When I originally pitched Dark Matter, I had an ending in mind for the show, and for each of our main characters. But as we rolled into production and the series started to take form, I ultimately decided to abandon it for something…different.
I had completely forgotten about that original, bittersweet ending until I recently came across the show’s pitch document. It’s interesting to see how some of the elements I laid out nevertheless found follow through in the show’s three season run.
Since it’s no longer the conclusion to the series I intend to pursue (and since my new and improved conclusion is still in play, provided we some day get the order for that elusive miniseries) I thought it would be fun to post it here for your perusal.
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This was, more or less, the original dark timeline hinted at in Episode 304, All The Time In The World.
Wow, that’s cool. And dark AF and I’m glad it got changed! Best is all the best parts of those scenarios still got used and made the show all the better.
I will never give up on seeing the real ending someday.
I wish i was a billionaire so i can fund all my favorite cancelled shows like this one 😭
3 words: Ho. Ly. Crap. Between yesterday and today, here’s another alternate universe version of the show I’d love to get to watch. But I still think what we got to see was the best of all possible versions (except for the unfinished thing, of course).
I can’t help it Joe, but I would like to see an aspirational conclusion. It’s time for the good guys to come out on top again. I do understand if one or two have to face their demise, but our own history shows that eventually, the bad guys lead an unsustainable existence because they eat themselves alive, although the odd one here and there met a timely death (naturally or otherwise). I guess that’s one of the things I really enjoyed about Stargate, The Foundation Series (looking forward to next year!) and Doctor Who.
Dark ending indeed!
Wonderful.
Thank you ! Great ending to a great show. This just makes me want more. For now I will rewatch the series again.
Thanks for that ending. Now let’s hear about the other (?s).
One!
I thought you said Four had anorexia. I was going to ask you how he got that then I saw it said “anoxia”. Never mind. I need new glasses but this Pandamit has me putting that off!
I loved that we got glimpses of this, particularly in S3. Four’s ending feels particularly poignant and after all we saw after he left the Raza, he definitely had something like that coming. I still hope we’ll see more of Dark Matter in the future!
Yeah, I understand the political fear in killing off his brother – but it was totally undeserved. That was a sin.
No, I felt teary over the Android’s death, even though he is different to Zoie’s Android. And if you killed off the REAL Android on Dark Matter I think I would be writing you a very severe letter of reprimand.
It’s like when they killed off Xena (though till this day I’ve never watched the 7th season, once I found out that was the ending, at that time – Australia was slow getting the series, so the ending wasn’t sprung on us.) Or they killed off Charlie on Supernatural.
I wish One had survived all seasons. sigh
Four’s death is rather unique (I don’t think I’ve ever seen this method of execution in Sci-fi before?!) and quite appropriate. It reminds me of the medieval idea that a ‘commoner’ couldn’t draw the blood of royalty. I can imagine both Melissa and Alex playing this scene beautifully with great sensitivity and sadness.
It’s great to see in this version One and Three forget their differences and finally join forces to ‘go out’ together in true buddy form. I was always struck by the loneliness of One’s death in the beginning of Season 2. He was always there in all the rescue missions in Season 1 – it was sad to see there was no one there for him.
Just discovered this show during lockdown and watched all 3 seasons on Prime with my wife and 19 year old son. We all really loved it and are extremely disappointed there isn’t more. There were many great episodes, ideas and characters. A lot to think about unlike many other sci-fi shows. Hoping it will return one day.
Thanks. Hope that I’ll be able to complete our story with a miniseries some day.
I’m late to read (and comment) on the original ending – but I had computer issues and there were fires near where I live- but to the point: I’m glad that ending did not become one that came about as each of the characters has a very positive and resiliant basis and that is how they emerged as the series progressed and that ending would seem to have negated all that they were becoming. I am anxious to see how it does indeed all progress if ever there is hopefully that chance. I always have thought that there was so much of interest in the universe and world of DarkMatter that spinoffs could be extremely creative and different. I’ve never really seen an end even to the story of the original 6 (perhaps minus one); I’ve watched the YouTube photo descriptions of the 4 Year Act 1 – 4 etc and even that is highly interesting.
Hello Joe,
Any word on that season 4 miniseries happening? We just watched all 3 seasons, thanks to quarantine, and loved it. But we were really disappointed in how it ended. There is really no complete ending for the characters or storyline because Syfy shamefully cancelled the show. It’s like reading a good book then burning the climatic ending before it’s read. So, please let us know if there is even a glimmer of hope! Thanks!