Everything about Dark Matter, eh?

Strong female characters continue their evolution on Dark Matter

I’m near the end of my chat with Dark Matter co-stars Anthony Lemke and Melissa O’Neil when I realize my gaffe and circle back on a question I asked earlier.

My query then: how much was O’Neil enjoying portraying a strong female character like Two/Portia Lin? She politely spoke of enjoying thoughtful scripts from co-creators Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie about a bunch of people—One/Jace Corso (Marc Bendavid), Three/Marcus Boone (Lemke), Four/Ryo Tetsudo (Alex Mallari Jr.), Five/Das (Jodelle Ferland) and Six/Griffin Jones (Roger Cross)—waking up from an unknown slumber, their memories wiped, aboard a spaceship overseen by an android (Zoie Palmer).

But as we continued to chat, I realized my original question was flawed in its intent and followed up with: “Do you feel as though we need to get past making a big deal out of a strong ‘female’ character? It should just be a character, correct?”

“Yes. Yes! Absolutely,” O’Neil says. “It’s not about her being a strong female character. She’s a strong character, full stop. It shouldn’t be because of her gender. I think it’s a bit of a surprise to viewers because she is the one who takes charge and that these men are accepting—or at least tolerant—of it.” O’Neil teases latter moments in Dark Matter‘s first season, where Two is alone, lets her guard down and allows herself to question who she is and what is happening to her.

Two joins a growing list of ladies who command respect on the small screen, including Lost Girl‘s Bo, Killjoys‘ Dutch, Scandal‘s Olivia Pope, House of Cards‘ Claire Underwood, Murdoch Mysteries‘ Julia Ogden and Emily Grace, and several of Orphan Black‘s Leda clones, but according to Lemke, there is more work to be done.

“I don’t think we’ve figured out, as a society, how to write a strong female character,” he says. “We went largely from a position where we wrote men as the strong characters and then their wives. I’ve even heard writers say, ‘If you want to write a strong female character, write a man and change the name.'” Lemke notes Mallozzi and Mullie have created engaging ladies in Two and Five (O’Neil wholeheartedly agrees) and he’s hopeful the TV and film industry—and society in general—continues to evolve to the point assertive ladies on the small screen reflect those around the world.

“We need to go to the place where the strong female characters in cop shows, in sci-fi shows are leading from a place that is truly distinct from where a man might lead. There is somewhere to go in this industry as a whole.”

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

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Dark Matter pulls in 273,000 viewers in debut

From a media release:

Friday night’s series debut of Canadian sci-fi drama DARK MATTER drew a preliminary overnight audience of more than 270,000 viewers, making it the #1 entertainment specialty program of the day. The one-hour premiere at 10 p.m. ET also made Space the top entertainment specialty network in its timeslot for total viewers and the key A25-54 and A18-49 demos, and the #1 entertainment specialty network for the day among A25-54.

DARK MATTER follows the crew of a derelict spaceship who awaken from stasis, with no memories of who they are or how they got on board. Facing threats at every turn, they have to work together to survive a voyage charged with vengeance, betrayal, and hidden secrets.DARK MATTER is created by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, the team behind the Dark Matter graphic novel and the fan-favourite STARGATE franchise.

In Episode 2 (Friday, June 19 at 10 p.m. ET), as the crew comes to terms with the revelations about their respective pasts, they are faced with a dilemma – help the miners against insurmountable odds, or abandon them to certain death. Episode 2 of DARK MATTER follows the debut of Space original series KILLJOYS, June 19 at 9 p.m. ET.

DARK MATTER’s crew are One (Marc Bendavid, BITTEN), the charming, moral centre of the crew; Two (Melissa O’Neil, Broadway’s Les Misérables), the tough and determined leader of the group; Three (Anthony Lemke, 19-2), the mercenary who looks out for only himself; the calmly ruthless and stoic Four (Alex Mallari Jr., Robocop); Five (Jodelle Ferland, The Cabin in the Woods), the team’s youngest member with a skill for mechanics and a mysterious ability; the low-key Six (Roger Cross, MOTIVE), a man of integrity; and The Android (Zoie Palmer, LOST GIRL), an outsider among the ship’s human passengers yet an indispensable member who possesses control over the ship’s systems.

Developed by Prodigy Pictures in association with Space, executive producers for DARK MATTER are Jay Firestone (LOST GIRL), creators Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, and Vanessa Piazza (LOST GIRL).

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Tonight: Dark Matters

Dark Matters, Space – Series premiere
The crew of a derelict ship awakens from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got onboard. Their search for answers leads them to a rebellious off-world mining colony – and a shocking revelation. Starring Marc Bendavid (BITTEN), Melissa O’Neil (Broadway’s Les Misérables), Anthony Lemke (19-2), Alex Mallari Jr. (Robocop), Jodelle Ferland (The Cabin in the Woods), Roger Cross (MOTIVE), and Zoie Palmer (LOST GIRL).

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Link: Zoie Palmer brings Dark Matter’s android to life

From Bridget Liszewski of the TV Junkies:

Zoie Palmer brings Dark Matter’s android to life
When the crew of Dark Matter wakes up, with no memory of who they are and what they are doing on board a spaceship, they may have more than just each other to worry about. Members of the new Syfy/Space channel adventure series, premiering Friday, June 12 at 10 p.m. ET, will also be dealing with another unknown element on board the ship – an Android with total control over all the ship’s on board systems. Continue reading.

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