Syfy is traveling to unexplored corners of space this summer, and the comedy-drama-not sure what it wants to be Killjoys, debuting Friday night, is one of their vehicles. The new series is centered on a trio of intergalactic bounty hunters known as Killjoys who capture criminals and go on missions to different planets. Oh, and the constant threat of a multi-planetary war hangs in the background. Sounds like fun, right? It is, but Killjoy walks precisely on the line between lighthearted humor and drama, never mixing the two successfully or wholly committing to one side.
The bounty hunters -- Dutch (Hannah John-Kamin), D'Avin (Luke Macfarlane), and John (Aaron Ashmore) -- are archetypes and feel like characters you've seen a dozen times before. The pilot spends so much time focusing on the ins and outs of the world (more on the world-building in a minute) that it doesn't do enough to make viewers care about these characters. Dutch is a Ripley-esque badass with a sketchy past and secrets, John is her partner who is scrappy and charming, and D'Avin -- John's brother and the newest member of the team -- is ex-military and a proficient fighter. The dynamics between John and Dutch don't suggest they've been working together for a while, and as soon as D'Avin's introduced, they try to convey his interest in Dutch with a few awkward and intense looks. Spending time developing the relationships and personalities would help bring depth to this series.
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The bounty hunters -- Dutch (Hannah John-Kamin), D'Avin (Luke Macfarlane), and John (Aaron Ashmore) -- are archetypes and feel like characters you've seen a dozen times before. The pilot spends so much time focusing on the ins and outs of the world (more on the world-building in a minute) that it doesn't do enough to make viewers care about these characters. Dutch is a Ripley-esque badass with a sketchy past and secrets, John is her partner who is scrappy and charming, and D'Avin -- John's brother and the newest member of the team -- is ex-military and a proficient fighter. The dynamics between John and Dutch don't suggest they've been working together for a while, and as soon as D'Avin's introduced, they try to convey his interest in Dutch with a few awkward and intense looks. Spending time developing the relationships and personalities would help bring depth to this series.
Continue reading…
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