Dark Matter

:

Season 1
  • Network: SyFy
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 12, 2015
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 219 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 182 out of 219
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 219
  3. Negative: 17 out of 219
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  1. truerock
    Mar 12, 2022
    8
    Dark Matter is a science fixation series.

    This is very good entertainment - primarily of the strength of its excellent casting. The actors have intriguing personalities.
  2. dk150968
    Mar 25, 2019
    9
    Dark Matter loved it, cant understand why it was cancelled????
    The story was good, the characters interesting, A good strong decent syfy show, better then other rubbish out there, that for some miracle gets renewed!?( aka ST Discovery?)
    Own all three seasons will be re watching them again.
  3. Split_Decay
    Jan 8, 2018
    10
    Dark Matter something of wonderful narrative and intense Sci-Fi battling is what creates a thrilling TV show, over the 3 seasons it had it was more engaging to watch and the inclusion of new plots and stories with each passing episode makes it all the more entertaining, It just a shame we may never see any more of it, why Syfy why.
  4. AReedy
    Sep 22, 2017
    9
    I am now watching Season 3 and this show just gets better and better. I would say it is equivalent to shows such as Star Trek Voyager etc.
    Now I am starting to binge watch the rest of the season and my wife is probably gonna kill me and tell me to go mow the lawns instead of watching all these episodes..But the plot line is pretty good so I just wanna find out what is gonna happen.
  5. MattSane
    Sep 5, 2017
    8
    Although the show has obviously only a little budget compared to others - they get best out of it. Character design and development are really strong. There is plenty of open philosophic and politic questions in that show, that get there spotlight: the android fighting with emotions, 4 getting into political power and the need of doing decisions, 6 fight with the question of what isAlthough the show has obviously only a little budget compared to others - they get best out of it. Character design and development are really strong. There is plenty of open philosophic and politic questions in that show, that get there spotlight: the android fighting with emotions, 4 getting into political power and the need of doing decisions, 6 fight with the question of what is justice and how to fight for etc. All combined with enough action/fight sciences. The show only lacks budget to inclued nicer scienerie, like planet surface and settlements to give it a 9 or 10.… Expand
  6. zorgzag
    Sep 3, 2017
    10
    this is the best sci-fi movie ever!!! We all want to see it and the fans won't give up. @netflix , we're counting on you! Such a shame that was a fascinating storyline!!
  7. Tss5078
    May 20, 2017
    10
    Once in a generation, a show comes along that insists you pay attention to it. Nearly fifty years after the debut of Star Trek, Dark Matter is the latest show turning heads in the world of science fiction and it is like nothing you have ever seen before. Blending elements of Star Trek, Lost, and Knight Rider, this new show from the producers of Stargate SG1, will have you talking about itOnce in a generation, a show comes along that insists you pay attention to it. Nearly fifty years after the debut of Star Trek, Dark Matter is the latest show turning heads in the world of science fiction and it is like nothing you have ever seen before. Blending elements of Star Trek, Lost, and Knight Rider, this new show from the producers of Stargate SG1, will have you talking about it and pining for the next episode.

    Orbiting a planet out in deep space on the edges of civilization, six people wake up on a spaceship, with no memory of who they are or how they got there. After pairing up and searching the ship, they discover it's full of weapons. With the help of an android they find on board, the crew discovers they are orbiting a disputed planet and the weapons are likely for the colonists below. The crew quickly becomes attached to the colonists, that is until they learn the horrible truth, that they are mercenaries at the top of the galactic authorities most wanted list. They know they must be there to remove the colonist for one of the big corporations that now run the galaxy, but with the lose of their memories, came something no one could have expected, a conscience. Eventually, the crew of the ship called, The Raza, decide they have to stick together and find out who they are, where they're from, and what happened to them, so begins Dark Matter.

    Each episode is another adventure, dealing with the authority, their old enemies, and their old employers. They don't know their friends from their enemies, but after each adventure they get another piece of the puzzle and we get a glimpse into their passed lives. Together with the crew, the audience has the pleasure of trying to figure out who these people were, what happened to them, and debate on where they may be going.

    Much like Star Trek, this show has a virtually unknown cast, and is slowly producing it's own stars. I only recognized a couple of name, but the different skills each cast member present is as incredible and unique as the characters themselves. The women on board have moves that would make Bruce Lee jealous, but not to be overlooked is the cast interactions with each other, which often times are hilarious. The cast is diverse and so are the characters and their backgrounds, in coming together they all play on each others strengths and weaknesses to make this one of the most enjoyable shows on television.

    I watch a lot of TV, probably a lot more than is healthy, but in all this time, there have only been a handful of shows that I can honestly say, I could not wait to see the next episode, Dark Matter is one of those shows. Honestly I get home early on the nights it on and put on SyFy fifteen minutes early so that I don't miss a second. The first two seasons are currently streaming, go and watch the pilot and I promise you, weather you love science fiction or not, Dark Matter will have you hooked.    … Expand
  8. Dzirdi
    Nov 23, 2016
    8
    pro:
    good dialog
    good characters (something for everyone) good actors kontra: the title lets you expect more than there actualy is to..because; -not much on the visual side... -im not realy sure if there is a deeper meaning to the plot and if i name something "dark matter" i expect something mindblowing despite that,i give it an 8/10 due to the low budget they are going    pro:
    good dialog
    good characters (something for everyone)
    good actors

    kontra:
    the title lets you expect more than there actualy is to..because;
    -not much on the visual side...
    -im not realy sure if there is a deeper meaning to the plot

    and if i name something "dark matter" i expect something mindblowing

    despite that,i give it an 8/10 due to the low budget they are going with...if they had the bucks,im sure they would deliver more on the visuals    … Expand
  9. YoloSwag4Doge
    Oct 21, 2016
    7
    I found the show starts off pretty weak. The characters are incredibly cliche' and the fighting is your standard cheesy, yet flashy action sequences. That being said, the show did start to grow on me as I watched on further. There is a lot of character development and dialogue, which I find to be where the show's strengths are at. Once I developed an attachment and understanding of theI found the show starts off pretty weak. The characters are incredibly cliche' and the fighting is your standard cheesy, yet flashy action sequences. That being said, the show did start to grow on me as I watched on further. There is a lot of character development and dialogue, which I find to be where the show's strengths are at. Once I developed an attachment and understanding of the characters I found the show a lot more entertaining. It always has it's cheese moments that have me thinking 'wow...really?', but for me it's worth it for the characters.… Expand
  10. mtc1954
    Sep 30, 2016
    10
    'Professional' critics need to nerd up. This is a great show. Small ship, scruffy crew, brainiac kid - yeah cliche to a fault BUT everyone wakes from cryo with total amnesia. Instant mystery. Well written with brutal scenes matching Firefly. Deep intrigue in every episode.
  11. Djtoodles
    Sep 20, 2016
    9
    Found the show by accident when researching the actual dark matter for a uni project. Read the premise gave it a go and im pleasantly surprised, characters are good, story is interesting. It has vibes of Farscape or Andromeda (you should also watch they are great) but modernised and with less one dimensional characters. Its also nice to see good guys who are flawed and selfish (for theFound the show by accident when researching the actual dark matter for a uni project. Read the premise gave it a go and im pleasantly surprised, characters are good, story is interesting. It has vibes of Farscape or Andromeda (you should also watch they are great) but modernised and with less one dimensional characters. Its also nice to see good guys who are flawed and selfish (for the most part), yet are also likeable, which I think is a sign of good character creation.

    The universe is pretty interesting and borrows ideas from Eve Online and Battletech. This isnt a bad thing as its inspiration is from great sources and has managed to create a rather deep universe which is different enough from others to be new and interesting.

    Casting was very good and all the cast deliver great performances for the most part. My personal favourite is 5 as we see go from random person to member of the crew and badass in her own right. But even the most unlikable of the characters Three (imo), has moments where his character is shown to have depth and likeability and its all acted out very well.

    CGI is good for the budget and although we dont get to see too much cgi action, i assume due to the budget, the bits we get are nice and crisp. I especially like the FTL travel style when they jump, its very cool.

    The story and pacing is excellent, it hands out revelations and backstory fast enough to keep you interested but not so fast as to blow its load all in one episode. Its has enough shocks and twists that they are fun and unexpected without being overused.

    A fun side note its always good seeing some of my old favourites returning as new characters, Drs Rodney McKay and Elizabeth Weir being as awesome as ever :P.

    I hope the show continues to be made after season two, I hope SyFy have faith in the show they have a bad habit of cancelling shows. Ive been telling everyone I know about the show and given how randomly I found out about it I suggest others to do the same. Its a good Sci-Fi TV Show and deserves more viewers than it gets. It has a story and characters which put some other well advertised shows to shame but sadly not the budget.    … Expand
  12. mjune10
    Aug 14, 2016
    10
    I recommend this show to anyone who likes sci-fi or action/adventure series. The characters are all generally likeable and the storyline is interesting. I really hope they renew the show for another season because I think there is much more that can be done with it.
  13. Optimalist
    Aug 14, 2016
    9
    It's easy to brush this off as shallow and unoriginal. Apparently, that's the first impression that the creators of this show wants to feed its soon-to-be loyal fanbase. As the mysteries unfold, we are given generous servings of atypical dialogue and convincing decision processes that real humans would make. The evolution of the characters start from 1-dimensional clichés intoIt's easy to brush this off as shallow and unoriginal. Apparently, that's the first impression that the creators of this show wants to feed its soon-to-be loyal fanbase. As the mysteries unfold, we are given generous servings of atypical dialogue and convincing decision processes that real humans would make. The evolution of the characters start from 1-dimensional clichés into multi-layered, multi-dimensional sci-fi goodness that is rarely seen on TV. I enjoy liking and disliking the characters and the acting and directing that goes into building the complex personalities of each person, including the "non-humans".

    I totally enjoyed the different references from different cultural artifacts like Charlotte's Web, Star Wars, and EVE Online. I'm pretty sure there are other easter eggs I have missed, but the fun part is figuring them out as we go along for the FTL ride. I also commend the writers for the balance of explaining stuff vs. allowing the audience to figure things out for themselves.

    Most of all, I enjoy getting answers to the most obvious questions that arise each episode. We also get more questions, but to be able to scratch the mystery itch is extremely satisfying.    … Expand
  14. Caedes
    Aug 12, 2016
    9
    Simply the best SyFy tv shows in over a decade. Special effects are cheap (it gets better in season 2) but it makes up for it with great character development and good stroy twist here and there.
  15. farmerfan
    Aug 5, 2016
    10
    What a brilliant , intelligent sci fi series. Don't listen to the bad reviews, these are people who lack the intelligence to appreciate good sci fi, and probably should be watching Bay Watch reruns or Charlies Angels or whatever. Anyway, this series was such a pleasant surprise, brilliant acting, very good casting, and great suspenseful plot and storyline. Do yourself a favour and watch this.
  16. Dejahm
    Jul 21, 2016
    8
    Really enjoy this show the interplay between the characters and their slowly creating of their own personalities.. Love the android just wish she played a bigger part in the show
  17. piskin
    Jul 18, 2016
    10
    This tv series is amazing i don't know why critics are skeptical about this series. I love the story and the mysteries behind the characters. It makes a very compelling story.
  18. Charlemagne
    Jun 8, 2016
    10
    Thank God they renewed it and didn't leave us permanently hanging. More character action space opera than sci-fi, but enough sci-fi delivered every now and then to be interesting. It's possible I am too blinded by the glory of Two to be objective, but in that case the show still delivers.
  19. hamal
    May 16, 2016
    10
    A rather intriguing Firefly-like space adventure with plenty of mystery, diverse characters, and action to keep me interested. By far my favorite new show.
  20. deir
    Feb 19, 2016
    10
    all in the spirit of EVE Online I look forward to the second season
    i liked this serial with the first series
    all mysteriously extraordinary unusual staging of this scene the audience
  21. kwengca
    Jan 3, 2016
    9
    Started off slow, but ended up really enjoying it after the first few episodes. Binged the whole thing on netflix within 2 days. As others have said, it has a firefly kind of vibe, but the basic premise and the setting of the show are totally different. The characters are what make it interesting so far. In particular 4, 5, and the android are my favorites so far. It's been a great startStarted off slow, but ended up really enjoying it after the first few episodes. Binged the whole thing on netflix within 2 days. As others have said, it has a firefly kind of vibe, but the basic premise and the setting of the show are totally different. The characters are what make it interesting so far. In particular 4, 5, and the android are my favorites so far. It's been a great start to a show that I see a lot of potential for. I haven't been so for a sci fi show for a long time, and I have seen quite a few.… Expand
  22. Combustive
    Dec 22, 2015
    10
    Really enjoying this show. Haven't been drawn in to a TV series for a while (being more of a Mass Effect person rather than Battlestar or Star Trek) and I feel like the show really hit the mark with the characters and story. Perhaps having a smaller budget helped keep these things in focus. Easy to get in to. I really hope it keeps running.
  23. DonMega
    Dec 2, 2015
    10
    I grew up being a huge fan of shows like Babylon 5, Star trek tng, voyager, ds9, firefly and my all time favorite show is farscape. I have been waiting years for a similar type of sci-fi show to come out but was disappointed until I watched dark matter 2015. This has everything from an engaging story, the cast is excellent and acting is good. The backgrounds are excellent and well made,I grew up being a huge fan of shows like Babylon 5, Star trek tng, voyager, ds9, firefly and my all time favorite show is farscape. I have been waiting years for a similar type of sci-fi show to come out but was disappointed until I watched dark matter 2015. This has everything from an engaging story, the cast is excellent and acting is good. The backgrounds are excellent and well made, like the ship interior or interiors of different locations. I also enjoyed the dialog and small comedic moments.

    Although I was never a huge fan of stargate sg1 I was a big fan of stargate atlantis so seeing the same writers and creators of the stargate francise wasn't a huge shock because you can just feel the vibe in this show that past sci-fi shows had. The writers have done an amazing job on the show and I really hope this gets renewed because I would be extremely disappointed. If you grew up watching space opera's like I have mentioned above you should enjoy this. This is the only good space sci-fi in the last couple years.    … Expand
  24. HiDef-Jules
    Nov 9, 2015
    10
    I'm so glad to have an awesome scifi show to watch again. Great cast, great writing and fantastically produced. If you like Firefly and great space opera then you'll love this. Cant wait for season 2.
  25. tigerskin84
    Nov 1, 2015
    8
    Very good show even with a low budget, the cast is right , the history and pace is good , good performances i hope to see a season 2 with more revelations about the characters and more battles and better cgi but for its 1st season they have done really well.
  26. Shorty_Says
    Oct 5, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Starts PC Cliche then takes really dark dark turns.

    The first few episodes you can take or leave (the miners episode in particular was god awful) however a really dark existential crisis starts to develop when the character back stories develop. Each back story is more horrific than the last. Consider this, the leader's rap sheet is considered "lite" with 46+ hand to hand kills escaping her corporate creation lab. The black guy was the worse, he inadvertently killed over 10,000 civilains with a nuclear bomb. In the last or second to last episode the entire crew delivers technology to a planet killing 16,500 researchers. Leader spaces a dude in cold cold blood, and even the teen wiz kid cliche has to get her hands dirty giving the gun to a hostile dude, shooting him to death in the back. So while it does start off as a cliched PC wank fest (really really bad) it rapidly morphs into a really nasty blood bath. Also it's the only show I've ever watched where armor on troops stops bullets and they had to be offed in their weak spots at close range.
    If I had to guess I would have to say that the first group of Firefly wannabe PC cliche loving writers got their asses fired when the ratings sagged and the B-Team non PC hardcores got a shot, thus raising the body count and the gore and lowering the Mayberry Gosh Shucks to a literal zero. By way of a point, nearly all of the characters have killed in cold blood, or a now survivalist, defensive killers.
    By the 10th episode the hatred and self loathing are palpable. Thus it lives up, finally, to it's name Dark Matter.    … Expand
  27. QuirkyReviews
    Sep 21, 2015
    9
    Pros: Strong Female leads, Good Humor, awesome character development,and great aesthetic

    Cons: Starts slow,and the middle of the season needed a bit more action
  28. sysphus
    Sep 2, 2015
    10
    The show is low budget, so no cool effects. But it has excellent story develop and characters. It will take a few episode to get to know them. Best to binge watch the whole season at one sitting.
  29. Armchairwarrior
    Sep 2, 2015
    10
    A show with a very good story. Must binge watch the whole thing. It is low budget. But story gets better after a few background episodes of who they are. The show gets its legs by episode 8.
  30. fallendemon
    Sep 2, 2015
    10
    The premise of the show is simple enough. Everyone wakes up in a stasis with amnesia. The show is low budget so no cool effects etc.. The earlier episodes we get to find out who they are fairly quickly. By episode 8 or the show takes off.

    I hope they get a bigger budget for season two the stories in season one is fun to watch!!

    Best is to binge watch the whole thing in a sitting.
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Keith Uhlich
    Jun 15, 2015
    40
    Dark Matter is a dud, and likely to make as much of a dent in the pop-cultural consciousness as the invisible substance it’s named after.
    Read full review
  2. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Jun 15, 2015
    50
    A lethal robot (Zoie Palmer), who tries to kill one of the six before they wipe her memory. She then sets about reconstructing the ship’s data, eventually learning the ship’s destination and their possible purpose that throws everything the audience has learned in the show’s first hour into question. It’s a good twist. What Dark Matter makes of it in future episodes remains to be seen.
    Read full review
  3. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Vicki Hyman
    Jun 12, 2015
    50
    A workmanlike space opera.
    Read full review
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