'The Crossing': A Comment on Our Present and a Prediction for Our Future

Warning: Minor series spoilers below.

ABC's new show The Crossing, created by the same producers who brought us Lost, follows the story of a police sheriff named Jude Ellis who discovers tons of bodies washed up on a beach in his small town. After talking to the few survivors, it doesn't take long for him to realize that this isn't just a shipwreck, these people have a more interesting story to tell.

Within the first episode it is revealed that the “refugees” believe they have come from the future—the year 2194, to be exact. They have arrived in 2018 to escape a devastating war. Nearly 200 years in the future, a new type of “advanced” human species called Apex have taken over. They have superhuman skills including strength, speed, and hyper senses. In 2194 Apex is keen on ridding themselves of the average human species. Apex are forbidden to associate with humans, and humans are also forbidden to be sympathetic to the Apex. To escape the war, hundreds of humans are able to get themselves to some sort of time machine in order to escape to a “better time” in the past. They end up in the water off the coast of Oregon, near the fictional town of Port Canaan, which is where the sheriff discovers them in the year 2018.

What is most interesting about the show is that it clearly displays the reality that we are currently living in, most especially in North America. I don't think anyone can ignore the similarities between the reaction and treatment of the “refugees from the future” and the current laws and outlook on refugees by many in our society. The refugees are kept in a secret area and many people fear them because they are unknown and may bring new diseases. In one of the most recent episodes, they actually begin to build a fence around their camp to keep them in. It definitely brings up similarities in regards to Donald Trump's plan to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. Many of the refugees don't understand why they are being secluded and kept away from regular society. They are human and genetically are no different from any other humans in the present. It is stated by the show's main villain, Craig Lindauer, that the refugees have “no proof of American citizenship” and that they may speak American English but they cannot be trusted. This further drives home our tendency to be fearful and often lack compassion towards other humans who may be different from us.

The future for Earth described in The Crossing is pretty bleak. There is a lot less food and supplies, everyone is poor, and the human race is threatened by the evolved human species Apex. Families are separated and a war for survival is raging. Not only is The Crossing commenting on our current state and how we treat people in the present, but it is also commenting on the ramifications of that in our future. It is clear that all of the refugees from 2194 believe that 2018 is considered to be a better time. However, in 2018, many people have grave concerns about our survival and existence on an environmental, political, and economical level. It will be interesting to see what the characters in The Crossing do with the new found knowledge about their future. Jude has already shown compassion towards an Apex, despite all that he is told about them by the crossing survivors. The Crossing seems to ask: when presented with the knowledge of the human race's outcome, what would we do with that knowledge? Would we do anything to prevent what is to come? Would we live the same way we always have?

It is only seven episodes into the series but it is clear so far that this is more than just a science fiction show. Each episode seems to bring up new revelations and new questions about how we are in the present and what that may mean for our future. I am excited to see where this show goes for the rest of the season, and to discover what other commentary may be beneath the surface.