July 11, 2016: Dark Matter “Episode 15: Kill Them All” Behind the Scenes!

July 10, 2016: “Kill Them All” Recaps... July 12, 2016: Dark Matter “Episode 1...

July 11, 2016: Dark Matter “Episode 15: Kill Them All” Behind the Scenes!

So, now that U.K. viewers are on board, let’s continue our look back at the behind-the-scenes goings-on of Dark Matter “Episode 15: Kill Them All”!

Ah, yes. Awesome to have Torri Higginson back as Truffault in deliciously Machiavellian fashion. Love her performance, her attitude, her style! As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, the director’s cut of Truffault’s sit-down with THREE was decidedly more…uh…chemistry-laden. So much so that I coined the term THREEfault for potential shippers. Meanwhile, AfterBuzz’s Yael Tygiel is spearheading Twyx shipdom. Other shipdoms of potential note include Thryx, Twee, Nyxon, Andrax and, of course, Foix.

A lot of things had to fall into place for our anti-heroes’ escape plant to work, and one of the most crucial pieces of the puzzle was the layout of Hyperion-8 relayed to THREE by their sometimes ally Commander Delaney Truffault (P.S. I completely forgot she even had a first name and when one recent review mentioned “Delaney” I was like “Who the hell is Delaney?”). THREE heads back to Gen Pop and eventually transfers the image in his head to the bed frame. Sure, it looked easy, but that one little sequence was fraught with persnickety details. We needed to test and find the right drawing material that wouldn’t smudge with repeated takes. The actual layout went through a half dozen versions until we could find one we could all agree on (The one pictured above wasn’t even the final version we used). And, of course, there was a big debate over whether THREE should use lipstick (as scripted) or one of those makeup pencils which, realistically, would work better. I decided to go with lipstick because it felt a little more MacGyver. And, anyway, would THREE even know what an eyebrow pencil was? After much back and forth, the simple shot of the lipstick map was shot weeks after main unit on the episode had wrapped. But, boy, was it worth it!

Ah, the magic of television!

The part of Inspector Lee Shaddick of the Galactic Authority’s Serious Crimes Division was played by veteran actress (Run Lola Run, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Shield, Copper, The Bridge) Franka Potente who, not only guested in this two-episode arc, but did a BUNCH of greatly-appreciated press for the show. A LOT of international press!

The part of prison boss Arax Nero was played by longtime fan (and Joseph Mallozzi) favorite Mike Dopud who, to date, I have cast in practically every show I’ve ever done. How’s that for a vote of confidence? He was perfect for this particular role…because I actually wrote it FOR him! And, as always, Mike delivers a flawless performance.

Enter Misaki Han. And what an entrance it is! If there was one minor quibble Executive Producer Jay Firestone had with this episode, it was that Misaki intro was too damn short! And I agree with him.

The role of Misaki Han, Commander of the Royal Guard of Ishida (replacing poor, ill-fated Masahide Akita), is played by the lovely Ellen Wong – who, incidentally, like Mike Dopud, I’d been dying to cast since the show’s first season. And she is perfect, conveying a character alternately strong, extremely capable, and slightly unhinged. Those of you who enjoyed a glimpse of Han Shireikan are in for a treat later this season. Some other characters who cross her path…not so much.