The Ark Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Cycle of Violence

Critic’s Rating: 5 / 5.0

5

Welcome to the Wednesday night support meeting for those who survived the emotional trauma of The Ark Season 2 Episode 9! Donuts and refreshments are available in the back, so you can eat and drink while you cry.

Holy crap, that was a whirlwind of an episode! The creative team behind the show really said, “Let’s slow burn the audiences’ interest and then have them feel every human emotion in one episode.”

The Ark has been holding out on viewers because there was so much that worked in “Cycle of Violence.” From Captain Garnet crying to Angus putting the “bit” in bittersweet, this was The Ark as it transforms into its most entertaining form.

Space just got a lot more interesting.

The Catastrophes And Calamites Are Exciting, But It’s The Characters That Stay With You

As I have said since the start of The Ark Season 2, this series is unlike other sci-fi shows. It doesn’t adhere to the typical space opera formula.

There are no aliens or ray gun battles. Sure, there’s the occasional electric tentacle, but that’s an FTL thing. If you know, you know.

The Ark’s bread and butter is its incredible portrayal of a futuristic space story that is grounded in human emotion and connection.

Don’t get me wrong, Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are incredible shows. However, those kinds of series have decades of fans who have made connections to the characters and the franchise as a whole.

The Ark doesn’t boast a sixty-year-old franchise. It doesn’t have a star-studded cast. It doesn’t have an endless budget to constantly create visually compelling CGI.

What this series has is fantastic writers, actors, and producers who work their butts off. The catastrophes and calamities are exciting, but it’s the characters that stay with you.

That’s why this episode was by far the saddest since The Ark Season 2 Episode 1 when Cat died.

The Ark Writers Are Sneaky Geniuses With Just A Hint Of Sadism

It has been a crazy ride for Spencer Lane on the second season of The Ark. They should’ve titled this episode “The Water-Downed Trolley Problem.”

They used Lane’s healthy liver to save the Eastern Federation captain, but the lieutenant was technically triaged as a lost cause.

Still, it does not diminish the heartbreaking situation. Usually, I would have shredded the plot for pushing a random character into an act of violence, like in The Ark Season 2 Episode 8.

However, unlike that episode, so much intensity was introduced from the beginning of this one. By the time the attempted assassination happened, it felt organic.

What we’re seeing with The Ark is a maturation of its story. The premise of the show has always been one catastrophe after another.

The Ark has reached a point where it’s ready to leave behind the scrapes they get out of with “another catastrophe averted” and move in the direction of “not everyone will make it.”

What’s interesting about the choice to kill off Lane is that he was a central and pivotal character. He was in the majority of the scenes, and he was involved in almost every arc.

In that regard, the writers are sneaky geniuses with just a hint of sadism. The writers said, “We’re going to make you feel like this character is your friend, and then we’re going to kill him off in a heroic way that gives his death meaning, but it won’t make it any less sad.”

Through the show’s ups and downs, audiences have called for quality storytelling with twists and turns. Touche to The Ark’s creative team. They exceeded expectations.

Kelly And The Teeny Tiny Robots That Live In Her Blood

The interesting thing about this episode is that while Lane’s death was like a punch to the gut, it wasn’t the craziest thing to go down.

I’m talking about Kelly (Samantha Glassner) and the teeny tiny robots that live in her blood. Something is coming down the pike for Kelly, but it’s unclear what.

There has been an almost exhausting amount of screen time spent on her implants and augmentation. If something doesn’t develop by the finale, it will be a major ding against the story.

Beyond Kelly and her post-human status, there’s this strange connection forming between her and Angus. Could we be headed for a love triangle between Angus, Alicia, and Kelly?

It would finally give Angus, who has been wholly underutilized this season, something to do besides cart around vodka.

Now that Kelly’s special blood bots are no longer in his system, we can let go of the possible “super soldier” of space arc.

We’re at the back end of the season and need to brace for impact if the season finale is going to be anything like “Cycles of Violence.”

Are We The Bad Guys?

This episode had so many jaw-dropping moments that it is right up there with “The Other You” as one of the best episodes of The Ark Season 2.

First, if you didn’t tear up a little when Captain Garnet (Christie Burke) sobbed over Lane, how, too, can I become dead inside?

While I wasn’t a teary-eyed mess, I didn’t have “be emotionally bombarded” on my to-do list today. It wasn’t even about the character dying.

To see the powerful and capable captain of The Ark break like that was too much. It was like when you’re a kid and see one of your parents crying. Incredible storytelling!

Oh, and how shocking was Captain Garnet’s line, “Are we the bad guys?” Talk about the truth hitting you like a MAC truck.

Absolute hats off to the hands behind The Ark because they are not pulling any punches to give audiences an experience they will never forget.

However, after the dust settled over “Cycles of Violence,” we’re left with one crucial question. Who is this season’s big bad?

It seemed like the Eastern Federation would fill that spot, but like any good plotting, our expectations were dead wrong. See what I did there? Too soon?

After the revelations about the GSA, my money is on Maddox (Jelena Stupljanin) becoming a problem again. In fairness, she is a lot of fun to watch sashay her way into every scene with those dead eyes and cold smile.

There is a shift coming to The Ark One, with allegiances being reevaluated. If I had to guess, the show may be pushing the crew to become independent and form their own colony.

If you’ve read my previous reviews for The Ark, you know I’m always wondering what will happen to the show if The Ark finds a home planet.

It will take some brilliant plotting to keep The Ark One in space indefinitely. Their life support systems can only last for so long.

We’re a few episodes away from the finale, and if we’ve learned anything about The Ark Season 2, anything and everything can change without notice.

The only thing left to do now is sit back and enjoy the journey through the deep recesses of space as we watch our favorite plucky crew handle whatever is thrown at them.

Whatever The Ark has planned, I’ll be front and center, ready to soak up every single sensational moment on this Syfy space.

Do you think Angus, Alicia, and Kelly are headed for a love triangle?

Are the Eastern Federation and The Ark One going to form their own colony together?

We at TV Fanatic love talking TV with readers. So, please drop a comment below to let me know, and join me again when I review the next episode of The Ark!