The Ark 1×10 Review: “Hoping for Forever”

The truth about Ark-15’s leader and her agenda become clear after she takes hostages in “Hoping for Forever.”

Though Kelly (Samantha Glassner) initially seems keen on capturing William Trust (Paul Murray) for Ark-15, Ark-15’s plans go beyond him in “Hoping for Forever.” The episode picks up where “The Painful Way” left off, with Kelly summoning Ark-15 towards Ark-1 and attempting to take Trust hostage at gunpoint. Helena (Mercedes De La Cruz) attempts to protect her husband but Kelly shoots her instead.

Though Sharon (Christie Burke) and the crew on the bridge are initially unaware of Kelly’s role as an Ark-15 mole, they still put Ark-1 into lock down after seeing Ark-15 send a shuttle towards them. Though the action takes place moments after a few crew members drugged Sharon, James (Richard Fleeshman), and Felix (Pavle Jerinic) in an attempted mutiny, those that took part seem to be infuriatingly clueless or offended that they are no longer trusted.

Sharon blows the invading Ark-15 members out of the airlock, but one member, Marko (Vahidin Prelic) remains onboard. Reuniting with Kelly, he takes a DNA sample from Trust’s collection and the two take Trust, Spencer (Reece Ritchie), and Angus (Ryan Adams) hostage. Though Felix manages to kill Marko in the fight, Kelly gets away with the hostages. The action of the sequence is exciting, and Kelly’s devastating admission that she lied about knowing Felix’s husband provides some hope that she might have also been lying about the death of Felix’s daughter.

Back in the brig, Cat (Christina Wolfe) comforts Helena in her last moments. Helena calls Cat a true friend for never acting on her feelings for Trust, and Cat doesn’t bother to correct her as she dies in her arms. While Cat is clearly devastated by the loss, it’s hard to feel too broken up over Helena’s death after her previous actions in encouraging the mutiny.

Kelly brings the hostages back to the leader of Ark-15, Evelyn Maddox (Jelena Stupljanin), the person who ousted Trust out of his company in a hostile takeover back on Earth. She is also Kelly’s mother and berates her for leaving the DNA Marko collected back on Ark-1. As terrible as Trust is, Maddox manages to be even more ruthless and unlikable. Through her discussion with Trust, she reveals that she needs his programming to make their destination planet rotate properly to ensure their successful habitation. When Trust refuses, Maddox locks him and Spencer up.

Angus, on the other hand, gets a room of his own, after Kelly emphasizes to her mom that his agricultural expertise is essential to their survival. Angus attempts to urge Kelly to break away from her disparaging mother, but she gets offended at the suggestion. Though it seems likely that Kelly may turn on her mother at some point, it will still be difficult to redeem her entirely.

Upon learning the truth about Kelly and the hostages, Alicia (Stacey Read) is adamant that they rescue Angus. Sharon questions why Ark-15 hasn’t shot at them despite having Trust and Felix finds the DNA samples in Marko’s pockets. Some research indicates that the DNA is for a currently extinct spider whose venom has the potential to cure the terminal illness of James and many others. After an amusing moment where James and Eva (Tiana Upcheva) inadvertently reveal their fling to the rest of the crew during an argument about her drugging him after hooking up, Sharon offers Maddox a trade of the DNA for the return of Spencer and Angus.

Sharon travels with a crew member in the shuttle over to Ark-15. The crew member hands over the DNA, but Maddox refuses to hand over the hostages until she tests the DNA. Once the Ark-1 crew member leaves, Maddox tells her crew to blow up Ark-1 once the DNA is confirmed. Unbeknownst to her, Sharon has snuck onto Ark-15 through a back door. Though “Hoping for Forever” ends abruptly after she climbs aboard, next week’s episode promises an exciting mission to rescue Angus and Spencer while trying to stop Maddox once and for all.

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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