Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 7 Review: She's One of Them Now
Kathleen Wiedel
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While surely not without its flaws, I'm happy to announce that Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 7 is an improvement over its immediate predecessor, which was easily my least favorite episode so far this season.
And while "She's One of Them Now" can't be described as my favorite, I definitely enjoyed certain aspects of it, particularly the heist aspect of it all.
To get it out of the way first of all, let's talk about Devon and what happened at the end of the episode. To be perfectly honest, the treatment of his character left me scratching my head. If Devon is indeed dead, I can't help but feel frustrated that his character was killed in favor of forwarding Nyx's storyline while he barely got any development of his own.
Only now, seven episodes in, did we learn much of anything other than he's a nice doctor who also happens to be a drug addict. Okay, so his drug addiction resulted in the death of a twelve-year-old girl on his operating table. But was this what landed him in supermax prison?
Look, taking stuff is not gonna get rid of your problems. It's just gonna replace them with bigger ones. Trust me. Self-medicating's not the answer.
Devon
So Nyx came to Devon for a pick-me-up to get through the day after losing her brother... but aside from a brief look of vague sadness, she barely displayed any sign of what must be intense personal grief and frustration, even in private.
There's an old adage in writing: "Show, don't tell." Don't have Nyx tell the audience that she's having emotional trouble. Show us how she's having emotional trouble.
Have her lose control, snap at someone, or close herself off, maybe get overwhelmed by meaningless and useless visions of a few seconds into the future; just don't have her saying how she's struggling!
It would definitely have been more interesting if Nyx had actually given in to the urge to use the drugs, instead of giving them back to Devon with that patronizing bit about making better choices from that moment on.
On a side note, there was apparent confirmation the Four did not inform Nyx of his advice to her brother, so she still has no clue at all that he's actually dead, which definetely made that scene with Nyx and The Android somewhat bittersweet.
Was this kindness or emotional distance from Four? I'm honestly unsure. Of all of the crew, Four is the best at controlling and sublimating his emotions, so it's really hard to tell.
Moving on! David Hewlett returned as the Raza crew's handler, Talbor Calcheck, last seen in Dark Matter Season 1 Episode 12.
Hewlett's character here is definitely just as neurotic as his character from Stargate Atlantis, Dr. Rodney McKay. If you're not a fan of his brand of comic relief, you probably just find him annoying, but here Hewlett got to play off some other great characters.
Take this little gem:
The Android: How can I help you?
Calcheck: You can start by letting me out of here!
The Android: I'm afraid I can't do that. For safety reasons.
Calcheck: Oh, come on! You actually think I could *hurt* you?!
The Android: No. But I'm sure *I* could hurt *you*, should you attempt to flee or jeopardize this mission.
It's always funny when The Android channels HAL. She was great in general during this episode, actually.
Five was definitely a bright spot again, showing her ingenuity and improvisational skill during the heist. The whole plan would not have succeeded without her. And now they have their very own blink drive!
The next question is this: from whom did Reynaud steal the blink drive? (And the question after that: were Five and Three snacking on Reynaud's cookies?)
There was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance by Kris Holden-Reid as Chief Inspector Kierken. I'm sorry that we didn't get to see Calcheck coming home to find a high-ranking cop (who is definitely not a wolf-man! Nope!) sitting in his living room or something.
It was good to see sign that Kierken was still on their case, still pursuing them, after their last encounter. I can't imagine Kierken would have much nice to say about Reynaud...
A few final thoughts and observations before I turn the discussion over to you, fellow fans:
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The crew conveniently procured magic clothes that transfer with them through the Transfer Transit pods. Though it seemed that The Android appreciated the view on Three.
Your outfit. It's very... snug.
The Android [on Three's attire] - I know it's a fairly standard trope to awaken to find people watching over you, but just how long did Six, Two, and Three stand there watching Calcheck be unconscious until he woke up?
- What would Reynaud's cruiser have done if the Raza did not surrender as they demanded? Blow them up? With the invaluable and irreplaceable key onboard?
- It seems fairly foolish to me to simply plug in and turn on completely foreign technology before, I don't know, examining its hardware, its software, and anything else you can think of. The thing could have bugs placed in it as a security precaution by Reynaud!
- Moment of heartwarming: when Three defended Five's skills and abilities to Calcheck. Three's just a big old softy, all full of marshmallow inside.
Don't forget to watch Dark Matter online if you haven't already! Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 7, "Stuff to Steal, People to Kill," is slated to air on Friday, August 19, 2016 at 10/9c on Syfy.
So, what did you think of "She's One of Them Now?" Did you enjoy the heist? Is this the end of Devon, or is he only mostly dead? Is the blink drive the answer to all the Raza's problems? Let us know in the comments section below!
