This week on Dark Matter: the surviving crew members of the Raza deal with the aftermath of the bomb on Eos-7 and things get a little gay.
Dark Matter really does love to keep us hanging on the edge, doesn’t it? Season one ended with Six betraying the rest of the Raza crew and season two ended with Four betraying everyone in the galaxy, Nyx dying, and all of Eos-7 being blown to smithereens. Knowing that Dark Matter isn’t afraid to kill off its characters, the season three premiere “Being Better Is So Much Harder” was definitely a tense affair. Thankfully, we knew pretty early on that all of our remaining numbered crew members were safe.
Especially Five, because Five is the best and most important.
Two Dreams In Gay
After having words with Four last season, Two bears most of the guilt for the destruction on Eos-7 and the impending corporate war. Six drags her kicking and screaming back to the Marauder, where they are promptly stranded without engines and a failing life support. They manage to call for help to the Raza, but they’ve got their own corporate nonsense to deal with, so it’s up to Two to play savior and rely on her nanites to keep her alive while diverting all the remaining oxygen to save Six.
One of my favorite things about Dark Matter is all the great pairings the show does with each set of characters. I love every pair they manage to come up with and it always brings out the most exciting conflict. It would be easy to constantly pair up Two and Three to play up the romance or Five and Six to encourage the pseudo father-daughter relationship, but Dark Matter puts these characters first and as a fan, I appreciate that. (Also, Three and Five is the best pairing. Hands down.)
During the whole “lack-of-oxygen-we-might-die” scenario, Two sees a vision of Nyx, who then confirms that baby girl Nyx is, in fact, dead. AND EVERYONE MOURNS BECAUSE NYX WAS A GODDAMN TREASURE. Nyx tells Two: “Just because you failed, doesn’t mean it wasn’t right to try. The old Portia wouldn’t have. But you’re different. You’re a better person.” Maybe it would be easier for the Raza to be evil, but they never quite give in to the darkness (and I think it’s because they all love Five so much they want to be better for her). Nyx goes on and things take….a unique turn.
Two: “You’re not even real.”
Nyx: “And a part of you knows that what I’m saying is true. You’re not perfect but you’re the best shot our friends have at survival.”
Two: “So if I already know all this, why are you here?”
Nyx: “Why else? To say goodbye.”
Nyx and Two lean in for a kiss and while my rainbow heart screamed YES YES YES because I’ve always wanted Two to be bi and be romantically involved with Nyx–there was SO much chemistry between them–it doesn’t happen and we’re left teased by the what if of the moment. WHY it happened, I don’t know and it kind of felt like I was being toyed with the sake of queer-baiting, but I’ll let it slide because I think there were other, better, gay moments in the episode.
Three Flirts To Save A Life
Three, after getting his butt kicked, is rescued by Lt. Anders, Six’s BFF who turned in the Raza crew last year. After the way Anders talked about Six (Kal), I’m low-key convinced that Anders and Six were an item. Or at least that Anders loves Six and hasn’t told him. Or maybe I’m reaching because I have a tendency to do that with gay ships. Apparently.
Once they crash land on a nearby planet, Anders signals the Galactic Authority (gross) and then handcuffs Three (kinky) to keep him prisoner. The imprisonment doesn’t last long because a security drone attacks them and also because Three is an ingenious badass. (Seriously, I love that Dark Matter turns the stereotypes on their heads. Three isn’t just a big piece of muscle.) Three then rescues Anders from the drone by throwing his body on top of him and keeping completely still while making eye contact the entire time.
Anders gets all flustered, as anyone would be by such a pickup move, and then the pair, POWERED BY THEIR NEWFOUND LOVE, destroy the drone without a hitch. The GA shows up but Anders doesn’t have it in him to turn his new crush over to the bad guys, so he lets him go AND THEN hails the Raza telling them where they can find his new Beau. Come on, y’all. I know a romance when I see one.
Girl Power On The Raza
Commander Truffault has always been the best of the Corporate schmucks and I think that’s because she looks friggin’ killer in a suit. She rescues Five from Eos-7 because Five is the best and everyone loves her. Even though the Raza and the Mikkei Combine haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, Truffault willingly takes baby girl Five back to the Raza. Unfortunately, they’re immediately set up by Ferrous Corp who are pissed because the Raza blew up their Cheerios. Or because the Raza crew knows the truth about Ferrous Corp and their devious plots.
The Android, ever adorable and clever, manages to hold off Ferrous Corp long enough to keep the ship safe. Even after the Ferrous dudes make it onto the Raza, Five and Truffault set up the inside of the ship like some urban warfare is about to go down. Five grabs Three’s big gun and goes to work while Truffault double-wields two pistols and this female badassery is definitely doing things to me.
Android sends the Ferrous Corp shuttle back to its masters where the poor thing goes KABOOM and blows up all the attackers. They then rescue the Marauder and Three and then Android makes a vegetable casserole because she is DELIGHTFUL.
“The secret ingredient is basil. Then love. But mostly basil.”
The crew then has to decide the best course of action in stopping the upcoming corporate war. Truffault says Mikkei plans to play Switzerland for as long as possible, but Two has revenge on the brain. She wants to go after Ryo for what he did to their family and steal back the blink drive.
Cue ensuing smash and grab plan.
Random thoughts
Nyx: I sincerely hope you remain a part of Two’s dreams for at least a few more episodes. I miss you and I’m sorry you ever had feelings for Ryo.
Oh, and Ryo also released his childhood mentor from prison because he defended Ryo’s claim to the throne. Misaki looks all stabby, kind of like how she did with Nyx, and HOW Ryo doesn’t pick up on her mannerisms is beyond me, but I’ll allow it for now because Ryo isn’t exactly high on my list at the moment.
I’ve had issues with the female characterization on Dark Matter in the past, but for once, I’m actually glad I have to eat my words and admit that the last season and this premiere episode have been FANTASTIC for female fans. I especially loved the line from Two, in regards to Five:
“Don’t make her a damsel.”
But for real though, FIVE IS EVERYONE’S CINNAMON ROLL.
Dark Matter airs Fridays on Syfy at 9pm EST.
