Altered Carbon Review Season 2 Episode 5

Article written by J. Y. Calcano

Altered Carbon Episode 2.5: I Wake Up Screaming

Written by Cortney Norris

Directed by Jeremy Webb

Synopsis: Carrera sends his secret weapon on a deadly mission. Kovacs and Trepp smuggle Quell out of the city. Poe takes a risky trip into virtual reality.

The action is certainly heating up with the arrival of Takeshi Kovacs… err… Clone Kovacs (Will Yun Lee). Double sleeving is punishable by real death, but not even capital punishment is enough to stop Jaeger, the Protectorate’s fanatic super soldier who has become Colonel Carrera.

     Having a character hunt himself isn’t new, as Will Smith might attest to in Gemini Man. Nevertheless, Clone Kovacs makes for a truly convincing adversary that can give Kovacs (Anthony Mackie) a true challenge. Clone Kovacs takes command of the Wedge and begins a bloody, ruthless, and efficient hunt.

Poe (Chris Conner) continues to delight audiences with quirky eloquence and solid loyalty. He and Quell (Renée Elise Goldsberry) suffer from personality fragmentation, a fatal condition. The clock is ticking for them. The greater the number of post-its found around the bar of the Nevermore the greater the equivalent despair and sense of impending doom that grips Poe.

      The reveal that the last Founder, Konrad Harland, isn’t in the Renouncer’s VR construct doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given the vicious lengths that Danica Harlan (Lela Loren) went to silence Lila (Britt Irvin) on the last episode.

     Danica is the most satisfying role change in the last two episodes. Her ruthless and brilliant streak continues with the arrest and dismissal of the entire planetary board, making herself defacto dictator of Harlan’s World. Moreover she accomplishes her takeover with mannerisms and dialogue unique to to  herself, ensuring she stands shoulder to shoulder among the great female villains of the small screen.

     It is certain that this episode has its share of moments that will not please the audience in the short term, but the foundation for the rest of the series has been cemented. Its up to the production team to take advantage of the possibilities.

References

"Altered Carbon: I Wake Up Screaming." Netflix. March 1, 2020. www.netflix.com

"Altered Carbon: Full Cast and Crew," IMDb.com Inc. March 1, 2010. www.imdb.com