The Ark Crew May Have Finally Found a New Planet to Call Home — But There’s a Catch

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The Ark Crew May Have Finally Found a New Planet to Call Home — But There's a Catch

As a seasoned sci-fi enthusiast and someone who has binged through countless space-dramas, I must say that “The Ark” has truly outdone itself with its latest episode, “It Will Be Over Soon.” The intricate plot twists and character development are nothing short of remarkable.

Following nearly two years spent traversing space, it’s hard to believe that The Ark could finally be on the verge of reaching its final destination. However, with this week’s latest episode (and only one more in Season 2 remaining!), the Ark One – humankind’s space-faring rescue ship – is now nestled securely within a new solar system, preparing for a soft landing on the inviting, hospitable planet of Trappist 1D.

In Episode 11 of Season 2, titled “It Will Be Over Soon,” the Ark One crew encountered a setback and a conundrum that created a significant gap between them and their impending arrival on a new planet. This incident not only complicated their journey but also unveiled a hitherto unknown adversary with a chilling ability to subtly control events from behind the curtain, suggesting an almost omniscient power.

For more on The Ark

Choosing a Home for the Ark: Discovering the Top Exoplanets Within 25 Light-Years

Who got blackmailed on this week’s episode of SYFY’s The Ark ?

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In most episodes of “The Ark” this season, a principal character takes center stage, and for this week’s episode, it’s Felix Strickland (Pavle Jerinić), the meticulous and devoted security chief of The Ark One.

As Captain Sharon Garnet (played by Christie Burke) prepares the crew for their descent to the Trappist planet’s surface, an unusual steam blast occurs on the engineering deck. This accidental event leaves Maija Lync (Olivera Perunicic), one of the former defectors from Ark 15, and Alicia Nevins (Stacey Read) with burns. Coincidentally, Alicia was filling in for William Trust (Paul Murray), the chief architect of Ark One, at the scene at the time.

In the end, Alicia recovers more than Maija, whose injuries are critical and potentially fatal. On the other hand, it’s Felix who first learns about the true mystery behind the accident. As he practices his samurai sword techniques in solitude within his room, an unexpected (and ominous) voice echoes through his personal communication device, revealing a shocking secret: Felix’s long-missing daughter is still alive and she’s being held captive by none other than the same villain who will soon manipulate Felix into causing chaos on Ark One. The villain has threatened to harm her if Felix doesn’t obey every command he gives.

The scenario is perfectly crafted for a clever game of covert sabotage with an unwilling hand, and it seems as though The Ark intentionally placed Felix, arguably the ship’s most steadfast upholder of morality, truth, justice, and order, in such a precarious predicament. He attempts to defy his blackmailer’s commands, but soon realizes that resistance is futile: The individual orchestrating this deceit has the ability to track Felix’s actions in real-time.

Meticulous to a fault, it gnaws at Felix like nothing else to sneak around the ship, manipulating circuits, tampering with airlocks, and performing various underhanded deeds – all without disclosing these activities to Garnet and their companions. However, when his daughter’s life is in danger, Felix follows orders diligently, simultaneously seeking a way to outsmart the distant, ominous puppeteer who pulls the strings.

Is Felix’s daughter really alive on The Ark?

The Ark Crew May Have Finally Found a New Planet to Call Home — But There's a Catch

From the beginning, long-time fans of The Ark are aware that Felix’s deepest desires and actions have been driven by his longing for his young daughter, whom he has been separated from. Initially thought to be deceased, she was later discovered to be alive but lost. It is likely the only exception to Felix’s strict adherence to rules where he might bend them.

Fortunately, Felix skillfully avoids being watched by his blackmailer, using Morse code, cunning camera evasion tactics, and intense glares at Garnet to signal for help secretly to his team. Since he’s not just working to safeguard his daughter’s life but also uncover who’s imprisoning her and put a stop to them entirely, it’s no wonder he’s taking such extensive measures.

The intricate cat-and-mouse spy game portrayed in this week’s episode was an imaginative delight, as India Sage Wilson, the episode writer, shared during this week’s After the Ark aftershow webcast. She described it as having a “heist-like” structure and carrying a more serious tone similar to Ocean’s Eleven, which she found incredibly enjoyable to write. She reveled in “planting seeds” of the story, not seeing how they would connect until later, and then unraveling it all on the ‘B’ side, finding immense pleasure in the process!

Indeed, it appears Catherine, Felix’s daughter, is undeniably alive. Given a brief opportunity to speak with her father, she successfully passes his verification (her favorite bedtime story was Pinocchio, indeed!), making it clear that we’re hearing the sweet tones of a young voice as tears well up in Felix’s eyes. Through some ingenious last-minute deceit, she manages to make the threatening villain believe that Felix followed through on his orders (even going so far as to fake his own demise in space!), suggesting that she may have made it through the series’ exhilarating events and could potentially reunite with her father in the Season 2 finale, hinting at a future daddy-daughter encounter.

How does Felix turn the tables on his blackmailer on The Ark?

The Ark Crew May Have Finally Found a New Planet to Call Home — But There's a Catch

It’s not until the end of the episode that both viewers and the crew discover the reason behind someone attempting to blackmail Felix initially. This unknown blackmailer aimed to have William Trust killed on Ark One, and they may have succeeded if only Trust had been on duty during the strange steam explosion that injured Maija and Alicia. Alicia was just standing in for Trust when the incident occurred.

It’s interesting to note that Felix isn’t the only one on the ship who has been threatened by blackmail. In fact, Maija was the initial target, with the blackmailer using her brother as leverage. However, when Trust fails to appear for his shift at the reactor and Maija is found unconscious in the medical bay, Felix becomes the blackmailer’s backup plan to ensure that Trust encounters a grim fate.

From the get-go, The Ark has always valued its characters’ intelligence and intuition, and this is the episode where everyone gets to showcase their sharp instincts simultaneously. When Garnet catches on to the SOS signals Felix has been subtly tapping out during our chats, we quickly devise a strategy to bypass the ship’s monitoring system. Eventually, we find ourselves huddled in an unobserved equipment room where we can weigh our limited choices and strategize our next move.

The creativity displayed in “It Will Be Over Soon” for a one-hour sci-fi series is truly remarkable. To fully appreciate it, I’d recommend giving it a watch yourself. It features an antiquated mono cassette tape recorder, a high level of trust among team members who are largely clueless about the unfolding events, and an extraordinary amount of faith in William Trust, a man oblivious to the fact that he’s the intended target until it’s far too late for him to act.

Jerinić (playing Felix) shared with “After the Ark” that coming up with subtle hints for the audience to grasp the intricacies of the story was a challenging process: “I wanted every clue about the espionage to seem realistic, not overt. I prefer to conceal them, like scattering small clues that gradually lead to the main revelation. It was indeed tricky to strike the right balance and make the episode engaging.

As a passionate viewer, I can’t help but wonder if Felix will be reconnected with his long-lost daughter in the upcoming episode? And could the Ark One crew possibly step foot on a planet that might become humanity’s new abode? The tension is building up as we approach next week’s thrilling conclusion.

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2024-09-26 20:17