Dark Matter: Kill Them All
July 9, 2016 9:32 AM - Season 2, Episode 2 - Subscribe
Imprisoned in Hyperion-8, the crew must negotiate attempted assassinations, extraditions, and behind-the-scenes machinations as they plot their escape. (imdb)
It felt better this week. And most of the crew found new friends to bring back to the Raza, except for Six who had to do bad things to his friend.
The new additions to the team are sure to be temporary. I can imagine they could find a place for the medic, but I don't know the others will be likely to stick around without causing serious trouble. Mind you, he seems to have too many puppy dog tendencies, so I'm sure he'll turn out to be major trouble.
Five certainly earned her outlaw credentials in this episode. It's nice to see the Android having an arc as well.
posted by sardonyx at 8:05 PM on July 9, 2016 [1 favorite]
The new additions to the team are sure to be temporary. I can imagine they could find a place for the medic, but I don't know the others will be likely to stick around without causing serious trouble. Mind you, he seems to have too many puppy dog tendencies, so I'm sure he'll turn out to be major trouble.
Five certainly earned her outlaw credentials in this episode. It's nice to see the Android having an arc as well.
posted by sardonyx at 8:05 PM on July 9, 2016 [1 favorite]
Is the medic not the asset placed by whoever the final corporate players are at the end?
And I very much enjoyed the nice camera move over Famke that went 'surely they won't kill her, it's a bluff, she's got to be a major character piece' and then calmly went back for a headshot kill. Five won't kill directly - she used a sonic gun right? - but she will arrange death easily. It's a little terrifying how black and white her approach to people is.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 5:51 AM on July 10, 2016
And I very much enjoyed the nice camera move over Famke that went 'surely they won't kill her, it's a bluff, she's got to be a major character piece' and then calmly went back for a headshot kill. Five won't kill directly - she used a sonic gun right? - but she will arrange death easily. It's a little terrifying how black and white her approach to people is.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 5:51 AM on July 10, 2016
Two, Three and Four all proved they're just as gullible as they were last season (Sure, we'll walk all the way into this incinerator, what could go wrong?) but apart from that I think they're keeping things moving better so far this season. I'm doing a lot less eye-rolling, that's for sure.
I loved Four's "I look forward to returning to my home planet, even if just for a short visit."
Mike Dopud is really different than other things I've seen him in. His character reminds me a bit of Mr. Boss in iZombie.
Tori Higginson looks like she's having fun in her role. I like her in this better than I ever did in Stargate: Atlantis.
I thought that Ellen Wong (the actor playing the woman tasked with bringing Four home whose character name I don't recall, and apparently IMDb doesn't either) gave a performance that was deeper than a show like this typically requires. I hope she sticks around.
Six's part in all this seems somewhat half-baked from a writing perspective, but I think the writers just had too many balls in the air and decided not to spend a lot of time on his internal struggle so it got shorthanded.
Anyone notice that the warden only ever appeared on-screen with two other people during his whole "arc," and not even at the same time? I bet that actor shot all his scenes in one day. It's a pretty good cost-saving move, but it began to feel somewhat obvious.
My wild theory is that the person who was shot at the end of the previous ep, whom we thought was Space Ross, was actually Jake Corso, who decided to take over the role of Derek Moss and who had some DNA from his earlier encounter with Space Ross. Space Ross meanwhile had begun investigating his wife's death and had assumed the role of Jake Corso to move among the criminal element with ease. He came back and discovered the real Corso had taken his identity as Moss, and killed him.
There are a lot of holes in my theory... but that's never been a dealbreaker for this show.
In any case, Marc Bendavid not appearing in this ep at all means it's likely that next week (or soon at least) will be all about Space Ross. I think the character (whomever that turns out to be) should grow a goatee.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 11:09 AM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
I loved Four's "I look forward to returning to my home planet, even if just for a short visit."
Mike Dopud is really different than other things I've seen him in. His character reminds me a bit of Mr. Boss in iZombie.
Tori Higginson looks like she's having fun in her role. I like her in this better than I ever did in Stargate: Atlantis.
I thought that Ellen Wong (the actor playing the woman tasked with bringing Four home whose character name I don't recall, and apparently IMDb doesn't either) gave a performance that was deeper than a show like this typically requires. I hope she sticks around.
Six's part in all this seems somewhat half-baked from a writing perspective, but I think the writers just had too many balls in the air and decided not to spend a lot of time on his internal struggle so it got shorthanded.
Anyone notice that the warden only ever appeared on-screen with two other people during his whole "arc," and not even at the same time? I bet that actor shot all his scenes in one day. It's a pretty good cost-saving move, but it began to feel somewhat obvious.
My wild theory is that the person who was shot at the end of the previous ep, whom we thought was Space Ross, was actually Jake Corso, who decided to take over the role of Derek Moss and who had some DNA from his earlier encounter with Space Ross. Space Ross meanwhile had begun investigating his wife's death and had assumed the role of Jake Corso to move among the criminal element with ease. He came back and discovered the real Corso had taken his identity as Moss, and killed him.
There are a lot of holes in my theory... but that's never been a dealbreaker for this show.
In any case, Marc Bendavid not appearing in this ep at all means it's likely that next week (or soon at least) will be all about Space Ross. I think the character (whomever that turns out to be) should grow a goatee.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 11:09 AM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think they really, genuinely and truly killed off Space Ross. And that...surprises me somewhat because this show previously put regulars in danger but never killed them off. I'm also wondering if Six is on the shelf for good or just for a couple of episodes. I'm really hoping it's just temporary.
This episode felt a lot darker than previous episodes. I did laugh several times but the last third of it was pretty grim. That's not a complaint. The stakes feel much higher this season and I'm really enjoying it. I feel like it's found its feet.
posted by rednikki at 11:20 AM on July 10, 2016
This episode felt a lot darker than previous episodes. I did laugh several times but the last third of it was pretty grim. That's not a complaint. The stakes feel much higher this season and I'm really enjoying it. I feel like it's found its feet.
posted by rednikki at 11:20 AM on July 10, 2016
OMG, I think I see the problem... several members of the crew of The Raza apparently studied at the Rip Hunter Academy of Space Adventure, according to their bios. That explains a lot.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 11:20 AM on July 10, 2016
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 11:20 AM on July 10, 2016
I'm enjoying this show a lot. Last season and now especially this season I find that although it has much less panache than Killjoys, it's a far more interesting show. I've not even managed to finish last week's episode of Killjoys, but I watched this week's episode of Dark Matter as soon as I could.
Its weaknesses are that it doesn't have much style and it's sometimes paint-by-the-numbers, but then other times it goes in surprising directions. What I'm really liking about it in these first two episodes of this season are that I feel like we're having to re-evaluate some of the things we thought we knew about each of these characters.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 1:09 PM on July 10, 2016
Its weaknesses are that it doesn't have much style and it's sometimes paint-by-the-numbers, but then other times it goes in surprising directions. What I'm really liking about it in these first two episodes of this season are that I feel like we're having to re-evaluate some of the things we thought we knew about each of these characters.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 1:09 PM on July 10, 2016
I was a bit surprised the jailbreak happened in this episode instead of next, but hey, it works. I also felt bad about Six going against his buddy, but that guy had pretty much accepted the world was what it was, corrupt and unfixable, and Six is still a believer. I think Six will stay on ice only a couple episodes, max, cause otherwise I will start throwing things at the television.
Android going to town on her captors...oof, behind that polite almost exaggerated eager to please face...killing machine.
My wild theory is that the person who was shot at the end of the previous ep, whom we thought was Space Ross, was actually Jake Corso, who decided to take over the role of Derek Moss and who had some DNA from his earlier encounter with Space Ross. Space Ross meanwhile had begun investigating his wife's death and had assumed the role of Jake Corso to move among the criminal element with ease. He came back and discovered the real Corso had taken his identity as Moss, and killed him.
I'll put money down on this. I can't fathom they would kill him off so quickly, so early, unless they truly wanted to be done with the character. The fact they abruptly bring back Corso I think adds strength to this theory. Likewise, with his true identity "killed off" he can return to the Rava as a man without any other home to return to.
And...always a fan of space samurai action.
posted by Atreides at 3:56 PM on July 10, 2016
Android going to town on her captors...oof, behind that polite almost exaggerated eager to please face...killing machine.
My wild theory is that the person who was shot at the end of the previous ep, whom we thought was Space Ross, was actually Jake Corso, who decided to take over the role of Derek Moss and who had some DNA from his earlier encounter with Space Ross. Space Ross meanwhile had begun investigating his wife's death and had assumed the role of Jake Corso to move among the criminal element with ease. He came back and discovered the real Corso had taken his identity as Moss, and killed him.
I'll put money down on this. I can't fathom they would kill him off so quickly, so early, unless they truly wanted to be done with the character. The fact they abruptly bring back Corso I think adds strength to this theory. Likewise, with his true identity "killed off" he can return to the Rava as a man without any other home to return to.
And...always a fan of space samurai action.
posted by Atreides at 3:56 PM on July 10, 2016
If Space Ross is gone for good I'll feel really bad for the actor. I don't think anyone could have done much with the thin gruel they were writing for him last season. I hope he gets a chance to come back in a more interesting manner, like what happened with Grant Ward on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 8:47 PM on July 10, 2016
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 8:47 PM on July 10, 2016
Its weaknesses are that it doesn't have much style and it's sometimes paint-by-the-numbers
I think its greatest weakness is that the plots often require the main characters to be foolish, gullible and incompetent. Those other things are really minor in comparison, IMO.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 8:50 PM on July 10, 2016
I think its greatest weakness is that the plots often require the main characters to be foolish, gullible and incompetent. Those other things are really minor in comparison, IMO.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 8:50 PM on July 10, 2016
This one actually had a bit of creativity:
- Five interrupting what I expected to be a drawn-out sword fight with the huge gun and saying "We don't have time for that."
- I was sure "Kill them all" would be a cheesy line the Bad Guys said about the Raza crew, but they turned that one around on me.
- I loved the warden saying "I need EVERYONE on this! Even kitchen staff! But, er, not me, please send a guard to my office."
As far as Space Ross, it sure seems like they actually killed him. He wasn't acting like Corso before he was shot. On the other hand, the clone/transport technology they established last season means they can bring back anyone who died just by saying "oh, that was just a clone."
posted by mmoncur at 4:53 AM on July 11, 2016
- Five interrupting what I expected to be a drawn-out sword fight with the huge gun and saying "We don't have time for that."
- I was sure "Kill them all" would be a cheesy line the Bad Guys said about the Raza crew, but they turned that one around on me.
- I loved the warden saying "I need EVERYONE on this! Even kitchen staff! But, er, not me, please send a guard to my office."
As far as Space Ross, it sure seems like they actually killed him. He wasn't acting like Corso before he was shot. On the other hand, the clone/transport technology they established last season means they can bring back anyone who died just by saying "oh, that was just a clone."
posted by mmoncur at 4:53 AM on July 11, 2016
Oh, my crackpot theory: The rich lady at the beginning/end of the show who is scheming to get the Raza crew is Space Ross's "dead" wife. She seemed to be talking about him on the phone ("Send flowers and let me know when the company goes into receivership.")
Still don't know why she called Five "Pumpkin" though.
posted by mmoncur at 5:01 AM on July 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Still don't know why she called Five "Pumpkin" though.
posted by mmoncur at 5:01 AM on July 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
The rich lady at the beginning/end of the show who is scheming to get the Raza crew is Space Ross's "dead" wife.
I had the same thought when she showed up. I hope not, as it makes the universe too small. Maybe she just hired the real Corso to kill Space Ross. He is a mercenary, after all.
I think Space Ross is dead, but the actor will rejoin the Raza crew as the real Corso to be a bad-ass mercenary foil. Everyone else, even Three, has become softer as the show has progressed. Well, maybe Four hasn't softened too much, but he has his own agenda.
"The Asset" is the woman they picked up at the prison. They dropped too many hints that she is also synthetic (Two commenting about her "fast reflexes"), she was way too eager to help the Raza crew escape, and knew too many details about the prison and shuttle. She was put there by mysterious rich lady to get the crew out and to her.
Five still has that mysterious card thing from last season. We still don't know what it is, but that probably has something to do with why rich lady wants her.
posted by fimbulvetr at 7:42 AM on July 13, 2016
I had the same thought when she showed up. I hope not, as it makes the universe too small. Maybe she just hired the real Corso to kill Space Ross. He is a mercenary, after all.
I think Space Ross is dead, but the actor will rejoin the Raza crew as the real Corso to be a bad-ass mercenary foil. Everyone else, even Three, has become softer as the show has progressed. Well, maybe Four hasn't softened too much, but he has his own agenda.
"The Asset" is the woman they picked up at the prison. They dropped too many hints that she is also synthetic (Two commenting about her "fast reflexes"), she was way too eager to help the Raza crew escape, and knew too many details about the prison and shuttle. She was put there by mysterious rich lady to get the crew out and to her.
Five still has that mysterious card thing from last season. We still don't know what it is, but that probably has something to do with why rich lady wants her.
posted by fimbulvetr at 7:42 AM on July 13, 2016
The show is getting convoluted - fast - so many schemes and subplots in play right now.
I'm not complaining, but it is not something to watch whilst zoning out.
Still enjoying it a heckofvalot though
posted by Faintdreams at 2:06 PM on September 10, 2016
I'm not complaining, but it is not something to watch whilst zoning out.
Still enjoying it a heckofvalot though
posted by Faintdreams at 2:06 PM on September 10, 2016
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posted by sammyo at 9:37 AM on July 9, 2016