The Nitpicker's Guide to Mutant X: Part One

[firstmutant]

Moved to GreatestJournal

*Inspired by The Discontinuity Guide: The Unofficial Doctor Who Companion: "To really love something, you have to want to take it apart."

GENERAL by firstmutant
Beta aid by milmiss

Entry #1: New Mutant Growth Spurts.
In the S1 episode "A Breed Apart," Brennan, Shalimar, Jesse, and Emma suddenly experience a new evolution in their mutant abilities. Shalimar develops heightened reflexes and perception, Emma forms her characteristic psionic blast, Jesse begins to phase external objects by touch, and Brennan develops jet propulsion. It is curious that Adam did not predict Emma's eventually acquiring a psionic blast, since the other three tele/telempaths who appear later, Andrea Marshall in "Where Evil Dwells," Dr. Robinson in "In Between," Riley Morgan in "The Prophecy," all have this ability too.

Why these four undergo this spontaneous growth spurt simultaneously despite being different ages and mutant types is never explained. Perhaps it was something in the water supply at Sanctuary...leading to Adam's eventual decision to nix the waterfall and reflecting pool before the second season. Alternatively, the evolution could be the result of Adam's continual experimentation upon the Mutant X team members. In "Shock of the New," Adam tells Emma that new mutant DNA is in a constant state of evolution. Thus, the mutant growth spurts of "A Breed Apart" may or may not be related to uncontrolled mutating mutations of the type causing Ashley Elliot's electrical hunger in "Lit Fuse." By the end of that episode, Adam was able to stabilize her DNA. Oddly, Adam would continue to claim ignorance about methods for making similar repairs to his own team's DNA up until "The Assault," when he finally admits to having secretly succeeded in stabilizing Jesse's DNA. Further hints that the technology for new mutant DNA stabilization was in place long before "The Assault" comes in "Wages of Sin," when Jesse discovers that Dominique had been able to stablize the DNA of new mutants in her employ.

Of the four mutants, it's Jesse's "new" ability that hasn't changed much. At the new mutant Safehouse in “I Scream the Body Electric,” Jesse phases as Brennan shoots through him, and then falls through the floor. Since he does not fall through the floor instantly every time he phases, he must have been able to phase the floor beneath him at will. It's also clear that whenever Jesse phases, his clothes, shoes, and comlink ring phase with him, presumably because he is in close contact with them. Thus, the supposed growth spurt that occurs in “A Breed Apart,” allowing him to phase other objects by touching them, was really nothing new. Yet, in "Dark Star Rising," when Jesse is holding the Tricorp plant, he must toss it through the window while he phases through the wall, and catch it on the other side. No idea why.

Though Shalimar, Jesse, and Emma keep their newfound powers for the rest of the series, Brennan's flights mysteriously cease halfway through the second season and are never mentioned again after "Crossroads of the Soul." Shalimar's heightened reflexes and magnificent leaps calm down during the second and third seasons as well.

Entry #2: Emma’s Psionic Abilities
Throughout the first season, Adam calls Emma a telempath, one who can sense and manipulate the emotions of others. She does indeed have this gift, but her range has always exceeded this one facet of possible psionic abilities. In "Russian Roulette" and "The Meaning of Death," she makes Sonya and Jesse respectively feel as though they are choking. Choking is not an emotion. Neither is blindness, which she accomplishes with the GS agents in "In the Presence of Mine Enemies." In "Fool for Love," she enhances a witness’s memory of a license plate number.

Entry #3: Genomex and Sanctuary.
At the end of Season 1's "A Breed Apart," Gabriel Ashlocke announces that Genomex is the perfect place from which to oversee his world domination schemes. Though Genomex will be mentioned many times after this episode, this is the last time this perfect place is seen in its original glory in Mutant X. Mason's office does make three special guest appearances throughout Season 3, however, the first being in "No Exit" (William Dennett looks down at Jesse and Brennan from there), and in "A Normal Life" when Shalimar goes back to Sanctuary to retrieve the microwave accelerator. Its last cameo occurs under (literally) Brennan and Shalimar's love scene in "The Assault."

Perhaps the main reason Mason Eckhart could never find Sanctuary was because it was constantly adapting and moving about. In Season 1, Sanctuary was located near a lake; afterwards somewhere in the mountains. In the beginning, Sanctuary had all kinds of beautiful amenities, including a reflecting pool, a waterfall, and a dojo for practicing martial arts. These wonderous luxuries lasted throughout the first season, then vanished, leaving Sanctuary a darker, starker place in which to live.

Entry #4: Plotline Recycling
Season 3, especially, is filled with these. Examples: Barry Sterling ("Kilohertz") is resurrected as William Dennett ("No Exit"), the OTHER psychotic telecyber who gets revenge on Mutant X by tampering with Sanctuary’s air supply. Zack Lockhart ("Ex Marks the Spot") is revived as Randall Blake ("The Art of Attraction"), the OTHER untrustworthy art thief with whom Mutant X and a female member must “get into bed” in order to complete the mission. Richard Saunders ("Fool for Love") is reincarnated as Keith Burstyn ("A Normal Life") the OTHER scientist who wants to live a normal life with Shalimar.] "The Taking of Crows" bears suspicious resemblence to "Hard Time," except that Shalimar and Lexa take Brennan and Jesse's place behind bars. Do TPTB think we suffer from amnesia?

Entry #5: The Mutant X Timeline
1800s The Creator begins his work
1913 William Kilmartin born
1943 Project Immortalis
1958 Adam Kane cloned
1968 Gabriel Ashlocke born
1978 Adam begins at Genomex
1980 Genomex’s stem cell research program in full swing, Jesse Kilmartin and Johnny Cummings born
1982 Lexa and Leo Pierce born
1983 Gabriel Ashlocke podded
1985 Shalimar Fox born
1992 Adam meets Danielle Hartman
1993 Catherine Hartman born
1996 Lexa and Leo leave the military facility
1998 Adam escapes Genomex and begins Mutant X 1.0
2000 Lexa leaves Adam
Adam finds Shalimar
2004 Lexa joins the GSA
2005 Leo escapes from Genomex
2006 Lexa joins The Dominion
2008 S1
2009 S2
2010 S3

Reasoning.
1. “Time Squared.” Adam’s first day at Genomex was 10/23/78, when he was 20 and Gabriel Ashlocke was 10. That means Adam was born in 1958 and Gabriel was born in 1968. Adam worked at Genomex for 20 years, so his escape occurred in 1998. He was then free to find Lexa and start Mutant X 1.0. Gabriel was in the pod for 25 years, meaning that he was released in 1983.
2. “Into the Moonless Night.” Lexa was part of Mutant X 1.0 for two years before Adam found the 15 year old Shalimar. If MX 1.0 began in 1998, then Shalimar began with Adam in 2000.
3. “A Normal Life.” Shalimar tells Keith Burstyn that she’s been with Adam for 10 years in S3. Since he found her at 15, that means that she’s 25, and S3 takes place in 2010.
4. “Divided Loyalties.” Jesse tells Brennan that “three years is a long time to be under the radar,” meaning that it as been about three years since Brennan joined Mutant X. This means that each season lasts a little longer than a year.
4. “Brother’s Keeper.” Leo Pierce’s age in S3 is listed as 28, so Lexa is 3 years older than Shalimar. Lexa and Leo left the military facility at 14 when Leo began having problems. Eckhart agreed to treat Leo in exchange for Lexa’s working at the GSA. Leo escaped Eckhart’s facility five years before S3, and Lexa joined the Dominion to find him.
5. “Shock of the New.” Frank Thorne’s statement, “Our GS agents are new at this,” along with Adam’s assertion that Emma’s pursuers were from the security branch of Genomex imply that the GSA existed in some form before Paul Breedlove’s death. Lexa might have been part of this covert organization.
6. “The Assault.” The Creator began his projects 100 years before S3, and cloned Adam Kane.
7. "Shadows of Darkness." Johnny Cummings was born in the summer of 1980, when Genomex's genetic embryo research "was in full swing." Jesse is 30 years old in S3, so he was also born in 1980.
8. "Age of Innocence." Jesse's grandfather William was part of Project Immortalis in 1943. When he de-ages, he has the body of a 30 year old, so he must have been born sometime around 1913.

Entry #6: Genomex’s Project Timeline
In “Shock of the New,” Adam explains to Emma that the 1,000 new mutants in existence were the unforseen consequence of secret genetic experiments conducted by the biotechnology firm Genomex, a branch of government intelligence. It is revealed in “The Meaning of Death” that the original purpose of those experiments was to heal children with irreversible diseases; the 11 year old Charles Marlowe was brought to Adam to be cured of his fatal illness. The development of his enhanced cellular regeneration was a side effect of his treatments, leading to indestructibility. The first new mutant Adam thus created was Gabriel Ashlocke in 1967, after his parents brought him to Genomex because of his behavioral difficulties (“Past as Prologue”). At the end of “The Meaning of Death,” Shalimar comforts Adam by reminding him that all the Children of Genomex owe their lives to him and his work at Genomex.

However, a closer look reveals that there must have been several separate Genomex genetic projects, for there are at least three different generations of new mutants created by Genomex. The first generation of Genomex new mutants is represented in “Russian Roulette,” where Adam’s contemporary, the telekinetic Paul, is clearly older than Adam’s first creation, Gabriel Ashlocke. Frank Thorne, too, looks older than Gabriel Ashlocke. The second generation is made up of those ill children brought to Adam to be cured, like Charles Marlowe and Gabriel Ashlocke. The third generation are the Children of Genomex who were born slightly after Marlowe and Ashlocke, but were never ill in the first place...the new mutants of Mutant X. In “I Scream the Body Electric,” Shalimar tells Emma, “We’ve all had our gifts from birth. And just like we learned to walk and talk, we’ve had to develop skills with our new mutant abilities as well.” Apparently, though their parents were normal, these four were born new mutants, and not made that way by experimentation during childhood with the intention of curing disease. Was Adam responsible for these as well? Perhaps, perhaps not. Evidence that there was a large project outreach performed by Genomex at some point emerges in "Shadows of Darkness," when Jesse discovers that the telepath Johnny was the product of their widespread experimental “fertility program.” If this is indeed the case, Adam’s initial estimate of 1,000 new mutants he created is far too low to encompass all new mutants.

The fourth generation of new mutants are the children of the Children of Genomex, such as the thermal elemental Joshua Valentine and telekinetic Daniel Benedict.

Mason Eckhart also succeeded in making a handful of new mutants. In Season One's "Dark Star Rising," Mason Eckhart and Dr. Kenneth Harrison team up to restart Genomex's early Rafflesia Pricei project for the purpose of creating new mutant soldiers from humans with serum injections. Though two of the feline ferals created manage to survive, Mutant X's destruction of Tricorp's three Rafflesia Pricei plants forced Eckhart and Harrison down a second avenue in "Double Vision": the enhancement of low-level mutant abilities through operations. The mechanism by which humans or low-level mutants could be transformed into new mutants through injections or operations is never clarified, though Dr. Harrison hints that Lieutenant Bo Longstreet was able to survive his new mutation because of a single strand of DNA.

And just when you thought it was safe...things become even more muddled after Season 3's "The Assault," when The Creator reveals that he is behind all the genetic projects at Genomex and The Dominion, and in fact, has been playing with the genetic code for a hundred years. All bets are off then.

Entry #7: Comlink Rings
a. Communication. Are the comlinks always on, or only when the wearer wants them to be? They're definitely activated when you talk into them. They can also broadcast sounds and conversations around the wearer to the other Mutant X team members--but apparently selectively so, since you don't hear each member's ring constantly spouting forth noise from the environments of the others. And I'd guess rings can be selectively blocked from picking up conversations as well, since Brennan believes he can talk to Jesse without Lexa's overhearing--even though she's wearing a ring (and sitting like four feet away, but that's another matter altogether). We'll ignore for the moment how it is that no non-Mutant X member in the immediate vicinity can hear voices coming from the comlink.
b. Location fixes. When can the computer find a comlink ring? Only when the wearer is conscious? Only when the ring is on, i.e. being worn by it's rightful owner? In "Where Evil Dwells," Jesse can't find Shalimar because her comlink has fallen off, so it would seem that the comlink itself is of no value for locating a member unless it's on. In "Hand of God," Jesse can tell that Shalimar's barely alive by her weak signal, but says can't get a fix on her location until she actually responds. The computer finds her the minute she wakes up, but what should consciousness have to do with it?

Entry #7: Contacting Sanctuary by tribeofroses
How is it that everyone can contact any of the MX team via phone or email at Sanctuary? Even Eckhart, who had been looking for Sanctuary for God knows how long, even manages a vidphone call to Sanctuary in Lest He Become, but in the following ep he's still looking for it? And Harrison knew Lexa's cellphone number in In Between? The Grift: Brennan's old girlfriend sends him an email at Sanctuary. How? If she's supposedly not been in touch with Brennan for years. Lest He Become: How does Eckhart know how & where to call Sanctuary? The Prophecy: How does the molecular guy contact Brennan? Has Sanctuary suddenly been listed in the Yellow Pages?

Entry #8: Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm... by princessbryn
How many times did we see Brennan without his shirt? How many times did Adam kiss someone's forhead? How come in "Body & Soul" every time the teenage boy changed bodies he always managed to have a bag of chesse puffs?

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SEASON ONE by tptigger and firstmutant
Beta aid by tribeofroses

The Shock of the New
Continuity Points for future reference:
The Double Helix is currently in autopilot

We learn that Genomex is really a wing of the government, but the Genetic Security Agency isn't formed until this episode, following Dr. Breedlove's untimely demise at the hands of "genetic terrorists".

Adam states that there are maybe 1,000 Children of Genomex. Pretty impressive for for a bunch of labs that didn't have site directed mutagenesis (c.f. Time Squared)

Interestingly, GS Agents are referred to *before* Eckhart makes his Orwellian announcement. Which makes you wonder how much, if anything, the Genomex Rank & File all ready know.

Mutant DNA is in a constant state of mutation ("evolution"--hey writers guys? Not. Equivalent.). This necessitates the "tune ups" and is probably as good an explanation as any for the "growth spurts" in "A Breed Apart". And is then promptly forgotten about until season 3.

Shal, like most Ferals is territorial. Jesse is sensitive. Prior to joining Mutant X, Emma was a sales girl and sold misses and petites, using her powers any chance she got.

Shalimar joined Mutant X before Jesse.

Stuff dropped like a hot potato: Jesse using his comlink like a camera during the first fight scene.

I Scream the Body Electric
Continuity Points:

Before Shalimar joined Mutant X, Adam found her holed up in a fleabag hotel having not eaten for five days.

Adam's virus that he uses to destroy Genomex's copy of the New Mutant Database: Wouldn't a company as large as Genomex have offsite back ups?

Brennan runs out of juice after a certain period of time, and needs an hour before swimming he can reform a tesla coil.

Emma's parents left when she was ten; she was raised in a foster home.

Most ironic line has to be Shalimar's "It's not in Adam's nature to dislike anyone." Sure. Shal seems to have forgotten the little tiff Adam's had with Mason for, oh, the past 20 years or so.

For Brennan, the pain of a subdermal governor hits him in the stomach. For Thorne, it's a headache.

Brennan's school difficulties began in the 3rd grade.

Randomness:
At the end of the episode, Jesse presents Brennan with his ring and then says: "What, no hug?" (Referring to Emma's response to getting her comlink ring from Shalimar.) Sorry, dude, not even when you almost get gassed to death in "No Exit."

Brennan trusts Emma awfully easily just by learning she has powers too, doesn't he?

And finally: Since Brennan had no idea at the time that Jesse could phase and mass, did Brennan really throw Jesse a look and then lie about it for some strange reason (I don't get the male psyche, nope nope) or did he really miss and Jesse was, for some reason, seeing what he wanted to see?

Russian Roulette
Possible continuity issue:
Shalimar: What do I know about family therapy?
Adam: You have a family don't you?
Shalimar: Yeah, but...
Adam: That's all the training you need.

Does Adam not know about the insane asylum second season? Or did the writers? Then again, maybe her life before that was decent, it's hard to tell.

And while we're discussing that scene, why does Daniel's dad have a pipe right out of the 1950s?

Back to continuity:
The holographic dojo and force fields are introduced

The ground car is referred to as the MV for the first, and AFICT last time.

They establish video contact through the comlink rings when Jesse is on assignment. I think this goes away as well. Too bad; it was cool.

Where is this show supposed to take place? The reversal sequence is A-7 Zed-41 then the trigger. Russians using "zed" makes sense--they probably used British English. But Jesse and Adam? Canadian writers, I guess.

According to Shalimar, The GSA doesn't hire Russians. Sonya says that Eckhart has no faith in Russian technology.

Though the Mutant X team eats lots of sushi, Shalimar prefers her meat medium well.

Sonya says that Mason has no faith in Russian technology. Perhaps this is because she can't get his name right. While on the phone to Daniel, she says she's an associate of Marcus Eckhart... Tsk, tsk.

Sonya, being outside of the GSA, is smarter than the average GS agent in that she immediately makes sure that Jesse is scanned for bugs. When Shalimar is caught in "Dark Star Rising," no one bothers to take away her comlink ring. Too bad she decides to tie him to a chair, after she's discovered that he's a molecular.

The MXverse has an Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Jesse makes comlink rings and Genomex IDs.

Name of interest: Daniel Benedict. Benedict Arnold. Get it?

Fashion victim: Emma in shiny black vinyl. Whose idea was that?

Notable guest apperance: Ross Hull of Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Fool for Love
Continuity: Emma can pull out things from memories that peole don't know they have.

Real life science issues:
1) Research associates are usually sub-PhD level scientists.
2) Someone should tell Saunders that not closing his lab coat is as bad as not wearing it. Big splash zone in the middle.

Semi-fashion victim: Emma's tight outfit doesn't seem as bad when it's not shiny.

Kilohertz

Continuity stuff:
1) Emma's parents were (hippies?) very into organics and macrobiotic foods. This makes her a bit of a technophobe. (Odd, given her best friend in high school as shown in Interface.)

2) Jesse says "I have no time for romance, I'm too busy making the world a safer place to live." This lasts (checks DVD insert) about three episodes. I smell a fanfic. Somewhere. I think.

Technobabble: Stop gaps for the stock market? Sounds like something the Star Trek tech computer would dream up. Huh? (I'm not finding it very realistic at all)

Also, at the end, Renfield says "I have renewed my vows of commitment to constant vigilance." Does Mad Eye Moody teach at the GSA academy now?

The Meaning of Death
Continuity:
Helping new mutants get into the underground is not the exclusive purview of Mutant X--or if it is, Mutant X is bigger than the main characters of the series. It's clear from this episode that Rick was instrumental into getting new mutants into the underground. Presumably, there are many other agents like him. Where'd they go after this season?
Mutant X has a rogue's gallery of GS agents and their informants.

Random nitpick: In the scene when they're discussing how they're not sick, really, honest, Jesse and Emma are wearing the exact same outfits as they were when they were discussing hacking things in Kilohertz.

Funny how Brennan had a book handy for when they were quarantined. (Either that or the safe house has a library.) And someone should tell him that's a bad way to shield something from X-ray vision. (Also, he picks Todd's pocket, so apparently he wasn't always doing armed robbery and such.)

Also, the safe house is different from the one we see in later episodes such as Blood Ties, Dancing on the Razor, and A Breed Apart. This one seems to be an abandoned subway station. Tomorrow People complex, anyone?

Lit Fuse
Continuity stuff: Proxy Blue is apparently local as Jesse comments that she must have a generator when the power is out.

The name of The City's electric company is Trans El. (Never know when details like that will come in handy.)

Ashley Elliot: How did you know I fell in love with this?
Brennan: Let's just say I got to know you a little.
Ashley: Maybe a little too well. But uh, I'll never tell.
Brennan: Neither will I.

This is dropped, and it's hard to tell if it's just the hundreds of things going on in your head you wouldn't want anyone else to know about, or something more sinister. (Brennan's a GSA mole, really a woman, part of the Russian Mafia, constantly chatting up women to cover up his undying love for Jesse, *tries to come up with more unlikely possibilities* *fails* )

In the Presence of Mine Enemies:
Fashion Victim: Why is it guys with long hair think too much gel goes with a suit? *shudder*

Everyone changes clothes when the simulation shuts off. This is giving me some pretty nasty bad!fic ideas.

Adam plays poker with Shal and chess with Emma. At the same time. Apparently this makes him Very Smart.

This is the first time Eckhart explicitly states that they want to keep new mutants' existence invisible to society's radar.

They do too eat at Sanctuary. Look, dishes! Of course, they look like they came from a Japanese restaurant but still. The Mutant X team is always eating take-out--Japanese, Thai, pizza. Being a member of Mutant X means never having to actually cook anything.

Notable Guest apperances: Mark Lutz as Eric Tanner. (Sometimes known as The Groosalugg on Angel: The Series.)

The Crime of the New Century
Brennan sparks Jesse in the teaser probably at about the voltage of a joy buzzer. Not bad for someone who'd never used his power on a person before "The Shock of the New". (See? Right episode now.) I find it hard to believe prank!boy hadn't done that before.

How did we not notice how easy it was for kidnapper guy to get through that high priced security system?

Why would Brennan know who an astronaut is? I find it hard to believe he watches that much of the news (or did as a crook, anyway). Also? I don't believe his "favors for friends" line, he was totally boosting cars at 10. (I suspect with his background, trouble found him...)

How is it Eckhart manages to find out all of this stuff and get agents in place ahead of time? I mean, government, sure, but wouldn't the CIA and the FBI, you know *notice* their agencies were being called off?

Why on Earth is Brennan bouncing that tennis ball? Argh.

The MV has Mutant X license plates. Isn't that just a little conspicuous?

Emma meditates in a darkened Sanctuary, so why is Adam playing on the computers and making all that noise?

Is it just me or is the room where Lisa Valentine wakes up after Corbin slips her the sleeping pill a new set?

Good Josh, hit the gun, not the person. Someone taught you well.

Dark Star Rising
How would Brennan know about Dark Star if they're more secret than the Navy Seals?

Emma meditates in the darkened Sanctuary two weeks in a row. Seriously, what's wrong with her room? Also, whose thoughts, exactly, is she pulling this from? It doesn't seem to be on Angel and Longstreet's minds at the moment...

Eckhart wants to gentically alter humans into new mutants. This really doesn't fit with what we've heard from him so far--he seems to want these "anomalies" to go away, so why make more?

The following quote may shed some light on this:
Eckhart: We are on the verge of creating new mutants.
Harrison: Obedient and subservient new mutants. Completely at the service of your will.
Eckhart: Enough to conceivably make the Children of Genomex unnecessary in the greater scheme of things.

What greater scheme of things? What is Eckhart's master plan? Why did Ashlocke have to pod him so we wouldn't know?

For a former army brat (c.f. "No Man Left Behind") Brennan doesn't seem too understanding about Longstreet's reluctance to leave Corporal Randall's body behind.

When they get Angel to their lab, Adam draws her blood with what appears to be a plastic transfer pipette. This isn't a very sharp instrument. Why isn't he using a syringe???

We learn that the parents of the Children of Genomex didn't know everything about the experiments being done on the kids. So were their powers an unfortunate side effect of the experiment or the ultimate goal of the project?

The following seems almost like foreshadowing for season 3:
Emma: I promise you if anyone can help her, it's Adam.
Longstreet: I believed in my superior officers. Look where that got me.
Shalimar: Yeah, but it's not like that with Adam, Bo.
Longstreet: Is he one of you--one of us?
Shalimar: You mean a new mutant? Nope.
Emma: Adam made it possible for us to survive what had been done to us.

If they're going to break into the botanical company, shouldn't they bring Brennan? I mean it's his specialty, no?

If Jesse can't phase the plant out of the building, how come his clothes go with him?

It is strongly implied that Harrison is podded at the end of this episode, however we never actually see him in a pod.

Whiter Shade of Pale
Notable guest appearance: Christopher Bolton, who played Kirk on "My Secret Identity" --he played the in-the-dark best friend to the super hero. Now he's an evil Feral--has he moved up in the world? At least in MSI he was a main character.

Brennan is a caffeine addict and spends about $50 a week on coffee. If he needs that much, why doesn't he just get a coffee maker for Sanctuary? (Apparently he's so out of it pre-fix that he lets Jesse and Neil do the heavy lifting.)

Adam's description of Danielle's powers sounds eerily like Lexa's. Is it possible that Lexa and Leo are half siblings to Catherine--and Adam's children? (As good a theory as to the special relationship as anything.)

Shalimar gets protective of Adam and wants to check up on Danielle since Adam hasn't seen her in 16 years. This seems a bit much, but is very lucky for Catherine.

Adam and Eckhart were rivals for Danielle's affections. Catherine is not Adam's child, but her father was "really smart." Oh dear, is that poor girl carrying around half of Eckhart's DNA?

Also, Catherine's conversation with Emma appears to take place on that observation deck from the first couple of episodes. Go figure.

Danielle gets a much more comfortable bio bed than Brennan did in "Russian Roulette".

Emma gets the sequencer back single-handedly, and with style. She rocks, when she wants to. (She also orders an Amaretto Sour, but doesn't drink it. I'm presuming this is an alcoholic drink--just wait for it, for now. )

Danielle moved "upstate" after leaving Genomex. Has anyone heard this term applied to anywhere other than New York State?

During the fight to get Danielle away from Eckhart, Brennan accidentally hits massed out Jesse with an arc. This doesn't seem to phase him in the least, if you'll pardon the pun.

In the tag:
Brennan gets Catherine's bag--given the conversation that Adam and Danielle have after they leave the room, my guess is he's thinking "little sister." Catherine, however, is clearly thinking something else as she does the cute little fifteen year old flirting with a much older guy thing. (This is cute, and not creepy, because Brennan rather politely makes it clear that nothing's happening.)

Double Vision
Brennan wants a hug from Conlan, gets a smooch and then a backstab. Maybe he should stick to hugging members of Mutant X (not that scared!Emma lets him later in the episode.)

Conlan says something to the effect of having to settle for Brennan's girlfriend. Apparently she's a Brennan/Emma 'shipper. *snerk*

Why is scared!Emma afraid of the EDD scan? It's not like whole!Emma never had them before. (This seemed a bit much.)

Wait a second, Eckhart was gonna pod Harrison in the last episode. Why's he still there? (And the end of this episode, Eckhart implies he should be a research subject.)

Why does it take so long for Jesse and Shalimar to realize how weirdly Emma's acting? And for that matter, why is scared!Emma out in the real world trying to hunt down Brennan? Other than the plot device. (There's a missing scene fic if I ever saw one...)

If the split was some sort of cellular/genetic event, how come her clothes were copied too?

Adam is shocked that Emma's drinking--what about that Amaretto Sour in Whiter Shade of Pale? OK, she didn't exactly wait around for it, but if Emma doesn't drink, how does she know about the more obscure fancy drinks?

How come the security lockdown isn't Brennan proof? After all, we learn the dojo is in, what, "Altered Ego"?

Complete random weirdness: Shal kissing the bald guy during the brawl scene. WTF? (She and Jesse tag teaming it is a sight to behold, however.)

Where did the flat beds for reintigrating Emma come from?

In the tag, there's a new, shiny indoor garden in Sanctuary.

Why is Conlan resorting to baby talk with Brennan?

My god. There is one proposition in the series he turns down. ::boggles:: : )

Blood Ties
If this were a Whedon show, Jesse would've been referred to as "Schmucky the bait" in the script during the teaser. I just wanted to point that out.

How did Jesse not know that his dad slipped him the disk? That's a pretty odd place to touch your son whom you haven't seen in years.

In a similar note, why is Jesse shouting "Noah" at his father that he hasn't seen in years? He calls him "Dad" throughout the rest of the show, even after his betrayal. I know this makes his "My Dad showed up" more dramatic after Brennan comes, but geez.

Nicole Carter is played by Chick Reid, Tom McCamus's wife in real life. (Source: Victoria Pratt mentions this in the commentary)

Jesse and his dad were in father/son martial arts tournaments every year 'til his folks split up and his dad went undercover and overseas.

Brennan however, turns up that Jesse's Dad was working at Nexogen. Not a very good father Jesse has. Of course, we learn later that the divorce sounds kinda bitter, so it's possible there's other reasons for him not to have contacted Jesse.

Except that it's not true, poor guy.

Script stupidity: Why does the device Adam use for taking Shalimar and Emma's thumbprints hurt?

Also, why does it take so long for the team to tell Jesse their suspicions? And when they do, why aren't they showing him the proof instead of just telling him? They didn't think he'd actually believe it otherwise, did they?

How does Jesse's dad know about Mutant X? And why isn't Jesse suspicious at this point? I mean, sure, his Dad's covert ops and stuff, but then wouldn't he have heard something from him before now? Of course, given the nature of their relationship, that "I'm proud of you" probably went a good way towards Jesse not wanting to question anything. Noah's just a manipulating bastard. How'd Jesse turn out so trusting and innocent?

Moving on to the girls break in to Nexogen--they're stopped at the door. Why cause a scene by kicking ass right away? Couldn't Emma have done some psionic stuff first? And why does Brennan have to come to the rescue. Shouldn't he just be landing the helix so they can get away? Guh.

How come the GSA is so good at finding Mutant X "safe" houses? And shouldn't it be sound proof. I mean, dude, Sanctuary seems to be everyone-who-isn't-a-telecyber proof, wouldn't a few more safe house precautions be in order?

Jesse expected Shal to take his side, even if no one else would. Awwww.

"If anything happens to my son, the deal's off." OK, so Noah's only 99% manipulating bastard. Of course, Eckhart just orders Noah's death anyway.

A zip disk? All this technology and they have that thing on a zip disk. Didn't they have Jump drives four years ago? OK, probably not...

Why did Brennan change shirts to come after Jesse? Especially since Jesse was in the Helix with a head start, and the ground car *has* to be slower!

Why does Jesse know to grab Porter's audio filter? Dude. (He then masses to protect his dad from the bullets. Go figure.)

Adam is watching Shalimar comforting Jesse at the end. It seems rather creepy. I mean either go down there or give them some privacy. (Seriously, it's a good thing no one was doing the horizontal tango in Sanctuary during seasons one and two. Hey! Maybe that's why Brennan turned Matty Conlan down! He knew Adam was a perv!)

Altered Ego
Continuity for future reference:
Adam worked with Anthony Cooke at Stanford "13 years ago". (Remember this for Time Squared)

Emma dated an exchange student from Helsenki in high school.

Adam says when Brennan gets wet he gets "so weak". Remember this for "Power Play".

How old is Charlotte? Sometimes she acts like she's 20, sometimes she acts like she's 15.

In the scene in the lab following the Charlotte induced fight between Shalimar and Jesse, Shal has bruises on her left shoulder. She lands against massed Jesse on her hands, then he kicks her in the gut. Why is her shoulder bruised?

Fashion victim: You're Brennan. You're on a windy roof. Wouldn't you button your shirt so it didn't come undone?

When Charlotte demonstrates her powers on Lynch, he turns violent and evil. Shouldn't it have turned Lynch good too? It seems as though Adam's the only one who changed morality. The mutants all just seemed to become more violent for a minute, and then calm down. Skeet, for example, with the takeout food. He wasn't really evil, he was just physically expressing his anger at always having to eat takeout. Hee.

Also, I wonder who the poor sap that Charlotte tested her powers on before was. (The non-new mutant I mean.)

RE: Adam going alone to see Charlotte. Adam's an idiot. Why does he always go alone? He always gets burned!

How come Adam doesn't have the same physical reaction to the toxin that Lynch, Jesse, and Shalimar have? Since Charlotte touches Jesse first, why does the effect wear off on Shalimar first?

Hey, when Adam's menacing Emma in the lab, the lines they show in the opening are there. Wild.

Why would Eckhart tell Charlotte he's responsible for what happened to her father? She already wants out, why make it worse?

The dojo is apparently Mutant X proof. This seems like a bad idea. Someone could break in and contain them. Adam designed this when he was good. Why? Creepy guy! Creepy!

Also, when she wakes up, Emma seems slightly creeped out by the EDD. Or maybe it's just the scary laser beam she uses to escape and save the day! Yay Emma. Good thing she wasn't wearing sneakers!

The part where Shal and Jesse decide that Adam doesn't make mistakes like not knowing that Emma speaks Finnish is cute. They so want to believe that he's infallible and fighting being evil. It's cute! They're so innocent.

Lazarus Syndrome or In Which Everyone in Mutant X is very overprotective of Emma
At the very beginning why doesn't Emma just tell Brennan that the girl he's trying to hit on is there with her boyfriend?

Continuity: The good kind. Emma orders a virgin daiquiri. This ties in nicely with Bad!Emma describing Good!Emma as "the tea totaler" version in Double Vision. Now if we could just figure out that Amaretto Sour in Whiter Shade of Pale...

Continuity Points:
After Caleb has taken some of Emma's "life force" in the form of a pink gas that oddly resembles Lorna's pheremones (Deadly Desire), they are mentally joined somehow (similar to the way Shal and Ashlocke will be later on) and her psionic abilities don't work on him. Or so he says. A similar mental link will occur in Season 2's "Inferno" between Emma and another dead man. Apparently, lack of brain function doesn't preclude a mental connection with a psionic...

Some GS agents have tracking devices implanted in them.

Breach of manners:
Also? Brennan teases her mercilessly about her drink selection. And then Caleb buys her drink. Which, I gotta think is a little odd, given she's talking to Brennan. Unless he's been watching long enough to see Brennan trying to flirt. Now I see no reason Emma shouldn't have gone to dance with him, but really, would the two seconds for an "excuse us" to Brennan have killed her?

Very annoying plot point:
Of course, given he then spent as much time as possible keeping an eye on them a "buzz off" might've been more appropriate. Unless Brennan's powers include precognition--it was *lucky* he was being a chauvinistic jerk.

And then we know where Brennan gets this protectiveness from. It's very clear in the first scene in Sanctuary when Adam says, "I don't understand. Where were you when all this was happening?" Dude, he sounds like a parent bawling out a teenager for leaving their 10 year old sibling alone. Hello! Emma's a big girl. 19. Actually, given that Brennan's teasing her about not drinking, probably 21 (unless they're in Canada). Guh!

This trend extends as far as Shalimar acting like a frantic mother having lost a small child when she gets back to find Emma's commlink and no Emma. Guh.

OK, moving right along.

Pamela Fries (or Freeze, it's pronounced freeze) can lower and raise her body temperature. Oh the pun of it all.

After Jesse knocks Brennan out of the path of Ms. Fries's car, why doesn't he just move himself instead of phasing?

And again Emma is meditating in a darkened Sanctuary. Isn't that rather inconvenient for everyone? I mean... hey, maybe they treat her like a kid 'cause she acts like one. Also, is she sitting on an X?

Adam's very condescending when Emma tells him Mathias is alive, but has the boys do some hacking anyway.

How did Caleb get Emma to ditch her comlink? Did I miss something?

Really, what did Emma expect from a GS Agent? (This leads right into Interface doesn't it? Guh.)

Speaking of GS Agents, someone needs to make them watch Dr. Who. What's up with the freaking high heels. NOT appropriate footwear for that line of work. (You too, Emma. Oh dear. Emma, Jesse and a lot of tapes. Attack of the killer plot bunny. Help!!!)

My next question is there's a good three minutes where Mathias is busy with Fries. Why is Emma not unlocking her cuff and kicking ass? I mean, she doesn't have her psychic blasts yet, but she's not exactly helpless. Plus two against one are better odds.

Why do Jesse and Brennan keep pestering the bar tender? I thought Emma was the psychic one.

This is quite probably a chauvinistic episode, as once they realize that Mathias goes for beautiful, female new mutants, Adam makes Shalimar go back to Sanctuary. Not that our Intrepid Feral stays there for long. Then after she kills Mathias the first time, she's so busy crying over Emma that Brennan and Jesse have to take out Mathias. (Funny how Shal and Brennan end up killing people every time Emma dies.) And Adam's response, "get back to Sanctuary now." *strangled scream*

When Emma's life force comes back, I'm reminded of special effects of the voices from Hush. More proof that Mutant X should've been a Joss show?

So why do the guys just look at revived Emma and smiling? If there was ever an excuse for a group hug... Boys! (-8

The tag: Everyone overprotects Emma and she tries to fight it, but has to put up with it. And dude, who let Adam out of Sanctuary?

Interface
The opening in the mall: Given what went on last week, I'm kinda surprised Shalimar let Emma out of her sight.

Why isn't mall security busting Emma or the GS agents for running? Or something. It's sort of weird that everyone else just watches. And isn't Shal not supposed to use her powers in public.

Also, why don't they put the bags down while they're fighting. This is Mutant X, not Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

Either Mutant X is bigger than we think or there's simply a larger New Mutant underground than we've seen. Jenny Stackpole is the name of an underground operative.

Likely the bigger underground, as Jesse is worried about their credibility with the underground since the Mutant X safe houses keep getting broken into.

Eckhart subtly explains that Michele has been breaking in the safe houses in the opening scene at Genomex--that it's thanks to their new secret weapon, which is how he refers to Michele.

Why doesn't Jesse know what a telecyber is? Doesn't he remember Kilohertz? And we certainly see a lot in the series (3) for something Adam did "limited experiments" in.

I wonder why the picture of Emma and Michelle actually looks fairly old. (Also, Emma's hair is so much better in that...)

Michele's timing logging into IM is fortuitous. It's smart of Emma to log in from a cybercafe to do that, but wouldn't an email for a later meeting date be less frustrating? (Though that would've given Michele even *more* time to set her up.)

For that matter, what's a web cam link? And since she doesn't go anywhere, why did Michele need 15 minutes? (Hello, Emma, smell that? That's a rat. Apparently you should've brought Brennan with you, he can smell one a mile away.)

The guys are a little arrogant during the simulation. And when they both get knocked on their butts, just where does Brennan swat Jesse? I think they like playing with the slashers sometimes.

Why are people on this show always tapping opponents on the shoulder before punching their lights out? Why not just attack from behind?

Also, is it just me or does Jesse have a bit of a New York/New Jersey accent in his "a's" sometimes?

Why are they talking about New Mutants in Jasper's? Hello, public?

Continuity: Emma's little trick with the bartender in Double Vision shows up again as she basically butts in line waiting on their drinks. And they don't pay.

How does Emma know what to look for in Eckhart's computer?

Also, why on Earth did she take her ring off? And what took her so long to put it back on?

I can't tell if Brennan's joking with her or serious when he says just wait 'til they get her home.

Funny how Emma's the only one who doesn't get blasted when Michele goes on her rampage. I thought her emotions were completely suppressed?

Why is Adam so worried about Michele's modesty after she passes out? I mean, really, just get her to the lab. Jesse's been engaged (season 3) and it ain't like it's anything Brennan ain't seen before.

How does Mr. Delay avoid getting podded after his failure? Or is he related to a certain senator?

At the end, why do they eat kneeling at the Japanese style table when there's a butt load of normal ones that look a little less cramped? (And is there food there for Emma or not? I can't tell!)

Presumed Guilty
That's really a dumb way for Megan to fall, I mean, how often do you lose your balance like that. And if there's a hole ahead of you, wouldn't you be more careful? Honestly, the teaser is one big Plot Device.

What's Adam doing out of Sanctuary alone? It was a bad idea in "Altered Ego," it's a worse idea now.

Continuity:
Jesse is not a morning person. Brennan is oddly awake enough to deal with sparring with Shalimar. Someone must've finally convinced him to buy that coffee maker. (c.f. "Whiter Shade of Pale") Either that or Brennan was taking the heat off Jesse for some reason...

Emma has a checkup, which is how the team knows something is wrong. How often does Adam administer these check ups anyway? (I suspect no one on that team needs to worry about their season 3 expiration dates.)

Jesse wonders if Adam did murder Megan, but Shalimar is positive he didn't. Does this seem backwards, characterwise, to anyone else?

Also the first use of yellow!feral!vision.

The team realizes that Griffin must have their security codes and changes them. Why doesn't LEXA get changed at this point? Also, this doesn't keep Griffin from getting Eckhart in. Adam must've left a back door for himself. It's likely this door that Lexa uses in season 3.

Plot questions and other nitpicks:
How does amnesiac!Adam know to ditch his commlink. And if he doesn't know that, why does he ditch it?

And while we're on the why's, I still don't get why Adam kidnaps Mark. All things considered, it doesn't make a lot of sense.

That's a very good artist's rendering of the subject. Almost photorealistic. Is it just me, or did they just use John Shea's head shot?

Shalimar can smell what blood is Adam's and what isn't (c.f. "The Hand of God").

Why doesn't Adam start grilling Brennan and Emma for answers the second he realizes that they know him? Generally someone looking for you is going to be more helpful than someone who's trying to set you up for murder.

Took them long enough to change the security codes. You'd think that would a no brainer thing to do. Also, why do the girls do it? You'd think Jesse would be much faster at such things.

Griffin can't process all of Adam's memories because he's not smart enough. I find this amusing.

Eckhart scamming Adam. Wild.

Adam gets an EDD scan and he doesn't have to wear spandex! This is probably a good thing, but still. What's the purpose of the spandex if it's not strictly necessary? (Besides ratings, I mean.)

Emma goes for the Jugular by making Griffin think she's Megan.

Confused!Eckhart is fun!

Ex Marks the Spot
Continuity:
Zack and group use a Mutant X safe house. We're later told this is the one by the bookstore. No wonder the GSA know where it is.

Jesse doesn't know Lockhart, so clearly he joined Mutant X sometime after Shal and the thief (the guest star one) broke up.

We're told that Shalimar hasn't seen him in six years, so clearly Jesse's been a team member for six years or less.

The safe house by the deli uses the same set as the one by the bookstore. Which is odd, because it was a very different set in "The Shock of the New" though I suppose they could have more than one safe house by a bookstore.

Proxy Blue has a search function. A very flirty one.

The security firm guarding the egg is using the GSA uniforms from "In the Presence of Mine Enemies"

The following quote should be considered with the conversation between Shalimar and Lexa in "Divided Loyalties":
Emma: Maybe [Zack]'s changed. People do ya know. Look at Brennan. Or me.
Shalimar: Okay, I'll give you that.

Script oddities:
Zack calls it "pop" not "soda" (or the Southern generic "coke"). I wonder where he's from.

Plot questions and general snarking:
Brennan's being protective of Shalimar. And so it begins. Not that she needs protection, she walks in and starts kicking ass.

Jesse is big on cutting things close. Dude, if Brennan tells you to get out of there, you listen.

Eckhart is evil! Surely the GSA could spring for a lawyer.
I think the security card that Brennan tosses Jesse through the laser web is really a credit card. Hope whoever it belonged to got a new number.

What precisely did they need Zack for? Couldn't Brennan have just zapped the safe open in the first place?

How did Zack open the egg to grab the chip during his butterfingers routine? It seemed slightly more complex than picking a pocket.

Why does Emma meet them at the safe house? Huh?

Why does Shalimar keep smooching Zack even when she knows he's a prick? She can so do better.

Dude, Eckhart could've sold the now not so scientifically valuable egg. There was no reason to smash it. (Well, drama, I guess.)

Nothing to Fear
Fashion victim: Brennan and that hat! Is it cold? Even in Sanctuary? Why is Brennan all bundled up?

Is just me or are both Henry and Shalimar calling him "Brendon" in the teaser for reasons unknown?

Shalimar is back in spandex for the EDD scan. I thought Adam fixed that thing. Or is there something about New Mutants that makes the EDD thrown off by normal cotton clothes.

Script weirdness:
Emma: You said Henry pressed his hand on your head?
Shalimar: Yeah. He's a psionic. He was reading me... the way you used to.

The delivery of that line is rather suggestive. So if they like messing with the slashers (see Interface), at least they mess with the femme slashers equally.

I still find it odd that Henry thinks the train car is homey.

Also, is it just me or does T.J. Scott seem to direct all the episodes where they make Victoria do the emotionally taxing stuff? (It's like, oh, we're being hard on you... we'll have your husband direct!)

Why does Shalimar crash out in the main part of Sanctuary? We know from "Double Vision" that they have rooms. Well, you know, other than the really cute Brennan/Shalimar moment. This is probably about the time they start leaning towards something a little more romantic towards the two of them. (Ever notice that no matter how tough a girl is on these shows their male friends always start getting protective whenever they show a romantic interest in someone.)

Emma is concerned because Shalimar is silencing the alarms "on an open channel that anyone can pick up." This doesn't seem to make sense, even with Shalimar's "I'm running a test" excuse.

The GSA shows up very fast. Do they have a Double Helix too? This is interesting, as they drag Jesse and Brennan from their beds--which are located in a very different place from where they're located in season 2. Also, the rooms are darkened and the camera shoots over their shoulders, towards the door. Conveniently preventing them from having to dress the set. So how come Brennan gets the mysterious room full of natural light at the end of Deadly Desire (the very next episode!).

The lab is shot at a weird angle when they're examining Shalimar the first time. Is this the same lab set we see elsewhere? Something just seemed off.

FedRail = Train company. I guess there's no Amtrak in the Mutant X 'verse.

On checking out the station:
Jesse: His wife was killed in action, right?
Brennan: Yeah, apparently.
Jesse: I wonder who she was fighting.
Brennan: Well, it wasn't us, I'd remember.

This is interesting, as I don't remember Mutant X ever killing GSA agents. This could be Brennan's point. Or it could be that they kill so few, he remembers everyone's face. It's hard to tell. (Although perhaps it would've been better if these lines were reversed--Mutant X was around a good, long while before Brennan joined up.)

Why did Brennan wait so long to tell Adam about the mark on his arm? You'd think he'd have noticed something like that!

Why doesn't Jesse just phase through the pod in the dreamscape? Doesn't he know about directed dreaming? Isn't he supposed to be a geek? Shouldn't he have seen Star Trek Voyager?

Normally there's only the EDD chair in Sanctuary. Then there are four beds around it. Why four? Adam's quite the pessimist, isn't he? I mean, Emma wasn't infected until Henry possessed Brennan. (Hmm. Force? Weak minded?)

The pods are in section 9.

Can't someone else outsmart the bad guy for a change? Why does it always have to be Adam?

Deadly Desire
Could this be considered the first "Isn't Brennan hot?" episode?

Apparently part of the scorpion DNA afforded Lorna the ability to walk in high heels. Also do the pheromone effects remind anyone else of Cocoon for some reason?

Adam: We never found out her name. Now she's more grist for Eckhart's genetic mill.

What? Eckhart has a genetic mill? I thought he just either podded new mutants or dragged them to join the GSA? Huh? Of course, two episodes later, it's a moot point. But still. Either this sets something up that was dropped like a hot potato or they're just crazy.

Oh no, Brennan's a fashion victim two weeks in a row! The ugly hat's back...oh. It's a different ugly hat. Why does Brennan like ugly hats?

Shal and Brennan play pool and Brennan cheats--then spies his friend Tony from "The Shock of the New." Good continuity.

Brennan zaps the anomite case to get it away from Dr. Tork and the GSA. (Too bad that didn't destroy it.) When he tries to keep Emma from getting it, he zaps *Emma*. I get that the pheromones make him want to protect Lorna, but why not zap the case instead of Emma? Worst case, Lorna drops it too and has to scramble. If Emma gets it first, he can always make her drop it again.

The observation deck is referenced again in this episode, although we can't see it. Brennan clearly looks through the glass at Emma and Shal's progress while Adam praises him for getting Shalimar in for treatment.

When Brennan first walks into the apartment, he wants nothing to do with Lorna's flirting. This continues until she hits him with the pheromones. This isn't really in character behavior for Brennan, who really flirts with everything with a pulse. Except Jesse tells Adam that, "We both know Brennan's not the one night stand type of guy." So this is either a big, honking discontinuity, or Adam's anti-venom isn't perfect and left Brennan permanently changed. (This is in addition to Brennan's, "You know, there's something inside of me that's screaming how wrong this is on so many levels." There's some seriously conflicting characterization in season 2--Shalimar's convinced that Brennan is shacked up with some small town waitress when he's late in "Crossroads of the Soul".)

I like plan A, personally. (I think this might be mini-essay material.)

I find it odd that Lorna hops right into bed with Brennan when she clearly never slept with Tony. ("You've never invited me in there." Huh.)

Why does Eckhart have so much trouble finding Ames. Didn't Ms. Fries have a tracer chip? I mean, this isn't just a GSA being protective of women thing, is it? (Adam seems to remember, as they bring Ames to a safe house, and not Sanctuary.)

This episode nearly has the first appearance of the butt on the counter move. Except that there wasn't a convenient counter.

Just before smooching him (on the cheek, shush, 'shippers) to administer the anti-venom, Shalimar tells Brennan, "I know what you're going through. I've been there myself." This is a reference to "Fool for Love." Someone on this show clearly knew what they were doing. Why weren't they in charge? Oh, right. Icky plots.

Why didn't Brennan die instantly like everyone else?

And knowing Lorna was so dangerous, why did Halloran wait so long for the subdermal governor?

Also, I think this may be the first time we see GS agents (and not bounty hunters) that aren't new mutants.

Dancing on the Razor

Fashion victim: Brennan has Harry Potter hair.

Continuity: Adam set up a web site for new mutants looking for protection. Which explains how they know how to contact Mutant X, but not how everyone knows their phone number.

When they get back to Sanctuary, Jesse says the new mutant who sent them the e-mail "suddenly doesn't exist". Dude, how'd that hoser Minhouse hack Sanctuary's New Mutant database???

Lanchester says someone's been calling Proxy Blue on the company dime. Either Proxy Blue has a long distance phone number, or he's just really against personal phone calls at work.

Lanchester may have Emma!blasts, but I still don't see how a psionic would be able to really start fires. You know, outside of the Stephen King universe.

Minhause is brought to a safe house. Why is it that they seem to have suddenly wised up against bringing guest stars to Sanctuary? There was certainly no reason to bring Josh and his family there in "The Crime of the New Century."

And while we're on the subject of safe houses, why are they apparently equipped with dishwashers? (I thought that's what Jesse was for. )

So, given the psycho babble, would Minhouse be having the same reaction to Brennan if Shalimar had gone to stake out his apartment.

*blinks* Now Adam's being overprotective of Brennan? That's new.

Would Brennan be so protective if it were Emma trying to leave the safe house. Wait, given his attitude when she can't find "Rebecca Minhouse," he'd be worse. Um, Emma, he needs another lesson in "Emma isn't helpless."

Is it just me, or does Minhause bring Shal to his own building when looking for his "sister's apartment." And if so, why can't his door be opened from the inside? I mean surely there's another way to get out if you're not a really pissed off feral.

Why is Adam so insistent that they run and hide from Lanchester? Surely Mutant X can take him! And then Adam doesn't want the girls going after Minhause. This is getting ridiculous. Especially as they *both* prove they can kick GSA ass, yet alone handle one intrepid reporter who's no Clark Kent. Emma kicks so much ass when she's given half a chance.

And she wants to.

Why does one of Lanchester's stray heat balls cause sparks?

And is it just me or is the tag at Sanctuary because they had three minutes to burn? The conversation between the guys is at least character development--it does help to set up the sudden attraction between Brennan and Shalimar a bit. (There is some jealousy there in "Ex Marks the Spot", "Deadly Desire" and this episode. Excuse me. Protectiveness.)

Also, the guys are talking about Shal and Minhause. Shal and Emma are talking about clothes. And just how Junior high is this ending?

A Breed Apart

Why does The Strand take so much time and energy to get Kelly back? What's the motivation? It's not like fire walls are that huge of a skill set.

What good is caging Kelly with the pipes when you can see doors behind her? Why isn't she running instead of screaming?

It's funny how when Shalimar's hurt she wants to chase after the bad guys. When Brennan's hurt, all she wants to do is get him back to Sanctuary.

If springing Ashlocke is that easy, what took the Strand so long?

Mutant X has a secure web site for mutants in the underground to check in on.

Towards the beginning of the episode, Ashlocke says he was in a Genomex induced coma his entire adult life. He later tells Kelly he was aware the whole time. Which is it?

Why is Shal jogging through Sanctuary barefoot? You'd think that would be hard on her feet? Also, does sneaking up on a Feral mutant, eyes in the back of her head or not, seem like a bad idea to anyone else?

Do New Mutants exude some kind of pheromone that causes them to all have growth spurts at the same time? Much like women who live together cycle together.

During his little heart to heart with Adam, Brennan seems pretty upset with himself about zapping Emma. He should be, it's the second time in three weeks!

Did Shal have to straddle Brennan after knocking him on his back in the dojo? Way to mess with the 'shippers. (This whole episode does that.)

Kelly calls the strand an alternative to Mutant X. This ties Mutant X more tightly with the underground than previous episodes. So a big season one mystery: is Mutant X affiliated with the underground or the sole organizer?

Is it just me or does Emma's room change dramatically between seasons one and two? Also, I think it's dimensionally transcendental--it shouldn't fit in the space that's provided on the more familiar parts of the set.

Adam says Ashlocke was born without a conscience and thinks he's a god. Emma then says he told her something about this when they first met. I think a reviewing of "The Shock of the New" and "I Scream the Body Electric" is in order.

We learn that Adam designed the subdermal governors and the pods. The rest of Mutant X seem awfully calm about this revelation.

(Emma telling Jesse he's being boring when she's got the psychic ball thingy going on is just so cute. I can't decide why.)

OK, so apparently Jesse was in charge of restocking the safe houses. Or at least the safe house where Brennan and Shalimar were practicing. And just what did young Jesse put in that water bottle, aphrodisiacs?

Why does Shalimar grab her coat when Ashlocke shows up? Wouldn't it be easier to fight you know, without it?

That scene, incidentally, reeks of a cliffhanger. Bad guy shows up, kidnaps Shal and the database. However, it goes on for fifteen minutes for a gentler cliffhanger. Trying to be nice to the fans in case they don't come back?

Shalimar gets carried twice in this episode, first by Ashlocke, then by Brennan.

How did Kelly find, yet alone copy the database if it was, in fact, encrypted?

Harrison finally turns on Eckhart after all that torture and the attempted podding. No wonder he was Teflon coated, Morgan was protecting him so she'd have her man in place when the grand master plan went into effect.

So Shalimar gets a hug after a near death experience? Why doesn't Emma after she dies for a whole five minutes? Perhaps that's the real reason she interrupts Brennan and Shalimar? Also, in the last scene, it looks like they're coming from Emma calling them, what did she want them to look at? And finally, what on Earth is Brennan apologizing for?

CONTINUED...