Last week in Dark Matter a huge chunk of Three’s backstory came to light and an entertainment Android almost killed the whole crew. In episode eight, the layers continue to be peeled back and there are some surprising revelations. The issue of One, being a copy, comes up once again. Six attempts to get a little payback on the man who made him a mass murderer and Android learns that her programming is flawed.
This show continues to surprise and delight with all the slow reveals of the characters. Three was shown to be a “heel with a heart” in the previous episode and the crew’s past came up to bite them in the butt with the evil android who was controlled by a disgruntled former victim of the mercenaries. In terms of amusement and backstory surprise the episode ranked very highly.
Transfer Transit 2.0, which was introduced early on in the series, Dark Matter’s version of Rekal (Philip K Dick – We Can Remember It For You Wholesale/Total Recall) but using clones and memories and not just memories, features heavily in this episode. Six, who learned in a prior episode about being made a patsy for a the revolution uses the TT 2.0 to continue his journey of revenge.
At the start of the show, he is seen meeting with a group of criminal’s who are going to lead him to the general. Things go south and Six is shot dead. As two of the group discuss the events, the body disappears in a puff of ash and smoke.
The Android, who was shot at pointblank range last week is still out of action while nanites repair the robot. Two lands the ship for repairs and the crew head off for supplies and some R&R. Three, who is still upset about last week’s death, has to be talked into going by Four.
Once they disembark, Six heads off on his own, much to Five’s disappointment, and the rest of the group go out for a meal. After discussing what the burgers are made of (meal worms asserts Two) they change from solids to liquids. *Comedic moment.* One stops eating his burger and Three, who decides that meal worms are not an issue, says, “You’re not eating that,” and grabs One’s burger and takes a large bite out of it.
Later, when the crew have gotten a bit drunk, Five shows up to tell them about Six and his visit to Transfer Transit. The mercenaries decide to search his room on the ship to learn where he has gone. Three heads for a closet and finds that Six has been hoarding the green food strips. “He lied,” exclaims Three, “I knew it.” When they try to hack into Six’s computer terminal by guessing his password, Three suggests trying “lying hoarder” as he eats a green food strip.
Five agrees to hack the system and the crew learn about the terrorist attack that he was responsible for. Six goes back to the group that killed him before. Despite his clone dying before transferring the memories, Six has worked out that the group were dangerous and kills them all before forcing the female leader to lead him to the general.
Back at the ship, Four suggests that they follow Six and find out what he is up to. Three characteristically refuses to be cloned and left “gift wrapped and helpless” for the GA. Five volunteers, but Two says she has to stay on the ship since the Android is out of commission. Four says he will go and One is ordered to go with him by Two.
Four and One learn what they must do to used the Transfer Transit, and reluctantly One agrees. *Sidenote* Cue another great comic moment. Even Ishida assassins will fight for the discount. When the sales person asks if Four and One are a couple, One says no. Four asks if there is a discount. When she says there is a 10 percent discount, Four replies, “Well then yes, we are a couple.” One looks completely embarrassed and nonplussed.
Six has found the general’s location and is led off to meet with him.
One is clearly terrified of the technology and keeps asking questions until the woman forces the lid on the pod closed. At the other end, as he dresses the camera avoids One’s face. Four enters the room and immediately hits One in the face. Four begins asking the clone, who looks completely different, who he is. One starts relaying information about the rest of the crew to a disbelieving Four. He finishes his description of the other mercenaries with “Three is an a**hole.”
“It is you,” Four says.
Five goes to visit Android and wakes her up. “I’m sorry,” she says. The Android asks why she is sorry and Five tells the robot that it was her fault that Android was hurt. What follows is a discussion between the two where Android says that she is a logic based program and after Five explains her reactions to Wendy and others, Android says that her programming is flawed. Five tells the robot she has feelings and congratulates her with a hug, an expressionless Android looks over Five’s shoulder as they interact.
Four and One learn where Six went. The general meets with Six and the two discuss their past. The leader is unapologetic about the killing of women and children. As they talk, he reveals that the things that made Griff a good soldier now make him a threat and he plans to kill him. He mentions that he knows Griff is checking the time and says he will be dead before his friends can arrive.
One and Four can be seen on a monitor heading to where Six and the general are talking. Six’s shuttle explodes, he set the ship to “critical” just for that reason and in the confusion kills everyone in the room and finished by choking the general to death. As the other man expires, his body disappears in a cloud of ash and smoke, like “Griff” the man is a clone.
Back at the ship, the mercenaries question One about his identity and Three is also in the doghouse because he lied about his shipmate not being the real Jace Corso and then blackmailed him. Two tells him off for both actions and she then has a go at Six. The leader is not happy that the crew are not trusting enough. They must, she insists, try harder.
Two and The Android discuss the rest of the crew after the robot’s diagnostics are read out. Two explains that the morale on the ship is low and they cannot trust each other. The Android asks Two why she has not told the others the truth about herself. Two looks concerned and unhappy.
Five goes to ask Six if he wants to see a movie on the station, “Star Wars 36 remastered.” Six turns her down. Four gets in contact with his brother Hiro, the new emperor of Ishida and One learns who he really is; Derrick Moss, heir to a fortune and a man whose wife was murdered. The main suspect is Three, aka Marcus Boone.
Dark Matter keeps stripping back the layers to show what each “number” is hiding. There are still a few crew members left who have had very little exposure in terms of backstory. Two for example. The Androids question at the end of the episode makes it seem that Two may have wiped the crews’ memories. Five still has a lot of history unrevealed and little is known about the Android.
Anthony Lemke is fighting Zoie Palmer in the comic relief stakes and these two really make this show work. As an ensemble piece Dark Matter works almost flawlessly and each week another crew member is allowed to carry a portion of the show. In terms of characters, it still seems that Five, Jodelle Ferland‘s character, knows a lot more than she is letting on.
Each episode moves the story forward while simultaneously shedding more light on each character and generating still more questions. This formula ensures attention levels do not wane and keeps the viewer guessing. Dark Matter is part of SyFy Friday and is great television that should not be missed.
Mikes Film Talk 