“We’re back at Square One.” Indeed you are, Two, but viewers—and every member of the Raza—have some important pieces to the puzzle. If only they’d trust each other enough to share what they’ve learned.

Instead, One, Two, Three, Four and Five are keeping secrets while Six—the big, lovable oaf that he is—failed to clue in to what could be the key to what’s happened to them. Written by Joseph Mallozzi and directed by Amanda Tapping, Six’s major gaffe in Episode 4 occurred while he sat in the doctor’s office, waiting to have his burn looked at. An ad on the waiting room TV explained pods much like the one the Raza crew emerged from are used as a new way of vacationing. A person had a clone made of themselves and the clone went off on adventures in far-flung locations. Once the trip was done, the clone’s memories were uploaded into your own memory and the clone was sent to the scrap pile.

“Cool!” Six exclaimed to everyone in the waiting room, unaware One—and possibly more—of the crew are likely some advanced form of clone able to exist past the usual 72 hours.

One and Three learned a little more backstory from the man who identified himself as Jace Corso. Jace regaled his captives with his own story, explaining he was supposed to go on the mercenary run to the mining planet aboard the Raza but was waylaid by a raid and missed the boat. Jace saw someone just like him board the ship on his behalf so he dropped by the space station to wait for the Raza to re-supply. And while Three is convinced One is the only clone around, I’m thinking there are more to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Four also got a personal peek into his own life, learning the ring in his bedside table was apparently taken off his dead father, Emperor Ishida, after he was murdered by his son … a son identified as Four.

Meanwhile, ladies’ night out with Two and Five turned deadly when their success at gambling (Two has a gift for cards and Five for the shell game) led to the pair being pulled aside a threatened by the casino boss. In a flurry of arms and legs, Two killed everyone in the room and the gals fled back to the ship.

So, to recap: One and Three are keeping the Jace Corso info to themselves, Two and Five aren’t talking about the casino murders, Four murdered his father and Six is a lovable lug.

The plot thickens.

Notes and quotes

• Nice to see that, even in the future, we still have to take a number to see a doctor.
• “Stupid is catching.” — Three
• Who else thinks One and Three should star in their own buddy comedy?
• In Three’s defence, I don’t know what mercurial means either.

Dark Matter airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on Space.