Review: Human Discoveries “And Then They Played a Game”

Overview:

Gary and Jane nonchalantly discover a new game, Rock-Skull, out of boredom and decide to include the whole camp in the fun. It doesn’t take long for the competition to get heated as rules are broken, and players push the boundaries. Over time, the simple game develops into a full out justice system for the whole clan. The first to be punished is Ugg, who became much too violent during the games. But, as the rest see the comforts that he lives in, everyone decides to start breaking the rules to go to jail.

Meanwhile, the new leader of the elk has devised a new plan to capture one of the humans. They single Beth out for the fact that she is the loudest of the clan. They manage to lure her into a trap and capture her in a hole. Unfortunately, they chose the wrong target as her absence is not noticed.

Our Take:

The exciting thing about Human Discoveries the perspective that the stories take on modern society. Whether it be gun control or feminism, the series isn’t afraid to take on any topic from economic issues to relationships and dating. Each week as the episodes are uploaded onto Facebook Watch, it is a guess as to what hot issues will be addressed next. And, as you think they may start to run short on ideas for the show, new twists and turns enter the fray. This week, competition and jealousy take centre stage. Moreover, how those human natures tend to lead to people doing violent things.

Ugg is the micro version of the entire episode. At first, he approaches the newly discovered game with apprehension, as usual, focused on providing for the tribe. However, when he sees that winning the game creates favour within the clan he is quickly onboard. Then, as he fails to perform at a competitive level, his jealousy takes over, causing him to attack his competitor. For a turnaround, it becomes everyone jealous of him, as he gets to spend time in jail enjoying being fed and pampered while getting time to himself. But, it is not just him that faces these challenges. Trog discovers jealousy as he is afraid that his potential “smash” partner may hook up with someone else. And, nearly every other character is struck by the competitive bug at some point during the episode.

The clever thing about this story, in particular, is that no one really learns their lesson. Competition isn’t truly a bad thing, only when it gets out of control. And, jealousy is part of human nature, and while we all know that it is not healthy for us, it is hard to overcome. The only people that seem to learn a lesson are Gary and Jane. They realize that they should keep their fun to themselves because adding people into the mix just takes away from the joy that they are sharing.

Again, and I feel like I say this every episode of this series, it is the elk that stand out. The humour of these hunted animals striving to find a way to end the murder of their kind is the most fun addition to the show as a whole. Not only do they help to create a nice break from the ongoing plotlines, but they also add an outside perspective on how people behave. Each episode, there is a new leader of the elk, and they tend to get better and better. This week is no exception as the new leader has one more screw loose than usual.

There is more to be excited about the further this series goes on. The overarching plots add a lot of substance, and the more we learn, the better things get. Looking back, it feels as if the show has seen a lot of improvement, but it has actually been quite consistent. Development should not be mistaken for improvement. The show is as intelligent and humorous as it started, we are just becoming more and more invested in the characters and the outcome of this little tribe. This episode, in particular, doesn’t stand out as one of the funniest or well-written, but there is still so much to love. I hope Trog hooks up with Minerva, I hope Gary and Jane can find a sense of peace, I hope Ugg can find his new place in the tribes fresh dynamic. There is lots to be excited about, and each episode keeps the quality high enough that the investment becomes higher. I cannot wait to see how this season is going to wrap up with two episodes remaining.