The Ark Episode 3 Review: Get Out and Push

This The Ark review contains spoilers.

As ridiculous as some of the science in The Ark is, it sure is fun to watch the crew come up with creative solutions to their myriad of problems. And no act is wasted in this week’s episode; even a failed strategy, such as blowing a hole in the hull to redirect the ship, provides a humorous payoff in the form of the newly co-ed showers, which will no doubt pay dividends in future episodes. Despite a sometimes clumsy narrative, “Get Out and Push” managed to further develop several storylines layered underneath the adventure plot.

For instance, it may seem a small detail that Cat wears a wig due to being caught in UV storms, but it’s a fact that not only makes a somewhat selfish character more sympathetic; it also provides a bit of world building concerning the devastation back on Earth. Similarly, the discovery that Brice’s medical file is corrupted may not feel as dire as the record of Garnet’s violent behavior hidden in Jasper’s secret bulkhead, but The Ark is clearly teasing secrets that many of the crew probably have that will develop later.

It’s a clever trick that works occasionally but also sometimes falls short. As an example of the latter, the party that results from the theft of some infirmary drugs feels incredibly contrived, even though the approaching asteroid makes the end-of-the-world vibe understandable. Similarly, the hint of an impending addiction storyline for Dr. Kabir is not enticing at all, at least not in comparison with other more compelling mysteries.

Frankly, there are much more subtle character moments that end up being more interesting, like the fact that Brice was an ace pilot but ended up in navigation (a historical detail that might correlate with his medical file). Or the reminder that Eva spat on Jasper’s corpse, an admission that the engineer makes to Cat, adding the incriminating statement: “he deserved to have his throat slit.” The Ark is likely trying to line up several suspects for Jasper’s killing, not forgetting the hanging thread of Lane’s anomalous knowledge of the murder weapon.

But never mind all that. The best part about this The Ark episode is watching the various strategies for avoiding the asteroid unfold. And we’re not just talking about the MacGyver factor of inventing creative methods with limited resources, even though the fact that shuttle parts were missing because of other problems on the ship was a nice touch. The asteroid storyline also gave us great bonding moments between Garnet and Lane as well as increasing tension between Angus, Alicia, and Baylor.

There’s no doubt about it, though: the shuttle’s ability to maneuver the entire Ark into a parallel path with the comet was laughable. But honestly, who cares? Anyone who wasn’t on the edge of their seats during the countdown should check their pulse. Likewise, it might not be very credible that they could siphon water from a frozen comet in flight under the existing time constraints, but it was an elegant way to kill two birds with one stone. Suspension of disbelief was stretched to its limit for an enjoyable end result.

So The Ark’s not perfect; big deal. Everyone seems willing to give Geordi license to spout technobabble about tachyon fields and alternating shield frequencies on Stark Trek, but a new show like this is for some reason held to exacting rules of physics in space. It’s unnecessary scrutiny! Criticize the sometimes clunky narrative all you want, but don’t argue with this show’s unassailable sense of adventure. Plus no one should discourage Syfy from returning to good space storytelling at any cost.