from Jonathan Klotz
| Updated
Ronald D. Moore changed the face of science fiction with 2004 Battlestar Galactica reboot, but after several hours of failed network pilots, he returned to SyFy with Spiral in 2014 It’s a dark and twisted sci-fi horror series about a deadly virus being researched at a secret arctic base.
What begins as a dialogue-heavy, slow-paced thriller slowly peels back the layers to reveal the history of bioweapons, the megacorporation behind them, and a wild twist at the end of the season that turns the entire premise upside down. Seemingly forgotten today, it was a minor hit for SyFy, and with only two seasons, it allows for easy weekend binge-watching that will keep you glued to the screen.
Nothing good is happening in the Arctic
Spiral begins with ex-couple Dr. Alan Farragut (Billy Campbell, The Rocketeer) and Dr. Julia Walker (Kira Zagorski), leading a team to investigate the black site ArcTech BioSystems Facility, where Alan’s brother, Peter, was stationed and succumbed to a deadly new virus. The site operates under the watchful eye of Dr. Hiroshi Hatake, who seems to know more than he lets on. Upon discovering the zombie-like infected, the vectors, the new team realizes they are in over their heads.
The first season gets off to a slow start, but as the numbers of vectors and dead bodies begin to pile up, it becomes clear that there is a sinister purpose behind the secret research. Things pick up over the middle in Episode 7 when Star Trek: Voyager Jerry Ryan arrives with heavily armed mercenaries to take control of the situation, but even a military force falls before the arrival of a mysterious assassin determined to protect the base’s secrets from prying eyes.
Avoids lazy typing crutch
Spiral makes two bold storytelling choices that set it apart from other mystery shows. Each episode represents one day, which keeps the timeline consistent and there are no flashbacks. I didn’t appreciate this second part until recently after watching it again this after recently going through The event. The SyFy series uses hallucinations that may or may not reveal the truth to the audience. It annoyed me at the time, but a decade later it’s a refreshing way to tell a story.
I was enjoying myself Spiral Season 1 when it first aired on SyFy and felt it struck a good balance in its pacing, even if a few episodes were a bit slow; once, a science fiction the puzzle box series has a payoff that is worth the trip. And I wasn’t alone in feeling that way Rotten Tomatoes Season 1 has a critic rating of 79 percent fresh with an audience score of 72. And like most of the fans, I didn’t come back for Season 2 thinking the story was over.
Helix completes the story
Spiral Season 2 takes the same tension and mystery of what’s really going on, but moves it to an island populated by a religious cult. Stephen Weber (Wings) plays Brother Michael, and it makes no sense to assume he’s up to no good on the island. Going back to the bold choices of Season 1, Season 2 features real flashbacks and lots of them, but this time they help fill the 15-month gap between seasons because some characters are drastically different when we see them again.
I only recently found out Spiral Season 2 existed and continued the story. Lacking the tension of the first season, it goes off the rails by the end, but it goes so far into crazy town that I can’t help but respect how the writers didn’t play it safe. Picking up the pace towards the end, the story ends, but whether it’s satisfying or not is up to everyone’s interpretation. I’m happy there’s a real ending and not a tease for a third season that will never come.
You can stream Spiral on Pipes, Disney+and Hulu.
