The Lazarus Project – Season 2 Episode 2 Recap & Review

The Time Break HQ

Episode 2 of Lazarus Project season 2 starts with Samson brought to the Lazarus Project. He’s heard of them already, given the Time Break Initiative actually used part of their equipment to create the machine they used to go back in time. Wes is there to brief him, pointing out the loop they’re stuck in and the second singularity Samson and his team created. 

Dr Samson is shocked and discusses what happened that night. Everything moved fast, as he and the other scientists were moved to an airstrip that night and put on a plane. They were taken to the Time Break HQ in Switzerland and put to work to finish what Dr Gray began. Progress moved quickly, and within a few years they moved onto live tests. Unfortunately, they created a black hole as a result.

Barcelona 2024, and the way the Initiative decide to fix this is by sending Janet back in time. After the final experiment, new scientists were brought in…and subsequently shot dead. Samson recognized the danger and fled with his comrades to different corners of the globe. Unfortunately, they were loose ends and this explains why there were all killed. However, with Samson still alive, he can now create their time machine for them to go back and try to undo this mess.

While the operation goes ahead, Archie heads out on a lead to try and find Janet’s daughter. As for Sarah, she’s still conflicted over her feelings for George. A frisky fling in the alleyway is enough to confuse George, while we see Sarah’s perspective from the past. Specifically, how one decision (not to tell George how she feels) changes everything when she ends up talking to a cute guy, Cormac, on the way home. The pair grow happy together.

This moment is also when George, having gone through the loop numerous times, changes the future by deciding to talk to Sarah. This only escalates Sarah’s confusion over the whole series of events. She’s now stuck with Michael, whom she loathes, while losing out on being with Cormac and stuck with this strange relationship with George.

George though continues to do his research. Specifically, he looks through the files for 2012 and notices more evidence toward Wes covering everything up. A field agent at the time, Ross Keane, was reported as having burn injuries up his arm. Now, we know that the lab burnt down around this time too so could the two moments be connected? It turns out Ross was connected with Archie, and the pair had a fling in the past. Everything went well until Keane ended up killed.

For now, it’s back to Samson who discusses his need for a formula relating to a specific neuro-toxin which will, in layman’s terms, allow the subject to “believe” in time travel. This is apparently key to jumping back. And it just so happens that they meet back up with Archie again. Samson tells them that she sent Janet’s daughter back in time.

As they head down to the basement of the Time Break HQ, George tries probing details about Keane to Archie. She has definite memories of him but she shrugs it off and doesn’t elaborate. She does, however, find the shuttle used for sending subjects back in time. On the seat happens to be a picture of Janet and her daughter together with a strange man.

Down in the basement, George starts pressing buttons after learning the severity of the situation with Sarah. Unfortunately, it turns on the computer system and alarms start wailing. A huge shockwave blasts out and looks set to destroy everything. And in that moment, Zhang kisses Archie, while everyone is shot back in time to the start of the loop again. This time, Samson leaves his house early but finds himself followed on the road… by Rebrov.

When the pair talk, we see more of the past and, specifically, how Janet was forced into going back in time to where Becky was sent. This is how they coerced her into going to 2012, and how the scientists were conflicted over all this. At this point, Rebrov learns that Zhang was part of the team responsible for taking them back.

In a shocking turn of events, George heads to the subway like always but this time, he finds himself sitting opposite none other than Becky. She’s been there all this time to save George’s life from an agent called Bryson. When Bryson catches up and stops George by the escalator, he points a gun at him, telling our protagonist that he’s evil and needs to be stopped from doing what he’s “going to do”.

The Episode Review

Alas the plot thickens. This second season is far more expansive and complicated than the first, and now that we have a much bigger ensemble cast to work with, we get these interesting pockets of subplots start to bleed through.

The situation involving Zhang and Archie is certainly intriguing but Sarah’s confliction over her choices (or, well, George’s choice) is such a fascinating avenue to explore. You really understand why she’s so confused here and the show does an excellent job of capturing this in its rawest form.

The ending with Bryson and Becky is another stand-out segment too and it’s certainly surprising to see that she’s been right here under our noses the whole time.

Ultimately though, The Lazarus Project is just starting to get interesting and quite where this one will go next is anyone’s guess.