It’s all come down to this. After weeks of shocks, twists and turns, the first season of Humans has come to an end with episode eight.
So, here it is: Rebecca’s Recap!
I don’t know about you but over the last few episodes I’ve become quite fond of our synth friends, so as we begin tonight with five of them strapped down and having their ability to self-replicate removed by Hobbs, I’m a little unsettled. There is however a little light at the end of the dark tunnel they’re in – he doesn’t, as yet, have Beatrice/Karen. It’s soon revealed that Hobb plans to create conscious, obedient synths and Fred is his first choice (poor guy!) Not only that, he also seems to think he has Elster’s programme, he doesn’t need the other four (anyone getting that sense of dread yet?)
Having their home raided by armed police is enough to subdue anyone’s mood so it’s of little surprise to find Joe and Laura unusually quiet as they hand over their electronics. Matte however won’t surrender so quietly and rages at the officers:
“You have no idea how special they are.”
She goes on to tell Laura she might have copies of Leo’s memories on her laptop and, with Pete’s help, she hatches a plan to enable her and Toby to slip out, look through the police van which is currently storing their belongings and retrieve said laptop.
We return to Hobb’s lab and find him set to use Leo as, for lack of a better term, a high tech lab rat set to undergo a series of tests. Leo however isn’t happy about it and argues his case to Karen saying:
“Humanity, it’s not a state, it’s a quality.”
She argues back that someone (i.e. Hobbs) needs to correct the mistakes Leo’s father made and with little (okay, no) emotion, replies:
“Our existence can only lead to pain.”
Mia is about to be destroyed when Laura informs Hobb of the information in her possession, and threats to leak it to the press. It takes some doing, but Hobb eventually backs down and frees his five captives. Having succeeded in her quest, she turns to her husband and tells him:
“We’re saving a family.” (aww!)
Mattie hands over the laptop to Pete while Mia’s given an impressive wad of cash by Laura – it would seem they’re home free…but that would be too easy, right? Yup. Fred is transmitting their location to Hobb (this can’t end well!)
Leo summons Karen, knowing he and the other synths need her in order to save Max. She issues a chilling warning:
“If I help you, you’ll have the power to give other synthetics consciousness. The world would never be the same.”
In what looks like some kind of tech-séance, Leo tries to connect all the synths together through consciousness. What follows is a series of lives flashing before their eyes and the code Hobb spoke of is slowly corrupting. Assisting the synths, Karen urges them not to fight what’s happening, and they don’t. The end result is Max being back with the group, though they’re all seemingly unaware that Hobb still has control of Fred.
Deleting the programme from the computer, Niska greatly reduces the risk of it being found by anyone else (I can’t help but think ‘once online, always online’ here) and gives a copy to Laura before turning to the group and declaring she wants to be her own person:
“I want to live my own life now.”
Pete and Karen share a sentimental, tender moment (happily ever after? I don’t think so somehow) while the Hawkins family try their best to get back to living some semblance of normal life. Sophie even imitates Mia’s ‘I don’t understand the question’ comment, which is rather cute.
We end the series on a bit of a cliff-hanger (of course!) Mattie’s flash drive is missing from the house, and currently in Niska’s possession as she takes a train ride through the countryside…
And that’s it. Season one is finished. Luckily for all you synth fans like me, the show has already been renewed so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out what Niska and the others have gotten up to after we left them. In the meantime, start working on your theories and I’ll see you next season!
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