Utopia: Series 2 Finale

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Series 2 Finale: 'I'm On Your Side.'

Well, that was something, wasn't it?

For a program that has no qualms in its ruthlessness and it's willingness to dial up the crazy as high as it will go, the most surprisingly thing about the second tries finale was how relatively quiet it felt. In comparison to the first series finale (which remains one of the best finales I've seen in a TV drama), the ending of Utopia 2 didn't completely change the game. The dominoes are set up for a third series (Channel 4, make it happen!), but the finale's decision to play it straight and not completely readjust the show's structure was an intriguing decision, for good and for less satisfactory reasons.

Let's start with the bad: the reveal that Becky doesn't have Deel's and Donaldson had just been giving her an opiate (evil bastard). The withdrawal from the opiate was causing her to have seizures and hallucinate. All of this would have been okay, had Becky actually followed through on her plan and died by suicide. The last minute save from Ian (always a good fellow) felt in character with him (especially given his reluctance to kill Terrence; more on that in a bit). However, the last minute save… eh. For a drama that can be so ruthless in constantly rearranging the stays quo, it felt a bit disappointing to go for the obvious save. Becky's tragic arc and her growing acceptance of her mortality gave a wonderful undercurrent of sadness to the series, so to see it felt like a bit of a cop out to suddenly have her survive. That said, Kelly is a fantastic writer, so hopefully we'll see more shades of Becky next series (Alexandra Roach is more than up for the challenge).

On a more mixed note, Ian's reluctance to shoot Terrence after stabbing him felt like watching the best and worst of his character. On one hand, Ian is one of the few characters who has strived to hold on to his 'humanity' while the others are far more inclined to resort to violence. I can buy him begging a wounded Terrence to not release the virus, but it still felt a bit lackluster to watch it unfold on the screen. However, having him finally snap and shoot Terrence in the head was enormously satisfying.

Now, those reservations set aside, let's move on to the good, and there was quite a lot of great stuff. The opening scene, with Terrence telling a mum of a sick child that her having him was a monstrously selfish act and the world would be better off if she slit is throat, was audacious as only Utopia could do it. The undercurrent of terror and violence, along with Terrence's environmentalist message, cemented what sets the drama apart from other TV shows: it's willingness to be both dark and quietly humorous about a serious topic many other TV programs would not discuss. Robertson's monologue was beautifully done and uniquely chilling.

Other great stuff: the car park shootout with Jessica. Strong, interesting female characters are always my favorite, and in a TV landscape with few examples (or the few examples have to undergo sexual violence at one point or another), Jessica Hyde is an enormous breath of fresh air. The sight of her blasting Terrence's car with bullets as she stands calm and collected was deliriously entertaining (and Post-Lupin, you are right, she doesn't blink), and reminded me of La Femme Nikita (the film, of course) in the best way possible.

But, the sight of Wilson Wilson carving the Chinese symbol for 'Rabbit' into his flesh, well, what more can be said. His character arc for the two series, from conspiracy theorist to head of The Network, was heartbreaking, chilling, and nothing less than fascinating.

Just like Utopia itself.

Grade: A-
Series 2 Grade: A

Miscellaneous Thoughts:
*Arby/Pietre lives! Another character I would have been happy to see die, but I'm curious how he will be weaved into the third series.
*Lee, sadly, perishes. Paul Ready gave a fantastic performance as one of the best villains I've seen on a TV series in a long time. I shall miss his dapper wardrobe, particularly the acid yellow suit.
*Jessica to Leah: 'Call me dear again, and I'll cut your face off.'
*Favorite episode of Series 2: The prequel opener, which is some of the best TV I've seen. Least favorite episode: this one.
*All and all, I put the second series as just a hair better than the first. The prequel episode played a big part of that. However, the first series had a way better finale.
*Expect first series recaps soon!
*Thank you to everyone who read this recaps. Utopia is my favorite program on air, and it was so much fun to discuss all the twists and puzzles with such a delightful readership. Post-Lupin, Douay-Rheims-Challoner, Paleu, and who ever else is reading, thank you!