July 12, 2016: Dark Matter “Episode 15: Kill Them All” – More BTS Tidbits!

Okay, finishing up our BTS look at Dark Matter “Episode 15: Kill Them All”.

So, back in 2015, we did a photo gallery shoot for the show’s first season.  While waiting for her turn under the hot lights, actress Jodelle Ferland was just hanging around so I handed her Bubba and told her to strike a pose.

She did.  A whole whack of ’em!

And I remember deciding, right there and then, that if we got a second season, I would expressly write a scene in which FIVE lugs Bubba down a corridor, swings around, and blasts someone.

And so, some four months later, when the opportunity arose to put the big gun in her little hands, I took it!

Before she even got to Bubba, however, there was a matter of getting her out of that room.  A couple of things about the “Kill Them All” scene.  First, I was strongly urged to have her drop the line in favor of the less controversial: “Take them out.”, but I couldn’t imagine our little FIVE using the term.  Yes, admittedly, “Kill them all” feels pretty bonkers for our adorable ship’s mascot, but that WAS the point.  Also, in retrospect, “Take Them Out” would’ve made a terrible title.

Second, the director’s cut contained a little something extra that didn’t make final version.  After overseeing the Android’s torture, threatening the crew, slapping FIVE, and then pulling a gun on her, Shaddick ends up on the floor, bleeding.  She looks up at our Android and says: “F*^k you, robot.”  And the Android pulls the trigger.  Now, I was fully expecting a portion of the line to get bleeped, but thought it the perfect cherry on the proverbial sundae.  But there was vehement disagreement about the line – which was too bad.  It would have made for another memorable little surprise.

One more review, this one from Jessica Anson at MyMBUZZ:

There’s something for everyone here! If you like action scenes, you got ’em. If you like space politics, you’ve got that. Sword fights? Yup. Giant guns? Them too. It’s an episode spilling over with content. 

And I leave you with a little something from an upcoming episode that came my via Dark Matter VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson.  The Witness Droid was designed Jeff Bartzis and overseen by FuseFx’s Shawn Hillier who, along with his team, created the awesome 3D turntable display…

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter