The Ark (TV Series) A Slow Death Is Worse (2023) User Reviews

It gets better.

[matsno-watching · 7/10 · 18 March 2023]

I struggled hard with the first few episodes of this show. I found the storyline rather dull, the characters uninteresting and some of the actors pretty bad. Especially one actor had a way of delivering the lines that somehow made it feel like it was done by a dubbed over voice. A very weird sensation. Anyway I did decide to stick with it since it´s scifi on a spaceship and many shows have a bit of a rocky start before finding their feet.

And yes it does get significally better as it goes along.

This episode is the first I would call really good. All of a sudden the mysteries feels interesting, and along the way over the season the actors I previously didn´t like seem to have found their characters voices much better.

I just hope it´s not too late, because I totally understand if a lot of people gave up on this after just a few episodes.

Full attention required

[iagbo45 · 9/10 · 18 March 2023]

My husband gives me a lot of crap because I rarely give the TV my full attention. Magazine, crochet, iPad - I routinely split my attention between my lap and the TV screen. But this episode really captured my full attention! The discovery the crew makes was a surprise, and the advancement of the plot filled in a lot of the story - the history of the Ark program, the strange substance that damaged their ship, the state of Earth after Ark 1 left, and more about each character. And a secret we discovered last episode was explained as well. I really enjoyed this episode. The show is getting better!

Getting intriguing

[carltonbrice · 7/10 · 20 March 2023]

I agree with others that the show is improving in story and another major factor in improvement is that the characters are likable. The characters that weren't as likable have been offed, although the Irish guy in the first episode was a Dr. Smith character and could have been fun. It appears that the new character from Ark3 will be a wild card and fill in that role of a mysterious mischief-maker.

The creators could try for a little more scientific realism. The EVA suit, for example, has a self-contained helmet that doesn't interlock with the suit in any obvious way and the boots aren't integrated with the rest of the suit, not forming a seal. And would it be too expensive to simulate having magnetic boots for the non spinning parts of the ship? Couldn't the effect of zero gravity in the greenhouses on the root system be mentioned? Stuff like that would make it sound like more mature science fiction.

The need for negative energy for a Miguel Alcubierre-type ftl drive was a nice touch. It'd be nice if they explain how the negative energy will be provided.

Others have pointed out that plot devices are necessary to move the story along, which is true, but Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle also have plot devices, but they do a good job of making sure those plot devices stay within science or projected science. This show should strive to do the same.

Best Episode so Far

[blessingsmgolomba · 10/10 · 18 March 2023]

This is the best episode because it introduces a new dimension to the show. The show is begining to move fast and we are begging to grasp the full story of that time period. The character development is also beggining to take shape. Though, there is still some predictability. There are no wild cards or villains to look out for, apart from the end of the show. The audience would like to be at the edge of their seat and take all the hits and punches. A perfect story doesn't cut it.

Therefore, this is still a mid show unless if you can change the dimension as well as pace of character development.