Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond (Part 1)

Poster by Sharon Oh.

**Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond (Part 1)** is an episode of Juno Steel. It is the 11th Juno Steel episode of season 3, and the 21st overall. It was released November 24, 2020.

## Overview

Juno Steel has been feeling a little out-of-body, lately. Kind of like... well, it's been so busy he hasn't even had time to listen to his own thoughts. But the day of a wedding demands reflection: on where we came from, and where we are going.

And at the end of a good thing, is there any question scarier than "where are we going?"

### Trigger Warnings

-Death/dying

-Guns

-Sudden loud noises

-Violence

## Episode Summary

It's the day before Buddy's and Vespa's wedding. Juno is moody, because he is reminded of his own failed attempt to get married many years ago. Peter, who senses that Juno needs something to keep him busy, sends Juno on a scavenger hunt with a journal programmed by Rita and filled with one question for each member of the crew. Meanwhile Peter is practicing his instrument he will play at the wedding.

Following the journal Juno spends time with each member of the crew and it becomes clear how much he appreciates having those people in his life.

While examining Juno's blood, which apparently still contains traces of the Martian growth Juno, Vespa helps him by solving the first riddle.It becomes apparent that these two have grown on each other when they talk about their fears in regard to their relationships with Buddy and Vespa and how to know if you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody.

The second riddle leads Juno to Rita. They spend several hours watching streams, including “Bad Cops 3: The Legend of Good Cop”, Juno’s favourite that contains the hint needed for the scavenger-hunt. Juno stays to watch "*Tidal Werewolves"* and he and Rita talk about the future. When Rita suggests that Juno could leave to start a new life with Ransom, to which Juno replies that his relationship with Peter would not be a good thing, if it meant that he could not have Rita in his life and they hug.

The next hint leads Juno to Jet, who is currently working on something within the walls of the Carte Blanche. Turns out he is actually working on his speech for the wedding. Jet answers the question for Juno and Juno helps out and stays until the work is done. Juno goes to bed exhausted but apparently feeling better than in the morning.

The next day he finds Buddy at shooting practice in her wedding dress. They have a deep conversation during shooting practice. Juno tells her about his canceled wedding to Diamond and that he “wanted to trust her so bad” that he though he “could supply the trust first and wait for the trustworthiness to grow in later.”

She challenges him to an impossible shot and when Juno at least attempts it tells him that “graduated from Buddy Aurinko's Sharpshooting Academy” and she as taught him everything she could. They talk about about Buddy's and Juno's feelings about weddings. She also answers the journals questions for him.

The next question is for Juno, asking about Peter’s real name. The last one is for Peter asking for the name of Peter’s first love and making it necessary for Juno to talk to Peter about his past. Something Juno had avoided since he read his mind in season 1. In this moment Juno realizes that the wedding is about to start.

At the wedding Vespa and Buddy make their vows, with Vespa delivering an amazing speech about the three times she and Buddy first met, while Buddy just speaks from her heart without the usual ado. They kiss and just when everything seems to be alright a Dark Matter ship appears and agents board the Carte Blanche, among them Agent G and Director W. They are looking for a Class X radical. Agent W, in Dark Matter manner, shoots Agent G and then stuns Juno when he approaches her, recognizing her in delight as his childhood friend Sasha Wire. She declares that they will interrogate everyone on the ship to find the radical they are looking for.

## Cast and Crew

### Cast

* Joshua Ilon as Juno Steel
* Noah Simes as Peter Nureyev
* Chloé Cunha as Vespa Ilkay
* Kate Jones as Rita
* Alexander Stravinski as Jet Sikuliaq
* Sarah Gazdowicz as Buddy Aurinko
* Marge Dunn as Agent G
* Sophie Takagi Kaner as Sasha Wire

## Quotes

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> | NUREYEV: | Juno?
> Love, do you plan on getting out of your bed at any point today, or should I expect a repeat of yesterday’s performance?
> | JUNO: | (INTO HIS PILLOW)
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> | JUNO: | And suddenly I understand. I don't know all the answers to my feelings about him. Probably never will. But for once it feels like I understand where I am.
> If I feel like I don't know Peter Nureyev... that's just because I want to know him. And I want him to know me.
> And if I feel vulnerable it's because I am vulnerable. Because knowing someone, all of them, means knowing their most painful places, the spots they've bandaged and padded and armored so nobody could ever touch them there again.
> That armor is so, so heavy, and when I look at him I see the promise of relief. The lightness we could feel if we trusted each of us to unbandage the other. To remove that armor plate by plate until we each stand bare, fully vulnerable and fully known.
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## Trivia

* This is the first episode of season 3 to credit Noah Simes' role as Nureyev rather than Ransom.
* Peter drops something in the kitchen when he hears Vespa saying that she "took an array of tests", possibly because the way she said "an array of" sounded a bit like "Nureyev".
* This is the first episode of season 3 to have Juno narrating an episode since the season 2 finale, with Peter, Jet, Vespa, Rita and Buddy narrating the episodes before What Lies Beyond (Part 1) in respective order.