Dark Matter season 3 episode 9 review: Back to the present

If you recall, this past episode of Dark Matter season 3 concluded with the Blink Drive self-initiated. So where did that leave the heroes tonight? Well, let’s just say in a weird spot … a weird spot 600 years in the past. The Android clued the Raza crew into their desperate position, and then the team had to venture to one of their most unusual destinations: Today, as in our time period. The Android had to listen to “old-timey music” (a.k.a. house music) and tried to prepare them for what life on Earth could look like. Let’s just say that there wasn’t much time to prepare for what was to come.

Basically, Android thought that it would be impossible for the team to move forward, so they had to get settled in to a life there … or did they? It turned out that there was actually another Blink Drive located somewhere in Wisconsin, which gave them the suggestion that someone else from the future could be there. That’s great news, right? Well, Five suggested yet another problem with this Blink Drive: If they take it and it was there as a result of them, it could create a time paradox. They took a gamble in seeking it out.

Thanks to this decision, Dark Matter is starting to become Legends of Tomorrow, and the team had to land on Earth, find their way to fit in with their surrounding community, and see if they could identify someone from the future as a means of getting back home. The awkward moments arrived quickly, whether it be Android accidentally spoiling the finale for a TV show, Three acting like some hipster slouch, or Five being told to hate the world as a goth teenager. (Ironically, her friendliness ended up saving the day.)

Oh, and then there were the kids, who somehow managed to catch on faster than anyone in regards to what was going on with the Raza crew not exactly being ordinary people living in the suburbs. We have no idea how these kids managed to travel everywhere via bicycle so far, but we’ll just roll with it. The point here is that they, plus an eccentric physics professor, were the biggest challenges the faced to keeping their identity a secret.

Well, that escalated quickly

Thanks to the children, as in one of them spilling the beans, the police quickly got involved and that led the Raza crew into a position where they did have to toy with time and cause some temporary harm. It wasn’t something that they wanted to do, but unfortunately, they had to use their technology in order to ensure that they would free themselves.

What’s so interesting about how all of this unfolded is that with the police bearing down on most of the crew, it actually ended up being the snoopy kids who helped Five to get a plan in motion, one that got them out of there. The Professor didn’t want to leave, but he also wanted to continue his life there. Thanks to this, plus some friendships that Five formed (it was a really sweet scene with her and one of the kids at the end), that the Raza crew was able to take off at the end to a realm without blueberry pies and people talking about football.

Alas, that poor kid’s going to have to bar set very high for him the rest of his life! Apparently, his first love is a time-traveler from the future who can beat video games in seconds flat. As it turns out, though, her visit inspired a future descendant of his to make a huge life-changing invention. He must have found that perfect person, after all.

Oh, and here’s your cliffhanger: Victor needs The Android’s help!

Overall Take

This had to be one of the funniest Dark Matter episodes that we’ve seen in a rather long time, mostly because it was a little bit domestic comedy mixed with Stranger Things. Even though there was very little Ryo save for the closing seconds, this episode proved to be a great example of how inventive, funny standalone episodes can be. From start to finish, this was an outstanding, endlessly-entertaining episode of TV. Grade: A-.

What did you think about this Dark Matter episode? Share below, and click here to get a further preview for what’s next. (Photo: Syfy.)