RECAP: Humans – Season 1 Episode 3

First Do No Harm 

THE HAWKINS

The episode picks up right where the last left off: Laura driving Anita back to the store for some synth recalling. When Toby learns that his mom is taking his favourite humanoid appliance away, he completely freaks out. He gets on his bike and frantically tries to catch up with Laura, nearly getting hit by a car in the process. Guess he wanted to be Anita’s Knight in recently refurbished bicycle. Lucky for Toby, Anita anticipates the accident and jumps in front of the car. The car hits Anita, but Toby is OK.

Since she/it saved her son’s life and all, Laura begrudgingly agrees to take Anita back home. The accident leaves Anita with some minor “trauma” to her epidermis which has to be “entirely examined”. Toby is all “I’ll do it!” but the privilege goes to Joe, him being the primary user and all... So Joe examines Anita’s naked body and it shouldn’t be any different than dismantling a toaster, but it is. After helping Anita patch up, Joe sees Laura and can’t avoid looking guilty, like he knows he did something wrong somehow.

Toby and Sophie are totally enamored with Anita [for very different reasons]. Joe seems fine with it [I wonder how he would feel if they got a “dad-synth”?]. However, Laura keeps feeling insecure and hurt every time Sophie chooses Anita over her. Anita notices Laura is troubled so she convinces Sophie to let her mom put her to bed because that would make her happy. And it does make Laura happy, until she finds out it was Anita’s suggestion. The fact that a machine could be capable of such nuanced thought process makes Laura suspect that Anita is an illegally modified synth. 

THE RUNAWAY SYNTHS

Leo is still recuperating from the beating he took at Silas’s lair. He is also emotionally scarred after learning Mia might not be “Mia” anymore. Their new plan is to lay low and monitor the internet in case Mia’s code pops up.

Unfortunately, Niska didn’t get the memo on “laying low” and she caused quite a stir after she committed the first ever synth murder. However, the murder never gets out because HOBBS convinces the Chief Superintendent to rule it as an “accident”, sex game gone wrong with an illegally modified synth (AKA MOD). D.S. Peter Drummond doesn’t like police corruption and he makes it known by engaging in some police brutality… against a reporter [he kinda had it coming]. He gets suspended as a result.

Niska reunites with Leo and Max, but it is not a happy family reunion. Leo wants to remain in hiding and avoid unnecessary attention, Niska wants to be free and thinks that Leo has been keeping them captive. He responds by saying that he practically is one of them [but no quite? I maintain my theories]. Niska doesn’t seem to value “life” that much, since it is “something that can be manufactured”. She does promise to avoid hurting anyone again “unless they deserve it”.

So Niska leaves alone, gets some blue contacts and does what she thinks free women do: Goes to a bar, orders a fancy cocktail and gets picked up by a cute guy. [Sidenote: Niska carries around a book The Ghost in the Machine, signed by David with the inscription “First do no harm”]. Niska and cute guy GREG end up in his apartment. Niska goes straight to the point and offers Greg sex [probably to avoid answering questions], but he turns out to be a nice guy and tells her that he would like to talk and get to know her first. Niska seems to like the idea until she finds a couple of woman’s hairbands in the bathroom. So she decides to kill Greg. Clearly Niska’s moral code still requires some fine tuning. In any case, Niska realises that Greg is not a cheater, he has a daughter, so she decides to spare his life and leaves.  

DR. MILLICAN AND ODI THE SYNTH

In the meantime, GEORGE tricks VERA-THE-NAZI-SYNTH and goes on a joy-ride with Odi. But it is not the father/son roadtrip you may wish for. Odi is deteriorating and seriously malfunctioning, so much that he causes a car accident. George is fine, but he is forced to leave Odi alone in the woods. And Oh my God, am I the only one who finds this storyline utterly heart-wrenching? I can’t cope with the sadness!

*

BACK AT THE HAWKINS’, Mattie decides to find out, once and for all, what’s up with her family synth. She hacks Anita but doesn’t quite understand what she finds. In the middle of the hack, Anita seems to show a fatal error but it is in fact Mia emerging from underneath the programming. She starts screaming, frightened: “I am her I am here, Help me”. Mattie freaks out and unplugs her. Anita goes back to her robotic self.

But Mattie’s curiosity is piqued and she decides to post Anita’s code on a hackers’ forum. This is immediately picked up by Max and Leo… the storylines are coming together!

END OF EPISODE

QUOTES

"I can take better care of your children than you Laura. I don't forget, I don't get angry or depressed or intoxicated. I am faster, stronger and more observant. I do not feel fear. However - I cannot love them" - Anita