K9 “Taphony And The Time Loop”

OK, so, serious question:  is “Taphony” an actual name in Australia or Britain or something?  I ask because that’s kind of an odd name.

Then again, this episode seems to be built around the idea that K9 can be something of a heartless jerk.  See, the Department has a girl named Taphony in a virtual prison cell because she was exposed to the time stream, and now that she is outside of normal time and space, she is a danger to herself and others.  The Professor was part of the initial experiments before he realized what was happening and quit.  Now, the day before his birthday, he opts to rescue the girl from her cell.

K9 thinks that is a very bad idea.

Now, to be fair, K9, he isn’t exactly wrong.  The girl has powers over time and may not realize it.  She needs to drain the lifeforce of ordinary people to keep herself alive, but it obviously won’t go well for the people she sucks dry.  It’s just…K9 is not being all that kind about a girl of maybe 14 who spent some time in a prison cell and has no friends or family until she meets the people in the mansion.

Granted, there are a lot of people doing dumb things here.  Darius meets her, and she uses her time powers to make the Professor’s birthday cake disappear in a pile of dust.  Somehow this does not freak anyone out.  I mean, Darius should have seriously questioned that rather than just be all “Well, that was a little weird.”

Then again, later on, when Taphony realizes the Professor, once he realizes K9 was right about sending the girl into the timestream, was one of the people whose experiments made her what she is, she rapidly ages him.  Um, he was also the one who freed you.  That was a bit wrong.

However, Jorjie, seeing her rapidly age the Professor and knowing she reduces some things to dust without trying, still decides to be her friend.  That turns out to be bad because Taphony is slowly draining her.  And even when June of the Department shows up, there’s no punishment for her like there was for the Professor.

Though, oddly enough, once the Professor has been aged, it is revealed the change is permanent if it isn’t reversed before the Professor’s next birthday, and that’s the following day.  That is…rather arbitrary.

Regardless, Taphony listens to K9, who seems to be immune when Taphony freezes time, and since everyone was willing to sacrifice themselves for her due to friendship or maternal affection, Taphony will change time to go into the timestream and not hurt anyone.

But man, that girl set off far too many red flags for my tastes, and no one seemed to bat an eyelash right away.