An androgynous alien species called the Taelons arrive on earth, claiming
to be companions of humanity, putting an end to crime, illness, and famine.
Some are suspicious of the Taleons, and form a resistance movement. The
resistance soon learned that the force that sustains the Taelons are
breaking down, and they are using humans as test subjects in experiments to
help save their species. The initial focus of the show was Commander
William Boone and his partner, Captain Lili Marquette, who worked for both
the Taelons and the resistance. After Boone was killed, the show introduced
a new protagonist, Major Liam Kincaid, and began to play on the strengths
of it's ensemble cast.
In the early twenty-first century Earth is visited by the Taelons, an
androgynous-looking alien species who call themselves the "Companions" and
claim they wish to share knowledge with the rest of humanity in the hopes
of getting to know us better. William Boone, a former Special Forces
soldier turned cop, rescues Da'an, the Taelon "overseer" for North America
from assassination and is made the Companions' interspecies liaison. But
Boone is really working for the human resistance who are trying to learn
the Taelons' true motives, which may not be as generous as they claim.
The Taelons, a race of aliens who came to earth three years ago, on, what
they claim, a mission of benevolence. And so far that's exactly what they
have done. Now the Taleons or Companions as they are called have appointed
one of their own to act as their representative to each continent; Daan is
the one, who is assigned to North America. Now Daan was making a public
appearance and at this event is police Captain William Boone, assigned to
the security detail. As Daan was speaking Boone saw a sniper's laser
sighting trained on Daan, he called out for someone to get Daan to safety;
Jonathan Doors, a billionaire industrialist, tried but was shot and died.
Boone was able to determine where the shooter is, and cornered him but was
shocked to discover that the shooter is an old friend. Boone's
astonishment, gave his friend the opportunity to escape. Boone would later
get a message from his friend asking him to keep an open mind. Boone would
also be approached by Daan, who was impressed with his actions that they
offer him a position working with the Companions, which most people would
consider an honor but Boone turned them down cause he was concerned that it
would take him away from his wife. But his wife told him that he should
reconsider or at least speak to them. Later Boone's wife is killed in a
vehicular accident. Boone, wanting to honor her last wish, goes to Daan,
who tells him that if he accepts, he will implanted with a device they call
a Cerebral Viral Implant or CVI, which enhances the brain's functions,
which means that he will have better conceptualization and memory. Boone,
still uncertain, wants to think about it first. Boone was about to leave
when Lili Marquette, a marine, who pilots the Taelon's shuttlecraft, tells
him that there is someone who wants to meet with him, someone who wants him
to keep an open mind. Boone goes and as expected, his friend is there but
so is the supposedly deceased Jonathan Doors. They tell Boone that they are
probably the only individuals on the planet who has not forgotten the old
warning, beware of stranger bearing gifts, which Taelons have been doing
ever since they arrived. They are concerned that humanity's so pampered by
the Companions that they no longer care to ask why are they here, which is
what they want to know. They want Boone to be their inside man. Dr. Julia
Bellman tells Boone that there's a quality of the CVI that Daan did and
would not tell him about; that whoever is implanted with a CVI, their
motivational imperative is altered that their priority is the Companions.
He just has to look at Ronald Sandoval, who is fanatically loyal to the
Companions and treats other humans especially anyone who opposes the
Companions, sadistically. She tells him that she has reengineered the CVI
that Boone will be implanted with but uncertain of how it will affect him.
Boone is still uncertain, they then tell him that his wife's death was not
an accident but ordered by the Companions. Boone agrees on the condition
that they allow him to find his wife's killer. Boone's implantation is a
success. Boone then tries to find his wife's killer and discovers that
Sandoval was the one who ordered it. It seems that when Sandoval chose to
work for the Companions, his wife was not supportive, and did not want
Boone to have that problem. Boone then goes to work, trying to find out
what the Taelons are hiding from humanity and discovers they are among
other things use the gratitude that humanity has for them to manipulate
things to their advantage, and they also are keeping the projects that have
failed a secret. Doors would eventually come out as the leader of the
LIBERATION, an anti-Taelon movement. Boone does learn that some Taelons
like Zoor look down on humanity, and there are others like Daan who though
loyal to the Companions, believes they can get what they want through
friendship and cooperation, and most notably Mael, one of their scientists
who came to Earth 2000 years ago, on a secret mission but whose final
message to the Taelons was that they should leave humanity alone and allow
them time evolve on their own and one day they will be their equals. At the
end of the first season, an alien named Hegel, whose race had an encounter
with the Taelons, that ended with their race being wiped out, is on Earth
and is running around killing people. So Boone and Sandoval are instructed
to find him and destroy him. They are told that it's for the good of
humanity but in reality, they are concerned that he might reveal among
other things that the Taelons wiped out his race after they helped the
Taelons, who were dying when they met. Boone managed to convince him that
he wants to help Hegel with his battle against the Taelons but when some
policemen barge in and Hegel was about to attack them Boone had no choice
but to destroy Hegel and Boone was severely wounded. Boone was being kept
in a Taelon life support tank when Zoor decided to eliminate him. The next
season it was revealed that before he was destroyed Hegel managed to
impregnate a woman, that woman was placed in the Liberation's custody and
in a matter of hours she gave birth to a boy, who matured into a man in a
matter of hours. The man took the name Liam Kincaid and at Boone's funeral
saved Daan from an alien, who was sent by their enemies, the Jaridians.
Daan would make Liam his new protector replacing Boone. And Liam would also
help Doors with his movement. They discover that the Taelons don't have a
fighting instinct, so are hoping that humanity will defend them against the
Jaridians. In the show's third season, Liam would get a new partner when
Lily Marquette was discovered to be working for the resistance, and Renee
Palmer, one of Doors' confidantes would be his new partner. During the
fourth season, it would be revealed that the Taelons are close to being
extinct, unless a new source of life sustaining energy can be found. And
also that the Taelons and Jaridians were once one species. At the end they
found what they belive is that source which was created by Mael, which
calls for a Taelon and Jaridian to be fused together. In the following
season, what resulted from this joining is a species called the Atavus who
claim that the Earth is theirs and they will do what it takes to reclaim
their world. And they are aided by Sandoval. And Renee is what stands in
their way.
The Taelon race, originally regarded with a mix of hostility and awkward
acceptance by the humans, have started to reveal through accidents and
espionage work, their eventual reasons and plans for the human race. They
are at war with a species called the Jaridians, whom they are related to.
However, as Zo'or, head of the senate prepares humanity to be the
footsoldiers in a war to enslave the Jaridians, Da'an, the only Taelon to
side with humanity, assists a small group of freedom fighters attempting to
decide where humanity should fit into this battle.
