Prepare to board Season 2 of The Ark. Set 100 years into the future where a planetary colonization mission goes awry. After Proxima B exploded in the Syfy show’s finale, whoever is left of the Ark One crew must not only find a way to survive but continue to their mission for a planet to inhabit. At the helm is Lt. Sharon Garnet (Christie Burke), who remained alive during the initial blasts alongside Lt. Spencer Lane (Reece Ritchie), Lt. James Brice (Richard Fleeshman), and Alicia Nevins (Stacey Read).
Through the fight for survival, they must depend on the help of Ark 15 and its devious leader Evelyn Maddox (Jelena Stupljanin). Going into Season 2, there are questions of who else from Ark One survived and how they may get back on course to finding a new home to inhabit. Here Burke and co-creators and showrunners Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glassner tease what’s to come.
Pictured: (l-r) Reece Ritchie as Lt. Spencer Lane, Stacey Read as Alicia Nevins, Richard Fleeshman as Lt. James Brice, Christie Burke as Lt. Sharon Garnet — (Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY)
How would you say the first season sets the stage for what’s to come?
Jonathan Glassner: There is so much going on. At the end of last season, we ended up blowing up the planet the crew was supposed to be settling in, so I’d say it brings us back to square one. We also rescue our mortal enemy [Evelyn Maddox], which changes the whole relationship. Luckily, there is another planet known, so there is a place to go. Even though this season starts at a much darker place, it’s going to be a much more hopeful season as they work to get toward their new home.
Christie, Lt. Garnet’s leadership skills were questioned and tested on all fronts. She has certainly proven herself. How is it for you to dig into this strong female character even further?
Christie Burke: I feel extremely lucky I get to play a lieutenant and someone who genuinely feels like the captain of a ship. I think Jonathan and Dean have done an amazing job creating such a multi-dimensional female character. Upon first reading when I first got the pilot, I didn’t even know she was a woman. I think that is a testament to the writing and how interesting the character is. I think it’s exciting. I feel a lot of pressure, and hopefully, I live up to that.
She is such a flawed character that I think, I hope, a lot of women and girls who watch the show can relate to her. There are times when she fails. There are times when she succeeds. There are times when she doesn’t know what to do. She is a very relatable character, and I hope people get that from her.
How would you describe the dynamic of the crew this season?
Jonathan: There is a lot less bickering this season because they have completely trusted Garnet as their leader. That dynamic has completely changed. They are much more of a family. It’s not just these three strangers taking charge, which is where they were last season. That’s the biggest thing. There are also new characters coming in who aren’t so trusting. There are new dynamics.
Christie: I also think that we find out once again people aren’t necessarily who they say they are. There are a lot of secrets audiences won’t see coming.
We saw some flashbacks where we learned about Garnet’s clone twin sister. Are we going to learn more about her and other crew members’ backstory?
Dean Devlin: There are a lot of deep dark secrets that are revealed this season.
THE ARK — “Failed Experiment” Episode 201 — Pictured: Richard Fleeshman as Lt. James Brice — (Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY)
In order to survive, Garnet has to work with Evelyn Maddox despite all the atrocities she has committed. What can you say about her journey this season?
Jonathan: You know the old story about the scorpion and the turtle. In a way, Maddox actually wants to evolve, but she is still a scorpion. So we get to see that struggle through the course of this season.
One of the most vocal detractors of Garnet as captain was Lane. Things slowly changed between them. Brice also came around. What can you say about the three together?
Christie: I think [with Spencer] there is a development in friendship and maybe a teasing of other things, maybe more so, less so. I guess we’ll find out. I think there is going to be more of that playful nature with Garnet and Brice, which I love so much. I find they are like brother and sister. Richard does such an amazing job delivering lines unexpectedly for me. For whatever reason, he makes me laugh in scenes. That has become Brice and Garnet’s energy together. He is the one that makes her laugh all the time. With Spencer, I think we’re going to see him own being second in command, but I can’t tell you anymore.
The show steps up production-wise, which is even evident in the teaser. With the expansive story, you plan to tell, how important was it to have this additional bandwidth?
Dean: When we ended up getting 6.5 million people watching the show, we suddenly felt like we owed it to the audience to step up our game in Season 2 in any way we could. Whether it was the story-telling, production, cinematography. Whatever it was, we wanted to reward the audience for being there for us.
What are you most excited for viewers to see this season?
Jonathan: One of the most fun things for me is stalking the various fan sites to see their reactions to the surprises we have in store. I love watching them predict where they think we’re going and how we take a completely left turn. There are a lot of those this season. There are some big surprises coming.
Dean: For me, it’s what happens to the characters this season. The thing about a show like this is it has a pretty big cast. At a certain point, you go, “I know who these people are.” Every time you feel that Jonathan pulls the rug out. I’m so excited for people to see where these characters are going to go and how their relationships intensify and they learn brand-new things about them that are surprising.
The Ark Season 2 premiere, July 17, 10/9c, Syfy