IR TV Review: THE ARK - EPISODE 2 [SyFy]
The movement of "The Ark" in Episode 2 uses the idea of seeming discontent overtaking a ship that is barely holding onto surviving because it is not quite sure what went wrong. Surviving in space is a matter of will versus ingenuity in an arena where anything can kill you. Add to that, the idea of lack of a chain of command and a risk vs. reward system that doesn't necessarily pay off muddles the proceedings. "The Ark" as a series has some good ideas but is not steady and, at times, too all over the place. The one strength is does play to is stakes but interestingly enough within a broadcast cable environment. The characters can't go too off the rails but they also need to make sense.
The issue is that, unlike "Star Trek", the characters can't take a moment to just relax in between their pain. As a result, despite some attempts at humor (like the celeb psycho-analyst who has no idea what she is doing), the crux of the show, which is to survive until tomorrow, seems haphazard. That said, when the energy boils, especially in a mess hall fight at one point (especially considering who gets involved), the series starts getting good because the real feelings below the surface are allowed to brim. There is also a hark back to a mystery which will obviously permeate througout the season as well as what struck the ship. These two mysteries will no doubt be strung along for the forseeable future.
But there needs to be some joy. This does not necessary mean to say that the people onboard should start hooking up but loneliness in space creates some interesting bedfellows that give insight into the command structure. Again "Star Trek" always was good at this as well. The problem is that the two most optimistic characters on the show (the two wunderkinds) are also the least interesting (sorry Harry Kim and Wesley) because people with a darkness are always more interesting. Point in fact: the head of maintenance who is on the border of a breakdown and working through a heartbreak trauma. She is the one to watch. B-
By Tim Wassberg
