The Ark season 2, episode 3 review: Electricity that's alive?

While there were a couple of cute romantic moments in The Ark season 2, episode 3, "Anomaly," this wasn’t my favorite of the three episodes of this season so far. In fact, it’s my least favorite of the series up to this point.

Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for The Ark season 2, episode 3

“Anomaly” picks up off the back of that spark of electricity from the FTL stream getting into the ship. We see that it seems to look like it has a consciousness. As it initially heads toward Kelly, it then turns around and hits the panel to the door.

This gives Kelly a chance to get out. She’s not getting out to take revenge on anyone, though. She simply wants to end her life, and it’s up to Strickland and Kimi to open the door to get her out. We see the tension between Strickland and Kimi in this moment.

The Ark season 2, episode 3 recap, "Anomaly"

Throughout the episode, Kimi wants to be a good member of Strickland’s security detail. Garnet has ordered that she get her baton back, but Strickland doesn’t want to give her that. He doesn’t trust the members of Ark-15, and you can’t really blame him.

When Kimi can’t open the door to get to Kelly, she makes it clear that she needs access codes. Strickland won’t give her them, but he does open the door to prevent Kelly from killing herself. Kelly is surprised. Strickland wanted her dead. However, it turns out that Strickland has seen another side of Kelly, and he wants to get some answers from her right now.

Strickland wants to know what happened to his daughter. Kelly’s story of the stray bullet that killed his daughter was a lie. Was she on Ark-3 with Strickland’s husband, then? Kelly says that she saw no children on board. It's suggested we’ll find out about Strickland’s daughter at some point in The Ark season 2.

The tension between Kimi and Strickland continues until Kimi pushes Strickland out of the way of the electricity and gets burned herself. Fortunately, the burn is superficial, but it gives Strickland a chance to see that maybe Kimi is on Ark-1’s side. It’s all a con, though. Just as Kimi gets the codes, she goes to see another member of Ark-15. It’s clear that there is something more devious going on and Kimi can definitely not be trusted.

Ark-1 deals with the living electricity

The electricity is the big story of the episode. After one member of the crew is attacked and almost killed by it, everyone needs to figure out why there’s this stray bolt. Alicia is working on an electrical panel when the electricity comes for her. She grabs a grounding wire, which makes the electricity head in another direction.

Despite electricity not having life, this bolt certainly looks like it does. It goes for Alicia again, and then it heads to another control panel.

Trust acts like Alicia is the stupidest girl on the Ark, but she’s really not. Why is nobody listening to her? They constantly treat her like a child when she is the one to get them out of jams. Even Garnet (who found out who she is going to be partnered with via the Juno project) sends her to Med Bay and Kabir talks down to her as if she’s just suffering from some sort of trauma. At least being in Med Bay gives Alicia time to talk to Angus and think.

She works out that the electricity is after a food source — food for electricity is more electricity. After a cute romantic moment between Alicia and Angus that Marsh witnesses, Alicia goes off to find Garnet and others. She may have a way to capture the electricity.

Once again, she proves that she is the smartest person on the ship. It’s a risky plan to capture the electricity in a box, but it’s the best option they have right now. I love that Lane and Brice step back and listen to Alicia and don’t really argue too much with her. They just want to know about the risks involved, but they show that they trust this younger crew member to have thought everything through. They know she’s smarter than them.

Ava is able to rig up a system, but it comes with a caveat. Everything needs to be turned off, including life support. So, Garnet needs to make sure everyone is suited up while they capture the electricity. It works, and life support is turned on. With that, the electricity tries to get out of the box.

It’s time for Brice to be the hero of the episode. He’s been given so little to do this season so far, so I was happy to see him step up. He grabs the box and rushes through the ship to get it to the hatch where it can be released into space. The ship is still in FTL, though, so the electricity just ends up being pushed into the FTL barrier and reintegrated with that.

By the way, Brice and Ava had their second cute romantic episode. Brice tried to say “I love you” in Serbian, but doesn't quite get it right. Ava giggles but you can tell that she’s also appreciative of him trying to learn Serbian. She knew what he was trying to say, although I didn’t hear her say it back to him!

Ark-1 drops out of FTL and Lane is quick to point out that Ark-3 isn’t there. Nothing is around them. If only that was the biggest concern. Brice suddenly just disappears. His clothes drop to the floor. What did the box of electricity do to him?

The Ark airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Syfy.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.