Wednesday, October 2, 2024

The Ark, “Fortunate”, Season 2 Finale, review!

Season two of The Ark . Re:cap - “It Will Be Over Soon”; The Ark is finally reaching its destination, Trappist-B. The journey had started with the Ark-1 damaged escaping the destruction of Proxima-B. Lt. Sharon Garnet becomes captain. From Ark-3, Kimi Joma joins security, as well as Dr. Marsh, still the cost was the life of Cat Brandice! Ark-3 leaves for Proxima-B, but Ark-1 finds travel complicated. On the planet, Raynick-J, they find rogue clones, including a clone of Spencer Lane, Ian! A fight ends the life of Spencer, but his clone organ saves the life of Captain Zed Avega. Dr. Marsh suffers from his brain implant and Felix Strickland took a MX chip from him. William Trust says was from a mind control project! On the approach to Trappist-B, Felix is contacted by his daughter, Katheryn, whom he thought had died and is now is held hostage! 


Felix follows the orders of the kidnapper and volunteers to spacewalk with Trust. Garnet finds a tape recorder in a storage locker from Ark-2. She meets with the others in the ready room and plays the tape recorder. In a closet away from recording device, Garnet has understood Felix tapping Morse code and he reveals the blackmail. She has him go along with the kidnapper’s plan. The kidnapper demands that Felix cut their tethers on the spacewalk. A person who wants Felix and Trust to die. Felix was the bodyguard who protected Trust on Earth, was this is the assassin who shot at Trust, but Felix took the bullet? This was revealed in Season 1’s “eVery Single Person Matters” (2023). Suited up, Felix uses hand signals since Trust’s comm isn’t working, and then cuts his tether! Then, he pushes Trust into space! Felix attaches his tether and leaps off the ship. 


Eva reports that the airlock reads two people. Brice activates the NEPS engines. This pulls the ship away from Trust and Felix! A closeup of the blackmailer who watches Trust and Felix in space. He contacts someone,  says that he will take back the girl(?), and cuts off the signal. Eva notes this and Garnet has the signal locked out from the ship. Felix struggles to get a hold of Trust and then points out EF-2 behind the Ark-1! Garnet smiles as she tells that they can speak freely, the plan came together. Alicia walks in the bridge with Ian. Garnet explains to Alicia the plan with Felix cutting Trust’s comm so he couldn’t call for help. Also, the sensors were rigged to show they were on ship. Eva looped the feed on the side of the ship so it would hide the EF ship! Ian and Brice sent an EVA backpack with the message! 


THE ARK -- “Fortunate” --  STACEY READ, CHRISTIE BURKE, RICHARD FLEESHMAN, REECE RITCHIE --  Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY.


Garnet gets the screen from EF-2 with Felix and an angry Trust who said he played Hamlet at the New Old Globe Theatre! Felix wants to find the origin of the blackmailer’s signal to find his daughter! Garnet privately talks to Ian to thank him and apologize for her behavior. Alicia has tracked the signal to Trappist-1B! “Fortunate” is directed by series co-creator, Jonathan Glassner!, his first episode! He directed two episodes of The Outpost, season 2! John-Paul Nickel is the writer who also wrote two episodes for season 2 and co-wrote two eps with Glassner. The two ships head to Trappist. At the ready room, Garnet welcomes Felix and Trust. The suspect for Trust is Evelyn Maddox from Ark-15. Felix wants to find his daughter on the planet. Alicia has a plan with Eva, a way to track the signal. Sasha announces that they have arrived at the planet. 


The crew looks at the four Arks above the planet that was planned for colonization. Garnet compliments Trust. A shuttle descends to the planet, they land at the colony, next to a canyon. The landing shakes Garnet. A new planet, but still dangerous with the blackmailer. Brice climbs up the ladder and in the rear compartment is Felix who has his own search. Blue skies. Wow. This impressive since all of the time on the ship. The landing team is Brice, Ian, Dr. Kabir, Garnet, and Kimi. Strangely, they seem to have no problem on planet after being years in space. They are impressed at the colony, but it is too perfect, no welcoming commitee for Arks? A woman, Vesna Ilic (Tamara Aleksic) greets Garnet and says that they have been on planet for 22 months and a week. Aleksic played Janya in season 4 of The Outpost. They all make introductions. She realizes that Ian is a clone. Ves welcomes them. They notice children playing and Ves explains that Ark-8 had civilians. She says Maddox died in an accident. Too easy an explanation. An assassination blamed by Brice and Ian like for Felix and Trust. 


Felix walks into a module following a signal and sees children pass. He sees a man, Branko (Adnan Haskovic) and holds a security baton to the bearded man. Haskovic appeared in the sci fi adaptation, Snowpiercer (2013). Felix finds on Branko's log that he has not communicated with anyone in space. Felix shocks the man. He goes to a mess hall and sees a girl he thinks is Katheryn. He is taken by security when Branko points him out. On ship, Dr. Marsh sees Kelly in her cell and tells her the news that her mother died. Kimi, Brice, and Dr. Kabir love the food, Kimi is recognized by Gabby, a civilian horticulturist. She explains that Ms. Maddox died in a “tragic accident.” They are suddenly overwhelmed by others. At the Home Base I office, Ves says there is an election every cycle. Garnet wonders why they haven’t searched for other ships. Ves gets notified about the trouble with the crew. Suddenly, armed guards appear. Ian sees a woman lying against a bulkhead who keeps repeating, “We are so fortunate.” She is taken away by guards. 


THE ARK -- “Fortunate” -- SAMANTHA GLASSNER, JADRAN MALKOVICH --  Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY.


Ian tries to follow, it is a med bay of some kind, he watches as the woman is injected by Evelyn Maddox (Jelena Stupljanin)!  The mind control hinted at with Dr. Marsh? Maddox has control over all of the colony? At the landing pad, good effects, Ian reaches the shuttle and finds the crew is surprisingly happy. Garnet says, “We’re all fortunate to be here.” This feels like it would an entire episode. The shuttle attaches to the Ark-1. Ian tries to talk to Eva, but Brice hugs her, and they are taken away. Ian finds Alicia at the observation deck. He tells her that there is a problem. Kabir happily has sub-dernal implants and knocks him down to inject Dr. Marsh. Jelena pins down Kabir and Marsh injects her. The trio all have injectors. Alicia knows about the implant and Trust believes Maddox perfected it. Eva joins them having gone to medical, but she has been converted too! Garnet announces a medical exam for all crew members! Again, this feels all rushed and would take up another episode. 


They knock at the cabin of Angus and meet with Trust who was playing chess with him. Trust wonders about a kill switch. Angus mentions microscopic nanites in Kelly's blood. Ian tells Kelly about her mother with Felix. They need the WD controller in Garnet’s cabin. Ian sees Alicia and Angus who say they are “Fortunate to be here.” Alicia has a fork ready to escape the locked door. Ian meets with Garnet. She knocks back Kelly. Garnet fights with Ian. Trust activates Kelly’s implants and she catches Garnet's hand. Ian has the needle. Brice, Eva, and the others bang on the door. Garnet headbutts Kelly and they are overwhelmed by the possessed crew. Mind control has always been a creepy sci fi staple since Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Garnet has the injector on Ian, but then drops her head. The others follow. Garnet realizes what happened and throws away the injector. 


Garnet is ready with the others to take on Maddox and free everyone! First time that Sharon Garnet has turned vengeful! A sudden change from controlling everyone on the ship to suddenly independent which seems like it would take two episodes. A bit rushed. Kelly takes the controller.  

On Trappist, the group, Brice, Garnet, Ian, Kimi, and Kabir, are ready to use the kill switch. Brice takes out the security baton and Garnet says “No, they’re victims.” Suddenly, they drop their heads and Ian tells them to spread out. The solution is too fast, just show up and the kill switch works? They see Ves who apologizes to Garnet. Felix can’t find his daughter. On the shuttle is Maddox. She has Kathryn! Maddox communicates with an unknown person and then behind her is Kelly! She tells Kathryn she’s a “friend.” Maddox says they were fighting for control. She says that she made them happy. 


THE ARK -- “Fortunate” -- RICHARD FLEESHMAN, TIANA UPCHEVA --  Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY.


Kelly activates her implants and sends Kathryn to the back of the shuttle. She grabs her mother’s neck and leaves her fate to Captain Garnet. Maddox takes out a knife and Kelly snaps her neck! Yes! There are tears on Kelly as she asks how to land the shuttle. Felix stands as Kelly has his daughter! Such happiness as father and daughter finally hug! Ves makes an announcement that Ark-1 has saved Home . She brings up the counsel of each of the Arks. Garnet refuses to be in charge of the Ark-1 crew. She wants to go find the other ships to bring them to Trappist. Garnet asks for a dcrew. Sahsa volunteers as well as others. 


Garnet nominates Felix Strickland to represent Ark-1. Eva is happy about the “new civilzation” with Brice. He wants to leave on Ark-1, but they will have shorleave. Angus is happy at the Home Base horticulturists. Alicia tells him that she will be Chief Science Officer. Alicia is sad at leaving Angus and they kiss. Kabir talks with Marsh, she says they are fortunate to be there, and they laugh. She kisses him! Kabir says she is staying on Home Base and he says he is also staying! They kiss again. Ark-1, Kimi gives the crew list, Ian asks for permission to board. She assigns him to head of life support. Brice gets the home base message. Felix, Kabir, and Eva who has a log of ships. Trust joins them and says that Ark-1 has been upgraded. Angus runs in to tell Alicia to be safe. 


They are headed to Ross to find if there is a colony. Brice gives the countdown to FTL. Alicia says it is amazing. The long range communications from Ark-15 so they can reach Ross-128B. Garnet attempts to contact them. No response. They wonder if there is survivors. A garbled communciation. The man says “Do not come to Ross!” Yellow suits, Angus is checkign soil samples, he digs with a shovel, and pulls up a sign. A tablet of strange writing, he hopes it doesn’t read, “No trespassing.” The entire Trappist-1B scenes should have unfolded over an entire season. I think it would be satsifying just ending with Maddox being behind the takeover. Expectations for another season: parallel narratives with the Ark-1 and Trappist-1B.  A great wrap up for The Ark, they reached a stable colony world, the adventures continue with finding more survivors, and the potential of some danger on Trappist-1B! 


Four Compression Suits out of Five! 


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