'The Nevers' Episode 1: Who Are The Touched And What Does The Ending Mean?

“The Nevers,” which premiered Monday, introduces viewers to a bunch of women equipped with mysterious powers. Set in an alternate reality in Victorian-era London, we see flashbacks that set the tone for the upcoming episodes. But the pilot leaves the viewers baffled with several unanswered questions.

However, a glimpse at the trailer reveals a little more about this science-fiction period drama where a group of Victorian women finds themselves with usual abilities or superpowers. And Laura Donnely, the leading lady, embarks on a mission. But the first episode has so much going on that you need to hang on to every word as there is no book version to help answer any of your questions. It also embraces a sluggish pace, which some might find a tad bit boring, despite a few nail-biting fight sequences.

The supernatural Victorians on the show are known as the Touched, which is an old-school term for crazy. Perhaps that’s probably the whole point. But what’s more confusing is that The Touched are never called “The Nevers.”

When asked about it, the creator of the show Joss Whedon said, “It’s a phrase that’s meant to evoke a sort of reaction to their oddity, to what is considered unnatural. The idea that you should never be like this, you should never have existed. Something is not the way it should be, and you don’t have the right to have whatever weird power or ability or that you have."

Whedon continued: " And that idea, that some people are not of the natural order, is fascinating to me. I don't agree with it. But to me, it’s one of those things where you take something negative, and you wear it as a badge of honor, basically. Certain things could never happen — they’re happening. And the people they’re happening to are taking their place in the world."

Spoilers ahead. Coming back to the series, the show gives off a bit of "X-Men" meets "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" vibes and that’s alright. To be honest, the show is quite enjoyable and sets itself for the mysterious journey ahead right in the first episode.

The ending of the pilot tells us why only some women and men received supernatural powers. And if you thought it is a radioactive substance or a chemical-induced reaction, think again. The powers are courtesy of a glowing ship that flies over the city dropping sparkly stardust from up above the sky. These sparkly stardusts have a mind of their own and choose people randomly.

Some of the explanations we can conjure are that maybe it’s an alien invasion or perhaps it is a religious factor? Because we caught hints of organized religion in episode one. Well, we will probably have the answers over the next few weeks. Until then, all we can do is wait and watch.