‘The Ark’ Recap: ‘Failed Experiment’

7/18/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THE ARK -- "Failed Experiment" Episode 201 -- Pictured: (l-r) Diana Bermudez as Kimi, Jadran Malkovich as Dr. Marsh, Christie Burke as Lt. Sharon Garnet, Stacey Read as Alicia Nevins -- (Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Two Premiere of ‘The Ark’. To revisit the Season One Finale, click here.

If there is one unfortunate truth that gives us pause in this life, it would have to be that people don’t embrace change instantaneously. Which stops us in our tracks, because we’ve seen otherwise and heard otherwise. For we either experience or learn of someone that went through… a watershed, life changing moment. The kind that opens one’s eyes to great truth and an understanding that a course must be corrected, or trouble will arise, and that person or the one we see in the mirror, makes that hard call to change and goes through with it quickly and finds a better life. So… we expect others to abide by that edict when… they simply cannot.

For everyone views and embraces change differently, and all we can do, is offer them grace and hope to inspire others to change. If anything, this is top of mind today, because that lesson and how we inspire change was put on full display in the season two premiere of the hit SYFY series, The Ark. A feat that ‘Failed Experiment’ accomplished… after following up on THAT cliffhanger. For this episode picked up shortly after Ark One faced grave disaster and while we learned that the bridge crew was alive and shaken, they had not a clue what happened on the rest of the ship or if the rest of the crew was alive, and for a time, it seemed as though a grand rescue mission was about to happen.

Because Evelyn sent a search and rescue team over to bring our heroes to her ship, to rest and recuperate and learn… that Evelyn didn’t embrace change all that quickly. She saw the rescue as being even, and that if anyone remained on Ark One, they were to fend for themselves. Which stood in the face of everything that Sharon and her crew fought for in season one. Which left them shocked and stunned that someone wouldn’t understand that something greater was at play here, that unity and togetherness was the key to survival, and that such a mantra needed to be embraced. But it spoke to how people don’t always embrace change when a grand opportunity to do so is in front of them and for a time… it seemed that everyone aboard Ark One was doomed and this season was going to take quite the turn.

THE ARK -- "Failed Experiment" Episode 201 -- Pictured: (l-r) Richard Fleeshman as Lt. James Brice, Tiana Upcheva as Eva Markovic -- (Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY)

But thankfully, this episode took a positive turn and began to lean into how being the better person, how embracing change in the right ways can in fact, inspire others to change quickly. Because the good news was that Ark One did have survivors, including Angus, whom we were all worried about, and Dr. Kabir, and Eva. Which prompted a push to treat them aboard Evelyn’s ship, to give them a fighting chance. One that Cat didn’t get since she didn’t make it sadly. But that push for healing brought about all kinds of inspiring surprises. Since Kelly, gave blood to Angus as penance, and others spoke to how badly they wanted off of the ship to be part of a real mission to survive. To be that beacon for humanity’s future. For they saw what Sharon and her crew were doing and fighting for and that inspired them to be better.

Which in turn allowed for us to learn how to embrace and encourage those who are ready to change and how we give those who aren’t sure they’re ready the reflection time they clearly need. Because Evelyn almost lost it again over having members of her crew leave for a different opportunity. Wherein we also learned that Kelly is something of a biological experiment that can be used as a weapon. But that weapon never fired. Because Evelyn was given grace and space to think upon what mattered, and that allowed for this intrepid crew, now full of new members, to continue their mission of hope, and that made… for a powerhouse season premiere. For it was filled to the brim with action, adventure, worry and joy and you cannot ask for much more than that from a sci fi series about the last vestiges of mankind, fighting to survive to keep our species alive.

But what mattered more here, was that this episode really did lean into a powerful lesson for the crew and the audience, and that added depth to this story. The kind that informs us that season two of this show is going to go deeper into the human condition, and what being the best version of ourselves can accomplish and that is exciting to say the least. Since now is the right time to have a series on the air that showcases what we can be when we fight back against doubt and those unwilling to change in the moment, and well… this really was just a perfect premiere. For it was simply brilliant and thrilling and now we will all be counting down the minutes to see what incredible lessons and moments await us as Captain Garnet and her intrepid and inspiring crew put the pieces back together and chart a new course for a new beginning for all mankind. Until next time
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Learn more about Season Two of ‘The Ark’ courtesy of our interview with Series Lead Christie Burke, and Co-Showrunners Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glassner.

Watch ‘The Ark’

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