If anyone was hoping for a happy ending for the crew of the Raza attempting to prevent all-out corporate war, Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 13 sure seemed to put an end to it, what with quite possibly the worst possible outcome as far as the fate of the galaxy was concerned.

Thus ended Dark Matter Season 2, a rather uneven episode to match a rather uneven season, with the crew battered and scattered and maybe blown to bits.

I can't say that I was altogether heartbroken over the untimely demise of Nyx. She was an unpopular character from the get-go, with her Mary Sue-like tendencies and rather discomfiting relationship with Four.

Ryo, for his part, had apparently dived into full-blown insanity. Because, as far as he was concerned, it made perfect sense to start a full-scale intergalactic war to distract the factions currently at war with Zairon. And he still wanted Nyx to be his Empress, even after:

Misaki said that she loved him in the previous episode, and
Nyx told him point blank he was insane

Ouch. Just ouch. No wonder Misaki was torqued at Nyx. Though, really, it was Ryo's twisted rationality that was the source of all this. It makes you wonder how fortunate for the galaxy it was that Ryo lost his memory for as long as he did.

Meanwhile, Five continued her tradition of making friends wherever she goes, this time saving the station for a full five minutes by essentially convincing an android to space himself. The Power of Caring at its finest! A bit sappy, but it worked in context, especially given what's been going on with The Android's character arc over the past season.

She saved my life I don't know how many times, and not because she's programmed to, because she *cares*. And once you start to care, it's not so easy to turn your back when something terrible is about to happen.
Five

Permalink: She saved my life I don't know how many times, and not because she's programmed to, because...

I was definitely happy to see some love given to my own favorite character, Three, when he surprised Commander Truffault with his not being as dumb as a rock like she thought.

Commander Truffaut: Now, working together, these satellites can create what's called an Aslinov Exclusion Field. Which, for those of you [looks pointedly at Three] who might not be aware--
Three [matter-of-factly]: --can disrupt an FTL window.
Commander Truffaut: ...That's right.

Permalink: --can disrupt an FTL window.

I appreciate a character with hidden depths, especially one who everyone thinks is just a meathead but is actually intelligent – he just allows everyone else to underestimate him. With Three, it's pretty understated, but then you remember that he somehow kept up on a mercenary ship with a guy raised from childhood as a warrior and woman who's a living weapon.

(If anyone can tell me who it was Three saw at the end, I'd be very much obliged. Was that someone we were supposed to recognize? Because at the moment I feel like something of an idiot for not having a clue.)

The pacing of the episode felt off, and the outcome fairly predictable. At least there was time for the corporate leaders to escape the exploding space station, I suppose. On the other hand, the Raza crew will almost certainly take the blame for everything.

Such, of course, is there luck.

So, here's where the crew was at the end of the episode:

Two was exposed to space, but she's probably fine. This isn't the first time she's been spaced, after all.
Three: badly beaten near the docking bay, found by someone.
Ryo was long gone, having stolen the blink drive from the Raza and succeeded in his plan to destroy the diplomatic conference.
Five and Truffaut were headed off together, presumably to some other secret means of escape.
Six escaped his cell when main power went out.
Nyx: laying dead on the bridge of the Raza, courtesy of Misaki's poisoned blade.

I was disappointed, though not surprised, at the demise of sympathetic inspector antagonist Kyle Kierken. He had about fifteen seconds to contemplate his impending demise and the fact that the Raza crew had, in fact been telling the truth the whole time.

It might have made an interesting dynamic for the crew to have a friend on the force, as it were, but it was not to be. Because DRAMA. And now we lose Kris Holden-Ried.

Commander Truffault was a welcome face; she's an entertaining and complex character, one I enjoy watching. Torri Higginson imbued her with the perfect amount of corporate dignity, deadpan snark, and manipulative intelligence to the role.

A few final notes before I turn the discussion over to you:

Ryo may have learned the Android's shutdown code from studying the files from the alternate reality, though the code Six (and we) saw in Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 8 was different from the one we heard employed here.
If any one of the GA security people bothered to check the Zairon delegation's "ceremonial" weaponry even with a cursory glance, they'd easily notice the knives were anything but ceremonial. Was someone paid off?
Well, at least Nyx is reunited with her brother... forever...
How long will it take before Ryo learns that Misaki murdered Nyx? And how will he react? I'm guessing Misaki would not last long after that.
Don't forget to check out our Dark Matter quotes page for some of the notable lines from this episode.

And that's a wrap for the season! If you missed anything, don't forget to watch Dark Matter online! And you can rest assured during the regular television season that the adventures of the crew of the Raza are far from over, because Dark Matter was renewed for a third season!

So, what did you think of "But First, We Save the Galaxy"? Were you sad to see the end of Chief Inspector Kierken? Were you surprised that the station blew up despite our heroes best efforts? Let us know in the comments section below!