Dark Matter - Episode 3 - Preview: “Just Like The Rest Of Us”

Dark Matter has returned scifi fans to space in the most epic and gallant way possible. The first two episodes took the characters on a journey of discovery and adventure. In that time we have witnessed the team learn to work together as they explore the vast universe they’ve been reborn into and face all of its perils. We have been given details about these characters and watched them struggle with pasts they can’t remember. We have witnessed their failures and watched proudly during their successes. This is a rare show that transports the viewer onto the ship and immerses us in the world these characters embody. Every viewer is a part of the Raza crew for that one hour where we get to live in this epic world.

Episode 3 is almost entirely a ship episode as all of the action keeps the crew on board and I hope we get many more episodes like this one because this cast is at their best together. The cast turns in exceptionally strong performances across the board. Without further ado here is a little of what you can expect to see from each character and the very talented actors behind them in this weeks episode:

One/Pretty Boy has a pretty ingenious thought that helps the crew overcome the recurring problem of learning how to trust when you have no memory of your comrades. Episode 2 gave us a good idea of his true personality and the events of this week serve to further evolve him. He and Two have a interesting encounter that poses a lot of questions. Marc has found the perfect way to balance the struggle One keeps experiencing as he fights against who the computer told him he is and whom he wants to be.

Two/Boss Lady is thrown into the dilemma so many other captains have had to face, how much to tell the crew and how much to keep to herself. We’ve known from moment one that she cares about her crew, but this week we get multiple examples of what she is willing to do for these people. In the short five days the crew has been awake she’s forged bonds that give us a great insight into who I believe she was before the memory wipe. Melissa continues to be the poster child for why casting directors need to take more risks on unknown actors because so much untapped talent is out there just waiting to be given a chance to land on our screens. In this episode Two has to deal with a lot and Melissa handles the emotional scenes as expertly as she handles the action ones. We get to see Two training and I’m fairly certain no one will be messing with Two or Melissa anytime soon after watching it.

Three/Sunshine is up to his usual antics this week. He does some pretty stupid stuff that not everyone agrees with. Yet, at the end of the day I’m getting the impression he’s more bark than bite, but only time will tell. Three does discover one thing he can’t stand and it’s a rather interesting insight to this badass warrior. Anthony dominates the scenes he is in and you can’t help but enjoy his performance no matter how much of a jerk Three is being in the moment.

Four/Slashy McStabberson gives several great examples of just how dangerous he could be if you crossed him. He proves this week that he will stand with the team, but should that change things could get intense. We get to see Four make a poor choice this week and yet he finds a brilliant way to justify the choice. The whole thing is very true to character. Watch for a fun scene were Four gets to train with his weapons. It is made even more enjoyable by the way Alex handles Four’s weapons with such ease that they seem an extension of his limbs. That kind of fluidity with on screen weapons is rare.

Five/Kid struggles to find her place within the team and in the process stumbles across something that proves to be the catalyst for a good portion of the events in this episode. The show continues to grow and accentuate the bonds she has with Two and Six. They both care and look out for her in ways that seem to date back to when they had their memories. I am enjoying the sisterly bond that she and Two have and the friendship she has formed with Six. She returns their loyalty with an act that aids those who have supported her. Jodelle has a lot to do in this episode and she rises to the challenge of everything that is thrown at her. I enjoy how focused she is during the few quiet moments Five experiences as it brings this nice Zen quality to the character and adds to her intrigue.

Six/Tiny continues his trend of being willing to risk his life for others. He will take a massive risk for a member of the team and I suggest taking a deep breath before this sequence starts because you won’t be able to breathe again until resolution is reached. Roger has such a massive resume to his name that you’d think he would have played just about every character possible by now, but I don’t think he’s ever played a character quite like Six. He is a master at character work and only he could play a character like Six that requires the character to be strong, humble, and courageous all in the same moment.

The Android remains a point of contention amongst the crew. This week she proves her worth and risks everything to protect her crew. For those who have been wondering about the space suit seen in the promo, fret no longer as it comes with a very good and well thought out explanation. The ship and crew could theoretically go on without The Android and they may just have to. As The Android interacts more with the crew Zoie is doing a phenomenal job of finding this perfect balance between robotic motion and human emotion. She has at least one poignant and important moment with every member of the crew. Cross your fingers and hope that The Android survives her heroic adventure.

The crew continues on their journey of trying to reconcile who they are with who they have been told they are. The final seconds of the episode throw the fans and the crew a very unexpected curveball. Something we have been previously told is either not the entire story or a complete lie. The final seconds are critical to the story and its upcoming trajectory, so prepare for that moment because it will blow the foundation out from under your feet. It was such an interesting twist that the smile that spread across my face was completely involuntary. The moment provides one of those rare moments of surprise that have become so hard to find in TV these days. The complexity of this show gets a serious jolt and I cannot wait to see how this plays out in the coming weeks. Speaking of upcoming episodes, I think the crew is about to journey to their first space station so buckle up for what promises to be a wild adventure.

Here are some things I think the characters are wondering and I think these are good points for fans to think on. Think them over then hit the comments with your thoughts.

Do we believe the computer file is telling the whole story or are we missing some important piece to this puzzle? Can they overcome these mysterious pasts to redeem themselves? Do they need to redeem themselves or should they just be looking to the future?

Missing this episode is not an option, so schedule your time in front of your TV’s at 10pm on Friday and tune into SyFy for this electric episode. Be sure to return to SpoilerTV after the episode airs for Lindsey Salazar’s detailed review and I’ll be back with your in-depth previews at every opportunity.

Take a stab at guessing who says each of the below quotes. The first person to guess them all right will get to pick one character to get an extra tidbit of information about.

Notable Quotes:

-“That’s why I like her; she’s just like the rest of us.”
-“It was very satisfying.”
-“Alright, that’s fine…it’s what I wanted anyway…a little peace and quiet.”
-“I need you to do something for me…and I’m going to need you to keep quiet about it.”
-“Pretty crazy day.” “Can’t remember one that wasn’t.”

About the Author - Aimee Hicks

Aimee works for a local newspaper and has a BA in Broadcasting and Cinema. She has been a TV lover since before she really understood what TV was. She has a long list of shows that she loves to watch and can be found on twitter (@ahicks83) live tweeting about each new episode whenever she can. A list of her favorite shows includes (but is not limited to) the following: 12 Monkeys, Orphan Black, Outlander, Chasing Life, Scorpion, The 100, The Night Shift, Bitten, Black Sails, 2 Broke Girls, Arrow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Continuum, Lost Girl, Faking It, Falling Skies, Finding Carter, Once Upon A Time, Orange Is The New Black, Switched At Birth, The Fosters, The Flash, The Originals, Teen Wolf, Under The Dome, & Z Nation. The upcoming shows she is most excited about are: Supergirl, Dark Matter, UnReal, Blindspot, Lucifer, Legends of Tomorrow, Stitchers, Recovery Road, Shadowhunters, Quantico, Code Black, Heartbreaker, and Chicago Med. She has a large and passionate dislike of ""reality"" TV, espeically ""reality"" dating shows, but has a weakness for Americas Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance. But those two don't really count as ""reality"" shows, at least that's how she justifies those guilty pleasures. She was the original creator and co-founder of LOST Video Island (lostvideo.net) which is still operting under the management of the very capable and skilled group she turned it over to.

Recent Reviews (All Reviews)