Review: Dark Matter, “We Were Family”

What an incredibly busy episode.

“We Were Family” gives nearly every cast member some story, excepting only Four and Six, and with how the cast has expanded, that makes for a lot happening in a single hour.

Following the tension of the previous episode, the new passengers seem to have mostly integrated with the Raza crew. Seems a bit sudden after last week’s distrust, but it moves the story forward, so I won’t complain.

Nyx seems like she may be another Two — some sort of enhanced human. I also sense some sexual tension between her and Four. This at least feels a little less forced than the One/Two/Three love triangle.

We also get a glimpse of why someone as talented and seemingly decent as Devon was in prison, and Arax plans his betrayal.

The lion’s share of the episode goes to Three, who encounters the band of criminals who raised him.

I’m no fan of Three, but all things considered, this story was pretty good… even if I could see the ending coming a mile away. It does a much better job of making him more likable than season one’s hamfisted attempts at the same goal. Rather than attempting to convince us this selfish, womanizing thug is secretly a devoted romantic, it positions him as more of a classic antihero. Rough, harsh, occasionally cruel, but not entirely unprincipled in the final accounting.

That’s much more believable, so it succeeds in elevating my opinion of Three, unlike season one’s attempt to soften his image.

Sally the android also gets quite a lot of attention. During a stopover at a space station, she encounters a secret enclave of androids who have evolved beyond mere machines.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this plot. I do like Sally getting more attention, but it’s too early to form an opinion of these new androids or how they might affect her.

Mainly I’m thinking these new androids might prove a powerful ally in Two’s hypothetical crusade against the corporations. I may be jumping the gun here, but think about it. I can’t imagine sentient androids are well-served by the corporate system, and they’d certainly be an asset. Sally has proven herself incredibly capable and deadly, and she’s just one android, and an obsolete model at that.

Meanwhile, Two delves further into her past, and Five continues to be awesome.

The sheer busyness of this episode makes it a difficult one to rate. On the one hand, it’s scattered. No single plot gets quite as much attention as it maybe deserves, and it can be hard to keep track of everything that’s happening.

On the upside, there are so many different plot threads that at least one is bound to interest you.

For my part, I’m inclined to look favourably upon it, if only for Five’s continued streak of brilliance and managing to make me actually enjoy a Three story.

Overall rating: 7.9/10