Dark Matter

:

Season 2
  • Network: SyFy
  • Series Premiere Date: Jun 12, 2015
Season #: 3, 2, 1
Metascore
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No score yet - based on 1 Critic Review

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
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Critic Reviews

  1. Variety
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    Jun 24, 2016
    70
    Not all the characters are interesting and some of the performances are shakier than others (and “Dark Matter’s” clunky production design is less pleasing than that of the sprightlier “Killjoys”). But for hardcore sci-fi fans, Dark Matter should have enough upsides to keep them tuning in: It has a sense of humor, reliable forward momentum, and it generally gets the job done reasonably well.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 43 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 43
  3. Negative: 3 out of 43
  1. Kelly_Starks
    Jul 19, 2016
    3
    I don’t watch a lot of TV dramas any more since they largely seem to rehash old tv plots, or are otherwise predictable or just notI don’t watch a lot of TV dramas any more since they largely seem to rehash old tv plots, or are otherwise predictable or just not interesting. I was told to check out the first season of Dark Mater and it became one of about 2 dramas on TV I really liked and made a point of watching. Tight generally not predictable plotting, frequent plot hooks that did get my attention, several interesting likeable charters (though cliches as well in many ways) you wanted to see develop and see where their relationships developed.

    In the first season premiere, the characters wake up in this and find out they are not just wanted criminals, they are the scum of the universe. Hired to whipe out a settlement man, women, child so a company can claim the star system as uninhabited (though that itself made no logical sence). Horrified at who they were, they don't use their names, but use the numbers they came to for names. And as the season went on my wife and ?I were hooked.

    Season 2 has been a huge let down. The whole prison arc of the first 2 eps was a complete cliché, echoing similar stories with POWs, southern jails, etc. Corrupt indifferent guards/warden. Favored gang really running the place that the main characters need to bargain with. The main characters almost immediately agreeing to do a prison break from the inescapable prison. Etc, etc. The stories drag, and are sloppy. In the first ep no one in the prison (2, 3, 4) even mentions, much less asks about what happened to, the missing half of the crew; but in the second ep 3 is surprised that 2 would escape leaving behind the three missing crew. One of the actual non criminal characters casual murder spree at the end seemed unnecessary and out of character. 6’s tepid defence of himself, or of why the Razzas crew deserved to be let go, was underwhelming (it seemed like the writers just wrote it as a token throw away). The next ep the characters memories and personalities revert to their previous, utter vile, forms; and they then go about killing the others among them they don't remember even though they know they are a year out of date as to what's going on. It does have a cool scene where your in the memory of the core female captain character "2", seeing a glimpse of nightmare of her life as an escaped lab experiment UN the run and desperate. Showing what could drive her to become they cheerfully cruel criminal who enjoyed being brutal. But otherwise it was so sloppy and inconsistent as to make us want to strangle the charters.

    A plot twist from last season where she has a gun to the back of the head of one of the crew who'ld been closer to her then any guy in her life..wasn't nearly to separate him from the idiot cliche Mercinaries, whose constantly suspected him of something..but because she had actually bereaved the Mercinaries rediculous logic for suspecting him again, regardless of him being the moral voice among the crew, and the person with utterly nothing to gain from betraying them, having walked away from the extreme wealth and power of the inherited to the leadership of one of the corporate empires to stay and help them, mainly her. Increasingly in this season she's played as less a hardened but resourceful leader, then someone making dumb mistakes or actions . And getting almost flirty with the idiot Mercinary.

    At another point resolving a plot twist of the computer tieing into their brains and reverting their memories - all those effected simply pass out for no reason. The other eps similarly have increasing big plot wholes, or threads simply ignored.

    Add in to all that and the background of the universe is becoming very cliché and sloppy. It had been as cliche, but the stories didn't focus on it enough to let it drag the stories down. But this season it's becoming much more frount and center. A future ruled by corporate empires at war. Everything and everyone corrupt, and incompetent. (No mention of the illegality of prosecuting people for crimes they have no memory of, and are therefore metally incompetent to stand trial for?) Last season’s automated medical equipment and surgical nanite replaced with a prison medic. A prison riot was quelled in seconds by the sonic stunner – this ep no one noticed until you had time for a big fight scene, and to allow the fight top spread so they stun the whole prison? A prison where the android is being held for data extraction, but the critical cables for the escape are easily accessible? Their ship is not even stored in a hanger or something, but left fully operational and unguarded in Lunar orbit near the prisoners?!

    Sadly this show seems to be going from must see ( cliches done well and interesting/fast), to seen it better on older shows. I'ld give season 1, a 7 or 8. Season 2 is starting as a 3, and trailers and premeries offer little reason for optimism.    … Full Review »
  2. OscarTheGrouch
    Dec 28, 2016
    7
    The 2nd season of Dark Matter is sadly not as good as the first one. It's still ok and I'll still check out the upcoming 3rd season, but myThe 2nd season of Dark Matter is sadly not as good as the first one. It's still ok and I'll still check out the upcoming 3rd season, but my expectations will have lowered substantially compared to what I was expecting after the first season.

    The biggest problem I had was at the end where one of the characters basically does a complete u-turn out of the blue. That by itself was a surprise. But then he asks his subordinate to use "non-lethal force only" on the main characters......while he himself has no problem at all to bomb the bejeebies out of them.

    Because there was no guarentee at all that they could/couldn't escape fast enough. If next season he actually gets mad at his subordinate for what happened on the ship....that would just make no sense at all. You were going to bomb them! Hello.    … Full Review »
  3. farmerfan
    Dec 30, 2017
    10
    This is a wonderful sci fi series, and really the best , most intelligent sci fi series since STNG .
    The universe they have created is fun    This is a wonderful sci fi series, and really the best , most intelligent sci fi series since STNG .
    The universe they have created is fun and exciting.
    The characters are all excellent, and really surprised by the great acting. It's hard to believe Melissa O'neil has not done TV or acting before this, because she is as slick and accomplished as a veteran, and I love her martial arts body and moves. Go girl !
    The plot is really exciting and the whole family hangs out for the next episode all week.This show was cancelled by syfy channel execs after season 3. Incredible fools who don't appreciate good sci fi ,acting and drama if they fell over it. Shame on you syfy    … Full Review »
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