Welcome Science Fiction Lovers on The Ark!
We here at TeamWHR have immensely enjoyed this series and hope this is not the last review we write for it. Kudos are deservedly due to the wonderful writers team including series creator Dean Devlin, Jonathan Glassner, India Sage Wilson, Madeline Hendricks Lewen, John-Paul Nickel, James Delorean, Kendall Lampkin, and Rebecca Rosenberg. Additionally, the hard work by series composer Fred Coury, the series costumers, the visual effect team and all the series departments have made The Ark a believable science fiction series.
As we come to the end of the second superb season of The Ark with twenty-four exciting episodes total, we want to thank all who have been involved in bringing the only science fiction space saga to admirers. As the only Space Opera series broadcast weekly on United States and Canada owned stations, as well as now enjoying broadcasts in several overseas markets, it is hoped by millions to be renewed quickly after the second season finale this week.
This was all made possible via the awesome acting talent portrayals of Captain Sharon Garnet (Christie Burke), Lt. Spencer Lane and Ian the clone (Reece Ritchie), Lt. James Brice (Richard Fleeshman), Kelly Fowler (Samantha Glassner), Dr. Sanjivni Kabir (Shalini Peiris), Angus Medford (Ryan Adams), Alicia Nevins (Stacey Read), Eva Markovic (Tiana Upcheva), Security Chief Felix Strickland (Pavle Jerinic), Sasha Novak (Milos Cvetkovic), Jelena Griff (Tamara Radovanovic), William Trust (Paul Leonard Murray), Naomi Spencer (Jessica Yemi), Lati Meir (Coral Mizrachi), Kimi Joma (Díana Bermudez), Dr. Marsh (Jadran Malkovich), Captain Zed Evega (Daniel Fathers), Stella Cogner (Jelena Moore), Maija Lync (Olivera Perunicic), Evil Evelyn Maddox (Jelena Stupljanin), as well as deceased members Cat Brandice (Christina Wolfe) and Helena Trust (Mercedes De La Cruz). In our opinion, The Ark is worthy of a RenewTheArk announcement by SYFY for a third season!
Fortunate:
The series second season finale begins immediately subsequent to the end of episode eleven “It Will Be Over Soon” with Captain Garnet calling the Ark-1 Command Team of Lt James Brice, Eva Markovic, Alicia Nevins, Kimi Joma, and Dr. Sanjivni Kabir for a meeting with Security Chief Felix Strickland and William Trust.
Viewers will recall in the last episode that Felix had been blackmailed by mysterious unknown individual(s) who claimed to have kidnapped his daughter Katherine. Per the demands of the evil motivating these person(s), we will learn that there are many of them. Fortunately Felix and William faked their deaths demanded by the blackmailer, tricking whoever is involved into thinking they had been successful in killing these characters per the nefarious plans of some megalomaniac!
Written by John-Paul Nickel and directed by Jonathan Glassner, we quickly learn during the meeting that Eva and Alicia have a plan to pinpoint the transponder frequency used by the criminal to perpetrate the blackmail once they are actually on Trappist-1D. Naomi comes in to advise Garnet that they are entering orbit, ending the planning meeting.
As they all head to the bridge to take a look at their new home, we are treated to a beautiful visual of Arks, 11, 12, 13 and 15 front sections are observed in orbit. Ark-10 which should have been the first to arrive, is missing from the group, as is Ark-14. Captain Garnet praises William Trust for his elegant design when the aft sections of the four Ark’s are identified on the surface of the planet comprising humanities new colony settlement.
Alicia reports that the conditions are “remarkably like home” (on Earth). However, Lt. Brice reminds everyone they can trust no one until they find out who the blackmailer(s) are. We next are on the Ark-1 shuttle finding out that Ian the clone has joined the Trappist-1D landing party of Captain Garnet, Lt. Brice, Dr. Kabir and Kimi Joma.
Never count a parent out when it comes to protecting their children. Because when the landing party exits the shuttle, we observe that Security Chief Felix Strickland has stowed away on board against orders of Captain Garnet to find out the whereabouts of his daughter.
The landing party is met by the Governor of the colony a female character named Vesna Ilic (Tamara Aleksic) nicknamed “Ves”. We learn the colony name is known as Home Base One, Interestingly, the colony has children that were supposed to be forbidden on any Ark’s but were apparently carried on Ark-8 as a last minute decision, or so we are told. Governor Ilic informs everyone that Evil Evelyn Maddox is dead, apparently from a “tragic accident shortly before Ark-15 had arrived” on the planet.
Shortly after arriving on the surface of the planet, Garnet is invited to lunch with the Governor while Ian and James comment that this development (Evil Evelyn being allegedly dead) is exactly what “almost happened to Felix and Trust” setting up the suspense within the story arc that is increased when we observe Felix sneaking around the colony. Wearing a hoodie to disguise himself, Felix sees a group of children, then finds a person with the exact voice of the blackmailer and demands this person tell him where his daughter Katherine (Zoja Milosavljevic) is, forcing the teacher to unlock the computer the man is using.
If viewers think that this apparently proves the man did not send the blackmail threats from that device, you would be incorrect. However, we do learn that this person is apparently a teacher who reveals that he has three children named Katherine in his “classes”. It is likely that this man is either a clone or is deliberately lying due to his voice that Felix recognized when he was being blackmailed.
Felix stuns the man to protect himself from being discovered while he enters the classroom finding a young women that looks exactly like his daughter. When Felix approaches the youngster, she does not recognize Felix saying “Who are you?”, then screaming “Get away, I don’t know you!”
These revelations lend credence to my theory that Home Base One may be a planet of liars, but for what purpose, we do not know at this time. The man Felix thought he knocked out suddenly appears with several other men who are obviously security police who take Felix into custody while the students in the class act like this is a normal occurance.
It is at this juncture, when Felix’s daughter is hugged by the teacher, that viewers know that something un ”Fortunate” is happening on Home Base One, which should be a happy place, not be infested with brainwashed people including Felix’s daughter, the man with the same voice as the Felix’s blackmailer, and Gestapo like security forces!
The episode focus moves to Ark-1 where Dr. Marsh is visiting Kelly Fowler who is still being held in custody despite the fact that she helped the crew in the recent past. Marsh says “I want to be the one who tells you, you’re mother has passed”, “We don’t have all the details yet, she never made it to Trappist”.
With a genuinely shocked look on her face Kelly responds “I don’t know how to feel”. Considering Kelly’s previously expressed hatred of Evil Evelyn, the loss of her mother stuns Kelly. We will find out that is not the case shortly, Evil Evelyn is very much alive.
Next we are in a cafeteria of some sort on Home Base One. Foodstuffs are observed to not in short supply with Kimi, Dr. Kabir and Lt Brice stuffing his face. While Dr. Kabir says “You think she was murdered too?” Speculating that Evil Evelyn was victim of foul play, Kimi meets an old friend named Gabby Yur, a civilian horticulturist whom Kimi served with on Ark-15. Gabby welcomes them to Trappist-1D saying “It took you long enough to get here”. Lt. Brice makes a comment that it took longer “Because we had to stop off for parts” since Evil Evelyn abandoned Ark-1. The others around them begin to act strangely. Kimi asks how Evil Evelyn died with Gabby repeating twice “Ms. Maddox died in a tragic accident” causing the other people in the cafeteria to become agitated. Rushing Lt. Brice, Kimi and Dr. Kabir, it becomes clear that something is seriously wrong with many of the inhabitants on Home Base One!
We learn from the Governor when she is speaking to Captain Garnet that “1,256” Ark survivors made it safely to Home Base One. Captain Garnet is surprised that they could become self sufficient with so few people and asks if they are looking for the missing Ark’s?
Oddly, Governor “Ves”, the elected civilian Governor states they are not looking for other survivors but are instead focused on preparing the colony “for when they arrive”. Governor Ves receives a message blithely stating to Garnet that her crew is asking “too many questions”. Sounds like trouble just up ahead!
Things go from bad to worse as Ian is exploring the colony. In a corridor, Ian finds a woman who is literally banging her head into a wall repeating over and over “We are so fortunate… to be here”. The woman looks crazed as two members of the colony security forces arrive to take the woman into custody, dragging her off to a locked room where she continues to mumble “We are so Fortunate…!”
It is then we see that Evil Evelyn has not died, but is instead is witnessed injecting the head banging woman with something that calms her down. Then Ian finds Captain Garnet, Lt. Brice, Dr. Kabir, Felix, and Kimi on the shuttle heading to Ark-1 when all stating the same thing “We’re all so Fortunate to be here” and that “Felix’s daughter has been found” with Lt. Brice finishing his statement “The sooner we leave the sooner we can get back” (To Home Base One).
With a look or horror on Ian’s face it is obvious that Home Base One is an Evil Evelyn brainwashing nightmare as Ian realizes that things have really gone off the rails! On arriving at Ark-1, Ian tries to inform Alicia and Dr. Marsh without success when he finds the source of the problem, a case of subdural devices that implant electronic chips to brainwash anyone. When Jelena Griff tries to help, she is injected as well.
Ian escapes to let Alicia know the crew are all being injected with a mind control chip developed by Evil Evelyn. Then Captain Garnet makes an announcement that everyone must report to the medical bay for a “vaccination” ending with “We’re all so Fortunate to be here” with a glazed look on her eyes confirming the brainwashing of the entire Ark-1 crew is well underway.
Alicia and Ian seek out William Trust and Angus who have not been injected yet with the brainwashing chip. William Trust confirms that he did develop the brainwashing implants but states “Leave it to Evelyn to perfect my most immoral technology”.
The good news is that Trust programmed in “kill codes” on how to override the brainwashing. Working as a team, Trust, Angus, Ian and Alicia set off to do so using Kelly’s nanites in her blood to send the brainwashing kill switch command.
As a side note, it was nice to see that Kelly will be able to help save everyone on Ark-1! Unfortunately Angus and Alicia are captured and brainwashed when they go to the Ark-1 Medical Bay to obtain the device needed to remove a few nanites from Kelly.
Although Alicia and Angus are locked up, Alicia uses a fork to effect and escape from the lockup. One thing is certain, Ark-1 needs a real brig in a third season that no one can escape from!
As the episode winds down, Trust, Ian and Kelly visit Captain Garnet with Kelly’s powers activated by Trust causing the entire crew to become deactivated from the brainwashing implants. Garnet heads to the planet to deactivate the remaining people on Home Base One.
In the process, we learn that Evil Evelyn steals the Ark-1 shuttle, kidnapping Felix’s daughter as a hostage. Fortunately, Kelly is still onboard the shuttle, quickly snapping Evelyn’s neck. Thank goodness we finally kill this evil woman. Kelly returns to the planet with Felix’s daughter.
The final sequences find us with Captain Garnet addressing the colonists. She refuses to accept the nomination as leader of Home Base One, advising everyone that she is taking Ark-1 to find the missing Ark’s, nominating Felix to stay with his daughter as well as being the official representative in the new civilian government.
Doctors Marsh and Kabir decide to stay on the planet together and are observed kissing each other. William Trust also decides to stay on Home Base One. As Ark-1 prepares to leave the planet to search for the missing Ark’s, Alicia is promoted to Chief Science Officer. Ian will assume control of engineering.
The final scenes are with the crew saying goodbye to the everyone that will stay behind while the FTL drive is activated. An ominous contact is made with the other destination planet Ross 128-B warning Ark-1 “Do not come to Ross, turn around before it’s too late”.
Angus says he must stay on Home Base One to help the colonists grow enough food properly. While digging in the crop fields there, Angus finds evidence of an ancient civilization on a stone tablet with what look like Egyptian hieroglyphs that existed in the past on Home Base One.
These developments eloquently set up The Ark for a third season with Alicia, Captain Garnet, Lt. Brice and Ian on the bridge looking out towards space towards their next destination.
Of course, including all admirers of this exciting superb science fiction series want a third season to happen!
In closing for now, we hope RenewTheArk becomes reality in 2025 and suggest everyone contact SYFY to express your support for season three. Thank you.
We hope we will be back to continue our analysis of The Ark but only time will tell. 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
