Beacon 23 Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Why Can’t We Go on as Three?

Beacon 23 Season 1 Episode 3, “Why Can’t We Go on as Three?” brings a stellar Sandrine Holt into the sci-fi fold as QTA Manager Coley, who boasts a complicated past with Aster. However, in its final moments, the episode shoots itself in the foot by killing her. 

The first two episodes of the series present a plethora of narrative questions. While there’s plenty to ponder regarding the overarching story, no character is more of an enigma than Halan. Thankfully, “Why Can’t We Go on as Three?” fills in the blanks concerning his backstory. Well, at least in terms of where he was before he arrived at Beacon 23. That’s a positive in this installment’s corner. 

Stephan James navigates his character’s bumpy arc with a serviceable performance. Of course, Aster and Coley’s dynamic takes center stage for most of this outing. Lena Headey and Holt harbor an easygoing, if messy, chemistry as Aster and Coley. Their complex relationship partially saves this episode from ultimately going down in flames. 

That’s what makes the decision to kill off Coley so befuddling. It proves she is merely a means to an end — a plot point to push Aster’s story forward. She could have provided more conflict for Halan, shed more light on Aster’s past, and added context regarding the QTA. Coley’s narrative possibilities are plentiful. This head-scratching choice makes Coley feel like a waste. 

Perhaps the whole point is that these characters are dispensable. The universe is cruel. The Wreckers, in episode two, prove this. However, we didn’t truly get to know those characters like we do Coley. 

Holt carries much of this episode on her back with her memorable performance. She injects Coley with fiery layers and nuance. She makes delightful acting choices and shows us a fully formed, imperfect human. Holt is captivating. 

On another note, Beacon 23, like its predecessor Silo, provides an intimate, isolated setting for a mystery to flourish. It’s one perpetual bottle episode. However, space-set science fiction series are vast, big, and ripe for world-building on a grander scale.

While the main character of this show is undoubtedly Beacon 23, it might get tiresome seeing the same setting week after week. Here’s hoping the show whisks us away to a new location at some point. Otherwise, the narrative might grind to a halt or feel repetitive. 

The slow-burn approach to the show’s central mystery isn’t the problem. There’s nothing wrong with taking the time to flesh out story components and develop the characters. “Why Can’t We Go on as Three?” highlights what’s not working with Beacon 23 — the desire to hastily hop from plot point to plot point due to time constraints (only eight episodes this season) and no real connection to the characters. We were so close with Coley, but the series spaces her as Aster and Halan did to the Wreckers. 

Stray Observations: 

• Listen, Coley’s silver suit and spiky helmet give off big Party City vibes. It’s undeniable. Aster’s remark to Halan about it being expensive elicited a chuckle from me. 
• Lena Headey and Sandrine Holt have played queer characters before. Headey starred in the 2005 flick Imagine Me & You as Luce, while Holt guest starred in The L Word in 2007 as Catherine Rothberg. 
• It’s looking more and more like Bart contributed to Solomon’s death. I wouldn’t doubt it. He’s quite impulsive and overdramatic for an AI. 
• What the flippin’ heck does “QTA” stand for? We’ve heard the full name for the ISA but not the QTA. I will keep asking this question in every review until it gets answered. 
• I swear if the show barrels down the path of romance for Aster and Halan … it would feel forced, especially after Aster killed a queer woman who was her romantic interest. We don’t need to bury more gays, please. 
• The episode paints Coley as a villain, and sure, she makes questionable decisions, but her distrust of Halan is well-placed. After all, we still don’t know how Solomon died (or whether Bart killed him). 

What did you think of this episode of Beacon 23? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Beacon 23 streams new episodes every Sunday on MGM+.

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