DARK MATTER Cast Warn a “Big Paradigm Shift” Is Coming

By Pauline Perenack

Dark Matter is one of those shows where audiences can never be too sure of what’s coming next.

Just when you think the coast is clear, a major character is killed off, and another goes rogue. However, even in that darkness, there is a levity that fans are enjoying, and showrunners are eager to continue balancing.

This week at Comic Con during the show panel, executive producer Jay Firestone discussed how the theme of the show this season is that it is harder to be good than to be bad, which plays heavily into the final episodes of the season, and leads into an explosive finale where no one will be the same. Amid talk of who was the biggest joker on set (answer: all of the boys), and polls of the audience revolving around what they would like to see or not see coming up (answer: no romances), the cast talked a lot about how crazy the finale of season three was going to be. So when ScreenSpy had the opportunity to sit down with the cast afterwards, the focus was heavily on the final episodes of season three, and how the cast felt that would affect season four.

Before delving into the drama, cast members Melissa O’Neill, Anthony Lemke, Alex Mallari Jr., and Jodelle Ferland took a moment to talk about their favorite episodes of the current season. Ferland spoke up right away citing episode nine as her favorite. “It’s a super fun one, and the finale of course, because the finale always ends on a super cliffhanger and this one is no different.”

Lemke quickly added to the sentiment. “This cliffhanger is one of those ones where it’s life changing. Now the show is going to be different than it was. I was often wondering how [writer] Joe [Mallozzi] was going to top last year’s, and he did. This one is, I think, way, way cooler than last year’s finale.”

DARK MATTER — “Wish I Could Be You” Episode 307 — Pictured: Anthony Lemke as Three — (Photo by: Stephen Scott/Dark Matter Series 3/Syfy)

O’Neill’s favorite was a little bit different. “I don’t remember what episode it was, but it deals with the origin stories of Android and Two, and how those stories are intertwined. I think once it comes out, it’s going to get a pretty big fan reaction.”

For Mallari, his favorite was episode eight, because “it’s the first time I get back on the Raza with them and the whole family.” However, like Ferland, Mallari’s excitement for the upcoming finale had him moving right into discussing what’s to come. “Just as a fan of the show, I’m very excited for episode 12 because there are a lot of secrets that Ryo reveals going into the finale. They’ve said it, but I’ve got to say it again, it’s going to change our universe. Doors are going to open that we can’t control and corporations, we thought they were a problem, but we have something much bigger ahead of us. Ryo is peanuts compared to what’s to come.”

O’Neill agreed, and added, “where everyone started is certainly not where they end at the end of the season. Some people are completely unrecognizable.”

DARK MATTER — “One Last Card To Play” Episode 306 — Pictured: Melissa O’Neil as Two — (Photo by: Stephen Scott/Dark Matter Series 3/Syfy)

This shift in character development seems to be the perfect set up for season four should the show be renewed. “Episodes 10 to 13 have this big paradigm shift and you’re going to end up seeing a way cooler version of Dark Matter in season 4,” says Lemke. “I love where they’re going with it, and it really plugs straight into a lot of the themes the characters have been struggling with for the first couple of years, and I’m just psyched to see how everyone deals.”

Lemke continued that train of thought, as he talked about how the creators and writers always were always able to deliver the answers that fans were seeking, but for every answer, they would deliver ten more questions, which, O’Neill agreed, begged to be answered. “People were impatient about getting season three,” said O’Neill, “and I think that issue will just be aggravated for season four.”

DARK MATTER — “Wish I Could Be You” Episode 307 — Pictured: Jodelle Ferland as Five — (Photo by: Stephen Scott/Dark Matter Series 3/Syfy)

Continuing with the narrative of how season three will push into season four, Lemke expressed his thoughts on the very core of the show. “I think our show is at its best when it’s posing basic questions that matter to us, and I think the corporate war was really cool, but the questions might be a little less pertinent to the average viewer than the questions that are being posed – the basic identity questions. What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to accept another person for who they are, and all those amazing life lesson questions that I think, we as a society are grappling with those now, and you can see them in transgender issues that are in the media a lot and, so we’re not dealing with that, but we’re dealing with versions of that and you see that with Sarah’s character. What is it to love a computer program? Can you love a computer program? Is that a ridiculous statement? And they’ll expand on that. And I think you’ll see that take some really interesting turns at the end of this season and will magnify through season four.”

Season four however, is not a guarantee, but after hearing how passionate the cast members are about the finale of season three, it was important to discuss how fans could be involved in making sure there will be a season four. NBC’s Timeless was saved this season because of the outpouring of support on social media for the show, so it’s clear that networks listen to fans, but as Lemke pointed out, fans need to go about doing it the right way.

DARK MATTER — “Being Better Is So Much Harder” Episode 301 — Pictured: Alex Mallari Jr. as Four — (Photo by: Stephen Scott/Dark Matter Series 3/Syfy)

“Watching live is great, but the super direct way for Syfy is, let’s be clear right now, it’s Syfy making the decisions. You can watch it on Syfy.com and if you don’t have a Nielson box in your house, they may not know that you’re watching it on TV, but if you download it on Syfy.com, they’ll know, and that’s huge. And then of course, on all the social media, talk it up. If you love the show, make sure to put Syfy’s handles in there, their hashtags. Get in as a group with Killjoys and Wynonna. It’s a great one, two, three punch. They’re all Canadian shows, they’re all shooting in Toronto, and we know all those guys. It would be wonderful to see those three go forward again as a Syfy Friday.”

As the interview wrapped up, it was obvious that the remaining episodes of season three were only going to increase in intensity, leading up to a finale that will have fans talking for months. And hopefully all of that talking will convince The Powers That Be at Syfy that Dark Matter deserves a fourth season, where all of the questions brought up in these final episodes, can be answered, and fans can see what the fate of the characters will be.

Dark Matter airs Fridays on Syfy.