Welcome Back The Ark Science Fiction Lovers,
The third episode entitled “Get Out and Push” was written by Dean Devlin, John-Paul Nickel, and Rebecca Rosenberg. The excellent, fast moving episode was directed by Milan Todorovic.
The action, drama, crew behaviors and their inevitable interactions are believable proving the writers investment in character development is a success. Coupled with superb special effects for a science fiction series, each of these factors have made the experience enjoyable as viewers revel in a new space drama on their television screens each week!
In this episode, our Ark-1 heroes overcome a deadly disaster of being stuck in space with their engines disabled to divert water needed for their survival as the three most senior survivors Lt. Sharon Garnet (Christie Burke), Lt. Spencer Lane (Reece Ritchie), Lt. James Brice (Richard Fleeshman) continue share command of Ark-1.
However, while Sharon takes tactical control of most situations for the time being, the three do take time to discuss the challenges that face the crew aboard the ship.
The most immediate problem of the ship being dead in space, compounded by the water shortage, is eclipsed by a new threat; what appears to be an asteroid headed directly towards the ship that will impact Ark-1 in approximately six hours.
Talk about bad luck!
The command team and crew discover that by working together they find that the meteor is actually an icy comet that can provide the much needed water to ensure their passengers survival, and critically, provide for cooling the engines on Ark-1 so they can resume their journey to the colony planet approximately one year in the future.
In a surprising juxtaposition of events during the exciting new space adventure, the end of this third episode leads us in a new, interesting but unexpected direction when one of the crew has a past incident exposed for the first time to security and all the passengers to learn about. This is a revelation that may likely upend the Ark-1 command team!
Get Out And Push:
The episode opens with Lt. Sharon announcing the dire circumstances on Ark-1. Due to “technical” difficulties the ship is not only dead in space but their supply of water is now at four days. Water rations are therefore being cut in half raising the already tense atmosphere onboard.
Tempers flair, including on the bridge where Lt. Spencer Lane questions Sharon’s forthright disclosure to the crew. Lt. James Brice chastises Spencer asking of he plans to argue with Sharon until their water runs out ending the bickering to allow focus on Ark-1’s engines.
Eva Markovic (Tiana Upcheva) and Alicia Nevins (Stacey Read) help break up the tension by providing statistics on what is needed.
Alicia, who loves to chat, shares that the “nuclear electric propulsion systems” are the work of a genius!
Everyone on Ark-1 likes Alicia, but have quickly learned to ignore her own frequent outbursts of genius. Eva says they cannot use the ships solar sails since they are too far away from a star.
It is at this point our heroes learn that they are drifting directly towards what appears to be an asteroid!
Passengers in the cafeteria are also upset, with one kicking trays, tables and slamming objects, causing a distraction that others in the area take immediate notice of.
Naturally, in the ensuing confusion, our resident water hoarder Cat Brandice (Christina Wolfe) is observed by the viewers snatching extra vials of water as she leaves the commissary feeding and drinking area.
One thing is absolutely certain about Cat by observing her behaviors, she never lets a good crisis go to waste!
Security Chief Felix Strickland (Pavle Jerinic) and his trusty female accomplice who is always carrying a nightstick, handcuffs and other law enforcement items on her belt (likely due to the fight in cafeteria that Felix and Sharon had to break up), arrive on the bridge to continue questioning everyone regarding the murder of the imposter Jasper (Chris Leask).
Viewers will recall that Jasper was found dead in a closet at the end of episode one. Spencer is indignant at the interruption when asked about how he knew about the murder weapon. Spencer flippantly says “plant boy” Angus Medford (Ryan Adams) told everyone. Sharon informs Felix that she understands he wants to complete the investigation, but that they are all preoccupied with trying to stay alive at the moment. Felix withdraws graciously, but Spencer is upset without good reason that Sharon helped “fight my battles”. Spencer is my least favorite character (good acting by Reece!) because he is recalcitrant and obstreperous almost all the time. It appears that he has a secret agenda and is hiding something from everyone else.
Worth noting as we continue is that Sharon, Cat, Eva and Alicia are among my favorite female characters so far. Angus, Felix, James and Baylor Trent (Miles Barrow) [Alicia’s future boyfriend] are my favorite male in the series characters so far.
This is because their character all have not only offered a bit of humor and satire during the first three episodes to offset the impending disasters, their characters simply do their jobs without bitching about it all the time like Lt. Spencer does.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sanjivni Kabir (Shalini Peiris) who has not taken any rest is hard at work completing the crew health checkups. It is obvious that she is close to a breakdown due to physical and mental exhaustion. She passes out at her Medical Bay workstation only to be awakened an undetermined time later when someone has ransacked her supply of narcotics and medicines. Felix shows up to take a report but appears to be unable to do much. Later Sanjivi gets some much needed rest when Felix, who has experience as a field medic, volunteers to help her.
This raises a question: Does Ark-1 not have security cameras? Is it because everyone was supposed to stay in cryogenic sleep negating the need for them? Perhaps, but they would certainly come in handy for situations like these as we will learn later.
As the serious like threatening situation progresses, Alicia discovers two things; First, Baylor says he would fall in love with her if they could survive and Alicia gives him a kiss for saying this. Second, after the Command Crew blow a hole in the hull using atmosphere to adjust their course to avoid the asteroid, that they later discover that asteroid is actually a comet so they very will well get their chance to fall in love!
In the meantime, Sharon will employ an area of the ship that is out of commission, the men’s shower room, to attach a fertilizer based explosive to an interior wall. When the wall explodes outward to, it will provide the needed thrust to vent atmosphere to space and marginally change the course of Ark-1 to avoid a collision.
While doing this Sharon and Spencer find the narcotics thieves who have been using the men’s shower room to conduct drug fueled rave parties! Sharon puts an end to that in short order, losing her temper threatening to throw the ringleader out of an airlock if he does not cooperate. Wishing that she had a brig to imprison them all, Sharon’s angry response will come back to haunt her later. Angus attaches the explosives that he has manufactured from his compost waste products and BOOM!
The plan to blow a hole in the hull to avoid a collision works. Then, subsequent to confirming the asteroid is a comet, the crew works to adjust the speed and angle of Ark-1 by utilizing the shuttle without detaching it to match the comets trajectory. Yes, of course there is a shuttle since they will need one to ferry the passengers to the surface when they arrive at the colony planet! The cool VFX shots of Ark-1 and the shuttle attaching to the comet were fun to watch. It made viewers feel like they were there! This was accomplished by using a metallic tethered fluid attachment connecting Ark-1 to the shuttle, and with a neat handy drill bit to puncture the comet and drain liquid water from it. In the process our heroes water supply is restored to 100%!
Back on Ark-1 Sharon announces the successful mission and that they are heading back to the colony planet, AND that water rationing is no longer required. Our little shower-less minx Cat and other females head to the female shower facilities. On their arrival James shows up to take a shower as well informing the ladies that the facilities are now co-ed since the men’s shower has been taken out of service. While the other ladies are a bit embarrassed, Cat and James google eye each other like randy humans. Is this our other next couple on Ark-1?
As the crew celebrates overcoming their difficulties, and just when Spencer and Sharon appear to be settling their differences, Spencer received a confidential communication that Jasper hid “things behind Bulkhead J-22. There’s something there you should see.”
Among the items Spencer finds is a video that Jasper narrates showing Sharon in a bar fight with a much larger opponent. During the brawl, Sharon not only kicks his ass, she breaks a bear bottle and uses it like a knife slicing her opponent’s throat killing him!
It is here at the end of the episode, we learn that these are the events Sharon hope had been covered up when blackmailer imposter Jasper was found dead.
Viewers will recall that Jasper had threatened to blackmail Sharon as well as others. The Jasper imposter paid the ultimate price with his life. Instead, the incident from the past is now exposed to Spencer. At this point we do not know who sent Spencer the confidential communication.
However, we do know from the next episode preview that Spencer has turned the video over to Felix who is shown arresting our favorite officer, Sharon!
No doubt the extent of these developments are to be explored in detail during future episodes of The Ark!
Therefore, we eagerly look forward in eager anticipation to episode four “We Weren’t Supposed to Be Awake” when it is broadcast this week on SYFY in the United States and CTVSciFi in Canada!
In the meantime we leave you with some fun scenes from episode three to enjoy!
We will be back in the near future with more of The Ark as well as our favorite television series and movie analysis. In the meantime, please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit TeamWHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“
Thank you. 
Best Regards,
Kenn of #TeamWHR
