Syfy premiered their new epic space drama Killjoys in June and I’ll admit, I’m already hooked. Killjoys tells the story of a trio of intergalactic bounty hunters who are just trying to do their jobs chasing their prey through the Quad and avoiding what could become an intergalactic war. It’s impossible for me to not love a show with the charm of Firefly, the drama of Battlestar Galactica, and the fun of Star Wars and the added bonus of snarky bounty hunters.
I know it’s a tough sell, because let’s be honest, Syfy has a (bad) reputation of not always committing to good science fiction TV. I usually wait for a full season to air and find out that a second season has been ordered before I’ll watch one of their shows because I’m always worried I’ll fall in love and then it will be cancelled too early. But perhaps if I can convince others that this show is good and worth watching, Syfy will let it stick around and play for a while.
There’s a strong female lead
©Syfy 2015
Some of the strongest female leads can be found on science fiction shows, and Killjoys is no exception. Hannah John-Kamen plays Dutch, the leader of the trio and from her opening scene, where she comes to the rescue of her partner John (played by Shawn Ashmore) with her wit and a well-placed weapon, she shows that she’s not to be messed with.
While Dutch has some seriously killer action scenes as she follows up on the various warrants they pick up, she is also soft-spoken and excellent at reading people and situations.
It has a talking ship
Lucy, Dutch and John’s ship, has both a name and an incredibly sassy personality. It’s as if someone took Moya from Farscape, mashed her up with the J.A.R.V.I.S. we know and love from Iron Man, and dropped her into this new world. Lucy looks after her crew, provides (mostly) helpful commentary through their misadventures, and cares for all of her people. Though it’s clear that she favors John over Dutch, as she has been known to do him favors and go beyond her programming to help him out of a jam.
It portrays a solid male-female platonic friendship
©Syfy 2015
Dutch and John have been partners for years at the start of the show. They work together, live together aboard Lucy, and spend most of their free time together. However, despite the closeness that is obvious from the very beginning, there is not a single hint of romantic interest or tension between the two. Dutch and John’s relationship is more the playful banter and occasional serious arguments that you’d see amongst siblings rather than romantic partners.
It features solid worldbuilding
©Syfy 2015
The worldbuilding in Killjoys reminds me so much of Firefly in all of the right ways. In the fictional world of Killjoys people travel via spaceship through “the Quad,” the central planet and its three moons that are populated by a variety of humanoids and their different cultures. The R.A.C. (Recovery and Apprehension Coalition), is the fully independent organization based in the Quad that licenses, governs, and disciplines Killjoys and gives them the right to pursue Warrants across the galaxy.
Killjoys operate above and outside of the law, not getting their hands dirty in local disputes, and they answer only to the R.A.C. and have sworn amongst themselves to remain neutral during a long, bloody, class war that threatens to destroy the Quad.
It’s supported by strong showrunners
Like Agent Carter (another favorite of mine), Killjoys has two female showrunners working behind the scenes, Michelle Lovretta and Emily Andras. Lovretta was the showrunner for Lost Girl, while Andras is known for producing Orphan Black. Both of these popular science fiction shows feature strong female leads, daring action scenes, and excellent storytelling. These two amazing women know what makes good-quality television and they are putting this expertise to work.
Killjoys airs on Fridays at 9pm on Syfy.
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