There was the episode with the enslaved factory workers... was that season 1? I thought it became rather obvious around then. Now, it's just interesting to see how few things it takes to shift our present to that future... private firms contracting with mercenaries, for example, isn't exactly sci-fi. The difference is that they act in Canada vs. somewhere in Africa. Privately funded police force? Nothing new. Restrictions on the right to assembly? Long since there already.
That's what makes the show good, I think: none of the steps in the present are particularly outrageous or unbelievable. As the police chief said: it's now terrorism, so nobody cares about the guy's civil rights.