Attack Of The Clones
After a rocky start, Pandora returns for another episode that follows suit with its opening slice of sci-fi drama. Revan begins the episode by eating chips before an alarm sounds, signalling a ship has been destroyed. However, Atria gets more annoyed over the Adari Leader whose scheduled to host a talk at the school, prompting Jax and Atria to show up and begin striking. We then see a questionable cult segment using the words “Praise Be” that’s more than a little similar to The Handmaid’s Tale. One of the cult members, a girl called Atria Three, asks Atria for help in destroying the clone factories. Before she can agree however, Thomas shows up and asks if she’s okay after having stormed off earlier. After a brief discussion on the matter, he leaves. The Professor then calls a meeting with Revan and asks him whether he has anything to hide, wrapped up in a friendly facade. Revan sees through this though and bites back, asking him whether the Professor has anything to hide. The alien then speaks Latin before leaving, prompting Jax’s family member to retort Raven’s not as smart as he thinks he is. The cult leader of Adari goads Atari Three and asks her to kill him; the real reason she’s there. He tells her to fear him before electrifying her temples and asserting his dominance once more. Jax jumps into the debate after comforting Atria Nine and begins asking around for help in stopping the threat. Professor Pavney eventually agrees to help, granting permission to Thomas and Jax to fly a ship out of orbit and toward the clone factories. Eventually they’re granted permission to enter the grounds and after fighting off one of the clones, Jax gets to work in placing the charges. Thomas is not so lucky though and gets captured. A final showdown then ensues that sees Atria Three thwart the cult leader and a resolution found. However, Atria Nine laments the lack of change this is likely to bring back home before the episode ends with Jax confronting Xander, convinced he’s been spying on them, while the Professor is told to give up everything he knows about Pandora by a mysterious lady. Once again Pandora follows many of the same hiccups the first episode had in abundance. With some strange anachronisms, modern-day colloqualistic language and some cheap set designs, Pandora fails to really stand out as a compelling sci-fi series. Jax is certainly a compelling protagonist though but beyond that, there really isn’t a whole lot else to get excited about here. Next to so many other shows in this genre, it’s hard to recommend Pandora and the mystery isn’t quite compelling enough to keep you coming back for the long haul. Given the frosty audience reception to this one, I’d be surprised if this is renewed for another season. The cult segments do feel very similar to The Handmaid’s Tale this week too and using the same language, with words like “Praise Be”, feel like an intentional nod toward Hulu’s dystopian thriller. Still, for the remaining episodes there’s still time for Pandora to turn it around but right now it’s difficult to see how it’ll achieve this.
