The theme of Nautilus episode 8 is one of trust and mending relationships. It’s been touched on in other episodes, but there’s still work the Nautilus crew needs to do.
Youngblood questions Millais about why he played alongside Nemo in the game and then sends a message about where the Nautilus is heading to Crowley. Millais remains silent. We know he believes Nemo ruined his life.
Beneath the arctic ice, the Nautilus crew grows disillusioned with Nemo, who is obsessed with getting to London to exact revenge. They pass frozen shipwrecks with crews who look asleep rather than dead for many years. Their fear leads to a discussion of mutiny and, when Nemo cannot be convinced to change course, they take action.
Boniface Adamu takes the captaincy but not without a fight. He confines Nemo to his cabin and then turns the Nautilus around.
When Humility confronts Nemo about aiming his gun at the crew, she discovers he’s still focused on going after the company. She admits that she values his life. She shows him how his hyper focus on revenge took precedence over even getting to know his crew. No wonder they don’t trust him.
Boniface sets course for Nagasaki with the intent to sell the Nautilus at a trading post. We learn a bit more about Loti’s background and why she spent time in prison. I love this quote from her: “Broken souls are like broken glass. You can’t fix them.”
The ship hits the magnetic north, which throws the ship's instruments off. Of course, Nemo claims he can fix it. They ignore him and end up hitting the ocean floor, damaging the ship, and causing leaks.
Jiacomo goes to free Nemo, and the two end up in a fist fight. Not realizing why the big man opened the door to his room, Nemo ties him up and locks him in.
As the crew attempts welding to stop the increasingly larger leak, Nemo dons a suit and leaves the Nautilus to inspect the outer damage. He finds it on the top side of the ship and discovers a creature eating the metal. These little guys are almost a creature-of-the-week, but they do act as a catalyst. Nemo also learns the Nautilus is not sitting on the ocean floor after all, but hanging precariously on a ledge.
The weight of the ship tilts the Nautilus towards the cliff edge. That’s when Cuff looks out the porthole and sees their situation. Nemo returns inside and reveals that the metal-eating bugs caused the damage, not the dreadnought. Just then, the bugs break through, bringing a big queen inside with them.
Blaster sets about rigging something to destroy the queen bug with steam. I wondered why they didn't use previous instruments like the stun gun, but then, the inventions are new with each episode. The rest of the crew follow the bugs as they travel through the pipes, drawn to the ship's engine.
Loti and Kai find time to share a kiss while stomping bugs. Ranbir sweet-talks the queen bug as a distraction while Nemo and Boniface try to trap her inside a torpedo. They manage to lock her inside and fire it. The other bugs race to protect her, effectively hitching a ride. When the torpedo strikes the ice shelf, it explodes.
Nemo and Boniface agree they should work together. Still, tension thickens as Nemo wants to tip the Nautilus over the edge, hoping the currents below will sweep them out of the magnetic field. Not everyone agrees that it’s a safe plan, and a stand-off occurs.
Nemo reveals his background story and explains why he’s obsessed with taking on the Company in an attempt to sway the crew. He tells them he cares for them and asks about their back stories. One by one, they tell him, except for Loti, who joins him without it.
This episode concludes as their combined weight on one side of the ship sends it over the shelf edge and into the algae-filled currents. Still, they have not closed the leaks, so it will be interesting to see how they handle all the interior water next episode.
I love how these Nautilus episodes are rich in imagery. However, the back and forth between Nemo and the others on trust issues borders on overkill. I'd like the crew to make up their minds and for him to be less hyper focused. I get that he wants to destroy the company and he is trying to be more compassionate in this episode. I wonder if he's sincere. As for the metal eating bugs, aren't they reminiscent of the replicators in Stargate SG1? Hopefully they don't become a recurring episode creature.
More Nautilus reviews:
- Episode 1, "Anahata"
- Episode 2, "Tick, Tick, Boom"
- Episode 3, "What Lies Beneath"
- Episode 4, "Slippery When Wet"
- Episode 5, "Anguille Fumée"
- Episode 6, "The Big Blue"
- Episode 7, "Cold War"
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