Dark Matter S01E02: "Episode Two" Hello again! Last time we checked in on Dark Matter we were all like, "Ehhh, it's all right, I'll give it another episode." And that's exactly what I did. I'm not sad about it either. "Episode Two" was another all right episode for the very same reasons "Episode One" was; there's just enough intrigue in concepts like identity, morality, and redemption, but it's also ankle-chained to a two-ton ball of expository dialogue and a situation that begs us to care about it. But in this case, I think the good outweighs the bad, especially when we're talking about a show that airs at 10pm on a Friday night on Syfy. A quick recap of what happened: After finding out they were a bunch of murderers and scoundrels (except for Four, whose true identity remains delightfully unknown—gotta have some ammo for later in the season, right?), Team Dark Matter's purpose with the mining colony became even more muddled to them. Were they there to help them or kill them? Though it would have been a pleasant surprise if they did go down there and fill everyone full of bullets, they agreed to help them out which makes sense given that this is a television show and we're supposed to feel some sympathy for these characters. Oh yeah, they won, and the multicorp that wanted to evict the miners was sent away thanks to quick thinking (and complicated negotiating by Two). I don't quite know how I feel about those stubborn miners, and that may be the point. What Dark Matter has accomplished is inserting the viewer into the predicament of its protagonists fairly well. Would I want to stick around and help save their lives like goody-goody One? Or would I have been just as happy letting them fend for themselves like lone wolf Three? I could see myself going either way. Last week I compared the premise of the miner situation to a morality quest in the video game Mass Effect (where players can select between one of two options, usually either being a caring space savior or a ruthless asshole), and it's still in play here. Choices really matter here, and in a sense it's all that matters to Dark Matter and its characters because figuring out who these people really are, through both uncovering the truths of their past and the actions of their present, is the big question that keeps Dark Matter chugging along. There were a few attempts to play these characters off each other, and it's the right move but it's not quite working yet. Team Dark Matter is made up of six individuals (and one android), so there should be six different opinions on what could happen. There should also be six different opinions on loyalty to everyone else. That idea was given some run here, with Two getting an offer from corporate space dork to bail on her friends and take a cash payment, and Five getting proposed safety from a Ferris Corp. grunt if Five let the guy go free. Of course we all knew that these individuals wouldn't betray the team yet, otherwise this would be a very short series. Maybe an introductory disposable character (Seven) would have worked as someone who showed off what happens when one member of Team Dark Matter does bail on the group, because loyalty to each other—they're all strangers, after all—is another concept that could be milked for some good material. As it stands, the group appeared to be fiercely loyal to each other (Six even volunteered to go on a suicide mission to save everyone) and I'm not totally feeling a logical reason why they should be, other than they all want to figure out who they are together because it's presumably easier if they figure it out as a team. And because it's convenient for a television show. The good thing is that Dark Matter appeared to be committed to its themes, which is much more interesting than the fate of some inconsequential planet squatters. And hopefully the mining arc is truly done and Team Dark Matter can get on to the next quest that tests their sense of identity, morality, and loyalty. "Episode Two" was pleasantly on par with the premiere, and consistency in tone and quality can take the show further than you think. Dark Matter isn't amazing, but it's good enough to stay current with. DARK MATTERS – One: "You think this is funny?" Three: "It's my defense mechanism. Humor. That and apparently killing people." He may be stock rogue-ish space asshole, but Three can be pretty funny. – Am I crazy or is Canadian Idol winner Melissa O'Neil surprisingly good as Two? – Five cut a guy's head off with a sword. I approve! – Either I missed something or Two knows a lot more about what's going on than we initially thought. When did they mention the rival multicorp that she used to provide legal interference with Ferris Corp.'s claim on the planet? – There's something liberating about naming all the characters after numbers and all the episodes "Episode One," "Episode Two," and so on. Keepin' it simple! – I'm not sure if I'll be doing episodic coverage for the whole season, but if Syfy continues to send me screeners and there's something to talk about (and if you readers continue to show interest), I'll write them up.



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