S01.E08: Episode Eight

[Amelie06]

 

And can we keep Real!OneActor, and give back Fake!OneActor?   Pretty please??  And yeah, that corporate bio doesn't match the One we know.  And at this point, I'm even skeptical that Catherine is actually dead.  Derrick Moss, Corporate Pawn seems more likely to me.  And with his only link to what happened being Three... hey, lets get plastic surgery and try to fit in with a bunch of mercenaries!  Yay!

I feel mean saying it, but I totally agree! I know One is supposed to be the young hot guy, but I just am not buying what he is selling. One's whiny demeanor has ruined the character for me. He's like a dude who looks 25, is actually 35, and acts 21. Not terribly hot. But the guy playing Derrick is very pretty and didn't have enough One lines to get annoying. I'd certainly like to keep him. Please and thank you.

 

I also agree that Two is too much of a paint by numbers strong woman.

 

I couldn't deal with Five having a heart to heart with the Android. I hate the Android. Hate. She's no Data. If they are going for some kind of A.I. becomes self aware story, then there needs to be a lot more groundwork. In the meantime, could someone please program her to stop speaking in that annoying way. She sounds like she is telling a story to toddlers before they go to bed.

 

Four is a total softie. He gave Three some real talk! He was clearly just trying to help Three move past the death of that woman. I think it was actually good character development to have Three still affected by her death.

[FormerMod-a1]

I thought she was put back in stasis, but not dead.

[AudienceofOne]

I thought she was put back in stasis, but not dead.

 

 

Then they had the power failure and, even though she'd been running around the ship out of stasis for the entire episode, she died from her illness in that half-hour period. Which was such a wasted opportunity.

[call me ishmael]

 

Then, there is Two, who is showing herself to be a flaming hypocrite, by bitching out everyone for lying and keeping secrets, but hiding the fact that she can heal as quickly as Wolverine.  Nice leader, right there.  I wonder if that was what the Android was referring to, or if there was something else she was hiding.

Although i wouldn't put it past these writers to suddenly decide that she has been sneaking around the ship sucking blood from the crew because "hey, we haven't done space vampires!" I think that you are right about her secret being the healing. After all they alluded to her killing all of the bouncers at the casino twice at the beginning of the episode, first when she practically ripped One's arm out of its socket and then when she told them not to draw attention to themselves on the station. They may all be killers and ruthless CEOs but she is clearly more lethal than they are.

[Locutus]

To the poster about the title....I had thought "dark matter" might refer to the brain somehow, similar to "gray matter".

[Ariah]

Then they had the power failure and, even though she'd been running around the ship out of stasis for the entire episode, she died from her illness in that half-hour period. Which was such a wasted opportunity.

 

Perhaps the actress read the script and said "oh no, I'm not going to be in this for more than one episode. Write me out, write me OUT!"

[Mars477]

To the poster about the title....I had thought "dark matter" might refer to the brain somehow, similar to "gray matter".

If the showrunners are stupid, maybe.  "Dark Matter" is a hypothetical type of matter that is believed to make up the vast majority of matter in the universe, but which cannot be detected by currently available means.

 

Something that the show really hasn't managed to answer: why should any of these people care about what happened in their past lives?  How can they have an emotional attachment to memories that don't exist?  It doesn't matter if One sees that Three killed a woman who was apparently One's wife.  He has no feelings towards this dead woman.  She's a stranger who was murdered, which could be saddening or angering in the sense that it is an injustice committed on a stranger who ought to be avenged.  But seeking revenge for a "wife" that One has no memories of rings incredibly false.

 

This would actually be the germ of an interesting direction for such a show, but they're clearly not attempting to nudge the show in that direction.

[maczero]

DNA doesn't determine whether or not you have a beard, much less your haircut. Magic DNA really make sit hard to suspend disbelief. Help me out, show!

I thought it was odd that the clone had Six's haircut and facial hair when it replicated him.  However the cloning machine acts like a 3D scanner/printer so it scans and copies the physical appearance of the subject as well.  Problem is that doesn't explain the clone of One being hairier and having a different hairstyle than original One.  As you pointed out, DNA isn't going to give you a beard or a particular hairstyle.  So even if the real Derek Moss wears his hair like that, I would think there's no way the machine would know that.  

 

I wonder if Two is an Android herself just way more advanced. I know this has been mentioned before with regards to her fighting skills and healing powers. In this episode we saw her perform a manual docking maneuver which judging from all the fuss they made must be quite difficult.

I'm still going with my idea that Two is some sort of advanced human/super soldier.  On a related note, I remember the male members of the crew getting their asses handed to them by the android in the first episode.  Did Two participate in the fight as well?  I just wanted to compare her performance against the men.

 

But One has known for a while that he isn't Jace Corso, so why didn't he try to find out who he was before now?

 

One thing that's been consistent about this show, is that this bunch isn't very curious.  They've been dragging their asses about getting to know the ship.  And they seem to have gotten over the fact that one of their own beat an incurable disease.

 

I actually like Two.

I do too.  At first, I thought she was too young for the role but she's made it work.  The only misstep was the forced romance.

 

 

his refusal to eat meal worm even though this is a SPACE CULTURE WHAT DO THEY THINK IS IN THOSE 'PROTEIN BARS' THEY'RE ALWAYS EATING WTF. 

I would guess that pre-packaged food would list ingredients so there's probably no shock.  Besides I imagine that there probably isn't any animal protein in those bars.

 

Does anyone even know why this show is called Dark Matter? If it's not a reference to them being clones or from a parallel universe or something then what are we even watching?

I think it's a combination of this being a show set in space and the crew's "dark" past/secrets.

 

I think the clone theory is officially dead.  This ep has ruined any potential shock if they were revealed to not be the originals.  

[Wynterwolf]

I think the clone theory is officially dead.  This ep has ruined any potential shock if they were revealed to not be the originals.  

 

Maybe not entirely, if these turned out to be a new kind of clone that can live without a link to their host.  I'm not advocating that, just spitballing the possibility.  Especially since they seem to be dipping their toe into the idea of sentience with the Android.  

[maczero]

Maybe not entirely, if these turned out to be a new kind of clone that can live without a link to their host.  I'm not advocating that, just spitballing the possibility.  Especially since they seem to be dipping their toe into the idea of sentience with the Android.  

Yeah, but from a storytelling point I just feel that it's not that big of a reveal.  Clones exist in this universe.  Not really much payoff by having our crew just be clones with longer expiration dates.

 

Speaking of payoff, how should the memory erasing story line be handled?  Is it worth dragging out over the entire series or would it be a mistake to wrap it up this season?  

Edited August 3, 2015 by maczero

[call me ishmael]

Maybe not entirely, if these turned out to be a new kind of clone that can live without a link to their host.  I'm not advocating that, just spitballing the possibility.  Especially since they seem to be dipping their toe into the idea of sentience with the Android.

But wouldn't the clone machine be able to tell it was copying a clone? It has to be able to tell the difference between a clone and the original doesn't it? (Even allowing for the fact that this is dark matter).

[Wynterwolf]

But wouldn't the clone machine be able to tell it was copying a clone? It has to be able to tell the difference between a clone and the original doesn't it? (Even allowing for the fact that this is dark matter).

Maybe not since a clone is a generically identical copy, the machines may not be sophisticated enough to tell the difference, because there maybe not be a difference physically.  They didn't explain how/why the body disintegrates after the body is damaged to the point of death and the consciousness is no longer linked, maybe that's a function of something they add to a regular clone copy that wouldn't be added to a souped up model.  Really, they've told us so little, they can still make up anything they'd want.      

 

ETA re: the memory wipe - It feels like a stagnant/dropped story thread.  If it was important, or if they had a answer already worked out for it, I feel like we should have seen some recognizable clues, but it feels to me like that mystery is in the same place it was in the pilot and anything they do now is going to feel like an after thought.  So they can answer it or not, it's really not important to me.  I'm only engaged in a few of the personal stories (Four, Five and Six), and frankly I don't feel like there is a larger story yet, where the 'who wiped their memories' would be important.  

Edited August 3, 2015 by Wynterwolf

[Shanna Marie]

Something that the show really hasn't managed to answer: why should any of these people care about what happened in their past lives?  How can they have an emotional attachment to memories that don't exist?

That was one of the main things that intrigued me about the concept of the show: Who would you be if you didn't know who you were? They have this history that means nothing to them, other than any consequences from that past catching up with them. But they haven't really dealt with it in that respect.

 

Six did get that one particular memory back, in a way, by seeing it while traipsing through memory lane in search of Five, so he might have had that emotional attachment. I guess you could feel wronged if you knew something unfair happened to you to put you in a bad position, even if you don't remember it. So Four might be pissed off that he's on this ship with no memory because someone framed him for murder, even if he doesn't actually remember those events from personal experience. It was a little weird for Three to be so upset about the death of a woman who was a stranger to him, even if she knew him. We don't really know how One is going to react. He touched the picture of his wife, but that may have just been a case of "so, I guess that's my wife, huh? Weird" rather than mourning her. Though I'm guessing he'll go into mourning and pull away from Two. They won't be able to resist that drama.

 

But wouldn't the clone machine be able to tell it was copying a clone? It has to be able to tell the difference between a clone and the original doesn't it?

There is the chance that Two could be some sort of cloned super soldier, and maybe that's why she assigned One and Four to go after Six using the cloning technology rather than going herself. She couldn't take the risk of seeing what the cloning revealed -- like maybe the technology would have detected she was a clone and refused to duplicate her. Meanwhile, it did reveal what One was, and that's why he was panicking. He suspected that was likely to happen. Two is the only one we've had zero backstory on. We had the memory glimpses of Four, plus the news reports. We've also had memories from Six, plus news reports. One has run into his fake identity, then got his real identity because of the clone. Five had the memories of how she ended up on the ship. Three met someone from his past and learned something about who he was. But we've had nothing about Two's past beyond that initial facial recognition revelation.

[AudienceofOne]

So it's possible, now that I think about it, that the show is called 'Dark Matter' as a reference to something that exists but is unknowable. It refers to them and their relationships with their past selves. So it's a metaphor.

 

If that's so, it's a strangely esoteric title for what is, overall, an extremely clunky show. Unless we suddenly get an interdimensional angle that has dark matter involved I'll have to assume it's like the show Extant (because, you know, the show exists). And, you know, this show also exists but none of us can quite believe it.

 

Edited for clarity. Haste and all.

Edited August 4, 2015 by AudienceofOne

[Ely]

Show got funny when Two told One to be professional.

 

The only reason for Two to be hiding her super healing powers is because she knows what they're about - which, judging from her surprised reaction, she doesn't. That's why her little speech about trust is useless. If she was truly clueless she would've told everybody. Let alone the fact that she is dressing down grown men as if she was their mom who caught them with their hands in the cookie jar - I'm not sure if that was a bad acting choice or bad writing. I just hope by the end of the season they've done some major remodeling with her or with the hierarchy of the ship. 

 

They also wasted an opportunity in making her more relatable in that bar-scene with the boys. Instead of being so smug about mealworms and being the only one not drunk, they could've made her at least a little tipsy or eeewing with them at the food. Plus, as if Four would not eat anything that is not high energy and useful.

What makes her so superior? Why does she know more about these things then the others, who've been around probably more than her? But I guess they are too busy selling her as the super!sexkitten-always-professional-Capatin/Mom.

Does she count as a Mary Jane? Maybe in a rebooted way?

 

5 was annoyingly stammering her way through the episode.

 

I was pleased with seeing some aftermath for Three. I hope show won't forget about that side of his personality. "Lying Horder" was awesome.

 

Is 1 wearing Tshirts for girls? The fitting is odd?

Edited August 4, 2015 by Ely

[call me ishmael]

So it's possible, now that I think about it, that the show is called 'Dark Matter' as a reference to something that exists but is unknowable. It refers to them and their relationships with their past selves. So it's a metaphor.

 

If that's so, it's a strangely esoteric title for what is, overall, an extremely clunky show. Unless we suddenly get an interdimensional angle that has dark matter involved I'll have to assume it's like the show Extant (because, you know, the show exists). And, you know, this show also exists but none of us can quite believe it.

 

Edited for clarity. Haste and all.

I was thinking that the title might signify all the good ideas that the writers couldn't see surrounding the predictable ones they have chosen.

[formerlyfreedom]

Folks, let's take further conversation about the show title to the Behind The Scenes topic, and stick to the episode in here. Thank you!

[Mecca]

I wonder if the writers thought up the idea of One having a different face so they could have an easy out to change the actor later on down the line?  At least that's what I'd like to believe.  Maybe next season (if there is one) he'll go back to his old face.

[Mars477]

So, how many people do you think lost their jobs when One's company shareholders realized he was suddenly missing and the market valuation halved overnight?

 

The guys a corporate overlord.  Why the fuck is he doing his own dirty work?  He can hire half the bounty hunters and assassins in the local star cluster to do it for him.

[AudienceofOne]

I don't know: his wife was murdered. I find that one of the more believable things in this show.

[Mars477]

I don't know: his wife was murdered. I find that one of the more believable things in this show.

The guy has people to exact his revenge for him.  Just have them bring Three in and he can execute him personally or whatever.  Actually undergoing plastic surgery and leaving your company hanging in the wind is just unbelievably stupid.

[AudienceofOne]

Well, if you put it that way... but we don't know that he thought Three did it. He might have thought there was something going on that he could only find out about by "playing the commoner".

[sjohnson]

The guy has people to exact his revenge for him.  Just have them bring Three in and he can execute him personally or whatever.  Actually undergoing plastic surgery and leaving your company hanging in the wind is just unbelievably stupid.

Believably stupid, I'd say, given that Moss is goofy, just as advertised. Of course, they could be planning the revelation that Moss was the target of powerful enemies in his milieu, who were the ones who killed his wife (and parents too?) And that the so-called suspect is actually Moss' bodyguard, who helped him go undercover on the Raza! But a twist like that seems marginally less satisfying than concluding Moss' core personality is a twit to me. An idiot plot requires all or most of the characters to be stupid to "work," but a stupid character starting a catastrophic chain of events strike me as entirely legit, being something like real life.

 

Unbelievably stupid is having blue light shining from lamps mounted on the walls shining straight into your eyes. Lamp shades are a lost technology? 

[Terrafamilia]

Something that the show really hasn't managed to answer: why should any of these people care about what happened in their past lives?  How can they have an emotional attachment to memories that don't exist?

 

That was one of the main things that intrigued me about the concept of the show: Who would you be if you didn't know who you were? They have this history that means nothing to them, other than any consequences from that past catching up with them. But they haven't really dealt with it in that respect.

 

They all seem to be suffering from technologically imposed psychogenic amnesia. However, it doesn't look like all emotional connections have been erased. It did seem to me that Three experienced something when he first laid eyes on the lady in the pod even though he didn't understand exactly what or why. Four seems to (re)developing a sense of duty (or something) now that he knows a bit of his past. We'll see how that goes this week.

[call me ishmael]

For all of the flaws in the show, I find the desire to find out about their pasts pretty believable.  Both Moss and Four I think acted quite normally in trying to find out about their pasts once they realized that they might be more complicated than they were simply wanted.  I think that Six is a bit more complicated unless recovering that memory meant that he couldn't avoid the emotional attachments that came with it.  Granted I don't think that the show has handled the issue very well but for Moss to rush back to find out who he really was made perfect sense to me.

[Ottis]

Something that the show really hasn't managed to answer: why should any of these people care about what happened in their past lives?  How can they have an emotional attachment to memories that don't exist?

 

 

The classic, a cliched, sci-fi aswer to that is that while those memories my be blocked right now, they remain - and eventually they will resurface. Probably in fits and starts, probably through buried emotional connections.

 

At that point, the show will be about whether the people who we met will choose to be who they used to be, remake themselves and/or clear their names.

 

I liked the surprise at the end of this ep, that three killed one's wife (allegedly). Though I don't think one should care that much right now.