“Episode #3.1” is episode one of season three of Humans.
In the season two finale, Hester stabbed Leo and Mia activated the chip implanted in both her and Hester, killing both of them. In theory. In order to save Mia, Mattie released the upgrade that makes all Synths conscious, which resulted in both Mia and Hester being saved. Hester’s second chance didn’t last long as Niska, who arrived just after the chip was activated, caved in her skull. Leo is gravely injured, so his mind might be lost.
Karen was about to drive a car with both her and the Synth child in into the water when the child received the upgrade and became conscious. So she stopped.
Synths everywhere are waking to full consciousness and are more than a little confused as a result. The situation has the potential for all sorts of things to go horribly wrong. Humanity is now sharing the planet with another sentient race, one that is humanity but with added strength, speed and perhaps learning ability.
The episode opens with news reports (with what looks like real newscasters) on mass malfunctions amongst Synths. Many of these Synths were driving vehicles and performing other tasks that do not react well to sudden erratic behaviour. There are already tens of thousands reported to be dead.
More news reports, three months after what is being called Day Zero, say that a new, eleventh generation Synth, has been manufactured, with orange eyes. This model is safe and lacks the anomalous behaviour of the green eyes. This new Synth is them promoted in an ad.
One year later and Joe Hawkins is at a memorial for 110,000 dead humans with Sophie and Toby. Mattie is watching the news report with Laura, and she clearly feels bad. After all, as indirectly as it might be, she is responsible for the deaths of 110,000 humans. Joe is running a shop in the Synth-free town and is separated from Laura, who is working for Synth rights. Without much luck.
Max and Mia are also watching the news report with a group of Synths when one of them smashes the television and asks why should they respect the human dead when nothing is said about the 100 million dead Synths, with more being killed or dying every day. Max, who has been elected leader, says that humans will come to accept them, in time.
Max and Mia are lying to the others about when they became conscious. The other Synths do not know that they were created conscious, well prior to Day Zero. The Synths are living in an enclave, a ghetto perhaps, and are suffering from constant power cuts, deliberate ones as the government indirectly attacks their ability to recharge. And the UK seems to be treating Synths better than the rest of the world.
Niska, as a wanted Synth, is pretending to be human. Her girlfriend, Astrid, is working at a bar that welcomes both humans and Synths. Niska goes outside to wait for Astrid, and a hooded figure runs away from the place. It comes as no great surprise as, when Astrid is leaving, the bar explodes.
The people who claim responsibility for the attack are Synths. Or, at least, appear to be. Is this actually the case? It certainly has not done any good for the Synth case. The Synth who claims responsibility says that, as humans didn’t accept them in peace, they will have to accept them in violence. A pretty poor target choice if that’s the case.
Karen is teaching the Seraph, Sam, to act more like a real boy. Synths are conscious but most do not act remotely human. And what of Leo?
Things take a definite downward turn in the episode and have the potential to get a whole lot worse.