Welcome back to The Binge, CraveOnline’s recurring feature that looks at the best TV series streaming online.
One of the great things about television is that it can surprise you. Dark Matter was barely on my radar when it premiered this summer. All I really knew about it was that Dark Matter was one of the first space-based sci-fi dramas on Syfy in a long time.
It turns out that’s something that I’ve really needed. Because I don’t just like Dark Matter, I love it. I devoured this show on my DVR, and the few episodes that were up on Hulu. For the benefit of anyone unfamiliar with it, Dark Matter is the story of six people who awaken on a spaceship called the Raza without any memory of who they are. After encountering a female android, the crew of the Raza learns that they were dangerous mercenaries who are now hunted from all sides. And one of the crew is responsible for wiping their memories…
This show resonates for me a lot than Syfy’s recent Ascension miniseries. Killjoys has also been fun this summer, but the biggest things that stands out about Dark Matter are the characters themselves. The core group of seven are all really interesting and compelling. Everyone has their own backstories and motivations. It helps that the cast is really talented too, because that makes it easier to believe in their performances.
In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised by how good Dark Matter is. Series creators Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie are veterans of the Stargate TV franchise, and I particularly enjoyed their work on Stargate Universe. It’s also important to note that Dark Matter is a Canadian production that was made by Space, a network in Canada. As such, this show doesn’t have a super huge budget to work with. And yet Mallozzi and Mullie have gotten a lot of mileage out of the Raza sets, even on episodes that take place almost entirely on the ship. In the long term, that might be hard to sustain, but Mallozzi and Mullie have made it work so far.
It always comes down to the characters. Mallozzi and Mullie have created a mix of personalities that can come together when needed, but not without conflict. The writing for the series also recalibrates the expectations of the audience. Even the ship’s biggest jerk has moments that reveal that he has more heart than previously suspected. The question of who can be trusted comes up a lot, as more information about these characters changes their narrative on the series. A runaway prince can become a more heroic figure once it’s clear that he was never guilty of the crime he supposedly committed. And the man accused of an unspeakable terrorist attack may be fully justified in his quest for revenge against the man truly responsible.
To better explain Dark Matter, I need to more formally introduce the characters. The crew of the Raza all took on numbers when they first awakened without their identities. After their real names were revealed, most of them still preferred to be called by their numbers. Spoilers for the first season will also be kept to a minimum.
One (Marc Bendavid)
Marc Bendavid’s One is the most outwardly heroic character on Dark Matter. Supposedly, he was the ruthless criminal Jace Corso. But it turns out that he’s actually Derrick Moss, and the real Jace Corso wants to know why someone seemingly stole his identity to join the Raza. This information calls One’s true nature into question.
Two (Melissa O’Neil)
Former Canadian Idol winner Melissa O’Neil has really broken out on Dark Matter as Two, the defacto captain of the Raza. And while Two shows kindness and compassion to Five and One, she also has a darker nature inside of her. Two is so disturbed by the crimes committed by her true self, Portia Lin that she refuses to answer to that name.
Three (Anthony Lemke)
Every show needs an a**hole, and on Dark Matter, that’s Anthony Lemke’s Three. Without his memories, Three is the most heartless and cynical member of the Raza crew. But his real self, Marcus Boon had a lover who quite literally brought out the best in him. Three is still a jerk, but he’s not one dimensional.
Four (Alex Mallari Jr.)
Alex Mallari Jr.’s Four is perhaps the most dangerous person on the Raza. As Ryo Tetsuda, Four was the heir to an empire. Four actually believed that he was responsible for murdering his father until he learned that he was framed for the crime.
Five (Jodelle Ferland)
American fans may recognize Jodelle Ferland from the first Silent Hill movie and The Twilight Series: Eclipse. On Dark Matter, Ferland portrays Five a.k.a. Das, the member of the crew who doesn’t quite fit in on a ship of mercenaries…because she’s not really one of them. But inside of Five’s mind are the memories of every person on the Raza. And she’s far more than she seems.
Six (Roger Cross)
If there’s a TV sci-fi drama, there’s a good chance that Roger Cross will make an appearance. This year alone, Cross has starred in Dark Matter, recurred on The Strain, and returned for the final episodes of Continuum. In Dark Matter, Cross plays Six, a man who was once known as Griffin Jones. Much to Six’s surprise, Jones was unintentionally responsible for a deadly terrorist attack. And Six has adopted Jones’ mission to avenge the dead by finding the man who planned the entire operation.
The Android (Zoie Palmer)
Syfy fans may recognize Zoie Palmer from Lost Girl, but she’s created a new persona for herself as the Android who controls the Raza. Palmer deserves a lot of credit for underplaying some of the Android’s comical moments, and she’s particularly hilarious in the seventh episode when the Android encounters a rival android named Wendy. In that story, the Android does everything that she can think of to maintain the crew’s attention with an obvious hint of jealousy and insecurity.
There are only 13 episodes of Dark Matter in the first season, so there’s really no reason to list a top ten episode list. But episodes 6, 7, and 9 were my personal favorites. The two hour season finale of Dark Matter airs tonight on Syfy, but this show is definitely worth catching up on. Only the five most recent episodes of Dark Matter are up on Hulu, Syfy.com, and the Syfy app. So far, there’s no word on the second season, but it deserves a nice long run. It’s refreshing to have an actual science fiction show on Syfy that is this much fun to watch.
Dark Matter fans, share your favorite moments from the first season in the comment section below!
