Humans says goodbye to a major character in ‘Episode 4’
Humans says goodbye to a main cast member in “Episode 4,” marking the first major casualty of the third season.
While certain storylines are more interesting than others, for the most part, Humans has been consistently strong. The first half of “Episode 4” is a bit slow but the second part is absolutely riveting. In probably one of the most heartwrenching scenes of the series, this ending will most likely tear the hearts out of every viewer.
Let’s start at the beginning though. The Dryden Commission has finally made it’s way to the Railyard. In a surprising twist, the meeting goes off without a hitch, despite Agnes’ attempt to stab the humans. “Episode 4” also offers viewers the first opportunity to see a by it of her backstory. As expected, she was mistreated by her “owner” leading to this aggression against all humans. It isn’t exactly new territory for the series, and she probably won’t be the last with a similar origin story. The more shocking moment from this storyline was Max’s decision to lock her in the dark as a punishment for her throwing the death of Flash in his face.
Related Story: Humans sends Niska on the hunt for answers in ‘Episode 3’
More from AMC
- The Walking Dead Universe receives 3 Saturn Awards nominations
- Creepshow season 4, episode 4 recap: “Meet the Belaskos” and “Cheat Code”
- Fear the Walking Dead makes TVLine’s 10 Worst Shows of 2023 List
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Danai Gurira stuns at this year’s Academy Museum Gala
- Let’s discuss The Walking Dead: Dead City location change rumor
The rest of the Hawkins family don’t fare much better this week. Laura finally takes things to the next level with Neil, who in turn kicks her out after sleeping with her. Meanwhile, Mattie and Leo are easily the most boring part of Humans at the moment. Undoubtedly, their arc is ramping up to something bigger but for now, it’s just dragging on.
Turns out Mattie’s old high school hacker buddy, Vijay, has been arrested for the synth consciousness code. This only inflames her guilt further, and she decides to turn herself in. It’s actually sweet to see Leo so willing to confess instead and save her family. However, Humans isn’t getting rid of these two anytime soon, and they decide to just hack Vijay out of prison.
In another blast from the past, Ed is back to see Mia. He steps in to help her up after a hostile crowd tries to attack. Logically, it makes sense for Mia to put her relationship with Ed behind her so she can truly move forward with humanity. However, their arc last season was relatively lackluster and just felt like a plot device. It’s the same story in his appearance here, but at least this time he’s not as terrible.
Let’s get to the best parts of “Episode 4”: Niska and Karen. After receiving an address from the orange synth last week, Niska has found the person responsible for the bomb. He immobilizes her and lays out his villainous plot to frame her. However, when he threatens to kill Astrid, Niska is able to overpower his programming to kill him. Is this because she’s one of the original synths or something more?
Honestly, hats off to Emily Berrington though, who has easily risen through the ranks to become a fan favorite. Her performance is incredible this week, especially when she visits Astrid in the hospital. When Astrid calls her out on murdering the villainous synth for selfish reasons, you can see the hurt and shame in her eyes. Partially because she despises the part of herself who is good at killing, but she’s so terrified of losing Astrid that she will do anything to keep her safe.
It sounds a lot like Karen’s storyline this season. Joe sweetly invites her and Sam out for a round of mini-golf. While Karen is a little hesitant, Sam’s look of pure joy is enough to convince her otherwise. Their evening is actually nice, and it actually had me rooting for these two a couple. At the end of the night, she kisses him on the cheek while Sam happily looks on. He may be a synth, but he looks overjoyed at the prospect of having another parent in his life.
Next: Westworld’s Lisa Joy on comparisons of series to Lost
Then everything goes south when he trips and falls in the middle of town square. Sam cuts his hand, and onlookers quickly notice the blue blood leaking on the sidewalk. Karen quickly wipes the blood on her own hand, buying her son the time to run and get help. It’s the sacrifice she was so worried she would never be able to make. But in Sam’s time of need, she is able to protect him. Joe drives back to the square with Sam and finds Karen’s body destroyed in a pool of blue blood.
Humans is notably darker this season, but a lot of the themes are relatable. While certain storylines have felt a bit slow, the show itself feels more mature than the previous two seasons. Any theories on who the “sleeping synth” is? I’ve seen a lot of rumors about Fred returning, but personally my money is on the AI from Qualia.