Terra Nova: Review: Series 1 Ep 9

Mira’s communications method with her spy is intercepted, and Shannon learns the truth about Terra Nova…

A highly important episode in terms of the show’s mythology, this week’s instalment is very much one for those who have become invested in the show – there’s not really a separate story of the week as such, as all strands lead back to what happened between Taylor and his son, and the true reason why Terra Nova was set up in the first place.

If you’ve been watching the show carefully, then there won’t be that many surprises: it’s always been clear that Taylor will do whatever he can to protect the community that he’s building, up to and including murder (and that’s what banishing someone from Terra Nova is, no matter how much he may want to dress it up). Now we found out that he’s known since the time of the second pilgrimage that the foundations of Terra Nova aren’t the “hope for the future” that everyone has believed – in fact the motive is pure greed (and interestingly, it’s an idea that is mined in one of the Primeval spin-off novels).

Although it’s not quite a two-hander between Jason O’Mara and Stephen Lang, it feels like that – their scenes together are the most powerful the show has achieved so far. If Terra Nova can maintain this sort of level, then it will deserve a second season – words I didn’t think I’d be typing six weeks ago!

Episode 9: “Vs”: 8/10

Paul Simpson