“Family Time” is episode nine of season one of Continuum.
In the previous episode, “Playtime”, Liber8 hacked Kiera’s built-in hardware and she would have shot Carlos if it hadn’t been for Kellog. Then Alec kicked Travis out of Kiera’s system, and made it so they wouldn’t be able to try the same trick again. However, Liber8 has figured out who must be helping Kiera – Alec is apparently the only person they can think of in the past with the requisite skill set. Which may cause problems for him. Alec also discovered some messages – which he didn’t appear to have read yet – in Kiera’s suit. Messages addressed to him, in 2012. The logical person to have sent those messages is, well, Alec. Future Alec.
As usual, the episode opens in the future with Kiera and other Protectors pursuing some suspects in a craft – one of whom happens to be Kellog. The woman Kellog is with has stolen some detonators and is planning to meet with Kagame to give the detonators to him. Kellog isn’t so eager. Kiera’s craft fires at them, and the woman is badly injured. She gives the detonators to Kellog and asks him to give them to Kagame.
In the present (past?) Carlos and Kiera are visiting a farm, checking up on fertilisers, because they can be used for explosives – checking up is pretty standard. Kiera is pleased to be in the country – you get the feeling there isn’t much of it in the future – Carlos, less so. The farm they are visiting is Alec’s stepfather’s. Not that they knew that until Alec turned up (which causes an embarrassing moment when Alec reacts to Kiera’s appearance). His stepfather has apparently ordered a lot of fertiliser. Far more than he says he could possibly use. Or that he actually ordered. Whilst Carlos goes to take a look at the invoices, Kiera takes a look at Alec’s setup. Along wither her suit (which Alec has changed to black in colour from its original copper. Because black is cooler. He’s almost finished fixing it.
When Kiera starts asking awkward questions about his stepfather, Roland, and his stepbrother’s involvements in the riots in “Time’s Up”, Alec evades the questions regarding his stepfather’s interests and Kiera starts scanning him. Which Alec notices, having access to Kiera’s feeds.
The invoices show that far less fertiliser was ordered than the official records state, so Carlos asks Roland to show him where the fertiliser is stored. The barn has a new lock on it which no-one admits to putting on, which Randall cuts off. He’s quite surprised to find a van in the farm with a huger fertiliser bomb in it. Then some armed friends of Julian’s turn up and things take a turn for the worse. Carlos and Kiera do manage to disarm the boys but Julian shoots Carlos with a hidden gun whilst the latter is distracted and threatens to kill Carlos unless Cameron gives up the gun again. Carlos is badly wounded and needs a hospital. Julian and his friends have taken Roland’s anti-corporate beliefs in, and added violence (and a bit of Kagame) to them, something he doesn’t approve of.
Word is got out to the police who turn up in force before Julian and his friends can leave. Some of the boys are rather more interested in violence than others. The police believe that it’s Roland behind it. This has the potential to get really messy. Perhaps Kiera’s suit will prove useful.