The Ark, Series Premiere, Ep. 101 “Everyone Wanted to Be on This Ship”
Air Date: Wednesday, February 1, at 10 PM ET/PT on SYFY
Reviewer Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
“I have no ambition for governing; I care about survival, and frankly, I’m our best shot at it.” – Lt. Sharon Garnet
Syfy’s new cosmic odyssey The Ark explores a contemporary way to pit humankind versus the treacherous unknown of outer space. With the four-episode screeners available, I admittedly had reservations about watching because I found some of the visual effects lacking. While the VFX may not be quite on the mark, The Ark drew my attention the moment I started episode one, “Everyone Wanted to Be on This Ship.” The viewer is immediately thrust into chaos as the ship, known as “The Ark 1,” experiences catastrophic damages leading to the malfunction of the hibernation pods, among other things. From start to finish, “Everyone Wanted to Be on This Ship” engages the audience with one problem after the next, keeping you guessing at what will happen.
WATCH THE ARK – TRAILER
As the synopsis states, the series is set 100 years in the future as a mission sends people to out to colonize a new planet to save humankind. With lives lost after the incident, it’s up to the remaining “highest ranking officers,” three lieutenants, to keep order while assessing the damage on the ship. Lt. Sharon Garnet (Christie Burke), Lt. Spencer Lane (Reece Ritchie), and Lt. James Brice (Richard Fleeshman) must work together despite knowing very little about each other. This poses a multitude of plot arcs which are explored in the next three episodes.
The Ark’s diverse cast lends itself to future storylines involving all facets of age, race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. The dialogue is well done with outstanding execution by the cast. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the story unfold, with small hints of secrets and mysteries yet to come. I’m intrigued with Lt. Garnet and her assertiveness. She took charge from the moment her pod opened but her bold actions leave a bad taste in both Lt. Lane’s and Lt. Brice’s mouths, more so in the former. I’m looking forward to seeing this dichotomy unravel over the season.
Each subsequent episode – Ep. 102 “Like It Touched the Sun,” Ep. 103 “Get Out and Push,”, and Ep. 104 “We Weren’t Supposed to Be Awake” – is packed with action and intrigue. With the ship needing repairs, and supplies in question, including drinkable water, the entire crew and passengers are on edge leading to outbursts and dubious activities.
There are a couple other standout characters to mention. Alicia Nevins (Stacey Read) is one to watch. While her neuroses cause her to ramble on at times, Read’s performance makes the character extremely endearing. Eva Markovic (Tiana Upcheva) takes on the role of Chief Engineer which comes with its own challenges. Throughout the four-episode screeners, Eva deals with one disaster after another, one at great personal loss. Upcheva gives a compelling performance; her character Eva is complex, and I look forward to watching her story unfold.
Angus Medford (Ryan Adams) may be the ship’s hope for survival because he can grow food. Adams’ does a fantastic job of underplaying his character’s obvious intelligence by being unsure and shy. He’s one to keep your sights on as he’s more than just a space farmer. And Cat Brandice (Christina Wolfe) seems like a self-centered entitled princess which doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies. She’s the “celebrity” passenger for mission publicity, but I get the sense she’s hiding more about her real reasons for being on the ship.
The Ark 1’s journey to colonize a new alien world is fraught with covert deceptions, and there are subplots that leave you guessing. Each character has their own complexities which gives the series a robust infusion of drama for each episode. Creator Dean Devlin (Independence Day, The Librarian films and series, Leverage and Leverage Redemption) along with co-showrunner Jonathan Glassner (Stargate SG-1, Covert Affairs, CSI: Miami) have given us an action-packed space adventure worthy of weekly viewing.
The Ark – Episode 101 – “Everyone Wanted to Be on This Ship” – Photo Gallery
Tune in to The Ark each week on Wednesdays at 10PM E/P on Syfy.
Streaming Next Day on Peacock
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Photos: ©2023 Syfy. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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