#Debris Season 1 Episode 10 Review: I Am Icarus

Well, that wasn’t what was expected from the second hour of this two-parter.

While Debris Season 1 Episode 9 found Bryan struggling without Finola in the wake of a debris reaction, Debris Season 1 Episode 10 was the opposite, and it didn’t pack the same punch.

It didn’t really do much to propel the story forward, either, although it did offer a few tidbits to chew on.

Initially, Bryan and Shelby were still stuck in the same pattern of trying to right what went wrong.

Bryan realized that he needed to admit his true feelings in much the same way that Shelby did to reset.

That’s not exactly as it turned out, though.

It’s unclear why Shelby disappeared, and Kathleen took his place on their last attempt to reset. Up to that point, it wasn’t exactly as simple as a roll of the dice.

Shelby had a plethora of little brothers rotating in and out, but as is usual in debris cases, what was happening was inexplicably tied to his desires.

The only thing that changed from what I saw was that Bryan was shot by his partner. Damn, that Grace was a ballsy bitch, wasn’t she?

Bryan and the Finola we never met both encountered Kathleen instead of Shelby, and it’s safe to say that Kathleen didn’t have the same dynamic as her brother.

Shelby was sad, sure, but he was also enthusiastic and determined to get to the bottom of things. The same cannot be said for Kathleen.

As the two teams worked together through the tears in the universe, it was apparent, once again, that Finola was imperative to solving the mystery.

Bryan fed her clues, but without Finola, they wouldn’t have set things right again.

But it was really about the partners that they had and how they influenced each passing universe. Their partner determined everything from George’s survival to the length of time they had to attack the issue at hand.

In every incarnation, Grace was the pinnacle of an agent we didn’t want to be partnered with either Bryan or Finola, but they both got saddled with her, probably more than once.

Her presence and the other agents that came and went highlighted that what Bryan and Finola share is unique and worth saving.

Despite all the odds, they’ve flourished. They were set up to hide secrets from one another and work independently in their partnership for their respective countries, but they grew to trust each other nonetheless.

George’s very survival depends on their connection, and it seemed like the luck of the draw whether he was alive or dead. Without Finola to help Bryan navigate Maddox’s directives, George dies.

It wasn’t even just that Finola had a familial connection to George. The way she thinks challenges Bryan, and he rises to that challenge and reframes how he accepts orders.

If Maddox or Finola had any idea how close they’ve become, we’ve not seen any indication of that yet. If they knew, there would be more than the universe tearing away at their connection.

There is more on the cusp. There are threats we haven’t uncovered yet that could put everything they’ve done so far in jeopardy.

When George talked with Finola and Maddox was nearby, the two discussed Bryan’s status as a war criminal. I’ve been under the impression that the medicinal regimen that Bryan undergoes addresses a physical ailment, whether innate or created by debris.

What if Maddox found him after doing something terrible, and the treatments he takes keep him on the straight and narrow?

We know very little about Bryan’s past, and since he has seemed to beholden to Maddox, even Bryan’s own view of where he’s been before could be tainted. The photos from Debris Season 1 Episode 11 suggest that it’s the next unknown we’ll be tackling.

As usual, without Finola, the case would still be languishing. The universes might have gone beyond bleeding into each other to full-blown destruction.

Thankfully, Finola has a strong, inquisitive nature. She didn’t find it far-fetched at all that Bryan knew her in another universe. Of course, she was standing before the open hole between them, so it might have been easier to get on board than you’d think.

Finola’s realization that they all needed to jump together to reset back to the original universe suggested that Bryan and Finola’s relationship is just as important in the scheme of things as that between twins Shelby and Kathleen.

The talk about unraveling made it a little easier to swallow that simultaneously jumping and experiencing the reset would set things right, but it was still a stretch.

And when Bryan and Finola found themselves at the ledge again, did anyone else find it hard to tell whether they recalled what they’d just experienced or not? They had twinkles in their eyes. Did they know they’d saved the day or did everything that had happened disappear as quickly as Finola had?

If it’s erased, then all that happened was that we know Bryan cares deeply for his partner. That’s a little unsatisfying.

It was also never clear whether Maddox knew at any point that he was resetting and hoping to get his life back. Could Maddox have known that universes changed if he didn’t get into the debris himself? I don’t think so.

So the timing of his situation with his wife was just a coincidence. But something did change since how he found out about the divorce played out differently with the same result.

All of it was seemingly swept under the rug in light of Ash’s escape from detention. Was he the only dude in that outfit that had any agency?

Why did INFLUX come to a standstill while he was locked up? Or didn’t they?

I’m honestly not sure.

There isn’t a lot more to say about this installment. If it was all a lesson in futility with nothing to be gained by Bryan and Finola moving forward, that stinks.

After you watch Debris online, be sure to share your thoughts on the episode below. Did I miss something? Set me straight!

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.