Continuum, Orphan Black & More: This Week’s Sci-Fi TV Is Full Of Options
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This isn’t a week where there are a lot of big “events” on TV, such as premieres or finales, but the one thing that struck me as I was putting together this week’s rundown is just how much science fiction is on the airwaves right now. Sure, not all of it is of equal quality, but right now we’ve got not one, but two of our favorite current sci-fi TV series unfolding: Continuum on Syfy and Orphan Black on BBC America. And that’s just scratching the surface. The Walking Dead may have wrapped up its fourth-season run, but there’s no shortage of other genre contenders for your attention.
The CW alone has three separate shows airing that are either outright science fiction or borrowing elements from the genre (The 100, Star-Crossed, and The Tomorrow People, for the record, although admittedly we’d only cautiously recommend one of them). Pretty young people not your thing? Syfy is airing Metal Hurlant Chronicles, which we’d been itching to see since we first heard about it last year. Hell, the simple fact that we’ve currently got new episodes of Cosmos airing each week is enough to put a smile on my face. And there’s plenty more interesting stuff on the horizon.
If you’re playing Genre TV Guest Star Bingo, make note that Buffy/Torchwood/Caprica vet James Marsters is popping up in one of tonight’s two Metal Hurlant Chronicles episodes, and Cobie Smulders will be bringing her Agent Maria Hill to ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Tuesday night. Here’s what’s new in sci-fi TV this week!
MONDAY
Metal Hurlant Chronicles (Syfy, 10/9c) — “Shelter Me / Second Chance”
‘Shelter Me’: A young woman wakes up in a bunker with a man who informs her that it’s the end of the world.
‘Second Chance’: A man named Joe who has lost everything has the Galaxie’s worst creditor on his tail as he attempts to turn his fortunes around by finding a mythical treasure.
Star-Crossed (The CW, 8/7c) — “Give Me a Torch”
Sophia (Brina Palencia) suspects Taylor (Natalie Hall) is pregnant with Drake’s (Greg Finley) baby. Sophia tells Emery (Aimee Teegarden) and the two research Atrian pregnancies. Vartan (guest star Marcus Hester) stumbles upon the information and mistakenly believes Emery is pregnant, so he kidnaps her. Vega (guest star Merle Dandridge) tasks Teri (Chelsea Gilligan) with finding the Iksen’s key, which they need to complete the Suvek. Meanwhile, Roman (Matt Lanter) and Castor (Johnathan Schreach) testify before the Hwatab about the day the spaceship crashed. Also, Eric (Jesse Luken) shares a nice moment with Julia (Malese Jow).
The Tomorrow People (The CW, 9/8c) — “Kill Switch”
When the Tomorrow People learn the truth about the serum they were injected with, Stephen (Robbie Amell) and Cara (Peyton List) attempt to buy time for Jedikiah (Mark Pellegrino) while he tries to create a possible antidote. Growing impatient, Russell (Aaron Yoo) and the other rogue Tomorrow People make a rash decision to sacrifice Roger (guest star Jeffrey Pierce) to Ultra for their own safety. Meanwhile, John (Luke Mitchell) is having a hard time figuring out his new role and the only one he can turn to for advice is Astrid (Madeleine Mantock).
Warehouse 13 (Syfy, 9/8c) — “A Faire to Remember”
Pete and Steve search for a dangerous artifact at a Renaissance fair, while Claudia takes a risk to revive her sister from a coma.
TUESDAY
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge (Syfy, 9/8c) — “Swamp Things”
The designers make camouflaged creatures hiding in plain sight for a mystical swamp-theme challenge. Neville Page (Face Off) serves as guest judge.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 8/7c) — “Nothing Personal”
Just when there’s no one left to trust, Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) — from Marvel’s The Avengers and Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Solider — returns to team up with Coulson as S.H.I.E.L.D. is being destroyed around them.
Person of Interest (CBS, 10:01/9:01c) — “Beta”
Decima hunts down Reese and Shaw using Samaritan’s feeds. Meanwhile, Greer sets a trap for Finch by targeting his former fiancée, Grace.
WEDNESDAY
The 100 (The CW, 9/8c) — “Contents Under Pressure”
Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and Raven (guest star Lindsey Morgan) make contact with the Ark, and Abby (Paige Turco) guides Clarke through a dangerous procedure in a desperate move to save one of their own. Meanwhile, on the Ark, Abby is removed from the council, and former Chancellor Diana Sydney (guest star Kate Vernon) takes her place. Jaha (Isaiah Washington) reveals to Abby that there are not enough drop ships for everyone on the Ark to go down to Earth, and Kane (Henry Ian Cusick) begins to deal with his guilt over his recent decision.
Revolution (NBC, 8/7c) — “$#!& Happens”
As Miles (Billy Burke), Monroe (David Lyons), Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) and Connor (Mat Vairo) rush to escape Austin, a confrontation with Texas Rangers separates Miles from the group. While out searching for Miles, Charlie is confronted by Neville (Giancarlo Esposito) who demands information on Jason’s whereabouts. As a wounded Miles faces increasingly hopeless circumstances, Aaron (Zak Orth) learns that the nanotech has been busy.
FRIDAY
Continuum (Syfy, 10/9c) — “30 Minutes to Air”
Dillon is among the hostages taken prisoner by Liber8 at a television station. While Kiera and Carlos work to free the inspector and the others, a business alliance between Kellog and Alec turns sour.
SATURDAY
Da Vinci’s Demons (Starz, 9/8c) — “The Vault of Heaven”
Leonardo and his allies are threatened by death at every turn in their quest for the Book of Leaves. Carlo aids Clarice. In the East, Lucrezia intrigues the son of the Sultan.
Orphan Black (BBC America, 9/8c) — “Mingling Its Own Nature With It”
After hitting the road with Felix, Sarah is forced to turn to a ghost from her past — an old flame named, Cal Morison.
The Real History of Science Fiction (BBC America, 10/9c) — “Invasion”
The fear of alien invasion in science fiction is explored.
SUNDAY
Believe (NBC, 9/8c) — “Prodigy”
Tate’s (Jake McLaughlin) efforts to keep Bo (Johnny Sequoyah) focused on her training are sidetracked when Bo has a premonition of a young musical prodigy dying in a car crash. In the wake of Channing’s (Jamie Chung) capture, Winter (Delroy Lindo) sets a risky contingency plan in motion. At Orchestra, Skouras (Kyle MacLachlan) tests the powers of Dani (guest star Mia Vallet), a newly discovered telepath.
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (Fox, 9/8c) — “The Lost Worlds of Planet Earth”
The Ship of the Imagination embarks on a journey through space and time to grasp how the autobiography of the Earth is written in its atoms, its oceans, its continents and all living things. Later, American geologist Marie Tharp (guest voice Seyfried) creates the first true map of Earth’s ocean floor, and discovers microscopic life that exists deep beneath the ocean.
Resurrection (ABC, 9/8c) — “Torn Apart”
The town of Arcadia is in a state of chaos when the return of the deceased reaches a critical mass. Bellamy has no other choice than to ask for outside aid which backfires when Sheriff Fred steps in with his own agenda, triggering a siege on the town that no one saw coming.
