560 – Eleventh Hour – Resurrection

This week we start looking at a new series: The 2006 ITV science-speculation series, Eleventh Hour starring Patrick Stewart and Ashley Jensen.  In the first episode, Resurrection, the ethics of human cloning is explored. Simon and Eugene discuss. Episode Synopsis: A car chase lead police to discovering what appears to be dozens of human remains, and a suspect, in the form of a highly-religious caretaker.  The caretaker confesses that he was paid to burn the remains, but he felt they needed proper burial and so had created his own little graveyard in a field. Dr. Ian Hood, and his bodyguard, Rachel, show up to spoil the coppers’ day:  These aren’t murders.  These are non-viable fetuses.  The latest in a string of similar incidents that Hood is trying to put an end to.  The fetuses are all genetically identical, indicating that they are unsanctioned attempts to clone a human being. Hood is on the trail of the clone master, known only as Gepetto. Since it’s not murder, the cops don’t care and bugger off, except for the cop named Doug, who wants in Rachel’s pants something fierce. Hood uses unorthodox tactics to get information.  He abducts the caretaker and forces him to confess to his god, which leads Hood to a makeshift implantation clinic in an abandoned building. Meanwhile, a young girl who’s made some seriously questionable choices in life, including getting knocked up by a human ratbag named Roly, who abuses her, and renting her womb out for illegal experimental cloning experiments, if having a rough time of it.  Roly is making trouble, and her pregnancy isn’t going well. In fact, Dr. Hayward, the disgraced and struck-off doctor who is treating her, has real concerns that she’s going to die due to the pregnancy.  Which is a shame, because she’s got the best clone baby yet and it would be a pity if something happened to that. With some extra-judicial sleuthing, and Rachel putting out for Doug, they identify Hayward as the Doctor involved (but not Gepetto) and Hood deduces that Mr. Gifford is the rich, bereaved father who is financing the cloning experiments. As cages are rattled, and Kelly’s physical condition becomes critical, Hood stands face to face with his arch-nemesis, Gepetto.  Face to face that is across the (mostly) dead body of Kelly.  Hood must continue the CPR in an effort to save Kelly and he must stand by and watch as Gepetto walks away.