Killjoys Season 3 Thoughts (So Far)

Well, here we are at the 6th episode mark of Killjoys' Season 3 run, and I must say that I've been having a blast mostly so far with everything. Killjoys was a series that, during its early beginnings, felt like a decent science-fiction show with its greatest asset being the fun interactions between the central characters. I remembered thinking how much I wasn't fully grasping onto the universe itself due to the series lacking in its lore presentation during that period. I also wasn't latching onto the villain presence as much as I would've liked (despite liking the Khlyen character) as I felt too distracted with trying to piece together the stories at hand. However, after a strong 2nd season run having a more plot focused direction, an explorative feel to its lore, and an interesting new villain teased, I was very excited to see what Season 3 would bring.

So, with quite the cliffhanger to follow up on introducing the most unique villain to the series as well as a war focused story arc, how has Killjoys' 3rd season measure up so far? Well, to that I can happily say that everything that has been promised prior to the premiere has in some way been fulfilled or at least strongly alluded to. Seeing Dutch and the crew desperately focus on learning about the Hullen network while also struggling to conjure up an army to face the impending doom has shifted the once over the top adventurous tone towards a more action-thriller feel. What's great about this new chapter is not only the value of entertainment that comes with this type of "on the edge" direction, but also how naturally woven in everything surprisingly feels to the core of the show.

It's great to see Dutch and the gang having their own interesting individual stories continuing on such as Johnny's questionable status as a Killjoy after his attempted murder on a politician, Dutch's emotional state after a few significant deaths riding on her shoulders, and of course, the presence of Aneela's Hullen army amongst other things. One of my favorite aspects of this show that not every series is able to claim is that there's always something intriguing worth diving into for each of our central characters as well as the world surrounding them. That's the beauty of Killjoys in my opinion. As a fan, there is virtually endless potential scattered throughout this world. However, in regards to the character of Aneela, this is where things get just a tad bit shaky quality-wise on the show for me.

As I've stated before, I was truly amped up to see this villain finally become an upfront and powerful component to the show after such a great set up and teasing cliffhanger showing off her queen-like appearance and connection to the plasma. What is she like? How powerful is she? Will Aneela and Dutch fight to the death? What's the story of her physical likeness matching Dutch's? There were so many reasons to get excited for her debut, but once we finally started to see more of her, I wasn't entirely sure whether or not I was fully enjoying what they were going for.

Aneela is one of those villains that, on the surface and on paper, seems like an incredible and fascinating character. However, when it comes to the actual onscreen execution, you begin to question whether or not your excitement might've been overblown or if the director(s) slightly butchered something potentially amazing. When reading into her story about a child that went practically insane after being infected with an alien parasite eventually creating her very own army of infected slaves, there is a bit of an expectation leap to be had with such a wild concept. Judging by the scenes that we've been given so far, I do feel as though they've succeeded in brilliantly portraying her child-like and unpredictable demeanor alluding to the idea of her still being young at heart despite her appearance.

I also really enjoyed her "Darth Vader" like moments where she'd lash out on her followers by force choking...I mean...using her connection to the green plasma to choke or crush them to death without physically touching them. Again, on the surface, Killjoys has introduced an awesome new villain with an intriguing background, a peculiar personality, powerful capabilities, and a mysteriously identical appearance to our central hero. I'm still very much looking forward to seeing Dutch and Aneela finally confront each other in an epic clash while also revealing the truth behind what links them together. Season 3 has essentially been one highly entertaining lead up to an eventual hero-villain encounter and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that in my book.

Apparently Hullen sex is amazing. Good...to know? 

Where things fall into the more nitpicky corner for me is some of her scenes with Delle Seyah where the two basically come off as cartoony villains who look as though they're about to sleep with each other at any given moment (which they do eventually). It's the not so uncommon case of a great character being held down by either a randomly tossed in plot point or another character who they're unfortunately forced to share the screen with. Delle Seyah isn't per say a major weak link here as she does bring forth her own element to the equation as our window into Aneela's world and psyche. However, as I've stated, their scenes together just felt a little too cartoony for me. Although the recent cliffhanger regarding Delle's fate is eye opening, I do hope that Aneela doesn't get mistakingly downgraded afterwards.

Aside from Aneela's character being a hit or miss situation, the look and design of her ship is definitely something worthy of being praised. The interior shots displaying a highly sterile environment with mostly white backgrounds figuratively connecting to the purity mentality of the Hullen was a stroke of genius artistically speaking. It also visually forces your eyes towards the green plasma whenever its being highlighted which continues to be a key component to the story. Killjoys has done a mostly magnificent job in its handling of characters, but I do feel as though the attention to presenting a unique universe via a variety of scenery has been pretty undersold. Fortunately, both Seasons 2 and 3 have aimed to fix this as we're given a few new standout set pieces so far.

Season 3 introduces Pree's background as a criminal warlord as well as a planet of people with cybernetic implants where regular humans are not allowed. Yep, already sold.

Another major improvement that I've seen to the show is its exploring of new unique worlds and characters within the J Star Cluster. Earlier in the season, we were introduced to a planet far off in the universe where Hackmods make a living as escapees from their owners and the black market. On its own, the Hackmod centered setting known as "Rat City" could easily be a season arc worthy location and plot on its own, but is instead given just a few episodes of spotlight for Johnny's individual story. This may sound like a negative, but it's actually positive recognition to the writers for creating such an imaginative world of colorful characters and an interesting side plot that we can easily revisit at any time. Personally, those are the types of lore expanding bits that I enjoy in my sci-fi and/or fantasy stories.

So, with a more magnified look into the interesting world of Killjoys, a potentially compelling and fascinating villain at center stage, an impending war on the horizon, a few eye opening twists, and our central cast continuing to entertain with their appropriately ridiculous banter, Killjoys has done a fantastic job at keeping its audience hooked. With only a few more episodes left, it's exciting to speculate where our characters may end up and the inevitable confrontation with the main antagonist. With the upscale in quality in many respects for the show, one can only hope for a Season 4 renewal announcement. Fingers crossed.

Season Rating (Ep. 1-6): 8.5/10