Welcome Science Fiction Lovers on The Ark!
The exciting eighth episode of season two brings the Eastern Federation into focus subsequent to the revelations in last week’s episode “It Can’t Be True” when Eva Markovic (Tiana Upcheva) confessed to Captain Sharon Garnet (Christie Burke) that she was an Eastern Federation operative after being exposed by Kimi Joma (Díana Bermudez) and Lati Meir (Coral Mizrachi).
The Eastern Federation has been an enigma since it was first mentioned in detail in episode four “The Other You” when viewers learned that in an alternate version of reality that Lt. James Brice (Richard Fleeshman) was a hero who had saved countless lives when he rescued members of the Lunar Colony from a devastating attack.
In the Prime Reality where our The Ark story line takes place, Kimi and Lati also believe that Lt. Brice is an Eastern Federation operative that led to the deaths of many that they discussed over the course of the episodes since.
To make matters complicated, Lati became obsessed and attempted to assassinate Eva stealing and using the Wrist Control device of Dr. Marsh (Jadran Malkovich) to activate the enhanced human implants installed in Kelly Fowler (Samantha Glassner) by her mother Evil Evelyn Maddox (Jelena Stupljanin). Fortunately, Captain Garnet was able to stop Lati, help Kelly and arrest Lati before Eva or Lt. Brice were further harmed.
In the episode we learn much more about what happened with the Eastern Federation attack on the Lunar Colony before Ark-1 left Earth. Moreover, we also learn that Lt. Brice is implicated as well Eva is to be placed on trial by the Ark-1 Council after her stunning confession in the previous episode!
We Don’t Kill Our Own:
The episode opens with a gorgeous visual effects shot of Ark-1 in a faster than light bubble heading to their destination of Trappist-1D to rejoin the remnants of humanity.
Our heroes hope to establish a second chance for humankind after they had destroyed the Earth from endless wars and ravaged the planet from the adverse effects of pollution.
Written by India Sage Wilson and directed by Marc Roskin, the opening scene is a shocker in the Ark-1 Council chamber where the ships officers are holding an official investigation.
Kimi is witnessed being questioned about her secret mission authorized by the GSA to track down and prove that Eva and Lt. Brice were at least in part responsible for one hundred eighty seven deaths that happened during the Lunar Colony attack.
Captain Garnet chastises Kimi ordering that no further secret investigations will be tolerated on Ark-1. Kimi agrees then presents digital photographic evidence that Lt. Brice, at that time a Captain, was somehow involved with the attack on the Lunar Colony when he piloted a ship that resulted in the deaths of many, including Kimi’s friend Marissa Yi.
Lt. Brice, who had previously denied to Kimi that he knew the woman, is now confronted with the evidence seen on a display tablet computer. Brice admits the incident occurred some seven years ago with the result that he was demoted from rank of Captain down two ranks to his current rank of Lieutenant.
Viewers will recall that Lt. Spencer Lane (Reece Ritchie) father was killed in the Lunar Colony attack. Lt. Lane loses control of himself, then immediately cold cock punches Lt. Brice in the face. Security Chief Felix Strickland (Pavle Jerinic) intercedes and holds Lt. Lane back.
Lt. Brice then explains to everyone what actually transpired during the Lunar Colony attack. He was ordered on a secret suicide mission by the authorities assigning Marissa Yi as his co-pilot to fly a bomb into the middle of an Eastern Federation phalanx of attack craft and detonate it to stop the attack. This detail fills out the story arc in the alternate reality when Lt. Brice became a hero who was killed saving the Lunar Colony. In our reality, Lt. Brice disobeyed orders, instead shooting down many of the enemy spacecraft one by one.
The “Off Book” action by Lt. Brice resulted in his co-pilot being killed in the battle. The battle was classified by the authorities as top secret. With tears in his eyes, Lt. Brice admits to Lt. Lane, Kimi, Felix and Captain Garnet that he should have told them earlier. Felix asks what further, if any action is required against Lt. Brice? Lt. Lane demands that Brice be locked up. Captain Garnet informs the command team that she will not override the punishment assigned by the SGA authorities, causing Lt. Lane to state “Stay out of my sight” as he storms out of the Ark-1 Council chamber, effectively ending the friendship between the two for the time being.
In the meantime, we observe Milos Warren (Kieran Mortell) with one of his henchmen. Viewers will recall that Milos stole a jar of drugs in the previous episode.
Now Milos is seen by mixing the drugs with his henchman that they will use in the Ark-1 air handling system to knock out the crew in order to take over the ship. The immediate question is who is Milos working for? Is Milos really a spy for the Eastern Federation?
In a couple of lighter moments on Ark-1, we observe Alicia Nevins (Stacey Read) visiting Dr. Sanjivni Kabir (Shalini Peiris) in the Medical Bay for a “Birth Control Implant”.
Sanjivni giggles with glee that Alicia and Angus Medford (Ryan Adams) are finally now a couple and joyfully injects Alicia with the necessary implant!
Next we are with Felix and Angus in the Bio Dome Shelter where they are looking for any further evidence that Lati, now locked up, had been growing any more harmful substances over and above the Ricin poison she used last episode in a failed attempt to kill Eva. Angus reports that the area is safe, adding that Lati did do at least one good thing; growing lots of potatoes to be used in an alcohol still to make potato vodka. The each two take a good swig with Felix saying it’s “good” as the two toast to the potato vodka!
We move to the engineering sections where Lt. Brice is talking with Sasha Novak (Milos Cvetkovic) asking if he had any idea that Eva had been involved with the Eastern Federation. Before Sasha can answer, Milos and his gang storm the area, knocking out Brice and Sasha. We then witness Milos pouring the drugs into the air handling system.
Based on the drugs effectiveness in the air system it appears that everyone is immediately knocked out. Captain Garnet, an enhanced clone herself, is able to activate Kelly before she passes out. Kelly recognizes something bad has happened since only Sharon, who promised to help Kelly, has access to the Wrist Device that freed her to investigate. The other two exceptions not affected are Felix and Angus, who unknown to Milos, has a separate air handling system, isolating the Bio Dome Shelter safely. Milos heads to the Ark-1 Bridge to take control, setting a new (unknown) destination.
Kelly goes to the Medical Bay. Using a hypo-spray, Kelly is able to revive Dr, Kabir who identifies the powdered gas as “Dechra Flourine”, a powerful sedative that Milos aerosolized to knock out the crew. Dr. Kabir uses an injection to wake up Alicia so she can help figure out what to do next.
Alicia accesses the Ark-1 Bridge cameras to confirm it is Milos and a gang of Ark-8 clones who are behind the mutiny. Meanwhile Dr. Kabir wakens Dr. Marsh to help synthesize an antidote to wake the crew. Alicia and Kelly head to engineering waking Lt. Brice and Sasha who head to the shuttle bay with a plan of their own. Kelly and Alicia begin to override Milos computer lockout to be able to administer the antidote.
Kelly runs interference for Alicia by “neutralizing” Milos henchmen. Kelly is highly effective in breaking the necks of many clones who had been protected from the knockout drug by air filtration masks. We note that there is no protection from Kelly!
Unfortunately, Kelly over utilized her implant enhancements, passing out as a result. Alicia tells Kelly “get some rest” while she succeeds in her efforts override the computers on Ark-1 that Milos took control of.
Milos wakes Ian the clone (Reece Ritchie in a dual role) telling him what the clones have accomplished to take over Ark-1. Ian seems a bit reluctant. However, Milos trusts Ian which may end up being a mistake at the end of the day.
Why do we come to this assessment? Ian has a look on his face of disagreement when Milos instructs his henchmen to go to the Bio Dome Shelter to kill Felix and Angus.
The henchmen report that Felix and Angus are no longer in the Bio Dome who have now extracted a mineral Dr. Kabir and Dr. Marsh needs to be able to fabricate a compound to be able to revive the enter crew using the same air handling system that Milos put the aerosol sedative into that knocked out Ark-1’s crew.
Nevertheless, Ian informs Milos that Captain Garnet’s command codes can be employed to countermand what Alicia has done to take back computer control.
Milos wakens Captain Garnet admitting that “We Don’t Kill Our Own” (meaning clones) and that he sabotaged the FTL drive on Ark-8 blowing up all the Gen3 clones to smithereens on the planet Raynick-J where Ark-8 crashed.
Malcontent Milos tells Captain Garnet when she refuses to give him the command codes that he will kill Lt. Lane who is still knocked out laying helplessly on the floor in her cabin. Sharon seemingly agrees but instead locks down every bulkhead and all connecting doors on Ark-1 causing Milos to lose his cool when Sharon compares him to the crazy Gen3 clones that Milos murdered on planet Raynick-J.
The action then moves to Lt. Brice and Sasha who have successfully activated the shuttle still attached to Ark-1 to change it’s course away from the one set by Milos mutineers. Ian apparently shows his true colors threatening to kill Sharon for her actions but Is ordered “to stand down” by Milos. It was a ruse. When standing down as he was expected to be ordered to do, Ian slips a pocket knife to Sharon so that she can free herself.
As the episode winds down, Doctors Kabir and Marsh have completed the compound needed to revive the crew with the mineral from Felix and Angus who were locked out. Alicia helps them administer the antidote.
Dr. Kabir heads with Felix and Angus off to help Kelly before she is killed because she used her implants for too long a period of time. Kelly is unconscious and it is not known if she will survive, but many admirers of Samantha Glassner including me hope that Kelly Fowler does survive to appear in future episodes of The Ark since she helped save everyone!
As the antidote is delivered in the air control system completely revives the crew, Ian and Sharon team up to take down the misguided clones. Fortunately, Milos is killed in the melee. Lt. Brice goes to visit Eva who has yet to stand trial for being Eastern Alliance operative, James states I refuse to believe Eva “was evil”. In a second to last plot twist with Eva still locked up, William Trust (Paul Leonard Murray) is promoted to Chief of Engineering by Captain Garnet. Can William be “trusted” (pun intended).
The final scenes of this superb episode finds our stalwart heroes on the Ark-1 Bridge. They happily toasting their victory over the Ark-8 clones who mutinied with the vodka that was made from the extra potatoes grown in the Bio Dome Shelter.
Just when we think that all is well for our heroes, a look of shock appears on their faces as they are sipping the vodka while looking through the Ark-1 Bridge observation deck window.
Suddenly outside, a huge Eastern Federation ship fills the window view plate! Instead of getting ready to head to Trappist-1D to rejoin the other Arks of humanity, things go from bad to worse. As the screen fades to black, the Eastern Federation ship locks it’s weapons directly on Ark-1!
Don’t miss The Ark next week in the new ninth episode of season two entitled “Cycle of Violence” that forces our heroes to deal with the aftermath of this episode when the Eastern Federation ship prepares to fire on Ark-1 and kill our heroes!
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!
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Thank you. 
Best Regards,
Kenn of #TeamWHR
