The Ark Episode 4 We Weren’t Supposed To Be Awake Review And Recap- Clones, Tardigrave DNA, and Water Soluble LSD

Fans of creator Dean Devlin’s previous shows, including those in Syfy’s Stargate Universe, should have been thrilled with The Ark Episode 4. It was everything that made those shows so immensely entertaining. There was the danger of the week that resulted in terrifying, emotional, and illuminating character development and the overarching season or possibly series-long mysteries. All of it is tied together with the perfect blend of humor and sentimentality, allowing for everything to feel real.

It’s hard sometimes to care deeply about characters in fantastical situations when they aren’t presented as relatable. There was a reason Stargate Atlantis lasted so long, and it only partially had to do with Jason Momoa’s charisma. We loved the characters and watched them grow and develop as heroes. The Ark is quickly developing into a cast of kooky characters that we can root for, hate, and sympathize with.

The search for Jasper’s killer has supplanted the immediate problem of survival. Lt. Lane and Felix have both seen the footage of the woman that looks like Lt. Garnet. Now that there is plenty of water, Felix must turn his attention to solving a murder. When he questions Garnet, she tells him to check her data logs at the launch site with the metadata from the recording. She couldn’t have been in two places at one time. Although Lt. Lane was beginning to accept Lt. Garnet, his fear and ambitions get the better of him when compromised. He wants to stage a witch hunt. Thank goodness Felix is a practical mind not ruled by military rigidity or ambition.

The most unlikely crew members are developing as the most likable in a cast of interesting and endearing characters(looking at you, Alicia Nevins, and Angus Medford). Felix Strickland, with his commanding stoicism and commanding voice, is becoming a fan favorite. There is a wealth of depth behind his eyes that we are only just now discovering. Pavle Jerinic plays him with strict harshness, and yet he conveys an ocean of emotion when he begins seeing his husband and daughter on the ship. The week’s danger cracked wide open the mystery of Felix, if not the mystery of who killed Jasper.

Something is causing everyone on board to hallucinate. Those hallucinations range from sweet to horrifying, with everything in between. They also provided a glimpse inside the minds of almost everyone. For some, we learned who they care the most about. For others, we learned what they fear or are motivated by. It wasn’t always complimentary, but it was always enlightening. Angus thinks Sharon is foxy, Alicia worries she isn’t applying herself enough, and Felix and Kat feel tremendous guilt. The most important of these hallucinations, though, deal with Baylor Trent and Susan Ingram.

Baylor Trent(Miles Barrow) had a relationship with Susan that looks very predatory. In his hallucination, we learn that Susan recruited him for a secret mission. Whatever this mission was, it involved “like-minded” individuals, which is scarily reminiscent of terrorist and cult speech. She used sex to sway Baylor’s beliefs. From this imaginary conversation, we learn that there were others who are now all gone.

What their purpose on the ship is, we don’t know yet, but it will be a significant danger moving forward. If Baylor gets close to Lt. Lane, it could be trouble for everyone. He is resentful of Lt. Garnet, and without a clear chain of command above him, his distrust might get the better of him. With only three Lientantants on board, the ship needs all of them to survive.

That isn’t the only secret to come out in The Ark Episode 4. Lt. Garnet is a clone. She and her twin Denise were built and experimented on to test the limits of humans in space. They each were given different genetic modifications to improve their recovery from zero gravity, radiation exposure, and oxygen deprivation. Sharon was given Targigrade DNA. The real genome is incredibly hardy and, perhaps more importantly, seriously adaptable. The tiny organisms can pick up DNA from other things through the process of horizontal gene transfer. This allows them to survive in environments they previously were unable to.

By giving Sharon this, DNA, she becomes an invaluable resource on board, assuming she doesn’t become unstable. Sharon passed all the tests and is a superhuman with enhanced strength and health. Her sister, on the other hand, became violent. Denise is the one who killed the man in the bar on Jasper’s recording. Sharon says she found her sister dead when she returned to London just after she killed the man. She committed suicide.

Cloning was criminalized several years ago, so she was kept a secret from the rest of the crew. However, her enhanced abilities make her immune from the hallucinations that plague everyone else and should come in handy in much the same way aliens, AI, or enhanced humans did in the Star Trek Universe. After Angus figured out the comet water was making everyone sick, Dr. Kabir started on a solution and thankfully got it nearly completed before she collapsed.

Alicia stepped in, completed it, and introduced a protein from Sharon’s blood that makes the water safe. After that, everyone returns to normal, even if that normal is still dangerous. Dr. Kabir is becoming a drug addict, Lt. Lane wants to command the ship, and Baylor is proceeding with recruitment for his secret mission. But, at least by the end of The Ark Episode 4, they are all sane again, and their crops are growing.

The Ark Episode 4 set up several future problems. The basics seem to be covered for now, but something or someone is preparing. Between the killer on board and possible terrorists, there are threats galore. That doesn’t even count the strange element that hit the ship and disintegrated Lt. Brice’s glove. This element could be accidentally flying around space or might have been weaponized by a powerful race. I’m not sure which is worse. Like every good sci-fi series, we will have to take one day at a time while keeping an eye on future threats. Find all our The Ark coverage here.