Once in a generation, a show comes along that insists you pay attention to it. Nearly fifty years after the debut of Star Trek, Dark Matter is the latest show turning heads in the world of science fiction and it is like nothing you have ever seen before. Blending elements of Star Trek, Lost, and Knight Rider, this new show from the producers of Stargate SG1, will have you talking about it and pining for the next episode. Orbiting a planet out in deep space on the edges of civilization, six people wake up on a spaceship, with no memory of who they are or how they got there. After pairing up and searching the ship, they discover it's full of weapons. With the help of an android they find on board, the crew discovers they are orbiting a disputed planet and the weapons are likely for the colonists below. The crew quickly becomes attached to the colonists, that is until they learn the horrible truth, that they are mercenaries at the top of the galactic authorities most wanted list. They know they must be there to remove the colonist for one of the big corporations that now run the galaxy, but with the lose of their memories, came something no one could have expected, a conscience. Eventually, the crew of the ship called, The Raza, decide they have to stick together and find out who they are, where they're from, and what happened to them, so begins Dark Matter. Each episode is another adventure, dealing with the authority, their old enemies, and their old employers. They don't know their friends from their enemies, but after each adventure they get another piece of the puzzle and we get a glimpse into their passed lives. Together with the crew, the audience has the pleasure of trying to figure out who these people were, what happened to them, and debate on where they may be going. Much like Star Trek, this show has a virtually unknown cast, and is slowly producing it's own stars. I only recognized a couple of name, but the different skills each cast member present is as incredible and unique as the characters themselves. The women on board have moves that would make Bruce Lee jealous, but not to be overlooked is the cast interactions with each other, which often times are hilarious. The cast is diverse and so are the characters and their backgrounds, in coming together they all play on each others strengths and weaknesses to make this one of the most enjoyable shows on television. I watch a lot of TV, probably a lot more than is healthy, but in all this time, there have only been a handful of shows that I can honestly say, I could not wait to see the next episode, Dark Matter is one of those shows. Honestly I get home early on the nights it on and put on SyFy fifteen minutes early so that I don't miss a second. The first two seasons are currently streaming, go and watch the pilot and I promise you, weather you love science fiction or not, Dark Matter will have you hooked.

This show is totally not Firefly. It also isn't any other show, okay? The quirky young woman who has something wrong with her brain is learning to fight instead of a master fighter - totally not Firefly. The former rebel fighter who cares deeply about the well being of his crew mates isn't the captain - totally not Firefly. The greedy idiot character who names his gun isn't named Jane- totally not Firefly. The strong female character who is probably the most dangerous person on the ship is the one who had weird experiments done on here, not the quirky girl - totally not Firefly. The intelligent and thoughtful character who avoids violence and serves as the crews conscious isn't a doctor - totally not Firefly. Bonus, totally not Daniel Jackson. The super warrior who doesn't speak much and is an exiled leader to his people- totally not Firely, because that is SG1 again. The ship they explore filled with space zombies is the FAR Horizon, but the space zombies even though being made as a science experiment gone bad don't mutilate themselves - totally not Firefly or Event Horizon. The black guy has some secret ties to the powerful central government... They have an untrustworthy contact with a British accent... Constantly worried about running out of fuel (for half the season)... Deciding during the middle of a job to help the miners instead... The ship looks kind of like an animal... At least the idea of an android who is struggling with emotion from something wrong in her DATAbanks is a new idea- right, right? Everything is a copy of a copy in Dark Matter, but it still manages to be a decent show overall. Would probably be a good to great show for anyone who hasn't seen Firefly, TNG, SG1, etc...

It was nice to see a space drama on TV again (really looking forward to the probably much better "expanse"). However, this one felt cheap. The writing was so so. The acting was about the same. Andriod and "3" are clearly better than the rest at being actual character actors. The universe was also not set up well. I knew quite a bit more about the firefly universe in 2 episodes than i did about this one in 10. However, it did have its small victories and there was just enough of a mystery element to it that it was a decently fun summer watch.

I can see what some may enjoy with this predictable and uninspiring show. It's filled with standard sci-fi and TV tropes we can't help but love. But, are we seriously not bored enough yet? Dark Matter would be well served (as well as the viewing public) with a subtitle along the lines of Cliche' ex Machina. No that's terrible. Point stands. The ham-handed stories, all-over-the-place (and yet ****?) character development, worn out themes and bland acting (except for Android, she's fantastic). It's almost like some screenwriters and directors said, "Hey, I really hate these 7 actors. Let's see if we can get them in a show and ruin their careers with it."

From the first scene to the closing dialog, this was just plain B-grade rubbish. Amateur acting with wooden delivery, clichéd casting, tied together with woeful scriptwriting. The premise and sets are ok, but only just. Avoid.