Dark Matter delivered a powerful episode that dropped more hints as to the pasts of the beloved Raza crew. This show could have easily become a copycat of space shows that came before it, but they introduced the series with this brilliant idea of a crew of amnesiacs coming together to survive. Over the course of last season, they became like a family but this season saw the original crew undergo many changes. They lost One to a senseless murder and lost Six to a senseless betrayal. In the midst of all the chaos, they gained three new additions to their crew whom they must now determine if they can trust. Things are not easy for the crew, but they never have been, and they have always prevailed over the chaos. Whatever is thrown at them, they can face it together because they are more than a crew they are family.
Family was something Three had to face as he was finally revealed to be Titch from Fives Season One flashbacks. While its long been theorized that Three was Titch, the big mystery has been how that sweet little boy became the sarcastic criminal we've come to know. This episode allowed Three to confront his past and get some long awaited revenge for his murdered family. While Titch may have known the truth behind Larcan (Nigel Bennett) and his murderous ways, Three was a lot less forgiving. While Larcan and his crew left Marcus for dead, the crew of the Raza have come back for Three time and again. They have taught Three what a real family is like and that allowed him to make all the right decisions. While he couldn't save the little boys father, he did ensure that the kid did not endure the life he did at the hands of Larcan. He avenged his loving parents and learned many valuable lessons in the process.
Anthony Lemke did extraordinary work throughout this episode. This has been a season of character evolution and Three is on a big journey as he matures into a man that his crew can be proud of. He's still going to be sarcastic and speak before he thinks, but this season we've seen a gradual shift to him thinking more with his heart. When he makes decisions, he is thinking about his crew and what is in their best interest. He has started to leave behind the lone wolf persona he had last season and has embraced his place within the Raza crew. No matter what, they'll always come back for their own, and I know that if any of the crew ever need saving, hell be front and center to help. His parents gave life to an amazing young man and the crew of the Raza, with a lot of help from Sarah, helped mold him into a man they would be proud of. I'm glad Titch's identity has finally been revealed and Three got to do what Marcus never could and avenge his parents.
While Three carried the burden of the storyline in this episode, all of his crewmates were equally busy trying to track down leads and giving the audience new information. Before I get into that, I have to address the Android, because this was a big episode for her as well. Since the beginning, we've known she was a unique type of android. She isn't flesh and blood, and therefore doesn't have a heart, but she is always thinking and caring as if she did. This is her crew and she loves them and cares for them well beyond what an android should. The signs that she was flawed have been evident for quite some time, but it is those flaws that make her so endearing to the crew. She has never let them down and they treat her as a member of the crew. It was contrary to everything she is to even think of stealing something for Five, let alone actually doing it.
Victor (Brendan Murray) saw her uniqueness and appreciated it in a way that no one else ever could. I found it immensely interesting that the show not only addresses the Androids uniqueness but also made it clear that she's not alone. Still, even within the ranks of flawed androids, she's in a class all her own. While it took an upgrade for the others to fully embrace their individuality, she is already on track with it. Even with her current programming, she was capable of experiencing feelings for Victor. She even wanted to bring him home to meet her crew, whom she thinks of as her family. Victor may not have come back with her but I hope this isn't the last we've seen of him or the other rogue androids. Besides, Victor got the Android in a dress, which means we all got to see Zoie Palmer dressed up out of her Android uniform, so that alone should make him someone the fans like. Id love to see the Android get to confront the topic of emotional feelings more and I think Victor is a great conduit for her to explore those feelings. Though, I wouldn't mind seeing her form an emotionally romantic bond with some member of the crew. That would make for a truly unique take on a show based relationship.
Zoie Palmer has done phenomenal work as the Android, and has shown her evolution with precise acting and soulful eyes. It is her eyes that convey so much of the Androids newborn personality and its a fascinating thing to watch. Watching the Android birth this unique personality is a cool and interesting story, and couldn't be in any better hands than Palmers. With the upgrade in the Androids hands, the question is when, not if, shell use it. A bigger question is how the crew will react to a more human version of the android they've come to know and love. I'm also curious if she will adopt a formal name, should she accept the upgrade. This was the birth of a storyline that I can't wait to see play out as the Android has to grapple with the same questions of identity as the others. This question of identity is one that every person must confront at some point in their lives, and it makes her, and all the characters, all that more relatable.
Considering identity was a big theme of this episode, it's no surprise that they started to delve more into Devon and Nyx's mysterious pasts. Devon's dark secret seems to stem from some sort of drug addiction, but that doesn't seem to have hindered his ability to save Six. The more we get to know him, the more confident I am that he was either a drug smuggler or botched some high profile surgery that landed him facing the futuristic version of a malpractice lawsuit. For now, what matters most is that he saved Six and brought Roger Cross back to our screens. For that reason alone, hell probably get a pass from a lot of viewers. He seems to have a good heart and is caring, so I think Two will fight to keep him around. I did detect a smidge of something when they were talking at the start of the episode. She is still mourning One, but I'm not ruling out the possibility that something could form between them one day. Though I hope that is sometime away, because Id prefer to see both characters embrace their demons first.
Nyx remains the most fascinating of the new characters. Not only did she match Two blow-for-blow back on Hyperion-8, but she took on Four and matched him in skill level. Two was impressive but being able to force a drawl with both her and Four is inhuman. There is something supremely unique about her and, whatever it is, she is certainly in good company on the Raza. I did find it somewhat odd that Two took Nyx along on the Transfer Transit recon mission, given that Nyx is still in the dark regarding Twos origins, though she proved herself more than worthy of the tagalong when she pulled out an impressive ploy to get Two her answers. Also, props to the show for giving Melanie Liburd a reason to grace us all with her natural accent, but it also annoyed me a bit that they are making her cover it over in the first place. I love the British accent, so I always find it unfortunate when actors have to cover them over. I get that some North Americans have trouble with accents, but Liburd has a very clear voice and her pronunciation is flawless so I wouldn't object if we come to find out that Nyx has been covering over her own accent. I would be okay with the show finding some excuse for Liburd to revert back to her natural accent. However, if that can't happen, then I would love to see more undercover situations that would give her a chance to use it more.
Who or what Nyx is remains a great big mystery, but Arax is a little more cut and dry. He was hired by Alicia to obtain Fives whitehole chip for some nefarious means. The interesting thing about Arax is I think the crew has kind of grown on him, but he sorely underestimated Five by trying to steal from her. She played him in the most epic of ways and left him empty handed. He seems hell-bent on retrieving the chip and earning his payday, which wont be easy given that Five figured out his deception. What I'm curious about is that the crew has proven they are capable of forgiveness, even after a betrayal, so would they be open to welcoming him back one day? The difference between him and Six is that Six had a place in their lives while Arax never really proved himself. I suspect that the next encounter between him and the crew will not go in his favor. They will fight for Six but they will fight against Arax. Now that they know people are actively after Fives device, I'm curious to see where they go from here.
With everything else going on, they still had their focus on helping Six. He betrayed them, but Two still believes in him and pulled out all the stops to save him. She sees the good in him and knows that he can be a valuable asset to the team. Whether she thinks she can reform him or use him against the G.A. is a big unknown, but she made sure that Devon had all he needed to save Six. During the surgery, I found it interesting that Two had Nyx on standby with her. Nyx seems to have definitely earned Twos trust and I can't wait to see these two work together more. Now that we've seen Nyx prove herself in fights, she seems like an extremely valuable asset to the team, and that doesn't seem lost on Two.
Another part of this episode that I really enjoyed was the fact that it showed Two and Fives closeness has repaired itself after what happened at the end of last season. Even after their memory confrontation in the last episode, I would have expected Two to shy away from Five. Instead, those events seem to have brought them closer, with Two seeking out Fives rendition of the building they saw in the flashback. Thanks to that, we now know that Twos origins as Rebecca began way back on Terra Prime, aka Earth. This isn't the first time we've heard about Earth so I have a strong feeling well be seeing a familiar planet in the very near future. Earth holds connections to at least Two and Six, so a visit here promises for some intense times for those two. I also still have a strong feeling that Three and possibly Five have ties to Earth as well, so I'm excited for the day we see Earth make a guest appearance on the show.
This was a strong and powerful episode with an incredible amount of character growth. I think this is my favorite episode yet this season and that's taking into account that I adored the first two episodes. The performances in this episode were full of heart and the story was phenomenally crafted. Given the hype and excitement promos and images have done to build up the next episode, I think this one may be short lived as my favorite episode, but for now, it gets to hold onto that title.
Be sure to tune in next week to see what happens with the Android and Two's need for vengeance for One. The episode airs next
Friday, July 29th at 10/9C on Syfy in the US and Space in Canada.
Hit the comments with your thoughts about this episode. Did you like the Titch reveal? Are you excited to see what happens with the Android?
Due to an ongoing family emergency I wasn't able to do a preview this week. So here's the next animal and all of you can have fun guessing who it is referring to. Which character did Joseph Mallozzi describe as a
Dog specifically a Mutt? The winner gets bragging rights. I'll reveal the answer in an upcoming article.
About the Author - Aimee Hicks
Aimee works for a newspaper in North Carolina 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. If the show is sci-fi, fantasy, comic book based, drama, or action the odds are good she watches it or has at least watched a few episodes of it. She also has a love for comedies 2 Broke Girls and Mom. She was the original creator and co-founder of LOST Video Island (lostvideo.net) which is still operating under the management of the very capable and skilled group she turned it over to.
You can email her at aimee@spoilertv.com.
