Tag: Space TV

Dark Matter: Goose Bump Time ‘Stuff to Steal, People to Kill’

Dark Matter - Season 2

Reading and watching Tom Gardiner‘s short and sweet article about the upcoming Dark Matter episode (“Stuff to Steal, People to Kill”) prompted a full body goose bump attack. Not only does the promo, going after the “other” Raza, and the “sneak peak” show the other side of that “Blink” it references time. (Although Tom seems to believe alternate worlds is the answer here.)

We prefer to think the space time continuum is in play here not in terms of dimensions but time alone. Let us explain.

The sneak peak, which we will offer down below courtesy of YouTube,  reveals the consequences of that initial Blink.  In essence a lot of things on the Raza have gone boom, or snap, crackle, pop.  The Android diverts power to fix most of the problems and Five works to fix the FTL.

Nyx and Devon have sent out a distress call to the Raza.  The station that they were dropped off on has been pretty much destroyed.  As the ship approaches the “dead” station Two tells The Android to dock so they can help their newer crew members.

The Android, who has provided nothing but bad news so far, tells Two that they cannot dock and that there are no survivors.  (She also explained previously that they only traveled 1.2 miles in the Blink.)

In the distance there are three ships fighting a desperate battle. One of these is the Raza. Two, aka Portia, then says that line that prompts goose bumps, “We have to go after that other Raza.”

Wow.

Dark Matter just keeps getting better and darker.  The premise of a parallel world may indeed be the meaning of this sneak peak.  If this is the case, and Blink is  not a time travel device, it means that in that world One could still be alive.

This raises all sorts of questions.

Are the crew the same? Have they evolved or could this be a case of the merry band being more evil versions of themselves. (Think evil Kirk in Star Trek: The Enemy Within.) Could One be brought back? Of course the most important question is whether this is an alternate dimension or not.

Although, if the Blink device put them in a different time, all bets are off. To be fair, parallel worlds are a version of time, per se,  in a lot of theories.  Of course leaving time aside, Stephen Hawking has opined that blackholes could be portals into alternate universes.  This may well be what has occurred.

But, if we go with the theory that all times run concurrently, another theory,  then could the short “hop” made by the Blink equal a move to the future.  Where the Raza has encountered hostile ships and the station destroyed by same?

If this is the case then not only could the crew possibly save Nyx and Devon but…Drum Roll please…They could save One as well. (Yes,  we really miss One at Mike’s Film Talk.)

Either way, this short peak has proven what the previous episode only hinted at. The Blink device is a game changer. In more ways than one.

We have said it before and we will say it again, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie are killing it with this second season.  These two continually pull another rabbit out of the proverbial hat, which often turns into a fire breathing dragon, as each episode progresses.

If indeed this is time travel, we have to go grab some straws and start making some diagrams…

Dark Matter airs Fridays on SyFy and Space TV. Do not miss this series. That is all.

CAST:

Dark Matter: She’s One of Them Now – Cloning Around (Review)

Dark Matter - Season 2

Dark Matter “She’s One of Them Now” starts off a bit lighter than last week’s “downer” episode. The Raza crew kidnap Talbor Calchek so he can help them to grab some transit pods. These will be used to send clones around to grab the prototype “drive” that works with the “key” that Alicia Reynaud wants so desperately.

This episode actually shows what that “key” is really for. Which means that One is not going to be saved as it is not actually a “time travel” device.   We also learn more about the resident drug addict Devon.  Before the end of the episode, Nyx and Devon bond a little and Five  shows just how good she is at hacking.

The transit travel pods are a personal favorite and these clone devices are used by Three, Four and Five to do a recon of Reynaud’s facility. Two sets up the rules for the fact finding mission and The Android is fixated on how snug Three’s traveling outfit is.

In terms of comedy Hewlett’s Calchek and Palmer’s android are pretty even in this episode. The two work brilliantly together as a double act. Calchek’s yells for attention behind his locked door is a great example.

The Android answers his desperate pleas. Calchek mentions he has been yelling for a half hour and he is upset that no one heard him. The Android replies that she heard him sometime ago and she “just assumed you’d give up eventually.”

Later, as The Android monitors the mission, Calchek brings up her illegal upgrade.  Their interchange is brilliant and funny. He makes a remark that could be deemed insulting. “No offense,” Calchek says. “None taken,” The Android replies after giving Calchek a long stare.

She then manages to completely intimidate the man by giving three different possible explanations for her upgrade. Between each statement, she takes several steps coming closer to Calchek. As she gets nearer, his discomfort grows does  her menacing air.

Dark Matter - Season 2

The mission at Reynaud’s facility is also rather funny.  The clones of Three, Four and Five jump two scientists and their bodyguard.  They then swap clothes and Five wears a scientist smock several sizes too big. She complains and Three says “Ah you look like a ‘widdle’ scientist.”

Earlier Five learns what the card does; it powers a “blink” drive.  The trio go to retrieve the device. They go into a room where the drive is set on top of a lighted stand. Five grabs the machine and as they go to leave an automated voice asks for a password.

“Password?” Three says and the voice instantly says “incorrect password.” The trio hurriedly  head back to the pods. They are jumped by security and Three  tells Five to head back to the ship with the device. He rambles on as he convinces her to leave and Four interjects: “You know she’s gone already, right?”

“She’s One of Them Now” applies specifically  to Nyx. She is now, according to Devon, a crew member of the Raza.  The episode shows us a more confident Five, a more accepted Six we see The Android continuing  to “evolve” with her new upgrade.

While the episode was, for the most part, quite amusing it ends on a downer and a cliffhanger.  On the bright side, Devon is allowed a chance at redemption and he takes it. The Seers  want him to divulge the whereabouts of Nyx and he refuses. The medic pays dearly for his loyalty to Nyx and the crew as the Seers stab him cruelly in the stomach.

Devon is left writhing on the floor with blood pouring from his wound. It appears that he will not be inadvertently selling out his temporary crew mates after all.

The Raza try out the “blink” device. As the drive initiates,  an ear piercing  sound is heard and The Android states that the thing is not working correctly. As the crew protect their ears the Raza vanishes.

Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie have specialized in warming up the audience only to splash freezing water in their faces.  This was, for the most part, an amusing episode. Devon’s apparent death at the hands of the Seers was a shocking moment. It also put the medic in a different light.

(This sequence also proves  what Nyx said in the prior episode to be true, the collective mind did work better with Milo. Now that he is dead, the Seers predictive powers have waned.)

Dark Matter - Season 2

The backstory of Devon explained his drug addiction and the chance for redemption  made him more human. Nyx’s support of her new crew mate also added dimension to her character.

A little contemplation:

The Nerd Recites points out that Dark Matter utilizes tropes and narrative  from Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai.  The show does indeed do this to an extent. Which brings up an interesting scenario.

Most science fiction can be easily classified as “westerns in space.” Using the narrative and tropes from Kurosawa’s samurai film (Which was the director’s homage to John Ford westerns.) makes Dark Matter a “double western.”

Apart from the  comic interplay between Calchek and The Android the second highlight of the episode has to be Five’s deadpan killing of Three and Four’s clones. Taking a note from Emily Blunt’s character in Edge of Tomorrow. Five does not hesitate, “See you back on the ship.” Bang. Bang.

While One may not be saved with this new blink drive, the crew now have access to game changing tech.  The crew stuck in the middle of two waring factions now have a “level playing field” as Six rightly says.

Thinking of the small crew caught between warring factions it brings to mind another Kurosawa classic “Yojimbo.”  Any thoughts on this one?

Dark Matter airs Fridays on SyFy and Space TV. If you are not watching this show, you should be.

CAST:

Guest Stars:  Melanie Liburd  –  Nyx,  Shaun Sipos  –  Devon,  Mpho Koaho,  Inga Cadranel – Alicia Reynaud and David Hewlett  – Talbor Calchek.

Dark Matter: We Should Have Seen That Coming – Darker (Review)

Dark Matter - Season 2

With shades of  Philip K. Dick “We Should Have Seen That Coming” has a lot going on and the show has turned even darker. (Of course it has a lot going on, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie are the creators of this brilliant sci fi tale.) Dark Matter last week saw The Android kick arse, in more ways than one, and Six released from his “holding cell.”

The newest installment shows the crew trusting Nyx, a drug heist, a rescue and a precognitive  predicting that the Raza crew will be betrayed yet again.  By one of their own. The question is who?

There are clues there.

Before coming up with a very short list of suspects we need to look at the episode in greater detail.  Nyx has flashbacks to her life before prison and the Raza.  This memory reveals that she is not pumped full of nanites or an android. She has precognitive abilities and she uses these to escape.

The Android investigates the messages erased by Arax before he tried to recover the key.  Two notices that The Android is wearing a different outfit and she has “reverted to type.” The Android explains that, in essence, she prefers the familiarity of her “real” self versus the upgraded version.  She still has the upgrade, however, just in case…

Two briefs the Raza crew on the identity of the woman Arax was dealing with; Alicia Reynaud.  She is, Two says, corporate elite and sits on a number of  boards partly owned by Ferrous. Five makes a tentative connection between Reynaud and the “time” key.

In order to investigate, Two suggests a heist to build their coffers. Nyx makes a suggestion; drugs. A hallucinogen called “Shadow.” Five and Six are not pleased to be drug dealing. Three gets the line  of the episode with “Stop making me ask ‘What’s that.'”

The Raza attacks the ship carrying the party drug. Nyx, Two, Four, and Three board the ship.  They take stun weapons from the occupants they shoot down and Nyx knows exactly where she is going. Two follows.

Four and Three grab the drugs and Nyx grabs a young man who turns out to be her brother; Milo. The crew grab Milo and their “booty” and head back to the Raza. Hansmeed and his people are in close pursuit.

Once Milo is on board, the crew learn that Milo and Nyx were part of a collective mind. (This brings to mind “The Borg” on Star Trek: The Next Generation – and of course Minority Report. Another lovely touch.) Similar to the “precogs” in Minority Report the collective mind works out probable outcomes with a high rate of success.

Milo is the key, as he is the most powerful, and Hansmeed wants the young man back at any cost. The ship follows Raza as it jumps from place to place. Six and Three hide the  Marauder on a toxic planet.

Devon takes a box of Shadow for himself and later he takes a dose of the stuff. Five suspects something is up with their new medic.  Nyx and Milo explain what they did for Hansmeed and what the drug was used for. Shadow, they explain, enhances the ability to link minds to the “Seers.”

Four takes time to speak with Milo, after Nyx asks him to learn about her brother.  Milo tells him that he knows a member of the crew will betray the rest…again. Four  leaves the young man an apple and a knife.

Two confronts the enemy ship and tries to bluff Hansmeed.

She fails.

The seers take Milo back. Four escorts the him to the ship and tells him that the group do not necessarily have to win.  Later, Milo takes himself out of he equation using the weapon that Four gave him.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about “We Should Have Seen That Coming,” apart from Milo’s end, is his prediction of another betrayal. Initially, the impulse is to run down the original crew members and wonder who will play Judas this time.

However the list of suspects should be much shorter; Devon and Nyx.

Nyx because of her brother’s death. She will eventually work out that Four had a hand in it. This alone  propels her toward the top of the list. However it is Devon who wins the “crew member most likely” to do a Benedict Arnold to Team Raza.

Devon took the Shadow drug. It may be  a hallucinogen, but as Milo points out, it also strengthens the ability of the seers to connect with the collective mind. As Milo pointed out, everyone has a touch of precognitive ability in them.

Putting on a “seer” hat it seems pretty certain that Devon will inadvertently betray his new crew because of the Shadow.  (Using that same soothsayer cap it is clear that the person Milo says could change history will be Five.)

This season of Dark Matter is darker. There are corporate storm clouds gathering and the crew of the Raza is stuck right in the middle. They are currently in the eye of the dark hurricane  that is approaching.

Just before the end credits another disturbing even occurs. The seemingly indestructible Two, with all her nanites, has a spasm in her right hand. It does not take a seer to work out that this is bad.

Dark Matter airs Fridays on SyFy and Space TV.  Miss this and miss the best science fiction on television.

 

 

CAST:

Guest Stars:  Melanie Liburd  –  Nyx,  Shaun Sipos  –  Devon,  Mpho Koaho – Milo, Daniel Fathers – Hansmeed and Inga Cadranel – Alicia Reynaud. 

Killjoys: I Love Lucy – Whoa (Review)

Killjoys - Season 2

Last week  Killjoys saw Pawter take over from her mother after a killing fog thinned out the family tree. In “I Love Lucy” the Killjoys search for green goo that does not come from a “mossy.”  This episode was a mixed bag of tricks. A good bit of comedy and a fairly impressive “villain” and a moment with D’Avin and Sabine that will make you go “Whoa!”

The episode begins with D’Av and Johnny experimenting with the green stuff that comes out of Mossy. D’Avin shows Dutch how he can control a bowl of the goo with his mind.  Mid way through his exhibition, the green liquid comes in contact with his fingers and his mind links with the bug’s.

D’Av is deeply affected by the experience, “I’ll never step on a bug again.”

Pree knows where the Killjoys can find some of the green goo and he sets Dutch up while D’Avin and Sabine flirt at the bar. Johnny returns to the ship and talks to Pawter. Toward the end of their conversation they do some flirting of their own.

As Pree gives Dutch the tracking code, she notices D’Av and Sabine in deep “flirt” at the bar. The bar owner tells his friend it is perfectly acceptable to “dwant” D’Avin. (Where you are not sure you want someone but do not want anyone else to have them either.) Dutch gets the use of dwant wrong.

The Killjoys arrive at Romwell’s ship and it is inside an asteroid. Johnny is beside himself.  Romwell is a bit smarmy and uses  his molecular printer to create a sample of the green goo.

The  man has a massive collection of things and three android  type women who are minders (bodyguards). As the collector only trades for items he searches the Killjoy ship for something that interests him. He finds Mossy.

Romwell attempts to cheat the Killjoys and Dutch goes to serve a warrant on him.  The androids intercede and Romwell takes the trio off the ship. Before leaving Johnny grabs a bit of tech that he will use later on.

The three are brought back to Romwell’s ship and held hostage. D’Avin attacks one of the androids and it goes to kill him. Dutch tells the collector to call it off.

(The line of the episode goes to Hannah John-Kamen’s character with her, ” Let him go or else  I’ll punch your testicles up into your eyeholes.”)

Romwell demands Dutch’s sitar and the story behind it in exchange for her freedom. She agrees. Two of the androids attempt to process Johnny and D’Av. (One of the droids gets the second best line of the episode with, ” get naked.”)

Dutch tells her captor the backstory of the sitar and her childhood. Romwell reciprocates with a tale of his youth. D’Avin and Johnny fight off the androids while the tech syncs with one of the robots. Lucy, or a Lucy app, takes over one of the androids. She is inordinately pleased to learn that she has “opposable thumbs.”

Before the the three leave the processing room, D’Av grabs a peach for Sabine.

As Dutch’s story concludes, she has Romwell play the sitar.  He does so and becomes paralyzed by the poison on its strings. Dutch kills him using a string as a garrote.

The Killjoys  try to escape and in the process, Romwell “comes back to life” and the androids refuse to be shut down.  Lucy has a moment with Johnny, they share a kiss and the android version of Lucy sends sparks out of her index finger. (Her version of fireworks…)

There is a humorous bit where Dutch tries to find the green goo as the Jaqobis brothers follow an inexhaustible Lucy android through a maze of tunnels to the ship. The bodyguard androids come back online as Romwell and Dutch fight for control.

She thinks the collector is a Level 6 and he reveals that he is immortal due to nanites.

Killjoys - Season 2
Dutch, D’Av and Johnny

In short order the Lucy Android is killed by Romwell’s androids. D’Avin blows up Romwell’s asteroid ship (but the collector goes with the Killjoys) and Pawter shows up on the ship to see Johnny. Dutch visits Alvis and D’Av brings Sabine the peach.

After eating a slice of the fruit she  and D’Avin have sex.  Suddenly, mid coitus, Sabine starts to cry, she says it is down to happiness, but the tears turn green. She begins to convulse and more of the green goo comes flooding out of her eyes.

She falls to her back and the stuff surrounds her head on the floor. D’Av is beside himself.

“I Love Lucy” was, for the most part, quite light-hearted. (If one overlooks the coldblooded murder of Romwell.) Some of the lines were very funny – Dutch calls the android “murderous pixies.”  The sudden shocking death of Sabine was a show stopper.

D’Avin seemed to have found the perfect mate only to have her die in a flood of green goo.

Killjoys airs Fridays on SyFy and Space TV.

CAST:

Guest starring Tori Anderson as Sabine and Keon Alexander as Sam Romwell 

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