On the Telly: Dark Matter vs Killjoys
It's the battle of Syfy's new spaceship shows! Gaaahh! Do you remember not being able to help comparing The Prestige to The Illusionist just because they were both about magicians and they were released the same year? Well, this is like that only-SPACESHIP! It's no secret that I love Sci-Fi in any general sense. I eat that shit up. So when there were not one, but TWO new shows that were going to take place in the far, future expanse of space, you can imagine my giddiness! I went ahead and waited for both of them to (mostly) completely air before I devoured them whole-like. Here's what I've discovered:
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| Killjoys/Dark Matter |
Let's first take a look at the general premise of each show as per their IMDB descriptions:
Killjoys: In the Quad, a planetary system on the brink of a bloody interplanetary class war, a fun-loving trio of bounty hunters attempt to remain impartial as they chase down deadly warrants.
Dark Matter: The six-person crew of a derelict spaceship awakens from stasis in the farthest reaches of space. Their memories wiped clean, they have no recollection of who they are or how they got on board. The only clue to their identities is a cargo bay full of weaponry and a destination: a remote mining colony that is about to become a war zone. With no idea whose side they are on, they face a deadly decision.
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| Dark Matter/Killjoys |
Okay, so that's fun, yeah? You've probably already decided on which one you think you'll like better. Let's take a look at the things that are so glaringly similar, it's difficult not to notice. Firstly, we have two very strong, very in charge of everyone (aka Captains, y'all) female leads. They even both wear leather, guys>!
Secondly, we have some quirky non-human counterparts (see below) to provide comic relief as well as keep everyone safe because, you know, that's what they're there for. And though it's not immediately apparent when you start Killjoys that the spaceship is a character, you find out pretty quick-like.
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| Killjoys/Dark Matter |
Another common theme seems to be the contrast between the rich and the poor. When you're rich, everything is lavish and when you're poor, you're basically a slave. Also, each world has an existing governing/police force, but in actuality, everything is being run behind the scenes by "The Company" or corporations. It's pretty disturbing.
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| Three, Four |
Now let's talk about some of the things that are singular to each show. Firstly, Killjoys is about people who bring in criminals-while they're not 'the law,' they are on the right side of it. Dark Matter, on the other hand, is about misfits and criminals whether they have redeeming qualities or not. Secondly, the tone of each show is completely different. DM appears to be a space-opera-esque mystery thriller that takes place for the most part on the spaceship. KJ, though, lands their crew on all kinds of planets where, at some point, they have to fight the people they're trying to bring in. I would say it's more of a sci-fi-comedy-action show.
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| Five |
What's your favorite part of any show? Good characters for me. I have to at least care about them, if not have several favorites. Both of these pretty much nail that. For DM, because they wake up without memories, they assign numbers instead of names. We have some parallels to Firefly in regards to the character called "Three." I like to call him "Not-Jayne." He's so similar it's truly hard not to compare them, but it doesn't take away from the overall story. Mostly, it just makes you miss Firefly. He's a total dick and a complete loud-mouth; he even names his guns-just sayin'. We also have a space samurai. Has that been done before? I can't recall. While his character, Four, is the strong, silent type, he's also the one with the most interesting backstory (so far).
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| D'Avin and John |
Then, we have this adorable little girl, Five, who turns out to be a tech wiz. Not only does she have fun, blue/green hair, but she's sweet and likes to help. When she's bored, she crawls through the ventilation shafts to explore the ship. Did I mention she has visions? Another parallel to Firefly, I thought! It's actually original, though. You know how all of the crew woke up without their memories? Well, somehow, they all end up in her mind and she experiences them as if she is the person who's memory she's in. Did that make any sense? In any case, it's wicked cool.
So, Killjoys. They have done this lovely thing with brothers. Why is it such fun to watch the dynamic between them? Because when they fight you know they (probably) won't kill each other or maybe because they always fight? The TV Tropes site says it's because they fall under the Sensitive Guy and Manly Man trope. John is a pilot and overall nice-guy who has a special relationship with the ship. D'Avin is ex-military and pretty violent in general. I can see it. Think the brothers from Supernatural, only they hunt down criminals instead of monsters and answer to a lady who can kick both their asses sideways 'till Sunday.
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| Dutch |
Speaking of badass broads, the commander of the crew, Dutch, is as amazing a sci-fi-action babe as you're likely to get. Think Zoe from Firefly, only she likes to play dress-up and lull you into a false sense of security before handing your ass right to you while draped in formalwear. She goes undercover a lot, so there's a wonderful espionage/undercover aspect to most missions. Aside from that bit, she's also got some mysterious past that involves lots and lots of death.
As you can see, these shows are clearly both what I like to call "spaceship shows." This by no means makes them the same, even if they do share some resemblances. You may not like both. My husband prefers the intense Dark Matter while I find myself more excited about the explosive KillJoys! You may love both because Sci-Fi is just your bag. At least now you've got some idea of what you're in for, either way. I, personally, hope they both run for at least a couple seasons. I was getting sick of waiting for the next Firefly or Battlestar.
UPDATE: As of yesterday, September 1st of 2015, both of these shows have been renewed by SyFy. Both! I feel like we've been missing shows like this for a while and now we have two, y'all! Looking forward to The Expanse this year, as well. That show hasn't even aired yet and it's already picked up for a second season. Not to mention Star Wars in December....Sci-fi lovers, this is our year!
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