Syfy’s latest interstellar drama begins with a bang, as a rigorously planned mission goes awry.
From co-showrunners Dean Devlin (co-writer of cinematic sci-fi touchstones like Stargate and Independence Day) and Jonathan Glassner (co-creator of Stargate SG-1), The Ark “takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race.”
The first of these missions involves Ark One, a spacecraft containing hundreds of humans setting out for a new home. Simple, right? Not so much. The occupants of the ship are awakened from deep sleep one year earlier than planned after the ship is involved in a collision which kills their leaders, forcing the remaining people on board to work together to survive the journey.
Lt. Sharon Garnet (Christie Burke) is a born leader, ready to step in and take charge. Garnet is one of the first to wake during the breach and is able to save many lives by awakening others and getting them to a safer part of the ship. With knowledge of the ship software and operation, she secures the portion of the ship containing the passengers and goes in search of her superiors only to find… they’re dead. Killed in the blast, as the commanding officers cryobay is completely gone. Garnet herself is now one of the highest-ranking Lieutenants on board.
Lt. James Brice (Richard Fleeshman) is head of the ship’s navigational system. He and Garnet originally clash when she gives him an order, despite them both being the same rank. Brice’s curiosity gets the better of him, and he complies with Garnet’s orders. His accent and physique already seem to make him popular with some on the ship. So, will Brice and Garnet become more than just fellow Lieutenants? Time will tell.
Lt. Spencer Lane (Reece Ritchie) backs up Garnet and Brice as they lay out the options to the remaining humans on board. Lane feels only the strong should survive, and is pretty blunt. His honesty is refreshing though, as sugarcoating this situation won’t help anyone.
Alicia Nevins (Stacey Read) will be a fan favorite. She’s smart, funny and will be instrumental to keeping the ship running. Her first assignment is Waste Management, but I get the feeling she’s capable of so much more and by the end of the episode, she’s already scored a promotion. She quickly befriends Angus Medford (Ryan Adams) in the horticulture department, setting up a sweet partnership that will work on a functioning ecosystem for the ship.
Garnet quickly appoints herself Lieutenant-in-charge, to the surprise of Brice and Lane. However, Garnet points out she has the most working knowledge of the ship. She has no ambition for government but has the skills to keep the remaining people on this ship alive. After an impassioned speech, everyone accepts Garnet as leader and gets to work… for now.
I’m intrigued to see how long this arrangement will last before someone gets power hungry – Lane, perhaps? This first episode has established the setting, main characters and their ambitions very early on, which I love as it’s easy to choose someone to root for in this somewhat doomed mission. Personally? Team Garnet. I can’t wait to see where this team goes next, and if they will all survive – as we’re already another passenger down by the end of the episode.
A strong debut for Syfy! Episode one of The Ark is available now, with further episodes airing weekly on Wednesdays at 10pm EST.
