1.05 – Justice After Judgment – After Judgment Review

Posted by Samuel Walters

“After witnessing the Trainers attack on an innocent woman, Steven runs home only to have his patience put to the test by a crazy woman… So he shoots her.”

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“Justice After Judgment” is an episode that fully reinforces the themes of hopelessness and futility that were established in the previous episode. Additionally, it conveys a strange monotony and immortality to life “after judgment” — putting notions such as “justice” squarely into question. In other words, if you don’t die when you get shot (i.e. there are no real consequences for your actions), how do you establish any sort of justice?

In this episode:

After a recap of the events of the last episode, Steven asks, “What did you expect me to do?”
“Nothing ever scares me.”
Then he says, “There’s nothing I hate more than inconsistent behavior. It really pisses me off.”
Sees a crazy woman outside of his apartment, pretending to talk on a phone.
He shoots her until his bullets run out
She doesn’t die
She gets up say, “Really?”
The episode ends with Steven saying, “Yeah … I know what you’re thinking …”

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If Steven’s act of shooting the crazy woman seems a bit harsh at first, it certainly does a good job portraying a character (Steven) who seems to have little to live for — except for consistency. Because we know that Steven will soon find something to live for (his search for the little boy), this incident provides a fascinating counterpoint to his character — making him much more complex and interesting.

The shooting itself also seems to be part of a ritual between Steven and the woman, indicating, once again, consistency. Thus far, the series is doing a very good job of establishing and conveying how the world seems almost “dead” — despite the fact that people are living in it.

Topics: Sci-Fi, Web Reviews
Filed under: After / Before Judgment