DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Ark Season 1 Episode 5, “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back,” contains spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, space travelers! We’ve reached the halfway point in The Ark‘s freshman season. “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back” is a tad weaker than last week’s outing. So far, there’s a lot of potential regarding narrative development, but The Ark still struggles and sputters somewhat. I do feel I give this series more grace than most viewers. I don’t think it’s supposed to be this groundbreaking, innovative, boundary-pushing sci-fi series with thought-provoking thematic exploration. The Ark is supposed to be fun, more of an action-adventure tale in space than hard science fiction. It’s also more of a character-driven drama than anything.
So many folks are hung up on the visual effects, the set pieces and the acting. I get that; it’s sci-fi. Sure, they’re not revolutionary. Yes, the acting is rough in some places. This series won’t win an Emmy. There are a ton of well-worn science fiction tropes and clichéd characters. That said, the narrative potential keeps me coming back for more. We see glimmers of that potential play out in each episode. I enjoy watching these characters evolve and how they react to the various crises plaguing the ship. I like the crisis-of-the-week storyline. Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now.
Ready to delve into “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back”? Let’s get to it.
RELATED: The Ark Recap: (S01E04) We Weren’t Supposed to Be Awake
We open with Dr. Kabir (Shalini Peiris) sitting in the med bay. She discreetly reaches for a pill bottle, and as she’s about to take some, Lt. Lane (Reece Ritchie) enters the space. Lane claims he’s there to thank her for saving them during the comet water crisis. After noting how exhausted Kabir looks, Lane offers to watch the med bay so she can sleep. A grateful Kabir accepts his offer, leaving Lane to his own devices. We see Lane sit at a monitor and pull up something shocking. I bet you can guess what that something is…
Next, Lane confronts Lt. Garnet (Christie Burke) regarding her clone status. How could she keep that information from him? Garnet reminds him that it’s classified. He orders her to relinquish command, which she understandably refuses to do. Lane counters that she might “snap,” so he believes she should stand down for the good of the ship. He plans to present this info to the council and let them decide. Ugh, this dude wants to control women so badly.
Then, Lane shows the video featuring Denise (Garnet’s clone) to the council, which includes Lt. Brice (Richard Fleeshman), Eva (Tiana Upcheva), Alicia (Stacey Read), Kabir and Felix (Pavle Jerinic). Nobody understands why Lane’s bringing this to their attention. Brice remarks how Garnet appears to be in control of her faculties. Felix and Kabir explain the government’s infamous (and now defunct) clone program to Alicia. Armies would clone their soldiers, but the “second tier” soldiers would malfunction and wreak havoc on the masses. Garnet assures everyone she’s a first-tier clone, meaning she’s more akin to an in vitro embryo. Denise received foreign substances, which made her snap.
RELATED: Catch up on the space drama with The Ark recaps!
The council agrees unanimously to make Garnet the acting captain. She has proven she’s capable. Lane sulks while Garnet asks Eva for an update regarding the light speed situation. Eva admits it’ll require some elbow grease to get the engine in the proper condition for light speed. Felix reveals someone approached him about the Malcolm Perry murder investigation. Garnet asks Alicia to team up with Angus to see if they can weaponize the element he discovered.
After everyone disperses to carry out their duties, Garnet blatantly asks Lane why he loathes her. He claims he doesn’t appreciate her assuming control without allowing anyone to get a say in her command. That, and she joined their team mere days before departure. However, Garnet orders him to attend therapy sessions with Cat to work out his “mummy issues.” I also love Kabir’s remark about preferring Garnet’s potential snap to Lane’s “small penis syndrome.” I’m all for men going to therapy. Anyway, Garnet wants Lane to serve as her number two. As she departs, we see Lane smile to himself.
Later, Eva shows one of her engineers, Gregor, what to do as they try to bring the engine up to light speed. She encourages him to pull the emergency stop if things get out of control. Cat (Christina Wolfe) pulls Felix aside in a corridor with a shocking theory: Eva might be the murderer. She explains what Eva told her during one of their sessions. The motive is there. Felix thanks Cat for the intel.
RELATED: Catch up on the ghostly real estate antics with our SurrealEstate recaps!
When Eva believes Felix is accusing her of murder, she swiftly locks Felix in the same closet where Malcolm died and deprives him of oxygen. She claims if she were to kill someone, she’d make it look like a heart attack. Eva unlocks the closet, proving her point, and Felix retreats. I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t like the acting choices in this scene. They feel phony.
Gregor looks at the Engine Room Diagnostics, noticing the “stability” is “approaching critical” conditions. Suddenly, radiation leaks into the engine room. Gregor is knocked back from the blast. When he wakes, we see he has boils on his face. Weakened by the immense radiation exposure, Gregory crawls to the emergency stop lever. Unfortunately, he dies before he can pull it. (Like a normal person, all I hear in my head is, “Pull the lever, Kronk!”)
Brice notices something’s amiss while monitoring the thrust on the bridge. Garnet calls Gregor but receives no response. She reaches out to Eva. Alicia reunites with Baylor (Miles Barrow) in the mess hall. They simultaneously apologize for yesterday’s hot mess of a first date. They talk about who they hallucinated. Alicia saw her overly critical mother, while Baylor admitted he spent time with Susan Ingram.
RELATED: Read about the Slushy Shack gang with our Reginald the Vampire recaps!
Baylor explains to Alicia that Susan was his superior officer, but he artfully omits that part about them being lovers. We see a (largely unnecessary) flashback featuring Baylor and Susan (Lisa Brenner) as they marvel at the view of Earth from their position in space. Side note: Susan’s thigh-high boots with stiletto heels feel incredibly impractical for her job, and a floor that looks as slick as the Hollywood Walk of Fame (you try walking in heels down the HWF after a good rain — I have).
Anyway, the stereotypical rom-com kiss plays out. Alicia makes the first move; she withdraws in embarrassment, anxiously word vomits and Baylor plants a second kiss to stop her from talking herself into oblivion.
Meanwhile, Eva confirms a radiation leak in the engine room, and Gregor is dead. Alicia has her head in the clouds while collaborating with Angus (Ryan Adams) on weaponizing the element. Angus can’t wrap his mind around the idea of creating a weapon. Alicia tries to nonchalantly ask Angus about what he thinks of Baylor.
RELATED: Catch up on the Purgatory madness with our Wynonna Earp recaps!
Felix finds Jelena (Tamara Radovanovic), his right-hand security employee, at her station. Felix digs deep into the logs to determine who accessed high-level personnel technology. Maybe someone hijacked the tablet of another person with access to the locks. Felix finds an ID number that tips the investigation scales once more. Lane attends his first therapy session with Cat. He’s less than enthused to be there, but what can you do? Cat determines almost instantly that Lane harbors a disdain for women.
Next, Alicia and Angus run 17 failed simulations with the element. The two resident nerds (who’ve saved the day multiple times, by the by) put their heads together to find a solution. They can’t weaponize the element; however, what if they utilize it to create a shield that’ll detect when said element comes in close proximity to the ship? Felix barges in and arrests Alicia for the murder of Malcolm in front of everyone. He pulls her into a room and instantly reassures her that she’s not in trouble. Felix knows Alicia’s innocent, and her alibi checks out.
That means someone else accessed her tablet. It dawns on Alicia who that someone is. Felix briefs Garnet on the situation. Alicia reveals Baylor used her tablet when she left it alone during the comet water crisis. Felix spots Baylor resting in his quarters. Baylor flees but doesn’t outrun Felix because it’s, you know, a spacecraft. Once Baylor’s subdued, Lane, Brice and Felix interrogate him. Baylor admits to murdering Malcolm. He also claims he framed Garnet. Why? Malcolm was an imposter and a traitor, as is Garnet. He babbles on about balance and order. He tries to appeal to Lane as the hallucination of Susan urged him to do.
RELATED: 7 Deep Quotes From The Expanse Women
Suddenly, everything goes into lockdown on the ship. Garnet orders everyone to seek shelter because there’s radiation in the engine room. Eva tries to access the emergency stop from the bridge but to no avail. They must send someone into the engine room to manually pull the stop. Obviously, this is a suicide mission. Nobody can be exposed to astronomical levels of radiation. The council meets to decide who will take up the task. As usual, Brice volunteers himself. Garnet rejects him, citing that they need a navigator. Garnet makes an executive decision to do it. She’s a clone and can probably withstand more radiation than the average human.
Lane, of all people, tries to stop her. He claims he doesn’t want the command “like this.” Then, he receives a ping on his watch that takes him aback. He orders Garnet to stay put for 10 minutes before taking the fatal leap. Lane visits Baylor in his makeshift cell. Baylor volunteers himself for the task and explains to Lane why. Of course, we’re not privy to the reason … yet.
Lane brings Baylor to the bridge and tells Garnet the murderer will perform the fatal task. Baylor suits up while Eva directs him where to go via the cameras on the bridge. Baylor makes a beeline for the engine room, zipping around the corridors as fast as his legs can carry him. Unfortunately, the footage Eva and the team see on the bridge gets fuzzy due to the increased radiation levels.
Baylor reaches the engine room, but the lock pad is defective. Lane encourages Baylor to pick the lock, which he does. He removes his helmet and gloves so that he has better control of what he’s doing. His skin reacts poorly to the radiation. Once he’s inside, he, like Gregor, crawls to the emergency stop. He pulls it and collapses, taking his final breath on the floor as the radioactive particles fall on his face like snow.
Baylor might’ve been a murderer, but he died a hero. The radiation leak stops, and everyone can move freely about the ship. Felix offers to assist Dr. Kabir since his investigation is complete. Brice confronts Kabir, claiming he doesn’t have a “bum knee,” and he doesn’t appreciate her fabricating that lie. Kabir asks Brice why his medical records are perfect — too perfect — and if he can participate in a physical. Brice refuses to do so. Uh, they’re perfect because he’s handsome and Scottish. Case closed.
Angus and Alicia present their findings to Garnet. Angus apologizes for failing to weaponize the element, but Garnet applauds them for thinking outside the box. Now they can craft a shield that detects the element before they come in contact with it. Lane apologizes to Garnet. It seems genuine. He believes he underestimated her. They shake hands on it. Pigs must be flying if these two are buddies now. Lane informs Alicia that Baylor sacrificed himself so that she would live out her life.
RELATED: What I Learned From the Women of The Expanse
Later, Garnet attends a therapy session with Cat. She fears Lane might be right about one thing: What if she snaps? Meanwhile, we hear a voiceover from Baylor from that scene we missed. Baylor explains why he murdered Malcolm. Malcolm discovered the mission and what Baylor was protecting. The late imposter threatened to expose Baylor.
Baylor reveals what he’s protecting is more precious than anything. Lane wanders into a secret room located where Felix caught Baylor. Two cryo pods lie in said room. One contains none other than William Trust (Paul Leonard Murray), who sleeps peacefully. Dun-dun-dun!
RELATED: Browse our recap archives for The Expanse!
Richard Fleeshman is my favorite. I think he’s the best actor on The Ark, and that’s not because he’s easy on the eyes. I’m also blown away that he’s not Scottish in real life. That accent is incredible. Reece Ritchie and Christie Burke are also solid performers. So far, those three are the least guilty of overacting.
I’m conflicted about the show killing off one of its only Black characters. I’m honestly not sure his death was necessary. Baylor could’ve become buddy-buddy with Lane and shown the latter where William Trust slept without sacrificing himself for the ship. On a separate note, I’m glad to see more development re: Garnet and Lane. I enjoyed watching the women call Lane out on his issues.
Do you think Lane will keep William Trust a secret from Garnet? Will the show now push Alicia and Angus together with Baylor out of the way? What is Brice hiding? Only time (and more episodes) will tell.
The Ark drops new episodes every Wednesday at 10/9c on Syfy.
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/doctor-beverly-crusher-star-trek-the-next-generation/
[email protected]
What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
- DOCTOR WHO Christmas Special Trailer Brings ‘Joy to the Worlds’ - December 5, 2024
- THE RINGS OF POWER: Morfydd Clark and Charlie Vickers on Season 2 and Beyond - December 4, 2024
- Ewan Wood on Acting Mischievous in THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER - December 4, 2024
