The Ark at WonderCon 2023
by Transmute Jun
SYFY’s The Ark launched on February 1, and since that time it has quickly gained a fan following. The series follows Ark 1, a ship that is fleeing a dying Earth, which will become inhabitable in a handful of years. William Trust, a billionaire scientist and businessman, created the Arks to transport humanity to distant planets. Unfortunately, Ark 1 met with disaster partway through its journey, killing all of the high-level officers and awakening the remainder of the crew from stasis far earlier than they had expected.
FoCC Blog had the chance to speak with showrunners Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glassner at WonderCon, where they treated attendees to a sneak peek of what lies in The Ark’s future. Fans were excited to see what happens to the crew of Ark 1, particularly given the recent reveal that a controversial figure was hidden onboard the ship. Additionally, the Ark 1 crew discovered information suggesting that not everyone from Earth wants the entire human race to survive and that the damage to their ship might have been sabotage rather than an alien attack. The crew will be faced with the decision to tackle their enemies head-on or run away from them, and not everyone will be of the same mind. Expect some exciting confrontations as this storyline deepens throughout the remainder of the season.
Devlin and Glassner explained that their preference is for ‘lighter’ sci-fi, as compared to many of the darker stories that have been prevalent in pop culture of late. Ultimately, they see Ark 1 as a pressure cooker, where everyone is forced to be the best versions of themselves and work together, with the alternative being that they all die together. Of course, no one is perfect, and the stress and tension on the ship create a less-than-ideal environment. Various factions are emerging, each with its own priorities.
Expect the series to remain focused on Ark 1, and the knowledge and viewpoints of those aboard. Viewers will uncover information as do the crew of Ark 1, learning more about what happened to their ship, and why.
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