Lower Decks

The following review contains spoilers for Sanctuary for the premiere episodes, “Sanctuary for All,” parts 1 and 2, originally broadcast October 3, 2008.

Sanctuary makes the leap from web-series to television series, using green-screen technology for nearly every environment used in the show. The Sanctuary in question is a home for beings that don’t fit into most people’s definition of “normal.” Some are there for their own protection, others for ours.

I never caught any of the original Sanctuary webisodes, so you’ll not find any comparisons between television and web series here. Once I get a better feel for the television series, maybe I’ll search out those webisodes. It might make for an interesting look at the show’s origins and what needed to be changed for the Sci Fi Channel.

Continuing the setup of the series, the Sanctuary is run by Dr. Helen Magnus, portrayed by Stargate’s Amanda Tapping. We’re given several, some not so subtle, hints throughout the initial double-sized episode that Dr. Magnus is much older than she appears. She eventually reveals that she’s 157-years old. One of her first “patients” was the original Jack the Ripper, who also makes an appearance in the episode. The good doctor also moonlights as a medical examiner for the local P.D.

When first we meet him, Dr. Will Zimmerman is working as a “forensic psychiatrist.” There’s a bit of possible Stargate influence here, as fans of that series will be familiar with the young scientist that’s shunned because of his outlandish theories. Theories that, of course, turn out to be correct. Zimmerman’s portrayer, Robin Dunne, even has somewhat of a physical resemblance to Stargate’s Michael Shanks. Most of “Sanctuary for All” deals with Dr. Magnus recruiting Dr. Zimmerman to come to work for her. One of the reveals of the episode is that Zimmerman’s mother was killed by a creature of the type that the Sanctuary deals with. Magnus herself was there at the attack, when Zimmerman was eight. She’s had her eye on him ever since.

Ashley Magnus (relative newcomer Emilie Ullerup) is, as you might guess from her name, the daughter of Helen Magnus. Ashley is headstrong and a very skilled fighter, with a penchant for flashy weapons. Who’s her father? We’ll get to that. Ashley thinks he’s dead, but he’s not as out of the picture as Helen would like.

No science fiction series is complete without a techno-geek. Sanctuary’s is Henry Foss, and that’s about all we learn about him in this episode. Foss is portrayed by Ryan Robbins, whom Stargate Atlantis fans may recognize as the current leader of the Genii, Ladon Radim.

John Druitt is the sole cast regular that doesn’t work for Sanctuary. He’ll apparently be filling the role of resident bad guy, though from this episode I wouldn’t have expected to see him again anytime soon. Druitt is equally as long-lived as Helen. He’s also Ashley’s father… and Jack the Ripper. Helen’s blood apparently has some sort of healing properties, and Helen gave it to him back in the 1880’s, hoping she could help him and eventually cure him of his madness (or at least that’s what I gathered). Now he’s back, and he’s out for Magnus’s blood again.

Besides introducing us to the main characters, there wasn’t too much to the story line. The “abnormal,” as they’re called in Sanctuary, for the first hour of the episode was a Russian boy with a snake-like appendage growing from his chest. The appendage seems to have a mind of its own, and an appetite for brains. Yum! The boy (or at least his appendage) kills an old man in an apartment building, then kills the two police officers that come to investigate a disturbance reported by the neighbors. This is how Will Zimmerman gets involved, as the boys adopted parents try to cover up his existence, but Will spots the boy fleeing the scene. The boy is eventually cornered by Helen, Ashley and Will and brought to sanctuary, where Will works with the boy to control his appendage.

The second half of the episode deals with Druitt, and his attempts to get Helen’s blood. He has the ability to teleport himself, but an electromagnetic shield keeps him from teleporting into Sanctuary. He finds a way in by attacking Ashley, then allowing her to capture him and bring him in for processing. Once inside, he causes general mayhem, endangering his daughter to force Helen to hand over a sample of his blood. She hands something over, which he injects in his arm, but either it wasn’t her blood or her blood isn’t what it once was. Druitt convulses and disappears with a warning that, “the others will come!”

In all, it was a satisfying opening for a new series. The green-screen backgrounds made for some interesting shots, but weren’t too distracting when being used for everyday locations. With all the exposition that has to occur when introducing a new show, it’s difficult to gauge how well the characters and the writing will hold up on a weekly basis, but for now they’re good enough to warrant another week’s viewing.