Dark Matter (TV Series) Episode #1.8 (2015) User Reviews

the writing is strong with this one..

[Gucek · 9/10 · 4 August 2015]

(I believe my "spoilers" are rather subtle and don't really spoil this episode in any way, but it's better to be safe than sorry, so - the choice is yours)

Wow. Just wow. This was the level of writing that we wanted to expect from e.g. Almost Human - where instead some people having no idea about Sci-Fi tried to wrap today's issues in 'futuristic' (tin)foil.

Idea of travel-by-wire isn't new but making it 'temporary' - just perfect for this intrigue. My only complain towards such "tools" is that they usually appear just once - to be used in one episode and they are later forgotten - like if given technology doesn't exist at all.. Still - the unfold (even if tiny bit predictable) was great - and it was logical, so predictability can be forgiven.. And One's appearance!?! It was so ingenious (and again - obvious - when you think about it) ..that I had to pick my jaw (and kick myself for not come up with it earlier). They even managed to "explain" android's "jealousy" which I hated so much in previous episode.. Even tho it wasn't a "proper" explanation - it makes us wonder.. what next. Even if it's just a glitch in her system - it can be used in the future for explaining tiny quirks in her behavior or.. create multi-episode arc. Nice touch.

I truly hope we will have this level of quality writing around 3rd/4th seasons, when actors will become more fused with their characters.. Right now this is the only small thing that prevents me from giving this episode ten stars.

Still a Bit Far Out

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 20 September 2020]

I enjoyed the jumping around in an effort to right a wrong and gain revenge, but the methodology continues to challenge my suspension of disbelief. When Six goes on his journey, we are dealing with some pretty far fetched science. But the motivations and the story themselves are engaging and maybe that is enough. The characters are growing and become less caricatures.

One of the better episodes

[xbatgirl-30029 · 7/10 · 8 November 2021]

There's a hint at a big spoiler for future episodes here.

I mentioned in a previous review, I have seen about 1 1/2 seasons of this already and found the overall writing mediocre. But so far, this episode is better than most. They don't explain how Six so easily figured out his past and none of the characters questions this. It doesn't make sense at this point. But maybe they wanted viewers to pick up on it. I also don't like how every character isn't *that* bad. The whole set up of the show is sort of doomed from the start. How do you create a crew who are the heroes of the show but supposedly also some of the worst criminals in the system with a terrifying reputation? Got it - they've lost their memories. But then it turns out they're actually good guys who also got unjustifiably called criminals and/or are fighting a corrupt system. It's sort of a let down.

But anyway, this episode is one of the few times where a fake out beginning, where something dramatic happens then it says "four days earlier", worked a bit for me. First Six is killed and you think "well you know he's not actually dead, what's the twist", then his body dissolves. You really do what to know what happens next. I also really liked how the travel machines were used by One to get a clue about his past. You would think far in the future we will all be able to use DNA pretty easily as ID, a la Gattica. You would also think people would be more skeptical of the news as well.

Unfortunately I got really tired of Two lecturing everyone about keeping secrets, so I was also happy when the Android called her on it so quickly. Two's character is probably the least compelling for me at this point. I don't care about her angst. It would be a bigger twist for her to have never been the captain and somehow, because of the memory wipe, she took on that role. I just want more depth in general from the writing, more like The Expanse or Killjoys. But at least things are moving along relatively quickly, each person figuring out their past.