MovieChat Forums > Dark Matter (2015) Discussion > The Kiss of Death

The Kiss of Death

posted 8 years ago by janhalcion
34 replies | jump to latest

First of all, this series was doomed as soon as it showed any kind of popularity, because that meant that Sy Fy started paying attention to it and meddling. There's nothing like a focus group to take all the edge off of something and make it completely bland. To me, the first season was barely passable, then the second season became a joke. Could they mess with it anymore than they have already?!

Secondly, this Series is made in the Toronto Region of Canada. Its like a film and television graveyard for projects they don't think will make it. Crews work so cheap, its like making a show or film without paying the crew. Needless to say, the people who renamed their network 'Sy Fy' almost exclusively make all their series in Toronto.

It has all the hallmarks of the typical Toronto production, poor writing, poor production, over acting, wooden acting, stereotypes, typical characters all fitting neatly into place (the hothead, the starry eyed protagonist, the brainy chick, yada yada), and lets not forget that everyone is at everyone else's throats because that kind of conflict is easy to write and the lazy writers way out of putting in any real effort. Why struggle through writing a script with real people having real feelings when you can just write them mad and accusatory at each other all the time.

If you want to see a half decent series made in the Toronto region, which is very rare to come across, try The Expanse. First season was really well done, not like this pile of trash. Hopefully Sy Fy will keep their hands off of it and let it continue.

Honestly, I can feel my brain cells dying every time I type out 'Sy Fy'. Its so ridiculous.

[–] loofapotato 8 years ago

Oh look another pointless diatribe.

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[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Oconotu 8 years ago

The Expanse was crap! DM is far superior.

Oconotu
http://acarpenoctem.blogspot.com

[–] nannyjo 8 years ago

I wouldn't say "The Expanse" is crap, but I didn't care for it at all. I really didn't like any of the characters, so I didn't care what happened to them enough to watch.

I just prefer Dark Matter, is all.

That's what we need - ridiculous odds, and just a speck of hope that someday, we'll beat it

[–] ridah (291) 6 years ago

Second this. I tried The Expanse after all the praised washed on it, but it fell flat for me after watching all of season 1 and part of 2. Characters were unlikable and it was too dark and boring. Loved Dark Matter, much more fun and enjoyable to watch, mainly because of the likeable characters.

[–] xystophoros 8 years ago

That's like saying a McDonald's burger is better than a filet mignon at a New York steakhouse. The Expanse is cerebral science fiction with extremely high production values.

Is it perfect? No. Would it have been my first choice to adapt a SF book to TV? Absolutely not.

But it's much better than anything SyFy has done since BSG, and Dark Matter is not even in the same league.

[–] drawsdakcab 8 years ago

If Dark Matter is a burger and The Expanse a steak then SyFy is a chain restaurant. The Expanse tries to be "cerebral science fiction" but isn't. It has the potential and aspirations to be "better than anything SyFy has done since BSG" but currently isn't. Meanwhile Dark Matter has less potential but actually realizes it.

[–] xystophoros 8 years ago

I'm not sure if we're watching the same show or if The Expanse just went over your head, but the authors literally created entire cultures with consistent beliefs, attitudes, political stances, and even body types, with the people in low-gravity Ceres growing taller, thinner and less bone-dense than their Earth and Mars counterparts.

There's a hegemonic Earth government still trying to exert power over the rest of the system, factions like those on Mars trying to become powers in their own right, an entire logical economy and trade system based around real commodities that would be crucial in a space environment, etc.

And all that's separate from the solid characters and the mystery at the center of the narrative. Compare Dark Matter's tepid colony miners with the raging, incendiary Belters going ballistic over their civil rights, and try to tell me these shows are on par with each other.

You're comparing The Expanse to a show that consists entirely of tropes and stereotypes - Action Girl, Grizzled Mercenary, Asian Stereotype Man, Brainy Girl, Big Muscled Carebear, Action Girl #2, Commander Data, etc.

A nominally science fiction show with no science at all and no tech extrapolated from real-world science, where little pieces of plastic can supposedly enable instant FTL jumps a la Event Horizon, travel to other star systems takes minutes, intertia doesn't exist, and Wil Wheaton is a regular guest star.

If you're going to argue, come correct.

[–] drawsdakcab 8 years ago

So you think Dark Matter is a dumb cliche filled show full of stock characters and illogical science? I completely agree. I also agree with the amount of detail that went into The Expanse. I do disagree that the realism The Expanse attempts make it a good show. I honestly don't care how ridiculous the tech is in Dark Matter because the show is fun.

Dark Matter is B level science fiction that knows and embraces that fact. The Expanse has the potential and desire to be A level but isn't yet and may never be. People act like SyFy found their Game of Thrones but they haven't. That's my point.

[–] xystophoros 8 years ago

That's fair. The Expense is definitely not the science fiction equivalent of Game of Thrones, and there are so many better SF stories by much better novelists that they could have developed for a series.

The thing is, TV science fiction is such slim pickings that I appreciate the effort and the idea behind The Expanse. I didn't think it was great, but I found it entertaining and promising.

My problem with Dark Matter isn't just that it's packed with cliches...it's that the cliches are so bad, the writers don't seem to have any self-awareness.

I'm all for a fun show too, but when you have writers who don't know the difference between galaxies and star systems, the hilariously poor grip on science starts to kill immersion. DM isn't just devoid of science, it's a show where science is magic.

[–] drawsdakcab 8 years ago

I remember hearing a quote years ago about magic is science we don't understand. Personally I care more about a show's internal logic than how it matches ours. Accepting illogical science is the price of admission.

[–] gswan 8 years ago

I remember hearing a quote years ago about magic is science we don't understand.

You are paraphrasing Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws

[–] evmill 8 years ago

Taking this analogy further, The Expanse is a filet mignon, which was burned by the cook and than spat on by a member of the waiting staff.

[–] Dauw 8 years ago

And 98% of IMDb users think they are the world's premier food critics, when in reality they are far from it.

This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

[–] sarahiel 8 years ago

I agree with you. Everything is so fake, bland, theres no real acting or plot on this. I watched the first season hoping they would improve the current season (more money, incentive) but everything got worse. Will Wheaton on an episode helped me ignore and not watch this garbage again.

About The Expanse. Its a better series because is based on the books, theres a real plot there and the actors are actually actors and it seems the next season will be even better.

[–] Louis0001 8 years ago

I said the same thing in a post a few weeks ago and got noting in reply. :(
I absolutely agree though, SyFy is almost certainly the reason why shows like Dark Matter and Continuum start to suck.

[–] xystophoros 8 years ago

I agree wholeheartedly with almost everything you wrote, OP, although I would point out that everything SyFy makes is filmed in Canada with Canadian actors and Canadian crews. Like you said, it's much cheaper, and SyFy also gets significant tax breaks to shoot in cities like Toronto.

Unfortunately the result is a weird brand of Canadian science fiction with the same tropes, similar-looking CGI, bad acting, and noticeable Canadian accents.

On DM you can hear the "aboot" in Two's voice and Canada's weird cultural quirks make it into the episodes.

On the other hand, I love Jodelle Ferland, and some of the other cast members -- Anthony Lemke and Roger Cross -- are underrated actors and deserve to be on a much better TV show.

[–] lrsk 8 years ago

bad acting,

I don't think the acting is bad at all... but bad acting is subjective.

and noticeable Canadian accents.

Umm , because everyone in Space must have American accents? 

On DM you can hear the "aboot" in Two's voice

Who cares other than you?

and Canada's weird cultural quirks make it into the episodes.

Again, only American culture quirks are allowed in space? Not to mention, why is Canada's cultural quirks weird? Because you don't live there and it's different than what your used to?

Perhaps, just perhaps people outside the U.S. think American cultural quirks are weird... just saying.

This is not suppose to be an intellectual stimulating show. It's just entertainment so lighten up... or else don't watch it.

[–] excalibur1814 8 years ago

Look...

This is what we have. There's not exactly a whole load of Sci-Fi out there to watch so, instead of complaining, maybe just watch the show as it's not THAT bad.

[–] fran_ceska79 8 years ago

Go watch The Expanse then, and don't waste your time on a show you think is crap.

I adore Dark Matter, say what you want. I can't get enough. I watched season 1 of The Expanse, and it left me so unimpressed that a week later I didn't even remember what the show was about. Needless to say I dropped it.

Each to their own, and everyone's happy.