Dark Matter is a Syfy TV show I just discovered on Netflix. In the pilot, the six crew members of the ship Raza wake up from statis with no memory. Since they don’t know who their names, they reference each other by the order in which they woke up. (So, the first to awaken is known as One, the second is Two, and so forth.) They check the data banks of their ship to try and discover their identities, but it has been wiped clean. Even the android on board has no memory — in fact, when she first meets the reawakened crew, she tries to kill them as intruders.
Interestingly, although they have no memories of their pasts, they find that there are certain skills they have each retained — for instance, Four is an excellent swordsman, Five is good at electronics, and Two is a natural leader. Eventually, they discover that they are space pirates, wanted for many crimes, up to and including murder. But not all of their personalities fit that profile. Only Three seems to have any ruthlessness in him, although others have no hesitation fighting and killing when necessary.
Little by little, and through a variety of means, they uncover things about themselves, and much of that helps to explain who they were before they came out of statis. What I find really interesting is that it touches on that old psychological question of nature vs. nurture. In other words, how much of who the crew of the Raza was is based on their experiences and to what extent were they just born that way?
I’ve reported on several genre TV series in this blog, but I honestly think this is the best. It combines action, psychology, important themes, and complex characters. It also has an arc through which the characters continue to grow as the universe changes around them. If you haven’t seen it, catch up on Netflix, then join Season 3 now airing. You’ll have a great time.