Dark Matter Season 3 Episode 11 Review: The Dwarf Star Conspiracy
Kathleen Wiedel
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One of the downsides to fewer episodes per season is the naturally larger gap between the airing of said seasons. So when Dark Matter Season 3 Episode 11 re-introduced goopy body-snatching aliens, it took me a moment to remember what Three had to do with it.
I suspect that many of you, however, had no problem recalling the mysterious creature that took over Three's body back in the previous season, with the day saved after the crew spaced the thing.
On the one hand, I'm glad that they returned to tie up loose ends, especially from a lore-heavy episode like Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 9, “Going Out Fighting.”
On the other, there's always something to be said about simply leaving some things a mystery. Thanks to Three and his unintentional connection with the creatures, we now know their origins, motivations, and connection to Dwarf Star.
Why do you even wanna come through, anyway? Grass is always greener on the other side of the interdimensional portal?
Three
Incidentally, Three's connection reminded me of Captain Picard and his Borg whisperings from Star Trek: First Contact, and the many familiar faces used by the creatures evoked a similar scene involving aliens called the Shadows from Babylon 5.
But back to the matter at hand. The "consuming our universe" motive is hardly groundbreaking or surprising as far as sci-fi (or fantasy, for that matter) goes, though the creepiness of the aliens themselves made up for it at least somewhat.
The best part of the episode came when the unfortunate Mikkei doctor ordered the nuclear strike on his own position, seeing no other option to stop the aliens, before shooting himself in the head. Wow.
Doctor Aaron (or however his name is spelled) struck me as one of those one-episode wonder characters who displayed way too much sense and reason to actually survive the story.
As far as I'm concerned, calling down the nuke on the facility was almost certainly the best option at that point to deal with the potential extra-dimensional invasion. And unless one of them hitched with Two and Boone, it probably worked!
Five's display of protagonist-centered morality irked me somewhat when she ordered the intercept attempt on the nuke.
The mathematics of war are a grim subject, to be sure, but should maybe saving Two outweigh the risks of loosing thousands of ravenous body-snatching aliens on the galaxy?
Of course, it's easy to armchair quarterback either way, but still... We're talking literally trillions of lives at stake.
We were left with some unanswered questions at the end, though. Was this the only invasion point? (Hah!) Where's Rook skulking? Who tipped off Mikkei about the facility? How did alt-Boone (1) know the heroes were there and (2) get close without being detected?
Speaking of alt-Boone, his appearance at the end as the serendipitous source of Two's escape actually surprised me, though if you paid attention to the effect when Two was shot it's definitely guessable.
Three had some great moments throughout, and his witty repartee with the aliens definitely amused. His initial agitation and fear, followed by grim determination, provided some further character insight.
And then there was the surprisingly profound conversation Two and the Android had about... boobs.
It’s not so much this new look, but the very fact that I can *choose* a new look that makes me happy. Today it will be this. Tomorrow it might be something else. But the point is I now possess the autonomy to decide my own fate. What I wear is just a small part of the endless possibilities open to me. It opens up a whole new world.
Android
This is pretty much something that science fiction has been about from the start, by the way. Taking often deep discussions and cloaking them in a fantastic veneer to make them easier to digest.
What is the nature of consciousness and existence and free will? How would it apply to the Android or "simulants" like Two? In our age of ever-advancing technology, we may actually have to seriously ponder this question, and not as a metaphor.
In any event, be sure to stop by our Dark Matter quotes page and catch some of the notable lines from this episode.
Meanwhile, something to ponder: from the very beginning, Three urged the protagonists to stay away from the facility, unconsciously aware of the danger.
However, if they had stayed away, it's likely that the invasion would have occurred without any sort of resistance, as the aliens seemed to have no difficulty trouncing the Mikkei soldiers.
In fact, one has to wonder whether the tip-off to the Mikkei wasn't intended to bring them there to get body-snatched themselves, and there was already a possessed simulant on board...
Don't forget you can watch Dark Matter online if you missed out on something! And be sure to tune in on Friday, August 18, 2017 for Dark Matter Season 3 Episode 12, "My Final Gift to You" – the penultimate episode of the season!
What did you think of "The Dwarf Star Conspiracy"? Did it live up to your predictions or expectations after Future Five mentioned it? Did the extra-dimensional aliens maintain their creepy-scary factor?
Let us know in the comments section below!
