This isn’t to say that “Disrupt” is a particularly exceptional episode. It’s good, but it never even flirts with greatness. There are flashes throughout where it appears that Almost Human is going to do something daring, but it never quite does it. Opening with a couple in their home, dealing with the one year anniversary of the controversial (and accidental) death of a teenager on their property raised my eyebrows. The boy was killed while climbing over their back wall, and their “smart house” security system took drastic action. In theory, it did exactly what it was supposed to do…except the boy was guilty of no crime. Was this going to be an episode about whether technology or the user is responsible for crimes committed? A Trayvon Martin allegory about the right of the individual to use whatever legal means are at their disposal to protect themselves? Nope. It’s just a murder-mystery with technology, with a sloppy, sentimental ending taking the place of any broader themes. “Disrupt” has its moments, though, complete with some fascinating “smart house” technology, security androids, and a climax involving Dorian kicking the crap out of another android and some cool holographic sleight-of-hand. The revelation that Rudy and Dorian have a friendship that goes back before Dorian’s official “reawakening” (and one that Dorian doesn’t remember…but wants to) was actually rather touching. Just as I was getting beyond tired of the ongoing prostitution jokes at Rudy’s expense, the show goes and does something that not only gives us what might just be our first genuinely sympathetic peek at this character (and, to be fair, he’s been reasonable comic relief throughout the season), a better indication of just how isolated both Dorian AND Rudy are, and a crucial plot point to round out the season. All with just a few lines of dialogue.  The idea that Dorian has had some kind of organic memories implanted in him is definitely the most interesting mystery we’ve gotten all season. Is this just Dorian, or will it tie back into the idea of “synthetic souls” which probably can’t be all that synthetic in the first place? Is this a symptom of the larger problem that makes DRN units ultimately unstable and unreliable? These are big questions, and ones which probably should have been addressed more consistently throughout the season. After the season finale, I’m going to go back and watch Almost Human in the correct order and see how many of these story problems resolve themselves. I’m sure it won’t be all of them, but I’m betting it will be a few. So basically, almost everything that was in the background of this episode should have either been foregrounded the entire time, or at least been seeded earlier in the season. There’s a lot to like and almost nothing to hate about “Disrupt” but there’s not quite enough for it to really distinguish itself, either. Almost there, Almost Human. Finish strong and prove to everyone (including this writer) why you deserve a second season.  Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!