Supernova
Episode 6 of Debris begins with an ominous debris case out in the woods, involving three skeletal figures and a group of teenagers. Meanwhile, Finola and Bryan jet off but the family video Finola watched last episode continues to play on her mind. Eventually though, the pair arrive down by the docks for their next assignment. It turns out 4 or 5 teenagers were seen lurking about. The debris piece in the surrounding area seems to have emitted some sort of energy signature to suck the lifeforce out of these dead bodies. It also appears to be electrically charged too, as we see a floating phone being charged. As the plot thickens, it seems like these three elderly figures were actually brought to this remote cabin as there’s no way they could have made it alone. Craig arrives and talks to Anson and asks about Influx. Her wants to know who funds the group but Anson refuses to open up. Instead, he warns Craig about the debris and taunts him, claiming he doesn’t know whose side he’s really on. With Anson refusing to play ball, Craig instead has his team work on cracking the phone. He believes they could well be trying to find George. In order to track the movements, he tasks Bryan with probing Finola for information. However, Bryan is interrupted by news coming in that another elderly person – a man called Caspian Cole – has gone missing. Using cameras, they trace the car for two teenagers who were also seen talking to another missing man by the name of Jose Manza. As they check the trunk of this vehicle, they see the victims’ clothes and realize they’re onto something. Bryan receives a call from Craig’s lackeys, who happen to be inside Finola’s apartment. They need a password but Bryan refuses to help them, telling the men he’s not in a position to tell them right now. When Bryan speaks to Finola again, asking specifically about her Father, alarm bells begin to ring. She knows something is up and asks outright what’s happening. Bryan admits the truth – her Father is alive. She doesn’t seem too shocked though, despite identifying his dead body in the past. Bryan opens up and tells her Craig wanted to know details about her previous trip to Greece. Finola is not happy and eventually leaves. Meanwhile, our teenage boy (whom we later find out is called Kurt) meets an old man called Sabash. He encourages the man to head into the forest with him. Once there, he’s encouraged to hold onto a piece of debris and not let go no matter what. Just like that, Bryan and the others race on the scene. It turns out this debris piece is actually de-aging these old men and turning them back into teenagers and young adults. After Sabash turns into a teenager, he tries to flee with the others but their comrade Jose is blindsided by Finola. He runs too far away and immediately ages rapidly and dies. It turns out these kids can’t get too far away from the debris piece otherwise they age rapidly. The leader is Kurt, who’s in charge of all this, and he tries to rationalize his actions. He wants to try and de-age as many people as possible. His motivation stems from his wife Clara, who had dementia at the time but this debris piece helped bring her back from the brink. The chalk markings in the forest are actually a perimeter too. However, the pair decide to sacrifice themselves, unable to live without the other and unwilling to grow old without the other. It’s a beautiful sacrifice in many ways, one that’s tinged with sadness. Sabash is left with a tragic future, forced to turn old again after being transported to a facility where people can help him. With the case resolved and wrapped up for now, Finola and Bryan realize that the departments they’ve been working for have been lying to them. In fact, they’re left with a difficult choice going forward and decide to put their trust in each other. As the episode closes out, we cut to Maddox who receives word that Ash is located in Maine.
The Episode Review
Debris returns this week with a case of the week that feels distracting to the main plot line involving Influx and the conspiracy. This is, of course, a common trait in shows like Fringe and X-Files but here the balance isn’t quite right. The show feels like it’s trying to have its cake and eat it too, with a nice story about de-aging and the moral implications of that, while showing the team distrusting each other and their plan coming apart at the seams. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this juxtaposition, Debris is starting to turn into more of an episodic monster-of-the-week (or debris-of-the-week if you will) without actually exploring much of its overarching plot in a compelling way. I’m sure that will change going forward but it’s hard to shake the obvious influences with this one. Still, there’s just enough to like here and the show does leave the door open for the future.
