Welcome Back The Ark fans,
The third episode of season two is aptly named “Anomaly” following the incident at the end of last week’s episode “Kill or Be Killed” when Alicia Nevins (Stacey Read) was attacked by an unusual space creature that looks similar to a lightning bolt with deadly tentacles.
This followed the decision by Captain Sharon Garnet (Christie Burke) to not put Kelly Fowler (Samantha Glassner) to death for the two murders she was involved with. The majority of the crew, especially the Ark creator, William Trust (Paul Leonard Murray) question this decision.
Why did Captain Garnet show sympathy to Kelly and not place her out an airlock for eventual biological digestion as fertilizer for the plant for being grown on Ark-1?
Because Captain Garnet knows that poor Kelly has been genetically manipulated and subsequently badgered, in fact harassed by the new vile villain of the series, Evil Evelyn Maddox (Jelena Stupljanin). Evil Evelyn is portrayed delightfully, in fact devilishly against Kelly, so much that fans of the series, much like Captain Garnet, also feel sorry for Kelly who attempts to commit suicide during the episode.
There is much to be said that this is, sadly, the last broadcast Space Opera. Featuring a story arc that hinges on an ecological disaster caused by humankind that has befallen Earth as delineated in season one, those fortunate enough to escape the calamity on Earth now face disaster after disaster on Ark-1. Ark-1 faces the greatest threats to their survival superseded only by fate of Ark-3 wherein almost all the passengers were killed, including Security Chief Felix Strickland (Pavle Jerinic) own child. Kelly, who was on a mission for Evil Evelyn to find a cure for her disease, escaped alive.
Anomaly:
With the exception of one crew member of Ark-1 killed in the episode, all the remaining main characters including Lt. Spencer Lane (Reece Ritchie), Lt. James Brice (Richard Fleeshman), Dr. Sanjivni Kabir (Shalini Peiris), Angus Medford (Ryan Adams) and, Eva Markovic (Tiana Upcheva), Sasha Novak (Milos Cvetkovic), Jelena Griff (Tamara Radovanovic), Naomi Spencer (Jessica Yemi) and new crew additions Dr. Marsh (Jadran Malkovich) and Kimi Joma (Díana Bermudez) who have thankfully survived. The best news is that both Angus and Dr. Kabir recover from their injuries suffered earlier at the end of season one
The third episode which was directed by Milan Todorovic and was co-written by John-Paul Nickel, Jonathan Glassner, and India Sage Wilson opens with Captain Garnet and Lt. Spencer and another crewman walking down the hallway with the “Anomaly” observed moving in and out of the walls of Ark-1.
The scene shifts to Kelly who has been locked up per Captain Garnet’s orders. The electrical being enters her cell but does not bother Kelly.
Instead the creature attacks a wall outlet junction box that holds the electronic locking mechanism to Kelly’s cell.
It becomes obvious that the creature is attracted to power sources, not human beings. The door suddenly springs open allowing Kelly to escape her confinement cell.
We segue to the medical bay where Dr. Kabir has regained consciousness thanks to the helpful guidance of Dr. Marsh and Jelena Griff who has been assigned there until all injured parties have been released for duty.
Both doctors discuss that no more pain killers can be given to Dr. Kabir due to her addiction the substances as we discovered last season.
Instead Dr. Marsh massages Dr. Kabir’s shoulders to help ease Dr. Kabir’s obviously still painful injuries.
Next we are with Eva and Lt Brice who have just finished making love proving that physical pleasure is a much needed stress relief on Ark-1.
Eva indicates that they have been having sex for some time, likely often from the tone of her voice. Brice tries to say he loves Eva in her native language, but was tricked by Sasha into saying to Eva that she “has a cheese head”.
After giggling about Sasha’s mischief, both obviously love each other and without doubt these two will likely be among the first to bring new life to Ark-1 in the form of a bundle of joy if they keep it up.
Another aspect of the surviving crew focuses on the interaction between Felix and Kimi who wants her security stun baton stick back since Captain Garnet has ordered that a close eye be kept on the untrustworthy (pun intended) William Trust.
Nevertheless, Captain Garnet orders Felix, who is experiencing trust issues, to return the stun baton to Kimi so that she can be able to protect herself in case William Trust tries anything untoward.
It is obvious that Felix does not express confidence in Kimi and as we learn later, with good reason.
Kimi is on some sort of a secret mission that is revealed later in the episode. Could it be Kimi is still working for Evil Evelyn or is it someone else, perhaps revenge on William Trust?
When learn later that Kimi is apparently working with someone else, we are left to wonder what is is really all about!
As we move through the episode we see that Ark-1 is in an Faster Than Light (FTL) warp bubble traveling to their next destination, Ark-3 for much needed spare parts to make the long journey to a solar system named Trappist-1D where they hope to settle down and colonize to save humanity.
Inside we are in the agriculture dome with Lt. Brice and another person who joined Ark-1 named Lati Mier (Coral Mizrachi) who is tending to the food supply while Angus recovers.
Later we will learn that Lati is working with Kimi, but on exactly what remains to be revealed. During their good nature banter, Lt. Spencer teases Lt. Brice about his relationship with Eva. Brice fires back that Spencer obviously has a crush on Sharon Garnet! Both are friends and are apparently pleased for each other.
Lt. Brice moves to discuss growing power outages with Captain Garnet and Alicia. Little do they know that the electrical “Anomaly” is short circuiting systems throughout Ark-1.
We then find Kelly in an airlock trying to commit suicide because she feels genuine guilt for what she has done. William Trust gloats that Kelly deserves to die. Ironically Kelly is saved from suicide by Felix who restores the atmosphere in the airlock, and subsequently returns Kelly to confinement.
The electrical entity continues to create havoc on Ark-1 systems scaring crew members along the way.
The “Anomaly” activity culminates with the near death of Naomi Spencer by electrocution when the creature attacks her as it seeks a power source. Although badly burned, Naomi will survive.
Another death is narrowly averted when Alicia come under attack, but quickly realizes that if she grounds herself a cable attached to the ship’s hull, the creature will pass through her body harmlessly.
This subsequent to Alicia explaining that the “Anomaly” is intelligent based on it’s behavior of attacking her twice when she is in the medical bay with Angus who is in recuperation healing more quickly than normal.
Here we learn that when Kelly gave Angus a blood transfusion saving his life, she transferred the rapid healing ability to Angus from nanites in her blood that also have also healed Angus’ eyes so he no longer need glasses. This revelation proves that Evil Evelyn is incorrect; that Kelly is not a Failed Experiment after all!
The exciting episode story arc comes to a satisfying solution with Alicia realizing that the creature can be corralled by shutting off all systems on Ark-1 and baiting a Farraday box with a power source then sealing it to trap the creature.
Alicia’s plan works with Lt. Brice throwing the creature trapped in the Farraday box into an airlock. Thinking that all is safe again, Captain Garnet orders Eva and Sahsa to drop Ark-1 out of FTL warp drive. Suddenly, Lt. Brice disappears leaving behind only his clothes that drop to the floor!
Will other members of the crew disappear? Could more casualties on Ark-1 be expected?
Find out in the next exciting episode of season two named “The Other You”, in which a parallel universe when a second version of Ark-1 appears nearby!
We will be back soon to continue reporting on our analysis of The Ark and our adventures in San Diego for Comic-Con 2024, including exclusive interviews! In the meantime, please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or your family!
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 X, 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!“
Best Regards,
Kenn of #TeamWHR