Tag Archives: sci-fi

Review: Dark Matter, “Take the Shot” + New Writing

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Do androids dream of electric sheep?

The logo for Dark MatterMaybe some do, but the Raza‘s apparently dreams of a house in the woods.

Androids don’t normally dream, though, and Sally’s not the only one having visions. Two, Three, and Four find themselves tormented by hallucinations from their past.

All this puts the focus squarely on Sally and her abnormal behaviour. The program she initiated to judge her own actions is reactivated, and it paints a grim picture of Sally’s “malfunctions.”

The crew begins to question their faith in her — with the exception of Five, who remains as fiercely loyal as ever. As the ship’s problems escalate, the crew begins to contemplate extreme solutions.

The point of “Take the Shot” seems to be similar to that of the last episode. That is, they’re trying to show the bond that’s developed between the Raza crew members. It’s not quite as effective in that goal as “Going Out Fighting” was, though.

The crew seems too quick to shift from one extreme to another when it comes to their view of Sally. There’s no consistency, and it can feel a bit forced.

Zoie Palmer as the android on Dark MatterI think the idea was to show the crew coming to fully accept Sally as an equal, but in practice it almost feels like the opposite is true. It seems more like they’re grudgingly acknowledging that they need her. There’s little feeling of genuine warmth to it.

I’m almost wondering if Sally might be better off without her human companions. They don’t seem to care about her anywhere near as much as she cares about them.

Again, Five is of course the exception. She spends the entire episode fighting tooth and nail for her mechanical friend. At this point I’m struggling to imagine how Five could get any more lovable.

I was also hoping that we might get some reveals as to how Sally came to be the way she is, but the mystery remains unanswered.

I appreciate what they were going for, and I like that Sally is getting more time in the spotlight, but it could have been handled better.

I still think it’s awesome seeing Anne Mroczkowski on this show, though.

Overall rating: 7.1/10

New writing:

I’ve had a few more articles published at MMO Bro over the last few weeks. I’ve compared popular Eastern and Western MMOs, looked at terms only true MMORPG fans understand, and examined why reputation grinds suck and how to fix them.

Also, if you missed my last post, I’ve posted my first new short story in a while. I’d appreciate any feedback you might have.

Reviews: Dark Matter, “Stuff to Steal, People to Kill” and “Going Out Fighting”

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Thanks to iTunes’ scheduling (or lack thereof), I wound up having myself a mini-marathon of Dark Matter, so instead of one episode review, today I bring you two.

The logo for Dark Matter“Stuff to Steal, People to Kill”:

And again, that title game is on point.

After the blink drive’s malfunction from the previous episode, the Raza crew takes going off course to entirely new heights, as they arrive a few light years and an entire universe away from where they intended to be.

Yup, it’s parallel universe time. And of course it’s an evil universe. Add some extra goatees and a Terran Empire logo or two, and this could easily have been one of Star Trek’s Mirror Universe episodes.

It’s also an opportunity to bring back some old… I can’t even call them friends ironically.

This is a bit of a departure for Dark Matter, which usually keeps its sci-fi elements relatively subtle. The good news is that the focus remains on the action and the characters, not on rampant technobabble.

“Stuff to Steal, People to Kill” is a very fun, very exciting episode, but it does feel just a little empty. It doesn’t do a lot to advance the story, save possibly introducing yet more villains to contend with, and there isn’t a lot of character development or feeling to be had.

Anthony Lemke as Three in Dark MatterAlso, if you’re going to bring back so many bad guys, can we see at least one of them die again? I’d have enjoyed that.

It’s not a bad episode, but it’s not one I’m going to be gushing over for weeks to come like some we’ve seen this season.

Overall rating: 7.2/10

“Going Out Fighting”:

Something is terribly wrong with Two. Her nanites are failing, and she won’t be able to survive without them.

There’s only one place where answers and the hope for a cure can be found, and that means it’s time for the crew of the Raza to pay another visit to the good people at Dwarf Star Technologies.

But Alex Rook and his people are waiting for them.

Wil Wheaton as Alex Rook in Dark MatterThere’s also a surprise appearance by what appears to be the Zero Point Pathogen and/or Venom.

“Going Out Fighting” is pretty much what we’ve come to expect from Dark Matter at this point: fun, exciting, a little tension, a little humour. This show is nothing if not consistent.

But there are a few things about this episode that stand out, for better and for worse. Two things in particular bother me.

The first is that Wil Wheaton is still just Wil Wheaton. He’s not convincing or intimidating as a villain.

The other is that, after so long without hearing from Dwarf Star, I was expecting to finally get some answers about who they are and what they’re up to. They are, after all, one of the bigger question marks of the Dark Matter universe right now.

But there’s none of that. If anything we’re now left with even more questions — like how they got a hold of the Filth. The view of Dark Matter as some weird, alternate universe, far future version of The Secret World is getting ever clearer.

However, there is one thing that I did very much enjoy about “Going Out Fighting” — and that more than compensates for its flaws — and that’s seeing the fellowship that has developed between the Raza crew. I absolutely love the scene where Two looks to each of the crew members, and they’re all able to convey that they’ll risk their lives to save her, without saying anything.

This kind of devotion wouldn’t have been at all believable in the first season, with its endless suspicion, but over time the bonds between the team have grown. “Going Out Fighting” is an excellent symbol of just how far they’ve come.

It’s a lovely thing to see.

Overall rating: 7.9/10