# Anyone watching "Dark Matter"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 29, 2015, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276 "2015-08-29T13:11:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/1 "2015-08-29T13:11:05Z")
We’re dragging our way through the early part of this new SyFy offering. Pretty recycled, but just engaging enough to see what’s next - in the absence of any other new shows for a few more weeks.
_Firefly_ it ain’t, although the bones of the _Serenity_ stick right through. Bits and pieces of _Farscape_, _BSG_, and _Voyager_, as well as most space horror movies of the last couple of decades. (Zombies? Really?)
I rate it a solid _Meh… okay, one more_.
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/2 "2015-08-29T13:28:02Z")
Of the two, I prefer _Killjoys_, so you might want to check that out. But in truth I couldn’t manage three episodes of either.
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### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/3 "2015-08-29T13:32:31Z")
I like both Killjoy and Dark Matter, probably about equally. Neither is a masterpiece, but both are good enough to watch during the slow summer months. I like that both shows seem to be building up to big overarching plots. Three’s gigantic gun that only tosses people around is retardedly hilarious, why does that even exist?
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/4 "2015-08-29T14:41:05Z")
> [@DigitalC](#):
>
> I like both Killjoy and Dark Matter, probably about equally. Neither is a masterpiece, but both are good enough to watch during the slow summer months. I like that both shows seem to be building up to big overarching plots. Three’s gigantic gun that only tosses people around is retardedly hilarious, why does that even exist?
To not blow holes in ships, like happened on the SS Zombie?
I’m liking it well enough for what it is, so far (I’m up to episode 5, I think). Helps that 2 is just insanely hot…
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/5 "2015-08-29T15:22:31Z")
> [@MrDibble](#):
>
> Helps that 2 is just insanely hot…
Meh. Yet another pretty Canadian actress in tight black leather. That doesn’t add up to ‘insanely hot’ for me, but the fact that her ears don’t rub together AND she has excellent command voice helps a lot.
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### Author:  [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/6 "2015-08-30T20:31:45Z")
I haven’t. seen Syfy’s Dark Matter. I am a bit pissed about it though.
One of my all time favorite shows is the Science Channel’s Dark Matters. That guy who played Denethor in LOTR and Walter in Fringe hosts recreations of weird science things that actually happened. Lyndburgh invented a mechanical heart and endorsed eugenics (He later recanted when brought to the site of a death camp to look at V2 data). A doctor takes a massive dose of cocaine (Possibly intending to kill himself, possibly not) intending to write down all his sensations on the walls of his office. Zimbardo stages the infamous Stamford Prison Experiment. The US government uses Van Allen’s research to explode a nuke in the belts- hoping it will create a shield against nuclear missiles.and on and on and on.
Again, these are all things that actually, verifiably happened. The series was fascinating.
Now, when I mention Dark Matters people think I mean Dark Matter. Bah.
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### Author:  [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/7 "2015-08-30T20:48:48Z")
I have to admit that I hadn’t heard of \*Dark Matters \*(and do watch _Dark Matter_).
I’m enjoying the Syfy show for what it is: frankly derivative, unchallenging summer entertainment. The performers are attractive, the overall plot arc seems at least mildly intriguing, and the individual episodes are well-constructed enough to hold my interest.
I doubt if there will be many people dressed up as DM characters at next year’s Comic Con, but…what the heck. It’s an honorable effort.
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### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/8 "2015-08-30T21:06:45Z")
> [@MrDibble](#):
>
> To not blow holes in ships, like happened on the SS Zombie?
Sure, but it barely packs more punch than an actual punch and everyone else carries real guns. At first i thought it was an sniper rifle, then laughed my ass off when it turned out to be basically a hard shove gun.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/9 "2015-08-31T15:34:30Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#):
>
> I’m enjoying the Syfy show for what it is: frankly derivative, unchallenging summer entertainment. The performers are attractive, the overall plot arc seems at least mildly intriguing, and the individual episodes are well-constructed enough to hold my interest.
This is pretty much how I feel, and the same for Killjoys. I usually give SyFy shows a few episodes then tune out, but I’ve been able to hang in for both Dark Matter and Killjoys. I think it helps that they are on Friday night, so not much else to watch (unless I have earlier in the week, DVR’d stuff backing up). Add in some \*\*\*Strike Back \*\*\*(Cinemax) and that’s a pretty entertaining Friday night.
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### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/10 "2015-08-31T21:39:34Z")
So that season finale was definitely shocking. If this doesn’t get picked up i’m going to be very upset. Let me see if i have this straight: Six was always a galactic authority plant, two and i believe three discovered this and decided to kill him before they reached the mining colony, five overhears them and tries to save six with a crude mind wipe that ends up affecting all of them, at some point six either remembers or is reminded he is undercover? the guy he was walking next to at the end was the guy from the episode where he goes after the guy who tricked him into blowing that space station who lets him go at the end. That’s all i got, it’s all very confusing still.
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/11 "2015-09-01T14:16:59Z")
Ah, that’s what I kept meaning to add here.
The real name, or supposedly real name, of Two is “Portia Lin.” If that doesn’t make you laugh, it’s because you’re too old to remember “the three Lynns” - premium porn stars Ginger, Amber and Porsche Lynn.
I had Porsche Lynn’s cel number for a while. Really. Long story.
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### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/12 "2015-09-01T16:38:39Z")
This and Killjoy both got picked up for another season.
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### Author:  [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/13 "2015-09-01T17:05:53Z")
I enjoyed both this and “Killjoys”. Sure, it has a lot of elements drawn from other shows, it’s still got some fun elements. It’s surprisingly well made and seems to be decently thought out universe.
> [@DigitalC](#):
>
> Let me see if i have this straight: Six was always a galactic authority plant, two and i believe three discovered this and decided to kill him before they reached the mining colony, five overhears them and tries to save six with a crude mind wipe that ends up affecting all of them, at some point six either remembers or is reminded he is undercover? the guy he was walking next to at the end was the guy from the episode where he goes after the guy who tricked him into blowing that space station who lets him go at the end. That’s all i got, it’s all very confusing still.
It is definitely confusing. I’m not sure that’s right, but I don’t have all the details worked out.
[spoiler]It sounded like Two and the Asian guy on the audio, right? Who would the want to kill, and why? A planted spy would be convenient.
Alternately, what if Six wasn’t a planted spy, things changed recently, well, what happened recently that upset Six? They delivered a device to a planet that destroyed the planet and killed several thousand people. Oops. He didn’t want to take that job, and that outcome was too close to his previous bad venture. Ergo, he contacted the Galactic Authority to make a deal to turn them over in return for his own freedom.
So who were Two and Three planning to kill? How about the guy who wasn’t the Real Jason Corso, there on the ship under false identity? They discovered that somehow and were going to fix that problem.[/spoiler]
As far as the plan
Let’s assume the water was aimed at everyone, but tensions were too high and so only Three drank. He watched and they put Three in med bay, and nobody was left to monitor full time. With suspicions aroused, he needed a way to work surpise. So he decides to dose himself, knowing they would put him in med bay and then be too busy to deal with him. He used a light dose that wore off, and was able to pop the knockout just before the troops came in. I figured the patch was a decoy. Great plan.
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### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/14 "2015-09-01T17:16:58Z")
> [@Irishman](#):
>
> I enjoyed both this and “Killjoys”. Sure, it has a lot of elements drawn from other shows, it’s still got some fun elements. It’s surprisingly well made and seems to be decently thought out universe.
>
> It is definitely confusing. I’m not sure that’s right, but I don’t have all the details worked out.
>
> [spoiler]It sounded like Two and the Asian guy on the audio, right? Who would the want to kill, and why? A planted spy would be convenient.
>
> Alternately, what if Six wasn’t a planted spy, things changed recently, well, what happened recently that upset Six? They delivered a device to a planet that destroyed the planet and killed several thousand people. Oops. He didn’t want to take that job, and that outcome was too close to his previous bad venture. Ergo, he contacted the Galactic Authority to make a deal to turn them over in return for his own freedom.
>
> So who were Two and Three planning to kill? How about the guy who wasn’t the Real Jason Corso, there on the ship under false identity? They discovered that somehow and were going to fix that problem.[/spoiler]
I honestly couldn’t tell who was the male voice, it wasn’t one or six though. I just think five would be more willing to save six since he was the one who stopped three from throwing her out the airlock, at least from her pov (three claimed he wouldn’t have done it). It is possible she was just nice enough to attempt to save any of them.
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### Author:  [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/15 "2015-09-03T22:44:45Z")
I binge-watched Dark Matter over 3 days and loved it. The ending of the final episode caught me completely off-guard. I would never have guess Six, although I probably should have because Roger Cross seems to play pretty much the same character in everything I have seen him in.
Obvious thing that was obvious: Two. I saw her reveal from a mile away, well before the episode with the zombies. What tipped me off was back in episode 3 or 4 when she asked Android to keep a secret for her, which lead me to wonder: After she was spaced, Two seemed to be as surprised as everyone about her situation, but how could she have been if she’d previously told Android about it? And what about a few episodes later when Android admonished Two about her complaint about the crew’s trust issues as she was keeping something from them as well?
Wow, Wil Wheaton’s face has gotten fat, hasn’t it?
All-in-all, I consider Dark Matter a well-constructed show and am very much looking forward to next season.
On the other hand, I watched two episodes of KillJoys and could not get into it, at all. In fact, I dumped out in the middle of episode 2. Cliche-laden nonsense in a stereotypical dark, futuristic setting. Sci-fi at its worst if you ask me.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-dark-matter/729276/16 "2015-12-07T21:23:53Z")
I’ve been watching Dark Matter on Netflix and I am enjoying it. Ep9 of the 13 so far. Not a great show but good enough to watch.
I tried to like The 100 but it was too stupid and never improved.