Ascension – Part 3

As part 3 starts the ship celebrates “Ostara”, a unique birth ritual where everyone learns if they are allowed to have a baby to keep the ship’s population at 600. Meanwhile, Christa follows a ghostly figure, who resembles Lorelei, laughing down the hall to the party. Viondra announces two couples’ names, one of which is Duke and Emily Vanderhouse. The “ghost” tells Christa to look away when a video plays showing Lorelei having sex with the captain. Later, Viondra and William argue over the video. Councilman Rose tells the captain that he needs to step down, insulting Viondra in the process, and they fight. Dr. Bryce asks Christa to have an MRI. In the compound, Samantha steals Enzmann’s henchman Carrillo’s keycard. She later visits Stokes, who is preparing to escape. Director Katherine Warren arrives, not happy with Samantha’s report. On the ship, Viondra has the girls to prepare the dorms for an inspection, and Jackie goes to the captain.

He asks her to deliver extra rations to a woman and an “unclaimed”, a child born out of wedlock. With Samantha as his hostage, Stokes leads her through the compound. They enter the room where the Ascension is held, and he has a breakdown upon seeing it. He wonders how it is possible that they landed; Samantha tells him that they never left. Onboard, Gault continues the murder investigation to learn that the video appears to have been uploaded by the captain. Duke leaves Emily when she confirms her affair with Gault. As Samantha tries to help Stokes escape, Warren takes over the Ascension project by having Enzmann escorted out and relieved of duty. Carrillo remains her second-in-command. Meanwhile, Stokes wants to see everything outside, but finds the memorial for fallen members of the Ascension. Samantha gets shot by a security guard. Back on the ship, the captain is brought up on charges for having an unclaimed, but he reveals that the child is that of another of the council members. “Lorelei” leads Christa to a fight between Gault and Duke. Christa electrocutes Duke with a surge of energy that radiates out from the ship and affects everyone.

Director Warren accuses Harris of creating the energy surge, but he counters by telling her that it is likely from Christa. She then gives him his job back. Back on the ship, people panic, the computers are all down, and the outside does not have eyes inside. Jackie tries to get Councilman Rose’s protection, but he turns her down as there is a price for failure. The air scrubbers are no longer working, causing carbon dioxide levels to rise to near fatal levels on the ship. Meanwhile, Stokes takes Samantha to a motel so she can heal. She later decides they need to leave, as she needs expose the Ascension project. Those in the compound cannot vent the ship, as it would cause too much confusion. Director Warren sends someone named Medici in to kidnap Christa for her safety. With the captain off the bridge, Councilman Rose tries to assume command, but Viondra has frozen the chain of command and he has no power.

Meanwhile in the scrubber room, Gault and the captain realize that they simply need to dump lithium hydroxide into the system, converting the carbon dioxide into oxygen and water. Samantha and Eva plot to leave town with Stokes. When he confronts them, they calm him but Samantha realizes that Eva must be working for someone else. Eva then shoots Samantha in the head, killing her. Onboard, Robert Bryce tries to protect Christa but is taken down by Medici. Elsewhere, the captain and Gault begin to fix the ventilation system, however, Gault gets a strange feeling about Christa, whom he runs off to protect. The fix works and water and oxygen rain throughout, as Gault and Medici fight. A scared Christa conjures another of her power surges, and Medici and Gault disappear. Stokes is loose, and Director Warren is furious. As she tries to reach Medici inside, Harris pushes her off the platform and kills her. Then, Harris claims that everyone on board is “going to space”, as Gault is shown alone on a distant planet.

I must admit that the show hasn’t been able to capture my imagination after the 1st part – with the Ascension being a social experiment and not a real ship in space, some of the intrigue was lost. However I still hoped that the goings on in the show would still be interesting enough. Sex is the actual power and both Viondra & the Captain are playing it well for their mutual benefit, with Rose finding it out a little late. Little Krista is a good character at times but a ghostly helping hand and her powers – Puhlease! I find it interesting that showing sex, sexual affairs, paid sex, cheating sex is one of the biggest aspects of most epic shows these days – hey I love seeing skin but in what was supposed to be an epic scifi show set mostly in space (it wasn’t) that looks like a sell out to me. Still the mini-series had enough in it to hold my interest though I found some of the characters/actors lacking – especially Gault, Emily Vanderhaus and the young lovers. I do hope that the show gets a proper series run, say 13-16 episodes a season.

Food Review # 28

I went to the Abad Food Court to try out the Chicken burger from MarryBrown (a Malaysian fast food chain that serves their own version of KFC styled Southern fried chicken, chicken & fish burgers, etc) Instead of the usual fries I opted for the juice fried chicken leg piece. In the video I mistakenly say that MarryBrown is a Singapore based fast food chain, as that was what I was told by someone.

Arsenal 2 Queens Park Rangers 1

Arsenal remain within touching distance of the Premier League’s top four after victory over QPR – but only after being reduced to 10 men and conceding a second-half penalty. With the win Arsenal moves above Spurs to sixth and within 2 points of 4th place. Arsene Wenger’s 400th in the Premier League saw Giroud sent off for headbutt on Onuoha in the 53rd minute. Alexis Sanchez missed a spot kick but later headed Arsenal into the lead. Tomas Rosicky doubled their advantage after Giroud was sent off. Then, in a nervy climax, Mathieu Debuchy felled Junior Hoilett and QPR’s Charlie Austin converted from the spot.

Harry Redknapp men’s somehow soaked up wave after wave of attacks until, eventually, they caved in seven minutes before the break. A lovely move, featuring Danny Welbeck, Santi Cazorla and Kieran Gibbs, was finished off by Sanchez to give his team a deserved lead. That made up for the Chilean’s miss from the penalty spot after he was challenged clumsily by Armand Traore, with the diving Robert Green saving Sanchez’s tame effort. Although Giroud gifted the QPR a lifeline, the visitors were unable to test the Arsenal back four before Rosicky scored. Sanchez was the creator, elegantly weaving his way towards the box before releasing the equally impressive Czech, who swept home on his first league start of the term. Until Debuchy was penalised for bringing down Hoilett – though replays showed the defender did make contact with the ball – QPR were unable to test Arsenal.

That set up a dramatic final 10 minutes, but QPR were unable to breach Arsenal’s defence for a second time. The Gunners have nine points fewer than at the same stage last season, when they were level with league leaders Liverpool. Even after victory, which was Wenger’s 400th in the league, Arsenal remain 15 points behind leaders Chelsea and two points adrift of fourth-place Southampton, with every team in the top four also enjoying wins.