Be aware of spoilers!

2022/12/19

Starting with Dark Matter third and final season is a bit bitter sweet! It is exciting to start the 3^rd chapter but at the same time you know this is it’s last season and it is ending with a huge cliff-hanger so these things together give it a bit of a double feeling. By the time Dark Matter enters its 3^rd season, the show definitely is at its peak. The characters have been well fleshed out, the actors portraying these characters, know their characters which makes it even more genuine. As I said in my season two blog, I really was disappointed at the end of the 2^nd season in regard of the character Nyx’s death. I really liked this character and I thought it was a missed opportunity to keep her on the Raza. Like in the 2^nd season, the 3^rd season also has a few new characters which stay on the Raza for four episodes. First one is Adrian Maro (Mishka Thébaud) who was the assistant of Tabor Calchek (David Hewlett), shame David Hewlett did not reprise his role in the 3^rd season, perhaps he was not available. The other character was Maro’s bodyguard Solora Shockley (Ayisha Issa).

The season continues where the second season finished. Two and Four barely escape the station EOS 7 but they cannot go anywhere because the marauder is inoperable because of the explosions. Five and Truffault escape via a life pod and get back to the Raza. Three is kidnapped by Anderson, Six’s former colleague. Ferrous Corp comes all firing on the Raza, meanwhile Six has restored communications and contact the Raza. Two is devastated when she learns that Nyx is dead, presumably killed by Ryo but the audience knows it is Misaki. Three and Anderson get into a fight with a drone, Three saves Anderson and when the GA comes by, Anderson does not give up Three and brings him back to his ship. Android has an idea how to destroy the Ferrous Corp ship. Two and Six are being picked up. Five puts on a device and starts talking to Sarah!

In the second episode the Raza crew goes after the blink drive Ryo stole from them. It is being tested on a secret station which Five finds the location of. Ryo learns that the station is under attack, he travels to the station via Transfer Transit. He orders the scientist to use the blink drive. But it goes wrong, the station reappears in an environment created by the blink-drive in order to be able to re-appear because there was nothing where to transported to. But the field is shrinking. Android sees an anomaly right where the station was and figures it could be a link to where the station went. Two and Three get the blink drive back after Ryo’s clone has been killed, with the blink-drive in the marauder, they follow the coordinates the Android sent. Meanwhile Five keeps falling into sleep because she went into dreams of others too often. Android can save her but is not sure she can keep all of her memories. Ryo finds out Misaki killed Nyx! He almost kills her but doesn’t ….unfortunately.

In the 3^rd episode we meet Maro and Solora, Raza crew comes to pick up Tabar but he is gone, retired or something, which is a shame for obvious reasons as said before. Raza crew is being drawn into a fight with the people living there and a Traugott Corps garrison, Ferrous Corp has shot a nuke at that planet which the Raza intercepted. The people living there bring in the General, former commander of Six. Six, who is still angry and frustrated because of him, shoots him between the eyes! Android also finds Sarah, Five tells that she has downloaded her onto the system.

The fourth episode is possibly my favorite time-loop episode of all time, of every TV show! Normally not a fan of time-loop episodes. This one has been done brilliantly and this episode shows again a very humorous Three (Anthony Lemke). It also shows a possible future, what happens in the future to the crew, the universe and this doesn’t bode well. Would have been nice to have seen everything unfold in two more seasons. Ishida was able to track them via the dormant blink drive, send his assassin but once they figured this out he has no means to track him and one of his best operatives is gone. We see a strange being sitting across from Ishida who apparently should help him track the Raza again.

The fifth episode is one where new character Maro gets to shine. I have to say, this was a fun episode. Raza crew agrees to help Maro to free his girlfriend who has supposedly been kidnapped. Things aren’t always what they seem. Raza crew finds out about something called a Phoenix project, which is a Ferrous Corps shipyard where 70-100 ships are being built to help with the war. Tabor definitely appears to be gone. Ferrous Corp leader is satisfied about war but there are some unforeseen setbacks, like the factions who are united faster than anticipated. They need to use an agent, it is Six!

Episode 6, the Alternate Universe Raza Crew double cross the Mikkei Group, getting hold of missiles and money. Truffault thinks she has been double-crossed by our heroes and they have to prove to Truffault that it wasn’t them. The Alternate Universe Raza crew also try to double-cross our crew but that doesn’t work. Unfortunately they make a deal with them, which means they remain free and stay in this universe. Maro decides to leave the Raza crew, he figures that this is not his life. Solora goes with him. Alternate Universe Portia tries to befriend Ferrous Corp to fight a common enemy. Five is worried about Six and the crew decide to go and visit him. Note - I have to say these Alternate Universe Raza crew characters aren’t my favorites so every time they are in a story, I find it less engaging.

Episode 7, Six is held captive at a Ferrous corps facility because they are trying to find out the meeting place where all these colonist leaders are getting together to try and form a government. They play with his mind, make him believe he is back on the Raza, but soon he figures out he is being played. He does find out he has a wife and a child, although his wife is remarried. Final moments we see Android getting out of her sleep cycle, walking to Six, walking to Three, taking his gun and aim it at three while sleeping, but laying the gun back and go back to her platform.

Episode 8 “Hot Chocolate” is a very good episode. Ishida comes to the Raza via transit transfer, he comes for the blink drive and has the android hijacked by an accomplice of Ishida. One of the last things the Android could do was isolate Sarah’s “place”, she warns Five, who has the blink drive. Six is having talks with representatives of various colonies which doesn’t really go well, one is killed. Five and Sarah manage to free the Android via a feedback. Android locks the one hijacking her, in his own mind. They let Ishida go but warn him that this is the last time, otherwise they will come for him. Raza crew believe that Android killed the representative Six was talking with but she says she didn’t do it while she was hijacked. But who did?

Episode 9, “Isn’t that a Paradox” is an instant favorite of mine, the crew of the Raza travel back in time to the early 21^st century after trying to recalibrate the blink drive. There is someone else from the future, a scientist, he created a callback program into the drive. He also has a new one, he was one of the original crew who created the blink drive. With this blink drive they return. Hilarious to see these characters in the present. Commander Nieman of  Ferrous corps contacts Ishida and tells him he wants to do business, in the background you see the alternate versions of Two and Three. In the final moments of the episode, Victor contacts the Android saying that he needs her help.

“Built, not Born”, episode 10 is probably my favorite season 3 episode. Android asks the crew to help Viktor, which they do. Three does not agree but he does agree to help. Apparently, android Anya supposedly killed her former owner. Another android, Ruac, is damaged beyond control but when he still has his emotion chip inside him, he starts saying: This is all wrong, but Viktor quickly removes the chip. In the upgrade software for Android is a code which leads to a planet, one word “Sanctuary”. When they arrive, it turns out that the lead scientist is Dr. Shaw has the same face as android! Dr. Shaw was put in stasis because she was terminally ill, but with the upgrade nanites of two she can, at least for a time, function again. It appears she was one of the creators of Two also and she helped her escape Dwarf star ind. Shaw and Two were in a relationship, to help Two cope, it was decided to create an android for her with the face of dr. Shaw. Android feels she is diminished by this, nothing more than a copy but Six reminds her of her uniqueness and that she may not be perfect but a unique person. (very nice moment) Two has an idea, to give Sarah an Android body, which Three and Sarah agree to. GA finds them, apparently Viktor is traceable, even though not obviously, Dr. Shaw kills that trace. But Three cannot bring back Sarah to the Raza because the process is not yet incomplete. Another very nice moment between Three and Android, Three apologizing to her. Final moment we see Sarah waking up, we also see that Viktor actually killed former owner of Anya while there was no reason to.

Another good episode, “The Dwarf Star Conspiracy”, One of the Android's newly discovered memories leads the crew to a suspicious Dwarf Star facility on Nova 17, Three has a weird and unsettling dream about it. When they arrive at the planet they find lots of stasis pods with people like Two. Mikkei troops come down and basically take over the operation. Three collapses but he also sees a strange thing he saw also in his dreams. They are the same aliens that possessed his body at one time. They tell him that the RED goo is sort of a doorway. Their universe is death, dried out so they need new feeding grounds and want to invade our universe. Mikkei ship drops a nuclear bomb while Two is still on the planet. Raza crew think Two is dead but Boone, from the alternate universe, has saved her.

Boone brings Two to Ishida and he wants to get the blink drive for Two. He even invites them to dinner, promising to not harm them in anyway. They don’t trust him so they via transit transfer. He tells Three the reason why he was avoiding him when Ishida got him memories back. Three was responsible for Sarah becoming ill. Three has a hard time dealing with this info. Six prevents an attempt on Ishida’s life, his people no longer trust him and Misaki wants to execute him. However, Teku has released Two and kills Misaki just when she is about to kill Ishida. For Nyx, she says. This moment I enjoyed very much! Three is really struggling with what Ishida told him, he decides to start a firefight so his clone will be killed and he doesn’t know what Ishida has told him. Ishida goes back with the Raza crew, crew decide to kill Ishida for what he had done, he accepts this and tells Two she has a child, she left her with a man she trusts, called Kryden. As she points a gun at him the episode is done!

In the series finale, Two cannot kill Ishida. Teku contact Raza that they want their emperor back, they cannot go back home but they have secured a number of ships. Reynaud apparently is the “mother” of Five’s sister, who was adopted. Android found a storage device she was yet unable to crack but a folder got her attention, it was called: Kryden. Teku knows where Boone is hiding out, they get help from Truffault but they are double crossed by Traugott Corps. Two and Three & Six are being captured. With the help of Truffault’s inside man, Wexler, they escape but Three is captured again. Back on the Raza the audience sees that Two has been taken over by that black Alien goo, she takes out the android, Meanwhile Portia saves Three, apparently she doesn’t want to fight another man’s war. Five asks Ishida for help, he disables Two. While there is heavy fighting, the shipyard explodes, something comes from it, what first looks like a blue world but from there ships come through, like a giant stargate, black ships! Also something that has been foreseen by future android!

Final Word:

This is it! The final season, ending on a huge cliff-hanger! This really sucks of course. Joseph Mallozzi had a 5 year story in mind, so two more seasons and we would have had a finished story. Obviously this hasn’t happened. Still, even though this is an unfinished story, Dark Matter has become one of my favorite TV shows of all time. It really deserves more than only 3 seasons but as I say so often, we as SCI-FI fans are used by it now unfortunately.  I still have a little bit of hope that Joseph Mallozzi pulls it off to come back with a miniseries or something, to finish the story, but by now I think it is the same chance as Lloyd has in the movie Dumb & Dumber with Mary! 😊