Fans of time-travel procedural Continuum are currently pondering a new future-related question: just what's going to happen in season two?
The new season of the popular locally shot series premiered on Showcase on April 21 — one day after Continuum fans crowded into a Vancouver Convention Centre ballroom to preview the second season and hobnob with the cast.
Continuum revolves around Kiera Cameron (portrayed by Rachel Nichols), a police officer from 2077 who accidentally travels back in time to 2012 Vancouver while in pursuit of a gang of terrorists (Continuum newbies can watch the first season online).
Given Continuum's conceit, its actors have probably spent more time than most contemplating the future. "I hope I don't end up in 2077 eating something called Soy-Moo and having no running water," said Nichols during a rapid-fire interview with WE in the Fan Expo press suite.
Beside her: co-star Erik Knudsen, who portrays present-day tech genius Alec Sadler (the 2077 version of Alec Sadler is portrayed by William B. Davis, best known for his long-running role as the enigmatic Cigarette-Smoking Man on The X-Files).
"I think [Continuum] is very on topic with political issues that are happening right now," said Knudsen. "We're advancing very fast and people are worried about our future, and Continuum addresses those issues and those topics."
For Nichols, the fact that Kiera comes from a completely imagined reality presents a unique set of acting challenges. "I know nothing about 2077. Kiera knows everything about 2077. She knows nothing about the present day, and that's where I'm from, so it's a weird juxtaposition of her knowledge and my knowledge and blending it together and making it seem authentic", said Nichols, who previously recurred as Special Agent Ashley Seaver on top-rated American crime drama Criminal Minds.
Nichols is mum on spoilers, but she did reveal that a central theme for the second season is responsibility — specifically as it relates to Kiera's role in present-day Vancouver. "Season one was very much about, 'I've got to get home,' and season two is, 'I'm here, it doesn't look like I'm going to go home anytime soon, and I have to realize that I need to be responsible and aware of my actions in this time because they may in fact be deleting history that I know.'" This history includes Kiera's husband and young son.
While both Nichols and Knudsen admit to admiring the look of the future put forth by Continuum, Knudsen hopes that, in reality, any similarities with the show end at aesthetics. "I really hope that 2077 doesn't happen the way that it does in Continuum," said Knudsen. "That's kind of what Continuum's about is changing it to become a better future."
Continuum airs Sundays at 9:00pm on Showcase.
