There are only three more episodes remaining in this season, and the tension definitely started to ramp up even more in Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 10 as a computer virus wreaked havoc on the Raza and her crew.

Zoie Palmer was the true star of this episode, and, boy oh boy, did she get a lot to do.

She played three distinct roles in this episode: The Android, The Android in the dream world, and The Hologram.

I truly enjoyed the initially subtle ways in which The Hologram attempted to undermine both the crew's confidence in The Android and The Android's confidence in herself and the crew.

I am of the opinion that the dream world itself was being manipulated by the Mikkei virus; note how dream-Victor kept trying to distance The Android from her human crew, encouraging her to abandon them and find real-Victor.

Ultimately, of course, The Android rejected the fantasy for the illusion that it was, however enjoyable it may be, and despite the very real concerns that her crew may not ultimately accept her as a person.

There were some very profound philosophical questions at play here regarding the nature of what makes a person a person. Is The Android actually a distinct, feeling being, or is she merely a very complex facsimile?

We saw several different points of view, with Five on one end of the spectrum and Three at the other. To wit:

She's a collection of programs. And when those programs go haywire, we gotta deal with it.

Three [regarding The Android]

• Permalink: She's a collection of programs. And when those programs go haywire, we gotta deal with it.

versus:

You're part machine yourself, right? Maybe you felt a connection, or maybe she was the only one on the ship you could stand to be around. That much I'd buy.

Five

• Permalink: You're part machine yourself, right? Maybe you felt a connection, or maybe she was the only...

This is a debate that has been addressed and discussed many, many times over the years, from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? to Star Trek and beyond.

Here it became less philosophical and more practical by the fact that The Android is responsible for running the ship. It's all well and good for humans to be imperfect beings, but when ship-running Androids make mistakes, things can blow up.

While this episode wasn't as full of deadpan humor as Dark Matter is sometimes, there were some great moments when Zoie Palmer got to snark back and forth with herself as The Android and The Hologram:

Four: So you created her to monitor your behavior, but then you deleted the results?
The Hologram: Most likely to protect herself. Another indication of aberrant behavior.
The Android: I didn't delete anything. An indication *you* don't know what you're talking about.

• Permalink: I didn't delete anything. An indication *you* don't know what you're talking about.

Zing!

The hallucinations were very well done. Each of them manipulated Two, Three, and Four on their deepest, most personal levels.

• Four was tormented by guilt over his home crumbling into chaos and destruction while he's safe and sound (ha!) on a distant ship.
• Two, despite everything, still profoundly fears her past, to an almost paralyzing degree.
• Three may not remember his past with Sarah, but his love for her and grief over her tragic death were very real. Were Six a second slower, Three may well have been dead, too.

Nyx played very little role in this episode aside from hitting Two in the face a few times. The focus on the core cast, particularly The Android, strengthened the story and, unfortunately, made Nyx seem all the more extraneous.

One moment that particularly struck me was when Four turned over his sword for safety's sake, and he handed it not to Nyx, who was standing directly in front of him (and clearly knows how to handle both swords and him), but to Six.

Four, Four, Four. Not only did he not delete the mental imprint like he was supposed to, he seemed to be seriously considering restoring his memories. The situation perfectly showcased both his guilt and his pride.

He seemed to honestly think that he could somehow turn the tide and save Zairon if only he returned home. Never mind the fact that he's still wanted for the murder of his father, it sounded like supreme arrogance indeed to presume that he would be able to rescue his people by riding in on a white steed.

Then again, the Raza does have a blink drive...

A few final thoughts before I turn the discussion over to you, fellow fans:

• Any final confirmation on the fate of Devon on the space station seems to be getting more and more remote. With only three more episodes left this season, will we ever find out for certain?
• Obviously, Five knew that dramatic tension was needed, so she really took her time opening Three's door for Six. She never needed that long to open a door before now. "Write a work-around," indeed.
• Now Three owes Six his life. Again.
• Was alt-Truffault really the source of the virus?

Remember to watch Dark Matter online if you haven't already! Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 11, "Wish I'd Spaced You When I Had The Chance," and Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 12, "Sometimes In Life You Don't Get To Choose," are scheduled to air back-to-back on Friday, September 9, 2016 starting at 10/9c.

The final episode of the season, Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 13, is titled "But First We Save the Galaxy" and will air on Friday, September 16, 2016.

So, what did you think of "Take the Shot"? How long did it take you to realize that The Hologram was trying to destroy them from the inside? Is The Android actually a person or a collection of circuits and programs? Will Four restore his memories?

Let us know in the comments section below!

Quotables for Week Ending August 12, 2016

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