The episode “Fight or Flight” Re-imagined explores the implications of teleportation, a mind-boggling concept that defies the laws of nature. It raises questions about the potential for teleportation to be used for good or evil, such as undermining national borders and security measures, or torturing and exploiting people. The episode leaves us with many questions to ponder, and it is sure to spark a lot of discussion about the future of teleportation.
The episode starts with a really odd scene involving the Mennonites. Those guys sure make you think about justice, don’t they? I mean, they have their own totally legit justice system, I guess. But I thought we were all supposed to follow the laws of the land and not make up our own justice systems? Whatever.
Later in the episode, Nikolai takes Henry to his secret place. He goes there when he needs peace and quiet. It’s an old abandoned church where his little brother died in a bombing.
Meanwhile, Townes asks Jenna where the TV screen is for the VCR. He also asks what the VCR uses to plug into the TV. VCRs were used in the 1980s, which was before Townes was born.
In the next scene, Nikolai teleports back to his home country to feel better. He eats soup there and feels safe.
One thing that stood out to me: Nikolai is a little off. He kidnapped Henry and teleported them to a foreign country, but he doesn’t get why that’s wrong.
Teleportation is a mind-boggling concept. It defies the laws of nature. One minute you’re in a foreign country, and the next you’re in the United States. How does anyone wrap their head around that?
Countries and their constitutions? Borders and security measures? All that goes poof with teleporters! Just imagine, you could be in one country one minute, and then blink you’re in another. No need for visas, passports, or customs checks. You could just pop over to Mexico for a taco break, or whizz over to France for some wine tasting. It would be like the world was one big, interconnected playground.
Teleportation is the future, duh! Star Trek says so, and so does globalization. But how are we going to deal with that? I mean, if everyone can just teleport anywhere in the world, what’s the point of borders? Or countries? Or even laws? It would be like the Wild West all over again! And that’s coming; the writers want you to know this.
Meanwhile, back to the episode, Nikolai tries to convince Henry that it’s an “us or them” situation. The other side isn’t going to announce their intentions to kill her. They’re just going to do it, and they’re everywhere, like the clouds. It’s only a matter of time before one side survives and the other side dies.
Back at Clay’s mom’s house, Clay is losing his marbles in front of the police. They don’t believe his story about Henry and her powers, and they think he’s off his rocker. In fact, Clay’s mom has to drag him away from the interrogation room when he starts yelling about teleportation.
In other news, Mrs. Miller, the new church leader, left her husband in jail like a hot potato. Their marriage couldn’t even survive the death of their son, which he caused. So much for Mennonite marriages. Good luck, crazy lady!
We learn too, as was missed in my original review, Townes, Jenna, and Henry learned from the hacker’s video that Michael Pierce was the doctor who studied people who can teleport in past sleep experiments. Pierce later died in Newfoundland. He was wearing his Hawaiian shirt when he suddenly disappeared on a subway. A YouTube video captured the moment he disappeared.
The Michael Pierce video is disturbing. It shows a teenage jumper being held against his will in a secret research center. The place looks like a jail, and the jumper looks like a prisoner.
Townes, Jenna, and Henry finally understand that the researchers are torturing teleporters to get them to teleport. Henry sees what they have planned for her.
Jenna realizes that only someone with real authority can protect them. There are too many bad people around, and they need real help.
They realize that they could be taken by bad people who could do whatever they want.
Townes realizes that a battle must be fought. There’s no way around it. Henry will need armor.
Jenna and Henry wonder if Townes is going too far. But is he? People have died. You can’t afford to forget that.
Townes has a secret weapon: a debit card his mom gave him for emergencies. It’s good to have a secret power when the enemy wants to kill you.
Elsewhere Mrs. Miller is the leader of the Mennonites, of course. She controls all the property and money, because why not? After all, in Biblical times, men led the nation of Israel or the early Christians, right?
Mrs. Miller, the leader of the Mennonite congregation, is quite the character. She puts Lucas on a major guilt trip for her son’s death, and she even refuses to stop him from taking his own life. She’s judge, jury, and executioner all rolled into one.
Sheriff Anna paid a visit to the dirty cop’s politician wife. She handed over the disgraced cop’s articles. The wife threatened to have her removed; the sheriff threatened back: “It would be a shame if the FBI investigated the beautiful, expensive home of the disgraced cop.”
At the end of the episode, I agree. Nikolai’s quote, “A moment of pain or danger, then we save ourselves,” is very insightful. It reminds us that even in the midst of difficult times, we have the power to overcome them. We can choose to be strong and resilient, and to save ourselves.
The final scene of “Fight or Flight” takes place in a secret, private research facility in the middle of nowhere. A woman in charge of a multinational research group is overseeing the torture of a teleporter in an attempt to force him to teleport. The experiment ends in horrific results.
In summary, “Fight or Flight” explores the ethical implications of teleportation and the dangers that teleporters face. It shows that there are people who would exploit teleporters for their own gain, and that teleporters are constantly in danger. However, it also shows the importance of teamwork and resilience, as Nikolai and Henry are able to overcome their challenges by working together.