The Ark 2×12 Review: “Fortunate”

The crew of Ark-1 finally arrives at their destination but finds an unsettling situation in the season finale “Fortunate.”

After two seasons of traveling in space, the crew of Ark-1 finally arrive at their destination planet in the thrilling season finale “Fortunate.” Though the crew is excited about their new home, the previous blackmail attempt of Felix (Pavle Jerinic) in “It Will Be Over Soon” and the revelation that the blackmailer is somewhere on the planet remains a concern.

As the crew interacts with the planet’s current residents, it becomes clear that not all is well. The residents seem to be in a trance, repeatedly declaring that Maddox (Jelena Stupljanin) is dead and that they are fortunate to be there. As the crew tries to find out who was behind the blackmail attempt, they are captured. Meanwhile, Felix ignores instructions to lay low and attempts to find his daughter. Though he succeeds, he is devastated to find that she doesn’t remember him before he is also captured.

Ian (Reece Ritchie) is the only one who evades capture, and he quickly discovers that Maddox is alive and behind everything. She has perfected her attempt at mind control technology and is injecting people with chips. Ian becomes increasingly panicked as the rest of the crew begins to talk about how fortunate they are to be there. The storyline is reminiscent of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and the execution in the episode is as creepy as it is effective.

As the crew returns to Ark-1, the brainwashed members begin to inject everyone else under the guise of a “medical intake.” Ian attempts to stop the situation, but soon only Trust (Paul Leonard Murray) and Kelly (Samantha Glassner) remain un-brainwashed. It’s disturbing to watch each crew member fall victim to the injections as the situation gets more dire. Trust figures out that counteracting the chip in one person will send a signal to stop the others, and that they can only transmit the signal from Sharon’s (Christie Burke) quarters.

Both Kelly and Ian attempt to fight off a brainwashed Sharon, but Sharon quickly gains the upper hand. She attempts to inject Ian, bringing up their shared coma dream and promising that they can live happily together once he is injected. Thankfully, Trust’s plan works just in time and soon the crew of Ark-1 is freed from brainwashing. After realizing what has happened, the crew uses Trust’s technology to free everyone else. However, the victory is short-lived, as Maddox contacts the crew and reveals that she has stolen a shuttle with Felix’s daughter as a hostage.

Fortunatley, Kelly has discreetly boarded the shuttle and confronts her mother. When Maddox pulls a knife on her, Kelly has no choice but to kill her. Though Maddox has had a limited presence in the season, she proved to be a formidable villain. Meanwhile, Kelly being the one to stop her mother ends her well-done season-long redemption arc. What follows is a satisfying reunion between Felix and his daughter, who finally can recognize him.

As the residents figure out how to move forward, Sharon suggests a coalition of voices from each Ark. She surprisingly turns down the opportunity to represent Ark-1, as she intends to take a crew to rescue the Arks that are missing. She nominates Felix to represent Ark-1 in her place, and the rest of the crew unanimously agrees. Though Felix has not had a lot of focus this season, it’s great to see him finally get more of a storyline, as well as some much-deserved happiness.

Ultimately, the crew of Ark-1 splits in half. James (Richard Fleeshman), Ian, and Alicia (Stacey Read) are among those who decide to join Sharon on her mission. James and Alicia have their emotional goodbyes respectively with Eva (Tiana Upcheva) and Angus (Ryan Adams), as they promise each other they will be reunited soon. Dr. Kabir (Shalini Peiris) and Dr. Marsh (Jadran Malkovich) decide to stay on the planet and finally pursue their budding romance.

It’s an overall satisfying ending for a long journey for the crew, but some interesting moments provide some intrigue for a potential yet-to-be-announced third season. Sharon and her crew make contact with another ship, but the captain warns them to stay away. Even more concerning, Angus digs up a mysterious tablet with an alien engraving, indicating that they might not be alone on their new planet.

Whether The Ark returns for a third season or not, “Fortunate” is a relatively satisfying conclusion for the series with an opening for more stories to be told.

Author: Jessica Wolff

Jessica Wolff is a graduate of Drexel University with a BS in Film/Video. She has a passion for entertainment and representation in entertainment. She currently resides outside of Washington, DC.

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