‘Dark Matter’ Season 3 Premiere recap: Raza’s crew has returned and they’re as badass as ever!
Dark Matter Season 3 Premiere aired two episodes on June 9, 2017
Syfy’s hit series, Dark Matter returned tonight for a two-hour premiere of the all new season. Things looked pretty murky for every member of the crew when season two ended last year. Four took a walk on the dark side and went full on Darth Vader as he became Emperor Ryo and embraced the memories that turned him into exactly what Five feared all along. Thanks to Ryo’s actions, his former crewmates lives hung in the balance at the end of season two. Then there was poor Nyx. Vestiges of our Four remained. He warned the crew to abandon ship before he started a full-on corporate war. He gave strict instructions to his old pal, Misaki Han, not to hurt anyone as they stole the “blink drive” from Android.
Unbeknownst to Four, covetous Misaki murderer Nyx via the poison coating her blade. (I’m going to need Misaki to die real bloody!) Don’t know about you, but despite reports at the end of last season, I was still holding out the last bit of hope that Melanie Liburd would be back as Nyx. I was totally wrong. We do see Nyx in the premiere. Or rather Two hallucinates an encounter with their slain crewmember. I held on to that hope Nyx would be back and possibly become Ryo’s Empress. Well, that and kick Misaki’s traitorous butt. It wasn’t meant to be, though. Android sadly delivered the news to Five when the youngest crew member returned after their failed missed to avert all-out corporate war.
At the top of the premiere, most of the crew is separated in their haste to escape the station before it explodes. Six manages to get Two back to the Maurader, but they’re unsure about Three and Five’s survival. Five escapes with Truffault and makes her way back to the Raza (and gets that horrible, no good news about Nyx). Three is mostly unconscious and lives thanks to Lt Anders (Jeff Teravainen) who is very much alive and well. All is not great thanks to Ryo stealing the “blink drive” and starting that war between Farris and the other corporations. The Raza is attacked leaving Five and Android as the only line of defense.
Actually, the ladies were pretty badass as they took down those attacking their home. Six and Two weren’t doing so well as the Maurader’s systems were pretty damaged. They were pretty much marooned until Five and Android could get to them. This would’ve been not so horrible if Two nearly dying. One great thing that came out of that moment? Well, besides Two being badass and showing her willingness to sacrifice herself to save one of her crew. Devastated after learning that Ryo has betrayed them by stealing the drive and murdering Nyx, we do get to see Melanie Liburd one last time. Was it a hallucination or Nyx’s ghostly-self coming back for a final goodbye with her friend? Probably more of the former and definitely the writers offering the tender moment for the upset, Twyx shippers. They really did have great chemistry. I was all aboard the Four/Nyx ship, but Two and Nyx had an interesting dynamic and fantastic chemistry. Besides that, Nyx was just a really great character. She will be missed.
Two gets to say goodbye and the crew reunites. Two has their next mission all cued up. She intends to recover the stolen “blink drive” and kill Ryo Ashido. Clearly, Ryo’s betrayal is way worse than when Six turned in his friend’s to the GA. Still, there’s gotta be a chance of redemption for Ryo. A way for the crew’s Four to return. The man he’s become seems to care only about solidifying his power. Granted there are moments when our Four emerges. He rescues his old mentor from the man’s prolonged imprisonment and installs him as an advisor, despite Misaki’s advice. Color me disappointed by the end of tonight’s two-hour premiere when that chick is still breathing. Finally, Ryo finds out the truth about Nyx and he seems to back down when Misaki defends her actions by saying that Nyx was a weakness that couldn’t be allowed to remain. How much longer until she offers to take Nyx’s place as his Empress? Hopefully, Ryo can pull himself back before things get any more twisted up.
Android didn’t seem to realize how shocked Ryo was over the news of Nyx’s death. How long before Two or one of the other crew members realize that Four isn’t quite that far gone yet. Then there’s the influence of Ryo’s old teacher, Teku, to consider. At one point, Teku speaks of the young Ryo that he remembers. A good man. More like the Four that we came to know over the past two season. Definitely not the same man who was willing to kill his own brother or sacrifice his old crew members and his own scientists. It’ll be interesting to see how Ryo/Four’s story progresses this season. Can he come back or is the character too far gone at this point. The look on his face when he found out about Nyx gives a measure of hope.
Back on the Raza, while the others are off rescuing the “blink drive” from Ryo’s scientists, Five uses some dangerous tech and ends up creating some major damage to her synapses. Thanks to her headtrips back into the crew’s old memories, Five manages to find out exactly where Ryo took the “blink drive”, but she continually uses the tech more and more. She does make an interesting discovery about herself before everything goes all wrong. Five/Emily has a sister. Unfortunately, Android must wipe the old memories to save Five’s life before the girl can discover her sister’s name. For a while it seems that there is a possibility that Five will lose her memories of her life from before the crew and her time on Raza. Thankfully, though it appears that she remembers her life with the crew and her discovery about having a sister.
Gotta wonder how far we’ll get into this new season before Five finds this family member. Will she be good or another Misaki. Only time will tell. What did you think of tonight’s two-hour premiere? Do you think there’s hope for Four? Three had no qualms about killing Ryo’s clone, what will happen when the crew truly comes face-to-face with their old friend? Hit the comments below and let me know what you thought.
Dark Matter airs Fridays on Syfy
Photo credit: Syfy/Dark Matter
