Line #2 Series/Extinct


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/y5jtq7hytvbfjenzwwfvrvkwle.jpg]] [[caption-width-right:350:From left to right: Abram, Feena and Ezra]]
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3	''Extinct'' is a post-apocalyptic science fiction television series written by Creator/OrsonScottCard of ''Literature/EndersGame'' fame and his regular co-author Aaron Johnston (who has contributed to many entries in the ''Enders' Game'' franchise). It is Creator/BYUtv's second scripted series and was picked up for 10 episodes, eight of which were released on 1 October 2017. The last two episodes were released on 19 November 2017. On 5 January 2018, [=BYUtv=] announced that they would not renew the series. [=BYUtv=] soon lost the broadcast rights to the show, but the episodes reappeared for streaming in 2023. As of this writing, you can watch it for free [[https://www.byutv.org/Show/e5f3bb84-3e34-4b51-8d71-e4d538fd93b2 here]] or on the [=BYUtv=] app.
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5	Since the cancellation of the series, Card has released the first in a [[https://www.goodreads.com/series/232753-extinct series of books]] that take place in the ''Extinct'' universe.
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7	[[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture In the near future]], an alien race called the Karik invade Earth and annihilate the human race. Four hundred years later, humans are recreated by creatures called the Sparks to aid in reviving the species. However, the Reborns are opposed by the Skin Riders, parasitic creatures that infect and control Reborn hosts.
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9	* AbandonedHospital: In "Reunion," Lynn visits one in a flashback to find medicine for Ezra. Although ''Extinct'' isn't a horror show, Lynn definitely does not have a good time there.
10	* AdamAndEvePlot: Discussed. The characters note that they need sufficient genetic diversity in order to be able to viably restore humanity. The need to get more humans revived for this purpose drives the characters to cooperate (sometimes unwillingly) with the orders they get from the Originators through the Obelisk.
11	* AfterTheEnd: Humanity was wiped out by the Karik invasion 400 years ago.
12	* AlienInvasion: The series shows that a race named the Karik had invaded Earth prior to the "current day". [[spoiler: The episode "True or False" reveals that the Karik were also infected by the Skin Riders, implying that the latter were the true architects of the invasion.]]
13	* AlwaysChaoticEvil: The Karik and the Skin Riders. [[spoiler: Ultimately averted with the Karik, as they were actually infected by the Skin Riders and are normally peaceful.]]
14	* TheAtoner
15	** [[spoiler: At the end of the series, both Silas and Duncan are freed from the influence of the Skin Rider parasite and attempt to atone for their actions while infected.]]
16	** To a lesser extent, [[spoiler: Abram for his role in the creation of the virus.]]
17	* BeehiveBarrier: The shield over the human settlement.
18	* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler: Just when Ezra is about to be stabbed by Jax in the ancestor cavern, Duncan knocks him over to buy Ezra time to deploy the weapon.]]
19	* BioAugmentation: Some Reborn choose to modify their DNA to defend them from the Skin Rider parasite. [[spoiler: It doesn't go well.]]
20	* BioluminescenceIsCool: The Skin Rider parasite manifests as a glowing lump on the back of a Reborn's neck.
21	* BlatantBurglar: One flashback scene has Feena meeting Duncan at an FBI building. Everyone else there is wearing suits, while Feena is wearing a T-shirt that says "I READ YOUR EMAILS." Downplayed, as she has permission to be there, and is surrounded by people who likely also read others' emails, but still, not exactly the best fashion choice [[spoiler: for a convicted felon]].
22	* BrainUploading: The drones can scan a human brain and record its state. That state can then be used to run a holographic simulation of that person, or be implanted in a new body.
23	* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: The box with the Knowledge glyph on the lid in Ezra's and Silas's parents' cabin. It contains the detonator to the weapon to destroy the Ancestor. Silas created the cabin inside the Ancestor so that Ezra could bring it there.]]
24	* ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: It is implied that Abram's willingness to cooperate is why he is able to use the Obelisk while the others can't.
25	* CloneAngst: Some of the characters don't react well to discovering that they are clones of their original selves... [[spoiler: especially when they find out that this isn't the first time they've been cloned]].
26	* CommLinks: The Obelisk is a rather obtuse one to the Originators, who cause glyphs to light up on its surface to send messages to the Reborns. The glyphs themselves have meaning, but when Abram looks at the glyphs, he is able to sense meaning without actually needing to parse syntax. Initially, the Reborns are unable to send a message back. Abram is eventually able to do so by drawing glyphs on the Obelisk with his finger, although it's implied that the Obelisk can sense thoughts from him, too.
27	* CrisisOfFaith: Lynn, in response to [[spoiler: Kylie's death]] in her first life.
28	* CuriousQualmsOfConscience: Demonstrated at times by all major Skin Rider characters. How often it occurs is proportional to how tightly the Skin Rider holds onto its human. It's seen often with Duncan, while it almost never happens with Jax.
29	* CutShort: The show was cancelled after one season.
30	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Feena [[spoiler: went to prison for fraud]]. She doesn't want to talk about it.
31	* DataPad: Seen a couple of times in flashbacks. They seem pretty similar to today's tablets, except that they have transparent screens.
32	* DeflectorShields: The Obelisk provides one over the settlement to keep Skin Riders out.
33	* DescriptivelyNamedSpecies: The Skin Riders. Infected individuals sometimes call the parasite their "companion," which can cause some confusion about who exactly is talking.
34	* DesolationShot: Several in the first couple of episodes.
35	* TheDinosaursHadItComing: Jax's Skin Rider believes humans deserve to be subjugated.
36	* EndangeredSpecies: Humans. They actually ''were'' extinct until the Sparks started resurrecting them. It's not clear exactly how many there are, although there definitely aren't a lot, and between the threats of death and being turned by the Skin Riders, they're certainly in danger of becoming extinct again.
37	* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Even though the Skin Riders clearly have access to the memories of their human hosts, they have no comprehension of why kindness, love, and relationships matter to humans. [[spoiler: This may explain why Duncan's parasite has to pretend to be incapacitated and let its human "drive" to get into the settlement; it's simply incapable of convincingly emulating an uninfected human.]]
38	* EvilGloating: Jax is prone to this. Ezra calls him out on it in the Ancestor cavern in the finale. He wonders who he's trying to convince of his superiority: Ezra, or himself.
39	* ExactWords: In the pilot, Red Drone says, "I am programmed to answer some of your questions." True to its word, it is... less than forthcoming on some rather important questions.
40	* FateWorseThanDeath: The Reborns pretty much universally consider being turned into a Skin Rider to be this.
41	* GenocideDilemma: Destroying the Ancestor would not only eliminate the living Skin Riders, but also the consciousnesses of every Skin Rider that has been added to it.
42	* GoneHorriblyWrong: The anti-Skin Rider virus.
43	* HighTechHexagons: This seems to be a sign of Originator tech. The [[BeehiveBarrier shield]] over the settlement is the most common appearance of hexagons, but they also show up when [[spoiler: Duncan accesses the Obelisk]] in "True or False", and on the displays on [[spoiler: the spacecraft in orbit]] shown in "The Ancestor."
44	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The Reborn engineer a virus that will alter their DNA to defend themselves against the Skin Rider parasite. Instead, it kills the Reborn.
45	* {{Hologram}}: The drones are able to create holograms of people stored in their memory.
46	* HolographicTerminal: Seen in the settlement [[spoiler: and on board the starship in orbit]]. The tech apparently comes from the Originators.
47	* InsistentTerminology: Hologram!Lynn says that she is a "manifestation of light," not a hologram, but doesn't clarify what exactly the difference is between the two.
48	* JustBeforeTheEnd: Some of the flashbacks to the characters' previous lives.
49	* LastNameBasis: Despite everyone else being called by their first name, Duncan is never called James by anybody except Eleanor. [[spoiler: Even his love interest, Feena, calls him Duncan.]]
50	* LeftHanging: The cancellation of the series has left several rather important questions unanswered:
51	** [[spoiler: Who are the Originators, and what do they really want?]]
52	** [[spoiler: The Ancestor was destroyed, liberating the infected Reborns, but are there more Skin Rider colonies on Earth, or elsewhere? Would they have sent reinforcements? What do the Skin Riders really want?]]
53	** [[spoiler: Are the Karik still alive, or were they destroyed by the Skin Riders? If they are alive, are they still infected?]]
54	** [[spoiler: Where are the Sparks from? Are they an artificially intelligent creation of the Originators, or are they a species that has chosen to cooperate with them? If the latter, why are they helping the Originators and the humans? Why are they willing to heal Skin Riders?]]
55	** [[spoiler: Why are Duncan and Eleanor on the spaceship in orbit?]]
56	** [[spoiler: Who is the person who rises from the pool in front of Jax at the end of the finale? Why does Jax look so shocked?]]
57	* MeaningfulName: Quite a few characters have names which are biblical in origin or otherwise meaningful:
58	** Abram: "Exalted father." A biblical prophet who was later called Abraham, the father of the Israelite people.
59	** Althea: "Healer." Derived from Althaea, the mother of the Greek mythological hero Meleager.
60	** Eleanor: "Bright, shining one."
61	** Ezra: "Help." Priest and scribe who rescued a portion of the Israelite exiles from Babylonian captivity.
62	** Feena: Short for Seraphina, "fiery one." This is a reference to seraphim, angelic beings mentioned in the book of Isaiah.
63	** Kylie and Nicholas: Kylie is derivative of Kyle, meaning "victorious;" while Nicholas means "people's victory." This hints at the relationship between these two characters.
64	** Raven: An animal name is appropriate for a WildChild.
65	** Silas: Silvanus, "of the forest." A New Testament missionary companion to Paul and Timothy. [[spoiler: Silas is often depicted in art carrying broken chains, referencing his miraculous liberation from prison, as recorded in Acts 16. Similarly, near the end of the series, Silas is liberated from the influence of the Skin Rider parasite.]]
66	* MemoryJar: The Ancestor is a crystalline structure where the collective consciousness of deceased Skin Riders lives on.
67	** On the other side, the drones contain brain states of humans. When the Sparks create a human body, the drones can then restore the brain's state from the moment it was scanned.
68	* MercyKill: Discussed in "Broken." Faced with the prospect that the Skin Riders may have turned Lynn, Ezra states that he would have preferred that Lynn had never been reborn than become one of them. Yellow Drone replies that it hopes Ezra remembers that sentiment, because if she does get turned, "the only mercy you can show her is to take her life."
69	** [[spoiler: Duncan begs Feena to do this to him if his Skin Rider reasserts itself.]]
70	** [[spoiler: When Nicholas is shot by a Skin Rider arrow, he tells Lynn that she must kill him if the tip was infected with the parasite. Lynn refuses. Over Ezra's objections, Lynn and Kylie bring Nicholas with them on their journey to the settlement. Nicholas eventually turns and is killed by Kylie.]]
71	* MindOverMatter: On a couple of occasions, the Skin Riders demonstrate the ability to suppress pain experienced by their human host.
72	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler: Abram's reaction to learning that he (or rather, a past self) was one of the principal proponents of the disastrous anti-Skin Rider virus.]]
73	* NotHimself: An interesting example. It's clear that the Skin Rider parasite has access to the memories of its human host. "The Ancestor" shows that a copy of the human's mind actually does exist inside the crystal that constitutes the parasite's brain. Yet those who are infected act differently, even when it would be in their best interest to pretend to be uninfected. [[spoiler: Duncan's parasite has to back off and allow the human to believe it's in control in order to get into the settlement. It may be that because the Skin Riders are AlwaysChaoticEvil, and EvilCannotComprehendGood, they're unable to fake being uninfected.]]
74	* NuclearOption: The weapon to destroy the Ancestor is actually two separate devices: one is a specialized weapon that destroys it from within, the other is a more conventional poisonous gas weapon that will also kill whoever deploys it. The latter is explicitly referred to as "the nuclear option," although it's noted that it's not actually nuclear.
75	* OlderThanTheyLook: The drones can scan a person's brain and store its state in memory. After the Sparks create a new body, the drones can restore the brain's state to revive the person. The Sparks create bodies at the prime of life, which makes sense since they're being revived for the purpose of rebuilding the human race and are obliged to live in less-than-ideal circumstances. However, this means that the age of the body may not correspond to the age of the mind inside it. Abram was a 67-year-old grandfather at the time of his brain scan, and is somewhat taken aback to discover his newfound youth.
76	* PsychoticSmirk: [[spoiler: Duncan]] gives the barest hint of a smirk in "Broken." The smirk so subtle that you can't be sure of what it means. [[spoiler: At this point, the viewer is unsure of whether he's telling the truth about resisting the parasite. Turns out Duncan's Skin Rider had given him leeway on purpose to trick him into thinking that he was successfully resisting, when actually it was a ploy to get inside the settlement and lower the shield.]]
77	* PuppeteerParasite: Skin Riders are parasites that can infect the Reborns. They are referred to as "companions" by infected Reborns. A Skin Rider manifests as a glowing lump on the back of an infected Reborn's neck. It also appears that the Skin Rider can become tired or sick, causing its influence over the human host to weaken, [[spoiler: or the Skin Rider can voluntarily "back off" and let the human think they're back in control]].
78	** In the pilot, Abram is nearly turned with an injection from Jax. When Ezra realizes what's going on, he uses the Sparks to save him.
79	** [[spoiler: Silas]] prefers to try to convince his prisoners to be turned willingly. He never succeeds, and in the case of [[spoiler: Lynn]] he gets tired of waiting and performs the infection himself. [[spoiler: However, she had already learned from Jax about being healed by the Sparks, and uses them to eliminate the parasite before it can take hold.]]
80	** The Skin Riders have different opinions on how much leeway they should give their humans. Some seem to allow them to make some decisions on their own. Jax is kept on an extremely tight leash by his Skin Rider. [[spoiler: Duncan's lets him believe that he's been temporarily freed, when in reality it's intentionally giving him free rein in order to get inside the settlement.]]
81	* [[RecklessGunUsage Reckless Bow Usage]]: In "Broken" and "Of Two Minds," Ezra has his finger over the drawn arrow he's aiming at Duncan. If he were to release, he'd grievously injure his own hand. Feena commits the same error in "Wounds."
82	** RedemptionEqualsDeath: People reclaimed from the Skin Rider parasite invariably seek to undo the damage they've done. They also invariably die, as once the parasite is established, the host body is dependent on it for survival.
83	* RedEyesTakeWarning: Happens when [[spoiler:Nicholas]] finally turns. This is the only time we see a Skin Rider with red eyes, and also the only time we see the exact moment that someone turns.
84	* ResurrectiveImmortality: Of a sort. A human can be recreated after death: the Sparks create the body, the drones provide a brain scan. However, this requires getting the Sparks to water, and getting a drone with the person's brain scan. If something happens to the brain scan, the person cannot be revived and is dead permanently. Theoretically, there's nothing preventing them from making multiple copies of the same person, but from a practical standpoint, multiple clones would be a waste since they don't provide the genetic diversity required to restore the human race. [[spoiler: However, in the finale, we discover that there is indeed another Duncan aboard the ship in orbit.]]
85	* RogueDrone:
86	** [[spoiler: Duncan appears to be this initially. Later it turns out that his parasite was giving him free rein in order to get into the settlement. Once he was in, the parasite reasserted itself and disabled the Obelisk and protective shield. Feena later destroys his parasite's crystal, which frees him from its influence but also sentences him to death. He uses his final moments to keep Jax busy so that Ezra can destroy the Ancestor.]]
87	** [[spoiler: Silas is also freed from his parasite and uses what little of his life that remains to help the Reborn destroy the Ancestor.]]
88	* SayYourPrayers: In the original version of the pilot, Kylie suggests this as she, Ezra and Lynn flee the Karik invasion. Ezra initially resists.
89	* ScrewTheRulesItsTheApocalypse: Played with. In the pilot, Ezra tries to buy a map at a convenience store, but the card reader is broken and he has no cash. After the clerk is distracted by the Karik attack, we see Ezra getting back into his vehicle with the map. A few moments later, we see that he left an "IOU" at the convenience store.
90	* SecretLegacy: [[spoiler: When Tasha was dying, Abram met a volunteer at the hospital who he later learned was working with the Originators. When Abram mentions her name (Eleanor) to Ezra in "Of Two Minds," Ezra recognizes it, and asks Yellow Drone to show him an image of Eleanor. It is his mother.]]
91	* SevenHeavenlyVirtues: Played with. The Obelisk shows Abram ten symbols corresponding to virtues, though only nine are identified in the show: knowledge, duty, labor, creation, self-mastery, peace, community, mercy, and justice. The official web site listed the tenth as humility, and displayed these glyphs on the character bio pages, apparently describing the virtues most exemplified by that character:
92	** Ezra: knowledge and duty
93	** Abram: peace and knowledge
94	** Feena: creation
95	** Jax: justice
96	** Duncan: humility and labor
97	** Lynn: community
98	** Silas: community
99	* SlowTransformation: Abram, Lynn, and Nicholas all become infected at various points and manifest the slow spread of parasitic tendrils under the skin. [[spoiler: Abram and Lynn are able to use the Sparks to eliminate the parasite before it takes hold. Nicholas isn't so lucky.]]
100	* SufficientlyAdvancedBambooTechnology: The Obelisk and the anti-Ancestor weapon.
101	* SymbolDrawingInterface: The Obelisk, although there appears to be some form of telepathy involved, too.
102	* SymbolicBaptism: Humans are reborn in a pond. From a practical standpoint, this allows the Sparks to float around the body as it is being formed, but the symbolism is undeniable. In "Death Did Us Part," the question is raised whether the new humans are really the same as the originals, strengthening the symbolism further.
103	* SyntheticPlague: The Reborn, with the help of the Sparks and drones, synthesize a virus intended to inoculate them against the Skin Rider parasite. Unfortunately, it ends up killing the Reborn instead, obliging the drones to create the Reborn again and help them devise a vaccine for their own virus.
104	* {{Telepathy}}: Skin Riders can transmit information to one another telepathically.
105	* TouchedByVorlons: Those infected by the Skin Rider parasite gain telepathy and the ability to mentally dismiss pain, at the cost of their will being supplanted.
106	* TrackingDevice: Feena has Yellow implant Duncan with one in order to try to find the Ancestor.
107	* TransparentTech: Characters are shown using transparent tablets just before the alien invasion. Notably, this is the only future tech shown in use by civilians; other tech is only used by people who are in or working with the FBI or military.
108	* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The flashbacks to the Reborns' first lives mostly look like they could have been contemporary with the time the show first aired, minus the alien invasion. The civilian technology is basically the same, except that tablets have transparent screens. Military tech is a bit more advanced, including riot shields with cloaking capability, [[HolographicTerminal holographic displays]], and intelligent hovering drones. This can be attributed to the Originators secretly collaborating with the FBI and the military, accelerating technology beyond its normal development.
109	* TheVirus: The Skin Rider parasite, although transmission is more deliberate than is typical for the trope.
110	* WhamShot
111	** Near the end of the pilot, Jax telepathically communicates his knowledge of the three Reborns to another Skin Rider... [[spoiler: who is revealed to be Ezra's brother, Silas]].
112	** In "Brother's Keeper," Feena wakes up to see Lynn sitting next to her. [[spoiler: She's supposed to be dead, and turns out to be a hologram.]]
113	** In "Broken," Yellow Drone helps Abram relive a memory from his past, and points out a bracelet worn by Eleanor. [[spoiler: It bears the "knowledge" glyph, showing that she's in some way connected to the Originators.]]
114	** In "Wounds," [[spoiler: Nicholas wakes up with bright [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]], showing he has turned.]]
115	** "The Ancestor" has several:
116	*** First we see [[spoiler: a new, gray drone watching the Reborns. It then flies away and into orbit to a waiting starship.]]
117	*** Later, just when it looks like the Reborns have managed to get the upper hand at the [[spoiler: ambush at the Ancestor entrance pool, Duncan pops up out of the water and shoots Lynn and Kylie.]] Fortunately, Kylie was smart enough to [[spoiler: bring Sparks]].
118	*** At the end, we see [[spoiler: the gray drone again. On board the starship, Eleanor and Duncan appear.]]
119	*** Finally, as Jax drags himself to the edge of the pool, the Sparks [[spoiler: create another human, who slowly rises out of the water. Jax looks shocked. SmashToBlack.]]
120	* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: [[spoiler: Silas]] passes up more than one opportunity to infect Ezra. Jax calls him on it.

Context Series / Extinct