I fondly remember the halcyon days of the Syfy Channel (then the Sci Fi Channel) and being hooked on shows like Stargate: SG-1, Farscape and the impeccable Battlestar Galactica reboot. Well, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, those days have returned.
Syfy Channel can now boast of a great line up of series like Defiance, 12 Monkeys, The Expanse, Killjoys and, my personal favorite of the lot, Dark Matter. The show, a space opera about six people who wake up on a ship with no memory of their past lives who slowly discover their dark pasts, had its first season of 13 episodes last year. And I enjoyed each episode like mama’s home cooking.
The series is based on a comic book of the same name by Stargate franchise writers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie. Both serve as executive producers on the TV series and their pedigree shows on Dark Matter.
The show was renewed for a second season and will premiere in the US on Friday July 1st, a day under two weeks from now. This is more than enough time to binge watch the first season for those who missed it’s first run.
Here, without any spoilers, are the Top 5 reasons you need to get caught up on Dark Matter:
#1 The intriguing mystery
The set up of an amnesiac hero rediscovering his past is nothing new. But an entire crew of amnesiac heroes? Now that is cool.
Are these good people? Bad people? How did they get here? What do/did they want? Can they be trusted? The central mystery of these characters and the crew is slowly and skillfully revealed throughout the course of the season. And with great twists and turns it all pays off very well.
#2 The superb cast of characters
There are few TV series where I can say that I liked all of the main characters; the aforementioned Stargate and Farscape make that short list. But I really enjoyed everyone on Dark Matter.
We have good natured One (Marc Bendavid) <they do not remember their names at first so everybody gets a number>, strong and sexy leader Two (Melissa O’Neil), loudmouth and gun loving Three (Anthony Lemke), silent but deadly Four (Alex Mallari Jr.), curious young Five (Jodelle Ferland), affable Six (Roger Cross) and a lovable android named Android (Zoie Palmer). Each character is interesting and their interactions with each other engaging and sometimes laugh out loud hilarious. Good times with this gang.
#3 Great production quality
The show looks great, plain and simple. The design of their ship, the special effects and the sets are all high quality. There are no aliens or strange planets (this isn’t Star Trek) but the locations feel solid and believable. And there is some simple but cool costuming as well.
#4 Intense action
Boom bang. There is some sweet action to be had with the series. We have some intense shoot outs and visceral hand to hand and even sword to hand combat. Their fight choreographer and stunt people must be praised for delivering on the action sequences.
#5 Season 2 looks awesome
In the trailer for Season 2 (linked below) we see our ragtag group of heroes in a maximum security prison. We meet some new characters, like a female ally with a big gun and a villain with a big sword, there are some intense encounters and a brutal looking prison riot. The dark yet comedic tone is maintained throughout and it looks like we are in for another sweet ride in Season 2.
So have you seen Dark Matter? What did you think about it? Will you be watching the season premiere? Feel free to comment below.
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Julien is outie like a navel. L8rs
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