Code 8: Part II, directed by Jeff Chan, delves into the current state of corruption in Lincoln City. It portrays a corrupt police sergeant named Kingston who masquerades as a do-gooder, serving the community’s interests while secretly collaborating with Psyke drug producer Garrett and his cohorts to make extra money on the side. The storyline highlights how individuals with mutant powers seeking employment in the manufacturing sector face discrimination from the Lincoln City Police Department’s (LCPD) new robotic officers known as Guardians. These Guardians are deployed to combat powered criminals, but their automated lethality escalates beyond control. In response, the police consider reducing the number of Guardians and integrating non-lethal robotic dogs to maintain order. Kingston happens to be the producer of these robotic dogs. The exploration of Kingston’s character’s evil deeds and abuse of power serves as a central theme in the movie, shedding light on the complex interplay between corruption, law enforcement, and criminality within Lincoln City.
Spoilers Ahead
How Did Sergeant Kingston Try To Win Over The Community?
We are introduced to Sergeant Kingston as he runs for union president as the youngest candidate. With a strong PR team behind him, he’s won over the community with his acts of kindness and efforts to ease the constant surveillance imposed by the Guardians. Kingston’s pitch is simple: he’s not here to control the people; he’s here to protect them. That’s why he’s all for reducing the Guardians and introducing K9 robotic dogs like Piper. Piper’s become a local hero, who is here to detain people, not to harm them. This young face in the police force claims he’s just like one of the neighborhood folks, not some high-and-mighty outsider. He believes in doing what’s best for the community, which is why he’s brought in these robot dogs. He wanted to prove that Piper, the robotic dog, was the real solution for neighborhood peace, unlike the Guardians. Piper could sense danger and only act if someone threatened to harm others. This became clear when Officer Stillman tried to use his taser, and Piper immediately intervened. However, when Stillman raised his hands in surrender, Piper backed off. This demonstration aimed to show that, with the right tools, the police could effectively serve the community and succeed in their duties. And being the young candidate for union president, Kingston is dead set on proving that he’s here to make a difference.
What Did The Truth About Kingston’s Superpower Unfold?
Despite portraying himself as a neighborhood-friendly figure, Kingston’s reliability was questionable. He was deeply involved in Garrett’s drug-making enterprise, relying on Garrett’s payments to fund his own illicit activities. However, when Garrett’s subordinates mishandled the money intended for Kingston, it ended up in the hands of a young boy named Tarak, who took it to support his sister Pavani’s education. The police, led by Kingston, discovered Tarak with the money and moved to attack him. Despite Kingston’s earlier promise that Piper, the robot dog, would spare those who surrendered, Kingston ordered Piper to attack Tarak. In a tragic turn, Tarak was injected with a lethal dose of the Psyke drug and killed. Pavani, witnessing her brother’s death, tried to intervene but was also targeted by Piper. Using her own powers, she managed to sabotage the robot and escape. Blinded by greed and desperate to maintain his facade as a loyal police sergeant, Kingston was willing to sacrifice Pavani’s innocent life, knowing she could expose his corruption and ruin his chances in the upcoming election. Seeking refuge with a former convict named Connor Reed, Pavani found herself under constant surveillance, with drones and Guardians dispatched to catch her.
Even when Garrett attempted to help them by sparing their lives, Kingston tried to kill Garrett and his associates as well, along with Connor and Pavani. Kingston tried to cover up his wrongdoing by making it look like Tarak died from a drug overdose, blaming Garrett for it. He wanted to make himself look like a hero to the community by exposing his drug racket. The truth about Kingston started to unravel when Garrett and Connor visited his home to take Piper so that Pavani could uncover evidence of Tarak’s death. But Garrett and Connor found out about Kingston’s secret telekinetic power when, in a fit of rage, he attempted to attack Garrett with a lifted knife without touching it, showing that he was a hypocrite for judging mutants while being one himself. This revelation sheds light on Kingston’s hypocrisy. Despite being a member of the LCPD, he condemned mutants as criminals while concealing his own powers to maintain his image within the community because of his desire for fame and power. Realizing Pavani had Piper, Kingston saw her as a threat and wanted to get rid of her, along with Connor and Garrett. This shows how Kingston, blinded by greed, went to the extent of planning for them.
What Ultimately Happened To Kingstone?
Sergeant Kingston followed them to Garrett’s location, where they were attempting to hide. Garrett had been manipulating Connor and Pavani all along. He removed the head of the K9 robot dog, knowing its memory needed to be preserved as leverage against Kingston if he wanted to get a better deal with the police. He convinced Pavani that their goal was larger than just seeking justice for her brother, promising to save Connor and Pavani too if they cooperated with him. When Kingston arrived at the location, he demanded a new deal, but Garrett’s proposal to split the share in half was rejected by him. Enraged, Kingston shoved a knife into Garrett and threatened that he was in control and had the power to kill them all. The situation escalated amidst the media presence, with Kingston aiming to portray himself as not associated with drug makers and individuals with powers by exposing Garrett’s drug racket and serving justice for the community. However, Pavani and Connor managed to escape by utilizing their mutant powers to defeat the K9 robot dogs. They seized the camera from a reporter and broadcast the footage recorded by the K9 dogs, revealing Tarak’s death at the hands of the police, Kingston’s illegal activities for personal gain, and his betrayal of public trust. The livestream exposed how the robot dog killed Tarak despite his surrender by injecting him with Psyke. The entire city witnessed this revelation, exposing the truth about Kingston’s corruption.
As the movie wraps up, the news drops a bombshell: the K9 robot program’s shady dealings go all the way into illegality, implicating Sergeant Kingston, who has been arrested. A thorough investigation is underway to uncover his involvement in the drug racket and his association with powerful criminals. However, justice remains elusive, as Garrett, the main drug producer, watches the news from prison and continues his Psyke racket from behind bars. Thus, the cycle of corruption persists, despite their arrests.
