This show does grow on me and the episode was more than satisfying with a resolution of the conflict, or at least a truce, between the Garnet faction and the Maddox faction. The surprise, somewhat weird and disappointing to me, was that Proxima b doesn't exist anymore. In a literally explosive episode, the planet blew up. So the exploration and settlement of the planet will never take place, which I had assumed would be the thrust of season 2. For the sake of budget constraints, perhaps, season 2 looks to be shaping up as bottle episodes that stay on the ship or ships. But that means there can be introduction of other arks and new characters. So the sets can be redecorated to represent other arks. Next season, however, Ark 1 may be abandoned and the crew transferred to Ark 15.
It is clearly seen in this episode that Trust (ironically named) and Maddox are two sides of the loathsome coin; however, Maddox is redeemable and Trust is not. May change next season. They truly are, as now officially Captain Garnet points out, the worst of human kind. Not surprising really that there was minimal vetting of the passengers due to the anarchy on earth and the resulting influence peddling and back stabbing.
Despite being an above average episode, this show is plagued by questionable events. The biggest, perhaps, is that the probes sent to Proxima b didn't detect a methane ocean-something hard to miss. When the planet starts rotating, the ocean on the cold side is exposed to sunlight and explodes. Planetary debris heavily damages the forward section. Given that the damaged structures from the first episode weren't replaced, it would be a stretch if the ship is spaceworthy.
Why Maddox wanted to rule Prox b with only her crew and had to attack Arks 1 and 3, killing every soul on 3, just to get the cure, and maybe kill the Trusts as a bonus, still wasn't realistically explained. It turns out though that Trust is even worse, willing to send 15 crashing to the planet just to kill Maddox and Kelly. Garnet saves the day and rescues the crew of 15 and is in turn rescued by 15.
This Trust is a piece of work. Trying to kiss Cat shortly after his wife (a better character) died. Cat had the moral fortitude to decline. I am looking forward to the development of her character, as her diva-like nature has been crushed.
Annoyingly, once again, this Kelly seems to have superhuman strength, overpowering Jelena and strangling Angus while he just lies there, shocked but still conscious. Another opportunity for a weak male to be rescued by a female, Alicia.
Men seem fragile in this show, morally and physically. Harris, provided oxygen as soon as he passed out, dies. Sasha screams and freaks out when discovering a body in a closet. Then, when oxygen is supplied on the verge of him passing out, he goes into cardiac arrest. Too much contrived drama.
Lane though finally gets into a fight and doesn't embarrass himself; though, why there is a crowbar in the engine room makes zero sense. Also zero sense is why all the corridors and work areas don't have video monitoring. Hiding, other than being convenient, stretches credulity to the breaking point.
As for the cure, even for pseudoscience, it's dodgy that a tiny amount of helium would deactivate spider venom. But it is a good scene in medbay. Once again, though, a woman, Maddox, has to one-up a man by being braver. I guess testosterone is even lower in the 22nd century.
Also. The aliciaminium story line was a big dud and anticlimactic. The deep mystery of a new element not existing on earth and being a sinister mystery out in deep space was too neatly and boringly wrapped up as being Maddox's invention. Boring.
Anyway, it's all hugs among the triumvirate of Garnet, Lane and Brice, with Lane back on the Council. There's even a hint at possible romance between Lane and Garnet. So overall a pretty good ending and very much looking forward to character development and hopefully better thought out science in the fiction.
It is clearly seen in this episode that Trust (ironically named) and Maddox are two sides of the loathsome coin; however, Maddox is redeemable and Trust is not. May change next season. They truly are, as now officially Captain Garnet points out, the worst of human kind. Not surprising really that there was minimal vetting of the passengers due to the anarchy on earth and the resulting influence peddling and back stabbing.
Despite being an above average episode, this show is plagued by questionable events. The biggest, perhaps, is that the probes sent to Proxima b didn't detect a methane ocean-something hard to miss. When the planet starts rotating, the ocean on the cold side is exposed to sunlight and explodes. Planetary debris heavily damages the forward section. Given that the damaged structures from the first episode weren't replaced, it would be a stretch if the ship is spaceworthy.
Why Maddox wanted to rule Prox b with only her crew and had to attack Arks 1 and 3, killing every soul on 3, just to get the cure, and maybe kill the Trusts as a bonus, still wasn't realistically explained. It turns out though that Trust is even worse, willing to send 15 crashing to the planet just to kill Maddox and Kelly. Garnet saves the day and rescues the crew of 15 and is in turn rescued by 15.
This Trust is a piece of work. Trying to kiss Cat shortly after his wife (a better character) died. Cat had the moral fortitude to decline. I am looking forward to the development of her character, as her diva-like nature has been crushed.
Annoyingly, once again, this Kelly seems to have superhuman strength, overpowering Jelena and strangling Angus while he just lies there, shocked but still conscious. Another opportunity for a weak male to be rescued by a female, Alicia.
Men seem fragile in this show, morally and physically. Harris, provided oxygen as soon as he passed out, dies. Sasha screams and freaks out when discovering a body in a closet. Then, when oxygen is supplied on the verge of him passing out, he goes into cardiac arrest. Too much contrived drama.
Lane though finally gets into a fight and doesn't embarrass himself; though, why there is a crowbar in the engine room makes zero sense. Also zero sense is why all the corridors and work areas don't have video monitoring. Hiding, other than being convenient, stretches credulity to the breaking point.
As for the cure, even for pseudoscience, it's dodgy that a tiny amount of helium would deactivate spider venom. But it is a good scene in medbay. Once again, though, a woman, Maddox, has to one-up a man by being braver. I guess testosterone is even lower in the 22nd century.
Also. The aliciaminium story line was a big dud and anticlimactic. The deep mystery of a new element not existing on earth and being a sinister mystery out in deep space was too neatly and boringly wrapped up as being Maddox's invention. Boring.
Anyway, it's all hugs among the triumvirate of Garnet, Lane and Brice, with Lane back on the Council. There's even a hint at possible romance between Lane and Garnet. So overall a pretty good ending and very much looking forward to character development and hopefully better thought out science in the fiction.
