A futuristic sci-fi that follows a tight-knit team of Killjoys – a nickname given to reclamation agents, aka space bounty hunters, and why? Because they kill the joy; “Oh re-lax. Don’t be such a killjoy. Huh! I just got that” But they only stop the criminals from having fun, while it doesn’t matter if they have a good time along the way – they’re allowed to.
This trio of Killjoys will hijack your attention as they jump head first into the dangerous job of stopping the bad guys, although they soon get pulled into bigger adventures of; resistance, revolutions, political conquests, green plasma – just why is that stuff everywhere? Ageless people with advanced capability, along with the myths and monsters of level 6 Killjoys – do they actually exist? And exactly how do you become one?
Set way out in space, our protagonists work in an area called the Quad; one central planet, and three moons (one of which is supposedly closed off, and dead). The Quad is ruled by the “Company” which in turn is led by The Nine – nine families that act like aristocracy and hold all the power. However, when you’re a Killjoy you work outside of their control (for the most part) and so have a lot more freedom, fun and antics. Sounds great, right?
There are supposedly five levels of Killjoys, (number six being just a rumour), the level given being dependent on a Killjoy’s determined skill as a bounty hunter. In this case the one with the most skill in our trio, and a kind of boss is Dutch (Hannah John-Kamen) – who at a level five holds the most weight. Then again, the complicated relationship with the man who raised her might just make her a little less trustworthy, explain her skillset and bring up the question of just what’s in the mysterious red boxes? Dutch is strong, flirty, loves a good laugh and is a great liar, though in her smile you can feel the weight of a dark past, one she might not be able to escape. After this you have Johnny (Aaron Ashmore) – the brains of the bunch with a good bit of brawn, who’s also very loyal and throws a strop if he ever feels left out. Last in the group is his older brother, D’avin (Luke Macfarlane), who’s tortured mind reveals symptoms of Stress Response Syndrome, memory loss, government plans and again there’s that green slime. Oh, but though they’re a trio there’s also the artificially run intelligent operating ship known as Lucy (voiced by Tamsen McDonough) – who favours Johnny, she truly, truly does, and is funny as anything; “I nag because I care.”
The creator, Michelle Lovretta, has produced a show with expansive set designs, high attention to detail and a great cast that does justice to the complicated and interweaving storylines, ones that slightly stretch the boundaries of being believable, even for a sci-fi show. But in delicately dropping breadcrumbs throughout the series it just about scrapes by. There are also large notes of religion in Killjoys, with Scarbacks – religious monks who take on people’s sins and absolve them through pain. Nothing in Killjoys is clear cut.
Highly inventive, its storylines place a lot of demands upon the actors, who more than rise to the occasion, especially Hannah John-Kamen who plays Dutch. I won’t spoil why she has the extra-pressure, but just to say her versatility is impressive, and her understanding of a character is what makes her presence so vivid.
The nature of Killjoys is its unpredictability, the only thing you can come to expect is plenty of twists, and foes becoming friends as quickly as they turn back again. Though our Killjoys will always have each other’s backs, share a lot of laughs, spill some blood and have the adventures of a lifetime.
Creator: Michelle Lovretta
Other notable works:
The Umbrella Academy 2019 –
