Lovers of serialized sci-fi mystery, rejoice. Terra Nova just spent an entire episode being super cryptic in some especially patronizing, nonsensical ways. On the plus side, "The Runaway" proves that the show can be properly paced and focused when it wants to be. I'm not really going to fault Terra Nova for putting so much energy into its Sixers conspiracy mystery plot because, after all, that's what these kinds of shows are here to do. The real problem is that this change of focus, however better written and directed than past episodes, feels like a bait and switch. I know I keep harping on this, but a show about people trying to survive in a dinosaur-infested jungle shouldn't be that difficult to make entertaining. That's why Terra Nova was supposed to be and there's no reason it can't still be that, though it's clear it won't be. Instead, it's going down the intentionally convoluted path of serialized sci-fi mystery pioneered by better or at least better thought-out shows.

The titular runaway is a ragged girl named Leah who escapes from the Sixers camp and winds up at Terra Nova where she spends half of the episode doing her best "little girl from Aliens" impression, only to predictably prove herself to be a spy. Though I'm far from thrilled about the locked, funky-looking mystery box she was tasked with stealing from the colony, I'm tickled pink that Leah ends the episode being swept off to the care of a nameless, faceless stranger. There's a whole list of "last things" this show needs, but a squirrely moppet is up towards the top along with more romance plots and the sudden appearance of space aliens.

What does work about this plot is the paranoia it instills surrounding Taylor, Mira and the true purpose of Terra Nova. A good suspense story leaves viewers with very few trustworthy characters, so introducing an agent of chaos that calls everyone's true motives into question is a good thing. I also like the idea of Jim Shannon transforming from the bland, All-American dad he's been since the pilot into a knocked-around detective type. When Leah suggests that Mira is holding her brother hostage, Jim goes riding off into the jungle on his own for a rescue mission that can only go badly. He gets captured by the Sixers, beat up and forced to have one of those teasing conversations with Mira that reveal just enough to keep the mystery rolling but not nearly enough to answer any real questions.

This scene could have been handled a lot better. It's a common problem in these kinds of stories for a character who knows everything to selectively spill the beans to the hero. What could Mira possibly lose by telling Jim Shannon, or for that matter anybody in Terra Nova, the whole truth? The only reason she withholds information about the colony's true purpose and the forces from the future-past that are manipulating things through the portal is because we at home can't learn everything at once and still stay interested in the story. It's silly and contrived, and more importantly it's the type of thing that frustrates viewers into tuning out rather than teasing them with enough to keep them watching. A show that's been on the air for a month doesn't have enough buy-in to string its audience along. The only good to come of this is Jim's increasing isolation. He doesn't trust Taylor any more than he trusts Mira and the farther he gets from being a figure of the status quo, the better.

Best Moment: Jim's last conversation with Taylor. It's good to know this show can do subtle when it wants to.

Notes: Maddy's soldier boyfriend is starting to get serious, but he's super old-fashioned and... zzzzzzz

Episode Rating: 3.5/5- Terra Nova keeps chugging along, making common mistakes and showing glimmers of hope.