Room 104 – Generations

The series finale of Room 104 dabbles in the concept of death. We first meet Keir (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) as he starts a new day in Room 104. He is practicing his lines for a great ceremony set to happen the next day. As part of the room Keir has his own version of Alexa in the form of a woman named Agnes (Rebecca Jane Hazlewood) who speaks to him through the television screen.

As the morning progresses the audience becomes privy to Keir’s memories of his childhood where a young Keir (Christopher Farrah) and his mother Wendy (Saidah Arrika Ekulona) have lived in this room for years. Wendy has now brought someone new for Keir to meet: a little girl named Ryoko (Talulah Shadrick). But where Keir has been blissfully unaware of his reality, Ryoko exposes the truth of where they really are. This angers Keir as his mother has kept this a secret from him. Before we can find out the whole truth, Keir is brought out of his daydream.

Later that night, after being chided by Agnes for his choice of an actual book over a tablet as he relaxes in bed, Keir’s memories continue to be played out for the audience. We learn that Wendy is now going through her own ceremony as an adult Keir and an adult and heavily pregnant Ryoko (Susan Park) stand next to her. When Agnes gives her the final choice, Wendy says goodbye to Keir and leaves the room as the ceremony signals the end of her life.

The next memory then becomes one of Keir and Ryoko putting their daughter Imoko (Kaya Rose Davis) to bed. Keir is angry that Imoko knows the truth of the life that they now live, one that is chosen for them without any wiggle room for independent thought. Ryoko seems to be more accepting of this life, especially when in the next scene after a body scan it is found that Ryoko is sick and will now go through a ceremony of her own. This leaves Keir and Ryoko on their own.

While Agnes continues to talk to Keir and try to get him to rest before his ceremony, Keir continues to question the process. One more flashback comes to show that Imoko has found the stone that Ryoko used to show Keir the truth in the beginning of the episode. She uses the stone and it is revealed that instead of being on Earth the room is on a ship in space. The gravity of the situation is literally revealed as both Keir and Imoko are now floating in their room.

Back to present day, it is now the day of the ceremony. Keir is ready to go and waiting for Imoko. When she enters the audience now sees an adult and heavily pregnant Imoko (Kristina Hanna). To begin the ceremony, Keir turns to his daughter and recites the speech: “Generations upon generations were sacrificed, so that generations upon generations may prosper.” Not satisfied with that speech, Keir explains to Imoko that he was not a good husband or a parent, that he regrets how he handled so many different things. But Imoko will not let him regret as she is proud to be his daughter and will continue their legacy as she raises her son.

As Keir gets ready to finally depart, he continues to wonder why his life has been spent in a hotel room. Wise beyond her years, Imoko believes that the hotel room reminds them that life is only temporary. We stop in hotels for only a brief time before we move on to our next destination, much like life. Satisfied with his daughter’s answer, Keir smiles as he awaits his fate.