Charlie Jade: Choosing Sides

When the police apprehend 01 Boxer, both our ostensible heroes and villains want to get him out, though for different reasons.


Title: “Choosing Sides”

First aired June 25, 2005

Cast

Jeffrey Pierce as Charlie Jade
Michael Filipowich as 01 Boxer
Patricia McKenzie as Reena
Tyrone Benskin as Karl Lubinsky
Rolanda Marais as Blues Paddock
Marie-Julie Rivest as Jasmine/Paula
Danny Keogh as Julius Galt
Langley Kirkwood as Ren Porter

Plot:

Jade wants to return to Alphaverse to help Jasmine, but he also knows that his actions could significantly influence the fate of the universes. 01 Boxer ends up in police custody, and both Jade (with Lubinsky) and Vexcor

plot separately to get him out.

Reena experiences an extended creepy dream/imagination sequence, and the episode ends with a significant death.

High Point:

I’m 01. Fly me.

The extended encounters between Jade and 01 Boxer, and between Jade and Blues Paddock, reveals much about both characters. Given the circumstances, is Jade, as 01 asserts, the true psychopath? And Blues Paddock looks like she will prove a good match for both Charlie and the Vexcor execs.

Low Points:

For the most part, this show has done an excellent job of creating mystery and suspense without cheating; we’re in suspense because we don’t know the things Jade doesn’t know. When he figures it out, so do we. This episode plays a cheap trick: 01 Boxer communicates critical information which changes radically Jade’s strategy—- but they’re not going to tell us what that information is yet. This would have bothered me less on another show, but given the quality of Charlie Jade, the technique felt like the cheap trick that it is.

With reference to the dream sequence (a move either brave or stupid in an already confusing episode of a challenging show): Please, please, please, tell me they aren’t going to be introducing time-travel.

The Scores:

Originality: 4/6. Jade’s plot to take custody of 01 Boxer takes the show in an interesting, but fairly conventional direction. The show handles it well (with some obvious satiric jibes at the culture surrounding the War on Terror), but we’re moving further into conventional SF/Action territory.

Effects: 5/6. The bug and “bug-vision” were well-handled.

Story: 4/6. The episode felt uneven, but it delivered some very entertaining sequences, and the plot moves forwards significantly.

Acting: 5/6.

Emotional Response: 5/6.

Production: 6/6.

Overall: 5/6.

In total, “Choosing Sides” receives 34/42

One reply

  1. Low point
    I thought this might happen last week, when Lubinsky started waving that report in Charlie’s face. I thought the show would go to credits without revealing the Big Secret that Lubinsky was on about. I was very happy that didn’t happen.

    So I was especially annoyed when they ended the show without knowing what the hell 01 told Charlie. At least in the previews it looks like we’ll find out all about it next week.

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