Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
There’s just nothing like The Ark on television these days.
If you want laser guns and grotesque alien species, they’re a dime a dozen.
However, a sci-fi series that puts viewers right into the shoes and emotions of its characters is rare.
With the crew still reeling from the devastation of The Ark Season 1, we are getting the full scope of emotional breath.
Specifically, the trial scene with Kelly in “Kill or Be Killed” was a smorgasbord of anger, confusion, and defeat.
Sharon Garnet will definitely be earning her captain status this season.
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The Ark Is Light On The Science And Heavy On The Fiction In The Best Possible Way
The great thing about The Ark that sets it apart from many other science fiction dramas is how it maintains a constant focus on its cast of characters.
Many other shows will sacrifice dialogue and character growth for the sake of an “alien of the week” format.
Thankfully, The Ark is a series that invests most of its writing into creating believable characters.
Which is precisely what makes for a fantastic space odyssey.
Dean Devlin (The Librarians) and Jonathan Glassner (Falling Skies) took their opportunity for a second season and are turning it into gold.
Sure, it would be fun to see what kind of whacky monsters the writers can cook up.
But it’s no substitute for the connection, chemistry, and, ultimately, chaos from humans living in such close quarters.
I get that the Ark is a massive ship, but seeing the same people daily can induce claustrophobia.
On the plus side, no one has to worry about a daily commute rife with bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Oh, Captain, My Captain, What In The Worlds Are We Going To Do Now?
Lord, Captain Sharon Garnet certainly has more than she bargained for this season of The Ark.
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First, she had to survive the devastation of planet debris hitting Ark One.
This happened after helping the notorious Ark Fifteen, a crew not exactly known for playing nice.
And even with Maddox’s questionable help, Garnet was hardly out of the woods.
But we don’t blame the crew from the Ark Fifteen for wanting to jump ship.
By the sound of it from Maddox’s head of security, things weren’t exactly pleasant on their original ship.
Except now, Captain Garnet has a crew that she needs but doesn’t know what to do with.
The woman can’t catch a break, but from the exclusive interview TV Fanatic had with the cast, we know Garnet is headed to, at least, a little more casual comfort.
We can’t be sure what form that “comfort” will take, as Christie Burke would rather fans experience it for themselves.
With the revelation of the Juno Project, there might be a chance for some comical matchmaking.
My money is on Spencer Lane being a match for the good captain.
However, before we can even think about relaxing, Sharon has new crew members she has to vet and Maddox’s daughter, who is going through a whole mess of trauma.
On top of that, she has to find a way to a suitable planet for her team to call home.
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Although, not that I don’t want the intrepid crew of the Ark One to find a home, but how will that translate into the Syfy series considering the show title?
Bigger Numbers Don’t Make For A Better Crew If The Ark One Can’t Trust Them
Speaking of new crew members, how much do we trust these “fifteeners,” as they are referred to?
I’m a bit skeptical, especially since a “Trojan horse” arc would make for an exciting story.
Sure, on the one hand, the captain has more personnel to help with the Ark One.
As Eva might put it, the ship is certainly in desperate need of love, but things could get worse before they get better.
Things that seem too good to be true usually are in one capacity or another.
The other shoe tends to drop quite a bit.
All that being said, we do hope some of the fifteeners are good eggs, especially Dr. Marsh, played by Jadran Malkovich (Ted Lasso).
With the state of Dr. Sanjivni Kabir, the Ark One will need as much medical assistance as possible.
Did you see how messed up Angus was after the Season 1 Finale?
Creepy Kelly Can’t Catch A Break on The Ark One, Three, or Fifteen
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If anyone should be hoping that Dr. Marsh doesn’t go anywhere, it’s Kelly.
“Kill or Be Killed” revealed that maybe Kelly isn’t the psychopath we’ve all come to know her as.
First, there was the discovery of the bomb inside of her, and now we know she has brain implants.
And why? Because her insanely tyrannical mother placed them in her as a workaround to cloning.
If anyone needs to have their brain checked, it’s Evelyn Maddox.
Not only did she turn Kelly into a weapon who can take commands against her will, but now Kelly has all this blood and blame on her hands.
The writers of The Ark know how to throw a curveball at audiences because who would’ve imagined we’d be here trying to sympathize with Angus’s attacker?
Hopefully, Kelly is headed for some kind of a hero arc.
I can’t imagine anything else will allow William Trust to forgive Kelly for killing Helena.
At least Felix now knows that she wasn’t responsible for his husband’s death.
It’s just been one dilemma, disaster, or devastation after another since The Ark Season 1 Episode 12.
However, I have a feeling more significant priorities are headed toward the crew.
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We first saw the electric tentacle creature in the trailer for The Ark Season 2.
Now, we’ve seen it make its slithering debut in the final moments of “Kill or Be Killed.”
I’m not sure you fight something made of pure electricity, but it will undoubtedly involve science of the space variety.
While it’s not great news for the crew members, it’ll make for an exciting episode.
Either way, the next episode might return the series to the “catastrophe of the week” formula it used during Season 1.
What are your thoughts and feelings regarding Kelly and her multiple implants?
Do you think the introduction of this electric tentacle monster will be the start of more space creatures?
Drop a comment below to let us know, and join us again when we review the next episode of The Ark!