As this episode begins, Wes (Caroline Quentin) talks to Samson about the Lazarus Project. Henry Samson admits the Time Break Initiative already knew all about her. He goes on to reveal that they modified some of their early equipment based on satellite tech. Henry understands that they use the time travel technology to undo bad things that have happened. Wes explains they created a second singularity and they’ve been stuck in a loop. Henry suspects they moved too fast. They were rushed to an airstrip on the night of the fire. Henry says they were taken to a facility in Switzerland.

He had never heard of the Time Break Initiative at that point but they became his whole world. Robin Lerner (Colin Salmon) was in charge of that world. Henry (Sam Troughton) admits it was strange at first. Within a few few years, they were ready for their first live test subject. They’re shocked to realize their experiment worked. The team tries the experiment with a dog but something goes wrong. They tell Robin Lerner that they’ve created a black hole. The energy could join with its nearest singularity. It is a black hole known as M83 or Lazarus. If M83 and the new singularity merge, it would be the end of everything. Robin tells Dr. Li that the end of the world doesn’t bother him because he’s seen it all before. Henry worries that they’ll cause more damage if they try to use the machine to go back and undo this.

Robin thinks he may know someone who can fix this. He tasks Zhang (Elaine Tan) with kidnapping Janet (Vinette Robinson) and her daughter. Henry says the black hole was expanding so they had to send one brilliant mind back in time to meet another. He says he has a moral code that he broke more than once, but he didn’t have a choice. After the final experiment, it became clear that things had changed. New scientists were brought in and some were killed. Henry says they left as far as they could. Since they knew the Time Break Initiative was after them, they scattered. Wes says the Time Break Initiative was cleaning house and all of Henry’s colleagues are dead. She thinks they were afraid because of what the Lazarus Project will make them do.

Wes tells Henry they’re going to make him build a time machine. George (Paapa Essiedu) is busy researching Dr. Gray. He leaves with Sarah (Charly Clive) who kisses him in an alleyway. Later, they have sex although Sarah says that was nothing. Archie (Anjli Mohindra) brings Zhang breakfast. Zhang says she isn’t going to London because there is something she needs to do today. She explains that she got a lead on a safe house. Zhang reveals they took Janet’s daughter too. They were ordered to hand her over to a man so they did. She wants to find that man so she can find out what happened to that little girl. George checks on Henry Samson who is dreading the return of his bad memories.

George says he might remember some good things as well. He wants to know about Dr. Gray. Henry saw a paper she’d written about time travel. Although the ideas were outlandish, they were also grounded. Henry explains that Dr. Gray was Godlike to them. He thinks they killed Dr. Gray because they knew it was possible and people don’t like progress. Henry worries about waking up in Switzerland because he is not a brave man. Sarah talks to herself in the mirror. On the bus, Cormac (Lorne MacFadyen) tells Sarah he is getting off at Rathborne Place. He wants to make sure she knows he isn’t following her if she gets off there as well. When they get off the bus together, they talk about Sarah’s past relationship. Cormac thanks her for walking him home before giving Sarah his number.

Their relationship quickly develops. This repeats for a while until Sarah speaks to George outside the party. One day, George researches Ross Keane. Shiv (Rudi Dharmalingam) learns that he had a burn on his arm in 2012. He believes that is enough evidence. George suspects the dead Lazarus agent, Ross, burned down Dr. Gray’s lab. George texts Sarah to see if they can talk. Shiv thinks George should give her space. He tells George he should ask Archie about Ross. They were a thing for a while before he got himself killed on a mission. Archie searches the safe house property and a gun holds her a gunpoint. Zhang shoots him from a distance. At headquarters, Henry tells the others about Time Break Initiative’s facility. There is a track that ensures the subject can reach the right speed for time travel.

Henry says they have to worry about the neurotoxin too. It creates a link between the mind of the subject and the pull of the black hole. Henry says they’d need the formula to create the neurotoxin. Wes wants to send him into the facility so he can get the formula. In private, she tells George she is putting him back in the field. As they drive to the facility, George grills Henry about the movies he has watched. Once they meet Archie and Zhang, Zhang asks Henry about the little girl. He confirms that they sent the little girl back. As they go into the facility, George asks Archie about Ross. Although she remembers being with Ross, Archie claims that was before her time. Sarah asks George what he remembered about the night they met when he got his memories back.

He remembers they didn’t get together until the last time. Zhang tells Archie that they sent Becky back. They quickly realize that the Initiative cleared out most of their stuff. They find a picture of Janet and the family. George asks Sarah if she still loves him. She admits that’s a big question given the situation. George loves her. He just wants her to tell him even if she doesn’t love him. Sarah insists she doesn’t know how she feels. She tells him about meeting Cormac and how she is married to the guy she originally went to the party to meet even though she can’t stand him. George turns on the machinery causing the sirens to wail. Zhang begins kissing Archie. George sees Janet’s boyfriend or husband before they all go back in time. Zhang calls Archie to get permission to come to her.

Henry flees in a vehicle and notices he is being followed. It turns out to be Rebrov (Tom Burke) who asks if he saw who was sent back. Henry confirms it was both of them. He says there was a man who might’ve been a handler. Henry insists none of them knew that was what they wanted to do. In the past, Henry and the others discuss the possibility of sending Janet back in time. Robin says the experiment will take place whether they’re a part of it or not. They watch Becky get into the pod later. Janet asks Robin about the whereabouts of her daughter. Robin says Becky is waiting so Janet has no choice but to follow her back in time. The scientists learn that they made it. Henry doubts even Agent Zhang Rui knew what they had planned. Rebrov didn’t know that Zhang was part of the team that took Janet and her daughter.

On a subway, Becky says something is different before warning George that his life is about to be in danger. Becky (Safia Oakley-Green) is 18 now and she has been on the train every time because she wants to save George’s life. When George asks who she is saving him from, she says Bryson. As they try to get away, George falls and tries to talk Bryson out of shooting him. Bryson (Royce Pierreson) says it is about what he is going to do because he is a monster.

 

The Lazarus Project Review

The second series of The Lazarus Project is a mixed bag with some good ideas that are poorly executed. The cast was probably good enough to create an interesting sci-fi series, but the script is not great and the editing creates confusion from time to time. At points in this episode, I thought I might’ve skipped something because the story quickly bounces from one scene to another.

Each episode has had a lot of filler scenes that don’t really add anything to the story. That seemed to be particularly bad in this episode with all the talk about Back to the Future and other movies. That’s the issue with having eight episodes per season. It leads to an incredibly tedious pace with lots of unnecessary scenes that matter very little. The episode had a lot of scenes rehashed as usual, especially those with Sarah and Cormac.

Honestly, I am struggling to find a reason to care about any of this. It just seems like a lot of effort to try to keep up with the characters and the many time jumps without any real payoff. On top of that, the series is quickly becoming a soap opera focusing more on relationships and less on something bigger. It never really feels like the world is at risk or there is an urgency to resolve the biggest problem. Dull would be a good word to describe both seasons of The Lazarus Project.

This episode scores a 4.5 out of 10. Recaps of The Lazarus Project are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here. Discuss this show and others at the Reel Mockery Forum.