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Critic’s Rating: 3.2 / 5.0
3.2
For a show that prides itself on focusing on its characters’ humanity, The Ark certainly took a detour.
It’s not as if the series hasn’t introduced or at least hinted at anomalies before.
However, The Ark Season 2 Episode 3 took things to another level.
When you have a space odyssey series, there will inevitably be space creatures of some sort.
While “Anomaly” took some interesting directions with this electric tentacle monster, not everything stuck the landing.
The writers took a chance and, let’s say, redistributed resources for this particular episode.
Related: The Ark Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Failed Experiment
Still, where there were misses, there were plenty of moments that reminded fans why they tune in every week.
Not Even The Ark Can Escape The Turbulence Of A Space Odyssey
Let’s not delay the inevitable and get right to the crux of this review.
I’ve made it a point to praise the series for everything they’ve done to make the story shine.
However, that does not mean I don’t see the glaring missteps taken during the creative process.
First, there was the dialogue.
Usually, The Ark perfectly balances sly sarcasm and informative dialogue that barely scratches exposition.
The series knows how to walk that tightrope, but this time, the equilibrium may have been off.
More specifically, many of the lines seemed cheesy or just there to fill any silence.
Then there was the matter of the acting.
In this case, a lot of it felt a little too “try hard” as a way to infuse scenes with more drama or action.
Instead, much of it felt flat or, at worst, cringey.
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For instance, the scene with Griff and Angus in the med bay should’ve been comical, considering all the physical humor attempted.
The whole sequence was uncomfortable, whether it was the timing or the lines themselves.
However, the most significant offense came from an interaction between Felix and Kimi.
Do you recall their conversation in which Kimi asked Felix what it would take for him to trust her?
And what happened right at the literal end of that conversation?
Kimi saves Felix from getting attacked by the electric tentacle.
It was likely meant to come off as dramatic, but the whole thing was extra on an unflattering level.
Even though the Syfy series may have hit a speed bump while traveling in FTL, The Ark is still a series that stands out from the rest.
Is That An Electric Tentacle In Your Chest, Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?
You can also count on a lot of good where there is bad.
Sure, the dialogue and some of the acting suffered, but it may have been worth it.
Despite a few flaws, the episode was action-packed, with nary a dull moment.
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At the end of the day, a show or movie can have the best writing in creation, but what is even the point if it doesn’t entertain?
The crew of Ark One are definitely no strangers to one catastrophe on top of another, but this was a completely new situation.
From the Season 2 trailer, we knew the stakes would be pushed up to eleven, and the episode was all the better for it.
In the case of containing the electric “Anomaly,” many of the episode’s cheesier parts worked.
Captain Garnet, played by Christie Burke, will need to be on the lookout for any more space creature stowaways.
Still, as far as devastation, this episode had very little and, thankfully, didn’t slow Ark One down.
The Ark Can Finally Breath A Little, And The Audience Can Finally Laugh Again
With everything that has happened thus far, you’d think the crew of The Ark would need a boost in morale.
Not these intrepid travelers, though!
After narrowly escaping an exploding planet and almost being blown up by Maddox, the captain and her crew are fine.
In fact, they’re doing better than fine if they have time to contemplate the Juno Project.
On the one hand, it’s pretty creepy that the system has so much information on everyone that it can genetically match them.
On the other hand, it will make for an interesting arc that will likely deliver more comedy than drama.
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Speaking of comedic moments, whether it was intentional or a happy accident, Captain Garnet fully walking into a door after seeing Brice and Eva kissing was iconic.
As a fan of the series, I want to see more Garnet funny moments.
The character has already been through so much, and it’s time she got to smile and laugh.
That wasn’t the only moment of well-timed hilarity either.
If you saw my exclusive interview with Ryan Adams, you may have spotted an Easter egg.
During our talk, Ryan revealed that creator and showrunner Dean Devlin wanted to remove Angus’s glasses.
Sure enough, Kelly’s “super blood” did the trick.
Now, whether Angus ends up as a “super soldier of space” remains to be seen.
Schemers, And Creatures, And Disappearing Crew Members, Oh My!
And if the episode’s ending is any indication, The Ark may need all the help it can get.
The episode spent a fair amount of time fleshing out the distrust between Felix and Kimi.
But now we think the Ark One head of security may have been on to something.
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As seen in the last few moments of “Anomaly,” Kimi and a fellow Ark Fifteen crew member spoke briefly about some unknown plan.
Even though the setup seems orchestrated to depict deceit, shows like The Ark are good at misdirection.
So, it may not be a plan motivated by hostile intent.
It could go beyond the obvious reasons and involve Sharon’s origins in a much deeper plot.
But a reverse of that situation is also possible.
Maddox may have sent Kimi and her crew to learn about the captain’s clone genetics.
Whatever the case is, everyone on board has more significant issues.
They landed somewhere in space that has no stars.
How is that possible?
Still, there is an even more pressing issue at hand.
Where the heck did Brice, played by Richard (Reign), go?
He just vanished into thin air and, more importantly, without a stitch of clothing on.
Related: The Ark Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Kill or Be Killed
For the sake of Ark One, we need to see where he went in great visual detail.
You know, for science and stuff.
While The Ark Season 2 Episode 3 fell short in a few areas, it was still an incredible and exciting ride through the vast emptiness of space!
What do you think Kimi and the Ark Fifteeners are planning?
Do you have any theories about where Brice might have gone or what caused his disappearance?
Drop a comment below to let us know, and join me again when I review the next episode of The Ark!
