The Ark 1×08 Review: “Every Single Person Matters”

William Trust’s awakening causes more problems for the Ark’s crew in “Every Single Person Matters.”

Though Spencer (Reece Ritchie) saves the day by waking up William Trust (Paul Murray) and his wife Helena (Mercedes De La Cruz) from cryosleep in “A Slow Death Is Worse,” his inability to return to the bridge causes worry in “Every Single Person Matters.” Upon waking up, Trust questions how he ended up on Ark-1 while Helena knocks out Spencer after mistaking him for a threat.

Spencer soon wakes up and informs the two what has happened on the Ark-1. Trust learns that Helena arranged for them to be put on Ark-1 without his knowledge after a competitor ousted Trust as the CEO. After seeing glimpses of Trust and Helena previously, it’s interesting to learn more details about what transpired on Earth prior to Ark-1 taking off. A flashback revealing that Felix (Pavle Jerinic) was their bodyguard, jumping in front of an assassination attempt with a bulletproof vest is particularly illuminating.

The rest of the crew is unable to find Spencer in a search of the ship and Sharon (Christie Burke) tasks Felix to locate him. Felix tracks his location to a part of the ship that isn’t part of the floor plans.  With some assistance from Eva (Tiana Upcheva), they break into the secret room where Trust, Helena, and Spencer are located. The rest of the crew is surprised that Helena knows Felix, but Felix isn’t as thrilled to see her.

The people of the Ark have mostly negative reactions to seeing Trust on the ship. Notably, James (Richard Fleeshman) tries to fight Trust upon seeing him. Sharon offers Trust and Helena protection in the bridge and becomes furious with Spencer for keeping their presence a secret from her. Though Spencer tries to apologize, Sharon strips him of his leadership position. Spencer’s reasoning may be understandable, but he had ample time to tell Sharon, and her anger at being blindsided by this revelation is justified.

After believing that Trust’s competitor has fixed the problems of light-speed travel, the crew attempts to use the formula to accelerate their mission. Unfortunately, the initial attempt leads to a visually interesting yet disorienting effect that jumps between the past, present, and future. Thankfully, Trust is able to solve the problem as he works with Eva and Alicia (Stacey Read) in an effort to earn the crew’s trust.

In the aftermath of the events on Ark-3, Alicia is dismayed to see that Angus (Ryan Adams) has grown closer to Kelly (Samantha Glassner). While dealing with her jealousy, she has a nice moment with Eva, who suggests that she shouldn’t give up on the people she cares about. Eva has some romantic issues of her own, as she has started hooking up with James while denying her own feelings for him. When Eva suggests that Ark-3’s files may contain a cure for his terminal illness, James pushes her away and tells her not to get attached to yet another person who will inevitably die. The dynamic and chemistry between the two is becoming more appealing with each episode and will likely continue to grow.

Dr. Kabir (Shalini Peiris) seeks help from Cat (Christina Wolfe) as she admits her addiction struggles. Cat admits she has experience with addiction and offers her services to help Dr. Kabir recover. Though Cat’s character shines during such a moment, the episode ends with the reveal that she is one of Trust’s mistresses as the two share a kiss upon reuniting. Trust suggests that Helena doesn’t know about her, but that likely won’t be the case for long.

Though Trust manages to help the crew with their crisis in “Every Single Person Matters,” it seems that his presence will ultimately be more harmful than beneficial. Spencer’s declaration to Trust that he is now solely loyal to him after his demotion is both irrational and foreboding. As enjoyable as it has been to watch most of the crew become a united unit, the shifts in dynamics have interesting potential going forward.

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.

Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.

Copyright © The Geekiary