "Daniel, tell us what you told the Sixers or I'll put on this CD by Lady Antebel--" "OH GOD I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING."

Over at the Shannon family homestead, the happy clan are all painting lanterns for the "Harvest Festival," which you're thinking is some kind of Terra Nova Thanksgiving, only it actually commemorates the day that "Commander Taylor" came through the portal, which is starting to get a little messianic. And then it's even worse when you find out there's some play about it, and Zoe, for some reason, is going to play Taylor, complete with burlap beard.

Josh -- who has been grounded for that whole "stealing medicine to give to the Sixers" thing, and he's lucky he wasn't banished -- wants to talk to his dad in private about Boylan. No one's heard from him for since the bar's been closed, and Jim says Boylan's been "detained" and Josh asks if he's being interrogated and Jim characterizes it as being questioned -- like how much of a fascist is Jim anyway? -- and Josh insists that Boylan just had a business arrangement, nothing more. Because of his guilt over his own involvement, he just wants his dad to check and see how Boylan's doing. "I'll see what I can do," says Jim.

So Taylor's seeing off another patrol -- which involves Mark, Maddy's idiot boyfriend -- when Jim strolls up to casually ask about Boylan being locked up in Taylor's compound for two days straight, which Taylor calls "standard interrogation procedure." Even TAYLOR calls it an interrogation, so I don't know why Jim is being such an apologist. Jim asks if he's making any progress, and Taylor invites him to have a look for himself.