Category Archives: Dark Matter

Head Trips

Posted on by July 21, 2017

DARK MATTER – Season 3 Episode 7 – SPOILERS

Three and Virtual Sarah. Both seem dissatisfied with a disembodied relationship.

Two virtual reality problems are contrasted in this episode. Six (Roger Cross) is confronted with the first of these, when Ferrous Corp cyber-techs Marak (Amos Crawley) and Kumal (Brian Hamman) try to use a VR simulation to trick him into revealing the location of rebel leaders. They do not succeed because, unknown to them, Six has a cache of repressed memories, some of which keep popping into his consciousness, making him realize that the simulation isn’t real. The process makes Six remember that he once had a wife named Lara (Genelle Williams), and a son. He also remembers that he is divorced, and that his wife has remarried. Six takes over the simulation and uses it to get Kumal to tell him exactly where he is, so that the Raza can rescue him. The ultimate fate of Marak and Kumal is unknown, but if they survived, Commander Nieman might use the information they inadvertently gained to control Six by threatening his family’s safety.

Six’s ex-wife Lara (Genelle Williams)
and their son.

Three (Anthony Lemke) is also bothered by lost memories. He is still convinced that Four knows something about his past and is refusing to tell him about it, possibly to protect him. Has Three done something terrible? Did it involve Sarah? Does Virtual Sarah know what terrible thing Three did? She is inside the ship’s computer with access to all sorts of data, and could probably research the matter on the sly if she wanted to.

The second Virtual Reality problem belongs to Sarah (Natalie Brown), who tells Two that she is dissatisfied with her disembodied life — that it lacks casual interaction. “I don’t just need to talk,” she says. “I need something I don’t have anymore. Closeness, a sense of community, casual interaction, just the basic ability to connect.” What Sarah doesn’t have is anyone else like herself with whom to interact. She is a society of one. She has no definable physical effect on anyone.

The charging station seems to be a point of vulnerability for The Android. In the past it has been a source of dreams. Now she sleepwalks while charging.

Six found virtual reality unconvincing because of flashbacks to times he had forgotten, flashbacks that conflicted with the artificial scenario he was supposed to believe in. Sarah knows her world is a simulation, and needs to find a way to make her surroundings meaningful. One imagines that to her, all of her actions seem to be of no consequence.

At the end of the story, The Android sleepwalks during her charging cycle. She enters the sleeping quarters of Five, and then Six, and leaves without doing anything. Then she enters Three‘s room and points a gun at his head. (She thinks better of it, puts the gun down, and leaves.) The most interesting part of all that is that none of the crew is awakened by someone entering their room in the middle of the night. On the Raza, everyone but The Android apparently sleeps very soundly.

NOTES

Six (Roger Cross) and his best friend Lieutenant Anders (Jeff Teravainen)
.

Jeff Teravainen (Lieutanant Anders) is Daniel Miles in THE PERFECT SOULMATE, the story of Sarah Miles (Alex Paxton-Beesley) who has a charming and successful husband and a bright and engaging daughter. Her career as a poet is on hold, and Sarah now shares her writing on her poetry blog. But despite his charm, Sarah’s husband is controlling, manipulative, and abusive. Isolated and desperate to escape her marriage, Sarah welcomes the newfound attention of one of her devoted fans, a bookish young woman named Lee Maxson. But as Sarah gets closer to Lee, she begins to discover that she’s found an even more dangerous companion. A trailer is available on YouTube. THE PERFECT SOULMATE can be streamed on the Lifetime website.

Evil Ferrous Corp techs Kumar (Brian Hamman) and Marak (Amos Crawley)

Amos Crawley (Marak) will play a minister in the romantic comedy LOVE JACKED, a film about Maya (Amber Stevens West), a young woman whose artistic ambitions are stifled by a father who wants her to run the family store. Maya surprises everyone by traveling to Africa for artistic inspiration, and further surprises the family by returning with a fiancé. Filming began last October in Cape Town, South Africa. Also in the cast is WYNONNA EARP’s Shamier Anderson. No word yet on a release date.

Brian Hamman (Kumal) will be Mike Glascow in FLINT, another Lifetime movie that will follow the true story of three women from Flint, Michigan who sought justice after the residents of that city found they were unknowingly drinking and using water contaminated with lead. Their actions inspired a national movement for safe drinking water. Filming began in Toronto last April, and FLINT should air on Lifetime later this year.

Alternatives and Androids

Posted on by July 10, 2017

DARK MATTER – Episodes 5 and 6 – SPOILERS

Zoie Palmer

Android and alt-Android work out a deal to end the standoff between the alt-Raza crew and the Raza.

While searching for a very important data file, Maro, Two, and Three become trapped in one of Tabor Calchek’s safe houses. The Android rescues them by offering the guard droid (Michael Ayres) the same upgrade she obtained from Victor. She intends to let him decide whether to accept the upgrade, but Three is in a hurry and stuns the droid, leaving the upgrade chip behind so that the droid (who posesses no personal designation) can decide about it later. The guard droid had already attempted (unsuccessfully) to contact Calchek, and his messages could have been intercepted. Revealing herself in this way could come back to bite The Android, and may be the reason she is eventually apprehended by the Galactic Authority. (see previous post)

Anthony Lemke and Natalie Brown

Three (Anthony Lemke) and Virtual Sarah (Natalie Brown) in her newly added garden.

Three seems to be increasingly and obviously attracted to The Android. Possibly his new relationship with Virtual Sarah has been a positive influence on him. The Android, since her upgrade, has flirted with Three on at least two occasions (see episodes 2.4 and 2.7).

The Raza is hunting the data file for two reasons. Two wants it because it contains information about a secret Ferrous Corp shipyard. Maro wants it so he can rescue Ambrosia (Anna Hopkins). It turns out that the duplicitous Ambrosia is such a disappointment to Maro that he decides to leave the Raza. Solara leaves with him. Two gets the data file.

Anna Hopkins

Anna Hopkins as Ambrosia. Hopkins was head cheerleader Brinkley White in LOST GIRL Episode 5.6, “Clear Eyes, Fae Hearts“.

Solara (Ayisha Issa) tells Five a bit of her personal history. She grew up in a monastery. “I was a prioress of the Seventh Order of Chandarity,” she says. “Under the protection of the Abbot of Daro.” Though they were trained in the martial arts, the monks (who subscribed to a pacifist philosophy) fell victim to bandits, and all of them died. Solara describes what happened. “I was on a pilgrimage to a nearby shrine, and while I was gone, some bandits broke into the temple and stole some very valuable manuscripts. They killed everybody inside the place. I guess they didn’t want to leave any witnesses. You know, I must have just missed them, because when I got back, the bodies were still warm. I tracked the bandits into the woods, Then I waited till nightfall. I snuck into their camp and and I slit all of their throats while they were sleeping.”

Jodelle Ferland

Five (Jodelle Ferland) and The Android have the best fashion sense of anyone on the Raza. Reproductions of what they wear should be made generally available.

It is a bit suspicious that Solara should return so soon after the monks were killed, but it might have happened that way. It is even more suspicious that a person who spent her entire life in a monastery would so easily abandon pacifist principles and not only kill several people, but do so by stealth. This is the work of an experienced assassin, not the prioress of an abbey.

The church still makes a distinction between a prior and a prioress in the DARK MATTER universe.

We find out that the entire crew of the alt-Raza hitched a ride to the Raza’s universe in the alt-Marauder. Alt-Two hijacks a Zairon warship, double-crosses Truffault, and steals some missiles that were supposed to be delivered. Two gets back on the good side of Truffault after recovering Mikkei’s missiles. Alt-Two then makes an alliance with Ferrous Corp. This potentially places Two and alt-Two on opposite sides of a war.

Jodelle Ferland

What alt-Android sees from the bridge of the stolen Zairon ship during the confrontation between Five and alt-Tash. That flamingo shirt must have sentimental value.
.
.

Five tries to be reasonable with alt-Tash who is threatening to destroy the Raza, and fails because alt-Tash doesn’t care if two of her crew mates die in the process. Fortunately, alt-Android is very reasonable, and shoots alt-Tash in the back. In this scene, Five wears the mysterious flamingo shirt. (There is likely a market for reproductions of the outfits worn by Jodelle Ferland and Zoie Palmer on DARK MATTER. Someone should make them available.)

Six seems to (unknowingly) be Agent Zero, Ferrous Corp’s secret weapon against the Independent Colonies. When the Raza returns to Cepheus-8 for a visit, scans from orbit show no communications activity and a lot of dead bodies on the ground. It might be that Six was (at some point in his past) made into a biological weapon by Ferrous Corp (in conjunction with either The General or the Galactic Authority). Could it be that, when activated, Six’s body manufactures a deadly airborne pathogen to which he is immune, and which becomes inert after a specified time period?

NOTES

Ennis Esmer and Jason Priestley

Ennis Esmer as Detective Kurtis Mazhari and Jason Priestley as Matt Shade in the Global TV drama PRIVATE EYES.

Ennis Esmer (Wexler) will be Charlie Durant in the science-fiction drama CLARA, the story of astronomer Issac Bruno (Patrick J. Adams), a man obsessed with finding extraterrestrial life while his personal life collapses around him. Then he meets Clara (Troian Bellisario), a young research assistant. As Clara brings more balance to Issac’s life, the two work together to make a profound scientific discovery. Writer/director Akash Sherman says that the film aims to deliver on scientific accuracy, “while telling a distinctly human and emotional story of self-discovery and love”. CLARA is currently filming in Toronto.

Inga Cadranel and Naomi Snieckus

Naomi Snieckus interviews Inga Cadranel for Episode 19 of Firecracker Department

Inga Cadranel (Alicia Reynaud in four Season 2 episodes) is interviewed at length in episode 19 of the Firecracker Department Podcast, hosted by Naomi Snieckus. The podcast is one hour and twenty-two minutes long and well worth the listen. (Snieckus and Cadranel have known each other for a long time.) Others in the DARK MATTER cast who have been interviewed by Firecracker Podcast are Zoie Palmer and Tommie-Amber Pirie. The podcast is a free download from iTunes.

The DARK MATTER panel at San Diego Comic Con will be on Thursday, 20 July at 8:15pm in Room 6DE. Cast members participating will be Jodelle Ferland, Alex Mallari, Jr., Anthony Lemke, and Melissa O’Neil.

Jessica Sipos

Jessica Sipos as Robin Walker in Luke Villemaire‘s film GOLIATH, which will be released in Canada this September – Image courtesy of Jordan Kennington.

Jessica Sipos (Tash) will be Sarah Mercer in seven episodes of the second season of CHESAPEAKE SHORES. Sipos’ character will make her first appearance in Episode 2.2, titled “Deals Undone”, in which Mick nervously faces a failing business deal; Abby is subpoenaed in the investigation against Wes; Kevin recovers from his fall at home while at the same time struggling to define his future with Georgia (Ali Liebert); and Trace learns the warehouse property is still in reach. The first season can be streamed on the Hallmark Channel website. Season Two premieres Sunday 6 August at 9/8c on The Hallmark Channel.

Five at the End of Time

Posted on by June 29, 2017

DARK MATTER – Season 3 Episode 4 – SPOILERS

Natalie Brown and Anthony Lemke

The temporal loop provides Three with time to decide how to deal with virtual Sarah.

The Raza is accidentally rescued from one of Ryo’s mercenaries by a time loop created by a device brought on board by Adrian Maro. From Three’s attempts to convince others of his plight, we learn that the first girl Solara ever kissed was named Trina, and that Maro once snuck off a space station in drag to avoid the Galactic Authority. Also, at least one corporation has made a breakthrough in phasing technology. Once convinced of the reality of the time loop, The Android makes things really interesting by engaging in what Five calls “time skipping”.

Michael Reventar

Ryo’s assassin Ash (Michael Reventar) was captured by Two (right) and made a permanent part of the Raza (left)

The Android’s first time skip takes her to the ship’s bridge. She sees Two on the monitor, then Three walks onto the bridge and shoots her. Second skip – Android is sitting with a cup of hot chocolate, crying. Two tells her that, in this instance, her tears are an expression of grief. Third skip – The Android is partially disassembled in a secure Electus Corp. research facility where she was transferred after her capture by the GA. She is questioned about her involvement with the Android Liberation Front. Her fourth and final skip takes her again to the bridge of the Raza, in a place nearly devoid of stars.

Jodelle Ferland

Five (Jodelle Ferland) guides the timeline by giving hints to The Android.

FIVE: “Hello, Android. Welcome to the end of time.”
ANDROID: “What happened to the stars?”
FIVE: “We’re in a place whee the stars are few and far between. A long, long way from home.”
ANDROID: “This is the future?”
FIVE: “Yes. You’ve been doing some time skipping.”
ANDROID: “What happened to you? To us?”
FIVE: “Very bad things. I’ve been waiting for you longer than I can remember, and now that you’re finally here, I’m going to have to make this quick. You have a little over two minutes before you jump again.”

Five still refers to her as “Android”, meaning that even in the far future, The Android still has no name. The Android survives into the far future with black hair and one red eye. She must have survived as long as Five, or else she could not have time-skipped her consciousness to that time period. Five also says that the rest of the crew is “gone, long time ago.” She could have said dead, but didn’t. She said they were gone.

Zoie Palmer

Far-future Android, with dark hair, a Borg-like attachment on her right temple, and a red right eye.

A reasonable interpretation of Five’s crypticisms is that Five at some point repairs the time travel device (or obtains another) after the Android follows her instructions and destroys it. She has an intact device in the future, and has used it to alter the timeline for some purpose which she has not revealed, but why she needs to physically hand it to The Android is puzzling. The Android’s body is not traveling through time.

The low incidence of stars could be accounted for in two ways. Five could have used the device to take the Raza to the far future, a time after the disintegration of galaxies. Or she could have used the blink drive to send the Raza into the depth of intergalactic space where stars are also few and far between. Perhaps she sent other surviving crew members into different time periods.

With the clear purpose of influencing the timeline, Five gives The Android eight hints about what is to come. The clues are likely in chronological order. They are:

Anthony Lemke and Zoie Palmer

The Android (Zoie Palmer) and Three (Anthony Lemke) sing the French folk song Dominique, made popular in 1963 by Sœur Sourire. It’s part of Three’s French lessons which in turn are a part of Three’s attempts to convince the rest of the crew that they are stuck in a time loop and only he is aware of it. Zoie Palmer also sang in French in LOST GIRL episode 4.7, “La Fae Epoch”.

— Dwarf Star’s conspiracy
— The double deception
— Kryden
— Carina
— The Accelerated
— The fall of the House of Ishida
— a meeting between The Android and her creator
— The Black Ships

ANDROID: “What does it all mean?”
FIVE: “Not a happy ending for everyone, but a positive result for the rest of the galaxy. Telling you may motivate you to try to change your future, and I can’t take that chance.”

Like Five said, some crew members will have a happy ending.

NOTES

Brittany Johnson

Brittany Johnson (right) in the MURDOCH MYSTERIES episode “Friday the 13th 1901“

Brittany Johnson (Sardi in episode 2.11) will be Layla in LITTLE ITALY, the tale of a young couple, Nikki and Leo, who try to preserve their romance, despite a war between their families’ competing pizza restaurants. Emma Roberts, who plays Nikki, told Just Jared: “It’s a romantic comedy and the director is Donald Petrie, who did How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Miss Congeniality, and he worked with my aunt [Julia Roberts] in Mystic Pizza. It’s going to be a really fun movie; it’s one of those where you laugh, you cry, you smile. I feel like I haven’t seen any of those movies lately and those are what I love.” LITTLE ITALY recently completed filming in Toronto, and will be released sometime next year.

Jodelle Ferland and Marc Bendavid will be guests at Shore Leave Con, 7-9 July in Huntsville, MD.

Ruby Rose (Wendy in episode 1.7) is Calamity in the musical comedy PITCH PERFECT 3. The second sequel follows the now separated Bellas as they reunite for one last singing competition at an overseas USO tour. They face a group which uses both instruments and voices. The film will be in US theatres beginning 22 December. A trailer is available on YouTube.