Extant recap: Double Vision / Greater Good

Extant rounds out its improved second season with a finale that ties up loose ends, as well as introduces enough intrigue for a third season — should the show be renewed. This year Extant shifted from its alien-focused plot from the first season, which was disappointing at first to sci-fi fans, but the sophomore-season reboot of the show (and addition of Jeffrey Dean Morgan) worked in its favor. In the beginning of the season, it seemed killing off the John Woods character meant that the writers were phasing out the Humanich story line, but to my surprise, the bold move put the Humanichs more toward the forefront of the show — and it worked.

If the show gets renewed for a third season, I imagine the same theme will carry on. But before we get into predictions for a hopeful season 3, let’s break down the two-hour second season finale.

Molly, JD, and Ethan head with the amulet to Julie’s apartment, where they find Charlie has hanged himself. Thankfully, they get him down before real damage was done. Charlie felt so much guilt for not being able to find Julie and save her, he felt that he could no longer live. This seemed out of character to me. I always saw his character as one that would fall down, but eventually persevere through his own strength. JD smelled booze on him, though, and we all know about Charlie’s decision-making skills while drinking.

Meanwhile at the GSC, TAALR informs Lucy that Calderon gave something to Molly that could be a huge threat to their mission. While TAALR instructs next steps to Lucy, other Humanichs are manning the streets per Fiona’s orders. Dorothy, JD’s ex-wife, runs into Terra, who is injured and running from Humanichs. Terra picks up from Dorothy’s memories that she knew her dad Adhu, and Dorothy quickly takes her to see JD and Molly.

Terra and Dorothy make it to Julie’s house, and Terra expresses her guilt for leaving the bunker with Ares, but says she had no choice. Dorothy tends to Terra’s wounds while she heals, and JD, Molly, and Charlie work out a plan to get the amulet to TAALR’s hardware. They decide they must contact Fiona and convince her that the Humanich’s and TAALR are the real threat and send Ethan to relay the message. Ethan and Fiona go for a walk, and Ethan connects Fiona with Molly using a virtual reality tool. Molly explains how TAALR is the one pulling all of the strings, telling her to look up the order for the drone strike on Toby for proof. Molly signs off before they can trace her location, and Fiona is intrigued enough to investigate.

After checking the drone logs, Fiona sees no one ordered the drone strike, confirming TAALR manipulated the system to send it on Toby. TAALR picks up that Fiona has looked into the drone strike, and per its initial programming now sees her as a threat to the mission. TAALR tells Lucy that Fiona can no longer be trusted. Adding more conspiracy to her plate, Fiona discovers that a virus strain has been stolen from the GSC, and it’s the first strain created that is fatal to both humans and hybrids. It turns out, Lucy took the virus strain per TAALR’s orders, and she sent several Humanichs on flights around the world to unleash it.

Fiona tells Molly they have six hours until the virus will be released, and Molly and crew move forward with their plan in taking down TAALR. JD gets one of his old army buddies to help, and they disguise themselves as maintenance men to get into the building. Fiona shuts down the power grid, giving them a short window to get the amulet into the main control room. TAALR and Lucy had prepared for this and get the systems up and running before Molly and Terra have a chance to make it inside, and JD and his friend end up fighting their way back to the van. Knowing they have no other choice, Molly says they must go to Ares for help.

Having betrayed TAALR, Lucy kills Fiona and everyone else in the GSC and phones the Madame President, mimicking Fiona’s voice and saying everything is taken care of. Back at Julie’s apartment, Ethan discovers that Julie’s prosthetic legs can serve as a tracking device, and he and Charlie track her to the Humanich’s lab. They find her locked in a coffin in the basement level just as her oxygen runs out, saving her life. I’ll say my annoyance with Julie has passed, and she’s paid her price for being a complete pain all season.

Terra takes Molly to where Ares and the other hybrids are hiding, and even though he is resistant to help at first, he ends up agreeing to join forces after hearing Molly explain that the Humanichs plan to wipe out a large part of the human — and hybrid — population with the stolen virus strain.

NEXT: Meet Humanich-Molly: JD’s worst nightmare.

While Molly is making alliances, Lucy creates an identical Humanich to Molly. The Molly look-alike heads to Julie’s apartment, where she finds JD and questions him about the amulet. Still thinking it’s the real Molly, JD is confused and states that she (Molly) of course has it in her possession, and Humanich-Molly shoots JD—proving real-Molly’s vision to be true. Real-Molly (this isn’t confusing at all …) comes back to Julie’s apartment, finds an unconscious JD, and gives him her blood to heal. Not knowing there is a Humanich look-alike running around, JD pulls a gun on Molly for fear she’ll finish the job.

Molly reads his mind and sees that “she” actually did shoot him. Julie, Charlie, and Ethan return, and the Scooby Gang heads back to the bunker. They see from Ethan’s robot at Julie’s apartment that Humanich-Molly had returned with Lucy, only to find they had left. Knowing now that a replica of Molly is out to get them, the gang prepares for their last effort to take down TAALR before the virus is released all over the world. JD heals, and Charlie and Julie discover a haunting consequence to destroying TAALR—Ethan will most likely “die” as well, seeing that the amulet will take out all of the Humanichs. Ethan is okay with sacrificing himself for the greater cause, but Julie says she won’t give up on finding a loophole.

Ares and his team of hybrids use their alien-mojo to shut down the power at the GSC, and Ethan’s spiderbots take out the first wave of Humanich’s guarding the building — allowing Charlie, JD, and Molly to sneak inside. The hybrids don’t hold the power shut down for long, as a group of Humanichs attacks them. Even though JD, Charlie, and Molly have ear devices and a digitized version of the “maze” that is the control room, TAALR’s defense mechanisms that come back online prevent the trio from making it to where they need to install the amulet by creating projections that make the maze even more confusing.

Humanich-Molly and Lucy come in after real-Molly and Co. and run across Charlie. Humanich-Molly shoots Charlie in the shoulder, leaving Lucy to finish the job. Lucy finds the amulet on him and is forced by TAALR to ingest it — sacrificing herself. After discovering it’s a decoy, Charlie convinces Lucy to switch teams by making her realize the selfish, destructive ways of TAALR.

Real-Molly has figured out the maze, recognizing that it is a Greek alphabet in binary code. She finds the main room and has a showdown with her Humanich self. JD, weak from his body rejecting real-Molly’s blood, shoots Humanich-Molly, knowing the real-Molly by the “sparkle in her eyes.” If this were any other man, I would have choked on my wine I was drinking at the time, but we’re talking about Jeffrey Dean Morgan — and he can do no wrong.

Fake-Molly comes to and attacks real-Molly, but real-Molly’s hybrid-mojo overpowers the upgraded Humanich and pulls out her “spine.” Lucy shows up, urges real-Molly to complete the mission, and the amulet is inserted into TAALR’s hardware, destroying the Humanichs.

Julie discovers that John had put an emergency firewall on Ethan should this situation ever occur, protecting him from suffering the same fate as Lucy, who died in Charlie’s arms. This scene actually did make me gag on my wine (I was ready for Lucy to go).

Not to end the season without JD’s wit, the gang exits the facility congratulating one another on their victory, to which JD comments, “I think I need a hospital.” JD recovers, and Molly finally tells the truth to the public, starting with her time in space up until their final battle with TAALR. Ares is even present, proving that he has jumped on the peaceful co-existence train.

Then comes the ending that could launch a season 3: TAALR had prepared for an emergency startup hardboot into (what I think) is a Humanich body. The finale ends with TAALR—with “his” back to the screen—grabbing coffee in a trenchcoat coat and hat. The barista comments on Molly’s speech on the TV, saying, “Aliens? What’s next?” If there’s a season 3, we hope it’s JD and Molly fighting crime in his badass jeep.

Questions (if we have a third season):

• Where was the “Black Widow?” I can most definitely see her teaming up with TAALR.
• Will Ares continue to be an ally?
• What happened to Calderon?