S02.E05: We Voted Not to Space You

[formerlyfreedom]

The Android goes undercover to try and help the crew track a dangerous, yet familiar, foe.

 

[sjohnson]

If it's Jace Corso they decide not to space...well, if they just shoot him, that'll be okay. Keeping him around for Marc Bendavid's contract, not so much. I'm alone on this but to me Bendavid's performance as Corso is unconvincing on any level. 

[Oracle42]

You're not completely alone. I thought his performance as Corso was embarrassingly terrible - but I thought Bendavid's One was also awful. I think his absence improved the show immensely.

[MissLucas]

Well there goes my hope the Android won't use the chip - but maybe she'll just use it for missions. I always thought the problems with One were much more based in the writing than the actor. And the few times we saw Corso were not enough for me to form an opinion on either the character or the performance.

Edited July 23, 2016 by MissLucas

[Oracle42]

To be fair, once Corso showed up in guyliner, there was very little even a good actor couldve done to retrieve the scenes. As it was, I felt embarrassed for everyone involved.

But maybe it will be different next time. I'm inclined to be generous if Corso really did kill One and he isn't going to become a permanent part of the crew

Edited July 24, 2016 by Oracle42

[Chaos Theory]

7 hours ago, Oracle42 said:

To be fair, once Corso showed up in guyliner, there was very little even a good actor couldve done to retrieve the scenes. As it was, I felt embarrassed for everyone involved. But maybe it will be different next time, I'm inclined to be generous if Corso really did kill One and isn't going to become a permanent part of the crew

Well tv needs to distinguish between GoodFace and BadFace and guyliner is a good way as any.  

As for One vs Corso.  I am actually disappointed that One is dead.  No he wasn't my favorite (that goes to Three, Android and Five)  but his storyline feels seriously unfinished and I thought there was potential there for luring One to the dark side on his quest for answers/revenge.  I know he was unpopular but I think the show did a disservice by killing him off before answers were gotten.

[Wouter]

I suspect we will still get answers about who One was (some of the background material, shown on monitors during S1, seemed to show Derrick Moss as a ruthless businessman, not something associated with One as he was on the ship) and why he came aboard the Raza.

The crew will go after Corso, but I doubt they will stop there. Someone paid him to kill One; very interesting info if Corso would give that up. And Three is still a major suspect in the murder of Moss' wife, that has to be addressed sooner or later.

[sjohnson]

It seems to be official that Derrick Moss was a thoroughly nice guy who made a crazy chase for his wife's killer disguised as a notorious psychopath. The nice guy billionaire is about as silly and backwards as the noble monarch in my opinion. Guess it's a good thing I don't run a TV show. Marc Bendavid didn't change my mind about his performance of Jace Corso. But maybe I wouldn't really care after I got fired either. 

Two, Nyx and Android: Amazing special woman who beats up men for fun and dresses like a fourteen year old girl whose mother is out of town. Except I can't see that as so very special when there are three of them. 

I nearly laughed out loud when Varrick started pontificating about the consequences of killing in cold blood. I suppose he rationalizes his murders as being very hot-blooded? 

[AlliMo]

Hey, "Lost Girl" reunion! I was kind of hoping we could find an excuse for Kris Holden-Reid to take his shirt off, though. I'm shallow.

I don't think that Bendavid was that terrible, but I do think that the character was underdeveloped and not missed.

I'm actually finding everything centering on Android the most interesting part of this season so far.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Kinda crazy to think that MB went from listed as the main star (or at least first in the credits) for 14 episodes to pretty much completely written out of the show after 18 of them.  I know we'll see flashbacks, at least of Derrick Moss, but unless they pull something out of their butts, MB is pretty much gone for good (in the present, at least).   I really think the character - both of them [DM/One & JC] - could have used a lot of script & development help, but surprised they wrote MB out completely and feel a bit let down that we've already lost a member of the 'original crew'.

I find myself liking Three/Boone more and more, as each episode comes along.  He might very well be my overall fave currently.

Devon's got a drug addiction problem, we get it Show.  Seemed like a pointless 45 seconds to show the 'wig-out' mindfrack, before taking the hit.

Looking like the Three/Six non-friendly/untrustworthy-co-habitation is the second season version of S1's Three/One, only with different problems & motivations between them.

Nyx is turning out to be some sort of superhuman with psychic or 'seer' capabilities, what with the knowing the cave ceiling was going to come down where she & Three were.

Five/Emily is a character I find myself enjoying more and more too, now that she's "not a scared little kid anymore".

A new GNN news anchor, yay!  Sorry, but nice to see some 'fresh blood' and now don't have to always wonder if that network only had just the one, and only that one, newsreader.

5 hours ago, AlliMo said:

I'm actually finding everything centering on Android the most interesting part of this season so far.

Agreed.  Probably shouldn't like the 'humanized' version as much as I do.

Edited July 30, 2016 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[thuganomics85]

Mini-Lost Girl reunion!  Fun seeing Kris Holden-Reid as the lead solider guy, even if there were times I was wondering why didn't he just use his wolf skills to sniff out the crew and find them.  But now they just need to get Anna Silk and Ksena Solo to show up!

Jace Corso is back and...... already dead?  Wow, unless they is another person with his face out there, I guess this just ended Marc Bendavid's time on this show (well, maybe flashbacks could happen).  Crazy to think he was arguably the lead (at the very least, the first-billed actor) last season, and now he's pretty much written out.  I wonder if this was always the plan, or if he wanted out.  Or they just didn't feel like the character was working, which is where I personally leaned towards, but I'm still somewhat surprised they would just cut him out like that.  But Two being the one to do it, is fitting on a lot of levels. Jace talking about how Portia use to be like, continues to make me very afraid of her, and wonder what would ever happen if she truly because that person again.

Six is walking around and is slowly warming up to crew, although Three is unsurprisingly still not happy with him.  I can see Three being someone who would take a long time to forgive that kind of betrayal.

Android has now taken the upgrade, and gets to kick ass in some cool away missions, although it is pissing off Hologram Android, and it seems like she is making mistakes now, so I'm sure this is only the beginning.  Still don't think Zoe Palmer is that strong of an actress, but she was kind of fun here, at least.

No real movement with any of the new crew members.  Devon is still a junkie, and Nyx's "special skills" are slowly being noticed by other crew members (mainly Three.) 

[zxy556575]

That was abrupt. It's not like I was longing for Corso to hang around but assumed that plot would play out over at least a couple of episodes. It was nice to see Bendavid; I guess I'm still a bit in mourning about One and the interesting ways his story could have gone -- resume his old life but provide secret assistance to the Raza, continue his revenge quest with help from the crew, maintain distance from the Raza but investigate Three's possible involvement more deeply, kill the company chairman and become a wanted fugitive again, etc.

I like the idea of Android's programming being damaged and the possible consequences to her and the ship, but my overriding concern is that her personality isn't changed significantly and that, dammit, the crew doesn't need more problems.

I appreciated that CI Kierkan was presented simply as a smart law enforcement officer doing his job and not some crooked nutjob. But we'll see.

Edited July 30, 2016 by lordonia

[SimoneS]

I liked the episode. Everyone did their part to save each other. Jace Corso came and went fast. I thought that Two was going to take him to the Raza. Since this is scifi, I still think that One will show up somehow, maybe as a clone or something else. I miss One. I think that he balanced out the crew. 

I don't share the Three love. He is better than he used to be, but I still find him mostly annoying. I wish that Four who I like better got more airtime. I think he and Nyx, who is growing on me, have good chemistry. A romance would be good for him. I am not as fond of the doctor who whines a lot. 

I am worried about the Android now. Her careless can get the crew killed.

Edited July 30, 2016 by SimoneS

[KoBnR]

49 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

Since this is scifi, I still think that One to show up somehow, maybe a clone or something else. I miss One. I think that he balanced out the crew.

I feel the same. It just feels too abrupt. That's either horrible writing (yes, I know... but!) or they don't plan to give him a truly emotional death because he's not actually dead.

[MissLucas]

I'm still torn on up-dated Android. It was definitely a fun change of pace for the character and Zoe Palmer looked as if she had plenty of fun letting her hair down (he!) but in the long run I'd rather see original flavor Android trying to find her path based on her so-called 'flawed' programming. And I thought Five had deleted Red Android for good? Not that I did mind her bringing the necessary exposition.

They just keeping killing Marc Bendavid's character - that must suck for him. Two pulling the trigger was not a great tactical but a great narrative move. A short return to her old scary self and another reminder that redemption doesn't come easy.

Five did not have much to do but I liked her chilling question: 'What exactly is "us," anyway? 'Cause lately I'm kind of wondering.' That sounds as if she hasn't put the events of episode two completely behind her. Which I find intriguing.

Show should come clean about Nyx soon - we already had the 'what exactly is she'-plot last season with Two. We  have an android and a synthetic so my money's on genetically enhanced human.

I appreciated that CI Kierken was neither crooked nor fanatic (like Franka Potente's character) - obviously there are similarities to Varrick but I don't mind and hope we'll see him again.

Confusing detail: The Republic of Pyr (well it was a republic back in season one) is all of a sudden a theocracy or rather it was a theocracy which has now been overturned. Not that anybody except Four would be interested in that news.

Edited July 30, 2016 by MissLucas

[atomationage]

You've persuaded me to watch this episode eventually, for Kris Holden-Reid, but unless he's a continuing character, this show will be over for me after that. 

[Whimsy]

3 hours ago, KoBnR said:

I feel the same. It just feels too abrupt. That's either horrible writing (yes, I know... but!) or they don't plan to give him a truly emotional death because he's not actually dead.

This is my opinion too. I think the person that was shot was a clone and One can't show himself until the investigation is over. I am also one of the minority that kind of liked One, although I'm not really missing him either so I wouldn't mind either way. 

I like android better than the dr on Lost Girl, so I guess it's not the actress after all (which is what I originally thought). So, good to know!

[DearEvette]

I think it would be a really gutsy move on the part of the show if One/Jake Corso is really dead with just that little fanfare.  Like the show admitting, 'yeah, people die just that quick and senselessly'.  It would be so counter to what a show like this would seem to do.

6 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I don't share the Three love. He is better than he used to be, but I still find him mostly annoying.

I admit I do like Three much more this season.  Mainly because I think the actor taps into to some smart lighter acting moments.  Last season he was just mean-angry now he's kinda funny-angry.

I also think Nyx is some sort of genetically enhanced human.  And I do think the show is going to pull the trigger on her reveal since they are making it plain people are noticing.

And finally, I liked the foray into humaness with Android, but I want her to realize that it isn't what she wants to be all the time.  Treat it like a nice pair of shoes that she liked to put on and show off, but they kinda uncomfortable and it is a relief to also take them off at the end of the day.  So it is something she can put on and take off (sparingly) as the crew needs her skills. 

Edited July 30, 2016 by DearEvette

[Raja]

17 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

I think it would be a really gutsy move on the part of the show if One/Jake Corso is really dead with just that little fanfare.  Like the show admitting, 'yeah, people die just that quick and senselessly'.  It would be so counter to what a show like this would seem to do.

I admit I do like Three much more this season.  Mainly because I think the actor taps into to some smart lighter acting moments.  Last season he was just mean-angry now he's kinda funny-angry.

I also think Nyx is some sort of genetically enhanced human.  And I do think the show is going to pull the trigger on her reveal since they are making it plain people are noticing.

And finally, I liked the foray into humaness with Android, but I want her to realize that it isn't what she wants to be all the time.  Treat it like a nice pair of shoes that she liked to put on and show off, but they kinda uncomfortable and it is a relief to also take them off at the end of the day.  So it is something she can put on and take off (sparingly) as the crew needs her skills. 

That ceased to be gutsy after the Star Trek powers that be ceremoniously got rid of Tasha Yar/Denise Crosby on The Next Generation. By the mid 80s the wow factor of a female security chief was already gone even if US police forces had only had women on patrol for a decade and Cagney and Lacey being a first female detective team was a big thing

 

As opposed to being physically enhanced like Two they seem to be going towards some kind of precognition, not just enhanced senses like River Tam of Firefly with Nyx. Given the universe it would probably be experimentation and not a random some mutation

 

I am thinking with the android they may go the way of Andromeda and the different manifestations of Rommie with the red avatar coming forward to the rest of the crew, though she lacks the cheerful "okay".  The social interaction chipped android staying with us as the soft reboot of Dark Matter continues. Next week will probably tell.

[SimoneS]

2 hours ago, GenL said:

This is my opinion too. I think the person that was shot was a clone and One can't show himself until the investigation is over. 

That is possible. One told Six that he had become more suspicious of other people after his time on the ship. I find it believable that with his money that he bought a clone or something like that to take his place until he figured out who his enemies were. I just feel like One's story isn't done. I think that is more to come in his romance with Two. Two is still struggling with losing him. I think the real reason that Two wanted to avenge One and killed Jace Corso because she was in love with One. She will continue to go after his enemies. Plus, I think that the crew needs him, especially Five who seems to be drifting without Six fully involved as a member of the crew.

I like Kris Holden-Reid in the two seconds that I watched Lost Girl so I hope he becomes a recurring character. He could chase the Raza crew before eventually turning against the GA.

Edited July 30, 2016 by SimoneS

[Chaos Theory]

The show continues to improve with each episode this season.  I love me some Zoie Palmer and I loved watching her play humanAndroid.  i think my favorite scene was when she walked into the police station and just couldn't get herself arrested.  That was hilarious.  The look on her face when the officer finally did arrest her made me laugh.  Can you code for snark?  Because HumanAndroid really does fit in well with the rest of the crew.  

Kris Holden-Reid is a nice addition to the supporting cast.   I wouldn't mind seeing more of him as a kind of honest police officer type who spends the season chasing them before he realizes how right the crew of the Raza are about the universe they live in.  Its an interesting part and I always enjoyed that kind of character,   

I was surprised that the show killed off Corso so quickly but then again there really was no reason to keep him alive.  It would have been fairly unrealistic for Two not to kill him given the chance.  Showing him mercy would have been seen as weakness.  A weakness he would have preyed on.  The crew of the Raza have grown enough to see that One showing mercy to Three is a sign of strength but Corso would never see the same thing no matter how long.  I think that was the point.  One and Corso may share the same face but they are not the same person.  

I often compare this show to Defiance because Defiance had a problematic first season but the second season continued to improve and Dark Matter does the same thing.  Defiance was also not afraid to kill off popular/unpopular characters when necessary to progress storylines.  This show continues to impress me because the characters continue to grow and learn and improve and so does the show.  

Edited July 30, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[Uncle Benzene]

Welp. I'm crushing on an android. I should have seen this coming.

[atomationage]

I just watched this episode.  I couldn't wait to see Kris Holden-Ried, but I didn't think his performance or his outfit was that interesting.   They made him say the name of his character, so I'm assuming that he'll be back.  I wish the IMDB was more accurate.   It seems to be getting worse and worse.   Android/Zoie was the star of the episode for me, kicking ass and not taking names.  I'm confused about the Red Android.  I thought Five told her to delete herself.   I know she came back again after that, which I thought was just bad writing.    I seriously doubt that we'll see Marc Bendavid again.  They killed both of his characters with a bullet through the head.  That's quite a statement from Mallozzi.  I don't know if he was caving in to the alleged dislike of this actor online.  I thought that dislike must have come from some of the previous work that Bendavid did, like Degrassi, or something else, because I thought he did well on this series.  

So they voted not to space Six.  I think Two was at her best in the scenes with Corso in this episode.  Space Cowboy Three doesn't interest me anymore.   They seemed to be setting up something in the future between Four and Kris H-R's character.  Five wasn't featured in this one as much as previous episodes.    I don't care much about the drug addicted medic.  Nyx wasn't featured much.  This episode was pretty pointless, except to tie up One's loose end.

[formerlyfreedom]

Just a reminder to take discussion/Comparison To Other Shows over to that topic, and to keep discussion in here on the episode itself. Thank you.

[Wouter]

19 hours ago, sjohnson said:

It seems to be official that Derrick Moss was a thoroughly nice guy who made a crazy chase for his wife's killer disguised as a notorious psychopath. The nice guy billionaire is about as silly and backwards as the noble monarch in my opinion. Guess it's a good thing I don't run a TV show. Marc Bendavid didn't change my mind about his performance of Jace Corso. But maybe I wouldn't really care after I got fired either. 

Two, Nyx and Android: Amazing special woman who beats up men for fun and dresses like a fourteen year old girl whose mother is out of town. Except I can't see that as so very special when there are three of them.

It is a bit much, but I like it all the same! Nyx is still an enigma, but the other two are interesting characters. Two is actually quite an original one, because she is not only an "amazing special woman" but also the leader of the crew, with an interesting balance between empathy and cold decisions. As long as she doesn't revert to being Portia Lin.

About Moss, he wasn't a nice guy in his biography - but admittedly his business practices may be the work of associates (like the acting CEO, that got mentioned again as a suspect in One's murder) while Derrick may have been just a forefront, quite oblivious of what was going on. I still think we will get a follow-up on that, as Two and co dive further into One's killers and their motives.

I'm guessing we'll see Marc Bendavid again in some capacity. This being SF, timetravel or alternate reality episodes are to be expected and those are opportunities to get him in again.

13 hours ago, lordonia said:

I appreciated that CI Kierkan was presented simply as a smart law enforcement officer doing his job and not some crooked nutjob. But we'll see.

Kierkan seems to be what I hoped Shaddick (Potente) would turn out to be: an actually non-corrupt and smart inspector who is fixated on the Raza crew at first, but with potential to shift targets (to corporations, preferably) as he learns more. Kind of like Ellison in the Sarah Connor Chronicles. I think we will see him again, this season.

Allthough my feelings on the "emotion chip" remain mixed, it was a fun episode with the Android (all versions).

Overall, a thrilling episode. They wasted no time in coming to a conclusion and the logical plots seem to be followed up on.

[SimoneS]

7 hours ago, atomationage said:

 I seriously doubt that we'll see Marc Bendavid again.  They killed both of his characters with a bullet through the head.  That's quite a statement from Mallozzi.  I don't know if he was caving in to the alleged dislike of this actor online.  I thought that dislike must have come from some of the previous work that Bendavid did, like Degrassi, or something else, because I thought he did well on this series.  

If Mallozzi really killed of One because a group of vocal online fans disliked the character/actor, he is a fool. Online fans are a minisucle of the total viewing audience of any show. I think that if the actor is really gone for good, I think it is more likely because of behind of the scenes drama.

[Chaos Theory]

I think One/Corso being dead could actually be a writing choice and not an actor conspiracy.  Sometimes writers kill characters because they can and it makes sense to them and the story they want to tell.  In this case it's that the world has real consequences and danger and not everyone can or will be redeemed or get their happy ending. 

 I didn't mind One but and I thought there was story to tell with him.  Certainly more then with Six but I guess with the Galactic Authority coming back into the picture Six has a story there.  Still I thought the potential for having One constantly being tempted by the darkness of the Raza was an interesting story....then again that is kinda Five's story so ok....,,,

[wanderingstar]

"Another enemy to add to the list." The Raza Crew's list of enemies is getting to be as long as Nixon's!

Zoie Palmer looked like she was having a great time playing Upgraded Android. I thought I was going to hate that story, but it was actually the best part of the hour for me.

Can't believe Two shot Jace Corso. I expected them to keep Corso around as a foil for the Raza Crew, but I guess not.

And I guess Six really has taken over the role of Conscience of the Crew. But I'm ok with that because I got shirtless Roger Cross, and that is always a good thing.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Gillian Rosh

[formerlyfreedom]

7 minutes ago, Gillian Rosh said:

And I guess Six really has taken over the role of Conscience of the Crew. But I'm ok with that because I got shirtless Roger Cross, and that is always a good thing.

YES!

In other thoughts, I hope we get a blend of Android and Human Android - I really enjoyed seeing her literally (Yes, I'm using that right!) let her hair down this episode. I'm so interested to see where we are going with this season now....

[zxy556575]

4 hours ago, Wouter said:

Two is actually quite an original one, because she is not only an "amazing special woman" but also the leader of the crew, with an interesting balance between empathy and cold decisions. As long as she doesn't revert to being Portia Lin.

She stone cold killed Corso, which I would have expected of Portia but not Two. I'm very interested in seeing how Two's emotional internal journey affects her actions.

As I recall, Three and Six have only killed while being attacked or to protect themselves and others. Four ran his sword through Akita after any imminent danger to himself had passed. Five outright ordered a hit, making her a murderer by proxy. Android continues to be an intriguing gray area -- she killed but she's not "human." Would the GA would ever charge a machine with a crime?

[FurryFury]

Well, that was pretty anticlimactic. I expected way more from Jace Corso and his interactions with the cast. The season had a strong start, but now I'm starting to see cracks in the plot and characterization all the time.

I didn't like how different Android acted when going undercover. I get that they were going for the contrast, but it was too much, too fast. Took me out of the scenes.

I hope we'll get Nyx reveal next episode, because the hints are starting to be tiresome. She's just too Mary Sue-ish, even for a show that stars Two.

Quote

That ceased to be gutsy after the Star Trek powers that be ceremoniously got rid of Tasha Yar/Denise Crosby on The Next Generation. By the mid 80s the wow factor of a female security chief was already gone even if US police forces had only had women on patrol for a decade and Cagney and Lacey being a first female detective team was a big thing

I think killing the closest thing you have to the male lead is still pretty gutsy. Doesn't happen often. It's different with women, unfortunately.

[zxy556575]

2 minutes ago, FurryFury said:

Well, that was pretty anticlimactic. I expected way more from Jace Corso and his interactions with the cast.

Thank you! That's what I was trying to articulate in my mind, beyond any liking/disliking of the characters of One and Corso. All that buildup and the backstories for ... nothing.

[ZoqFotPik]

18 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Confusing detail: The Republic of Pyr (well it was a republic back in season one) is all of a sudden a theocracy or rather it was a theocracy which has now been overturned. Not that anybody except Four would be interested in that news.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, The People's Republic of China, The Republic of Cuba.

They still can do something with Dan Jeannotte for any continuation of the Derrick Moss plot line. I was never that impressed with Kris Holden-Ried on "Lost Girl", but that could be more writing/directing, so I'm curious to see where he goes. Hopefully he'll stick around longer than Franke Pontente and provide some insight into how the GA operates. They also referenced a new organization, The League of Autonomous Worlds, a 24 nation group that seems to include Pyr and Zairon. I don't know how I feel about the upgraded Android, I kind of liked her the way she was.

I'm impressed with how good this show has become. In my opinion, Syfy has really been hitting out of the park with new shows in the last few years.

[MissLucas]

Only Iran could count as theocracy. But my point was more how little we still know about Four's home than that there are no theocratic republics. The  war between Pyr and Zairon has been mentioned several times without much more background info. Before the theocracy revelation it sounded like a war between a republic and a monarchy - but things got murkier now. There's also the question who's behind the revolution in Pyr. I like those tidbits and wonder how they tie in with everything else that is going on.

[ZoqFotPik]

My point was that are many states that refer to themselves as a republic, but are very much not in practice. The Republic of Pyr could be one of those states. I too like the world building and hope we get more.

Edited July 31, 2016 by ZoqFotPik

[ottoDbusdriver]

On 7/30/2016 at 2:00 AM, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

A new GNN news anchor, yay!  Sorry, but nice to see some 'fresh blood' and now don't have to always wonder if that network only had just the one, and only that one, newsreader.

I believe that new GNN anchor was Dan Duran -- who, much like Roger Cross, has been on numerous TV shows/movies filmed in Canada.

18 hours ago, Raja said:

I am thinking with the android they may go the way of Andromeda and the different manifestations of Rommie with the red avatar coming forward to the rest of the crew, though she lacks the cheerful "okay".  The social interaction chipped android staying with us as the soft reboot of Dark Matter continues. Next week will probably tell.

Ohhh, I like that idea.

[sjohnson]

9 hours ago, SimoneS said:

If Mallozzi really killed of One because a group of vocal online fans disliked the character/actor, he is a fool. Online fans are a minisucle of the total viewing audience of any show. I think that if the actor is really gone for good, I think it is more likely because of behind of the scenes drama. 

That's possible, just as it's possible Marc Bendavid decided his career would never survive playing the male ingenue and wanted out. Nonetheless, killing off your only character with a different idea of right and wrong impairs the premises for drama. Drama is about choice, not whether the sexy characters win, I think. 

8 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

And I guess Six really has taken over the role of Conscience of the Crew. But I'm ok with that because I got shirtless Roger Cross, and that is always a good thing.

Gratuitous shirtlessness is just as good as gratuitous beautiful scenery (sort of the same thing really.) But suddenly trying to promote Varrick to Jiminy Cricket has the problem that he's not cute. Varrick will gun his friends down if he thinks they're in his way of doing right

7 hours ago, lordonia said:

As I recall, Three and Six have only killed while being attacked or to protect themselves and others.

The GA has been promoted to villain status (a nod to the right wingers who hate Big Government I guess, while the corporations are a nod to the aware members of the audience.) Thus Varrick is a villain by profession. He was infiltrating the General's movement, which shows that he is against fighting the corporations' de facto rule with violent means. He's not against violence when he's pissed. When the rebel crew found out that the real plan was to blow up the station, Varrick threw a hissy fit and slaughtered everyone else in the crew, for being rebels against the corporation I suppose. And I'm sorry but when he decided to kill his best friend to break out prisoners, it just strikes me as mean. 

So Varrick as moral conscience just is not going to work for me. He's too incoherent and illogical and impulsive and inhumane and insensitive. He's a tough guy, a BAMF, and all we know of his career is treachery and deceit.

[wanderingstar]

Quote

But suddenly trying to promote Varrick to Jiminy Cricket has the problem that he's not cute

Bite your tongue! Roger Cross and his cute self are the main reason I tuned into this show in the first place!

Back to this ep: I guess the story of why Reynaud is looking for Five is on hold for now. She's really the only one we haven't gotten a fully fleshed out backstory for.

And I wonder if Dr. Devon started injecting himself with something that stops his tremors, but now he's become dependent on it.

Edited August 1, 2016 by Gillian Rosh

[ottoDbusdriver]

I guess Five got her first sweater in this episode from the Orphan Black collection.

[sjohnson]

5 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

Bite your tongue! Roger Cross and his cute self are the main reason I tuned into this show in the first place!

I think in the TV technical jargon, Roger Cross is hot and Marc Bendavid is cute.

[Wouter]

17 hours ago, lordonia said:

She stone cold killed Corso, which I would have expected of Portia but not Two. I'm very interested in seeing how Two's emotional internal journey affects her actions.

As I recall, Three and Six have only killed while being attacked or to protect themselves and others. Four ran his sword through Akita after any imminent danger to himself had passed. Five outright ordered a hit, making her a murderer by proxy. Android continues to be an intriguing gray area -- she killed but she's not "human." Would the GA would ever charge a machine with a crime?

Two, Three, Four and Nyx went out with the express goal of killing Corso. Not killing him (even after he had set his trap, which could have killed any of the others as far as Two knew at that time) would have been unbelievable, IMO, much as with Wexler in a pretty similar situation. They are still armed, on the run and dangerous. Leaving Corso alive would have begged a later episode where he gets back at the crew again; I'm glad they ended that possibility.

 

16 hours ago, FurryFury said:

Well, that was pretty anticlimactic. I expected way more from Jace Corso and his interactions with the cast. The season had a strong start, but now I'm starting to see cracks in the plot and characterization all the time.

I didn't like how different Android acted when going undercover. I get that they were going for the contrast, but it was too much, too fast. Took me out of the scenes.

I hope we'll get Nyx reveal next episode, because the hints are starting to be tiresome. She's just too Mary Sue-ish, even for a show that stars Two.

I think killing the closest thing you have to the male lead is still pretty gutsy. Doesn't happen often. It's different with women, unfortunately.

The contrast with the Android was a bit much. I liked that she was still very unnatural while trying to get arrested, allthough that scene was of course played up for laughs.

Nyx is bit too perfect right now, so we'll see what's up with her (may be a threat if things are too nice to be true).

Are female leads killed often? I thought leads aren't killed often at all.

I view Dark Matter as an ensemble show. If there was a male lead in S1, I consider it to be Six, as the traitor and Two's ultimate foil in keeping the crew working together.

[tennisgurl]

I do miss One, but I kind of get killing him. Maybe it will get the crew involved in the greater conspiracy? Will the murder he was trying to avenge his wife ever come back in? Because it seems weird to set up all this stuff for him, then just shoot him right in the head. 

I did like this episode. To me, this has been a solid season, with some good character work, and more world building than last season. I do wonder how the space cops fit into the whole corporate conspiracy stuff. Right now, it looks like we are headed for a Firefly world of evil corporations, and some kind of government conspiracy. Pretty typical sci fi stuff, but it works. I just want to watch interesting characters have space adventures. 

I laughed at the exchange between Three and Four while Four was in custody. Something like:

Space Cop: "Look out, or I`ll kill this guy!"

Three: "If I know Four, I know he would rather we shot him now, then let him get taken in. He would say it was more honorable or some shit"

Four: "Yeah pretty much"

Three: "See? What I tell ya."  

[Raja]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

 

I did like this episode. To me, this has been a solid season, with some good character work, and more world building than last season. I do wonder how the space cops fit into the whole corporate conspiracy stuff. Right now, it looks like we are headed for a Firefly world of evil corporations, and some kind of government conspiracy. Pretty typical sci fi stuff, but it works. I just want to watch interesting characters have space adventures. 

So far we have had bent correctional officers and clean beat cops. The Galactic Authority brass on the other hand seems to be another player player in the power struggle

[Black Knight]

I liked that Two did the sensible thing and shot Jace dead. This isn't a universe where she was going to be able to turn him over to the cops and see him go on trial and be convicted for One's murder: We learned that the GA knew he probably did it but suspended the investigation (no doubt at the behest of whoever hired Jace), and we also learned that Jace was sure that whoever hired him was going to have him killed. Plus it's just smart from a tactical standpoint - as long as she left Jace alive, he was going to keep looking for an opportunity to turn the tables, at which point he would've certainly killed any of the crew he could.

With Four lecturing the GA cop about how the GA is corrupt too and doing the work of the corporations, and Five telling Six how everyone's been after them and Six admitting that'll always be the case, the show's really building on Two's earlier statements about wanting to go after the corporations instead of trying to work for one of them again. That's a really good potential plotline.

I enjoyed the Android's use of the upgrade chip and the crew's reactions to her, but I hope it ends up being a strictly occasional thing, when it's important for a mission that she be able to pass as human. It was entertaining as a one-off, but she lost a lot of what makes her a unique part of the crew's dynamic, and the entertainment value is gone if she's that way all the time.

They're still sticking with a nice-guy portrayal for Devon, which pleases me because if they stick with it, there's no need at all to bring One back. It's a pity that Shaun Sipos wasn't just cast as One in the first place, but oh well. As for One's backstory/plotlines apparently going to waste because he's dead - I would actually argue they have more punch now. That's because, who besides One cared about who murdered his wife? But now with One being a murder victim too, well, all of the original crew cares about who murdered One. And so it's turned from a murder mystery story that primarily interested one character to an umbrella murder mystery story that all of the original crew is invested in.

[sjohnson]

The remark about how all of the original crew cares about who murdered One made me realize that I didn't get that vibe at all, not even from Two. I might have if she hadn't boasted about shooting in cold blood. She wasn't even pissed about him being murdered, which is pretty damn cold. Boone is too damn cool to give a shit about anything, except when the script gives him a pat the dog moment (the designated cuteness puppy is Emily/"Five.") Ryo is just a murderous power obsessed would be tyrant with delusions of humanity who doesn't seem to think of much besides seizing power. Varrick only thought about the aesthetic consequences for Two's soul. And come to think of it, I'm never really quite sure what Emily/"Five" is feeling. She was pretty laid back about her dead boy friend last season.

[Wryly]

I loved the chip activated Android. She was expressive and fun, yet still somehow managed to retain that quasi-innocent "I don't know your human ways" air. Her behavior toward the poor guards on that station. Hilarious. 

You know, after the season premiere, the creator of Dark Matter said:

Quote

"At the end of the day what I said to Marc is that the door is open for him to come back because he plays two characters. We close the door on One, but Jace Corso is still out there."

Not anymore! All doors closed. He's deader than dead on dead. I really thought they'd make Corso a recurring villain, but they sewed the revenge arc up in one episode. It's like the writers wanted to tear Bendavid out of the show root and stem, as quickly as possible. I'm sure that wasn't the case. But. You know. Appearances.

Bendavid has apparently compared himself to Kenny from South Park due to his many deaths on the show.

On 7/30/2016 at 6:57 AM, SimoneS said:

Jace Corso came and went fast. I thought that Two was going to take him to the Raza. Since this is scifi, I still think that One will show up somehow, maybe as a clone or something else.

The show's creator has said that resurrecting One "is a possibility" since this is sci-fi, but there are no current plans to do so, and really, he finds that resurrections reduce the dramatic impact of character deaths. So, don't get your hopes up, but remember that producers sometimes lie through their teeth.

Though I found Corso's whole "might is right, you were a predator like me" speech fairly cliche, I did find it interesting when he attacked the crew's loyalty to Moss.

Quote

"You're seriously gonna tell me you came here to get revenge for Derrick Moss? He was a spoiled rich kid who had everything handed to him, and he still screwed up."

It brought home how much that memory wipe really did turn everything on its head, until the most unlikely people were banding together. Also, I liked Two's headshot. It's annoying when bad guys start their tired "morality has made you WEAK!" monologues. Oh, shut up.

Regarding Nyx: I find her a bit undefined so far. The only thing that sets her apart for me are her abilities, not her personality. I mean, it's great that she can see a few seconds into the future and all, and I'm sure we'll get plenty of backstory on whatever's up with her, but what I really want is for her to add a unique new voice to the crew. Not really feeling that yet. She's basically just "strong female fighter", and that position is already filled.

Kierken was an interesting character, and I hope we see more of him. Whenever I see a crusader who doesn't understand the corruption in his own organization, I crave a plot arc where that crusader eventually realizes the people he's hunting are far less "bad guy" than the people he's been serving. I also hope they'll play more on the Kierken/Four interaction -- both considering themselves "men of honor" with mutual disapproval -- because Four doesn't get enough unique relationships.

[sjohnson]

Our amnesiac crew isn't as bad as the corporations (and possibly not even the GA.) But Varrick's friend that he murdered was right that the real crew of the Raza shouldn't go free.

[Wouter]

13 hours ago, sjohnson said:

The remark about how all of the original crew cares about who murdered One made me realize that I didn't get that vibe at all, not even from Two. I might have if she hadn't boasted about shooting in cold blood. She wasn't even pissed about him being murdered, which is pretty damn cold.

Two was pissed. It's the main reason she shot Corso. It's why she went after him in the first place ("we can't just let that slide"). She was also shown grieving about One, as soon as she learned (a cute scene in early episode 3, before the old memories got temporarily restored).

Ok, we didn't see her crying and tearing her hair out, but that's not Two. Nor is it needed.

6 hours ago, Wryly said:

You know, after the season premiere, the creator of Dark Matter said: "At the end of the day what I said to Marc is that the door is open for him to come back because he plays two characters. We close the door on One, but Jace Corso is still out there."

Not anymore! All doors closed. He's deader than dead on dead. I really thought they'd make Corso a recurring villain, but they sewed the revenge arc up in one episode. It's like the writers wanted to tear Bendavid out of the show root and stem, as quickly as possible. I'm sure that wasn't the case. But. You know. Appearances.

Bendavid has apparently compared himself to Kenny from South Park due to his many deaths on the show.

The show's creator has said that resurrecting One "is a possibility" since this is sci-fi, but there are no current plans to do so, and really, he finds that resurrections reduce the dramatic impact of character deaths. So, don't get your hopes up, but remember that producers sometimes lie through their teeth.

 

Kierken was an interesting character, and I hope we see more of him. Whenever I see a crusader who doesn't understand the corruption in his own organization, I crave a plot arc where that crusader eventually realizes the people he's hunting are far less "bad guy" than the people he's been serving. I also hope they'll play more on the Kierken/Four interaction -- both considering themselves "men of honor" with mutual disapproval -- because Four doesn't get enough unique relationships.

I like Kierken, too, as a seemingly honest and competent character on the side of the GA. He may well turn into an ally-of-convenience of sorts, at a later time.

As for Bendavid, he visited Mallozzi fairly recently (after the filming of the season) so apparently the relationship isn't too bad. Mallozzi may not resurrect One (I don't think he should), but he has also talked about time travel stories or alternative universes. There's also the odd flashback, allthough some of those would involved Dan Jeannotte, I suppose. Guest roles of Marc remain possible.

[jhlipton]

On July 23, 2016 at 5:35 PM, Chaos Theory said:

Well tv needs to distinguish between GoodFace and BadFace and guyliner is a good way as any.  

I thought that's what goatees where for...

[sjohnson]

"we can't just let that slide.." is not grief. And she said she killed Corso in cold blood. I don't believe anything Boone says about his feelings, but I believe Two. 

Don't remember the cute scene, which may be a lapse on my part. (Typo for cut scene?)