Season 2 of The Ark has been, in every way, bigger and better than Season 1. The show, which is about to conclude its second season, has set its sights on delivering approachable, fun sci-fi and if you ask us, it’s done a great job at it. Fangirlish had a chance to talk to Christi Burke about what it means to be a woman in the genre, the second season of The Ark, and the expectations of sci-fi in general.
“I’m a big fan of sci-fi,” Burke told us. And “what’s so great about sci-fi is that it’s so inclusive. It’s all about being a misfit and the misfit saving the day. And I think anyone can relate to that. I think at times in our lives, we all feel like the misfit. And that’s kind of my favorite thing about sci-fi.”
And that’s why, for Burke, it was such a pleasure to get to work with Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glasner, who she called “the best of the best.”
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“When they told me they wanted me to be the captain of a spaceship, I was like, I’m sorry, have you met me? Like, what? It’s such a small group of women captains.”
That is another super important thing for Burke, that the character of Sharon Garnet is written in a way that feels like she is going against stereotype. “When I first got the pilot and read it, I thought it was a man. I didn’t know that I was auditioning for Garnet. I think that’s a testament to the incredible writers that we have. But also, you know, I think it’s about time that we see a woman who’s multidimensional, who fails, who isn’t always the best version of herself, who doesn’t always get it right.”
At the same time, Burke wants to embody the good parts of her character too. “I think my favorite thing about Garnet, or her superpower is that she’s she gives everyone a second chance and really nurtures the great potential that she sees in everyone. And how beautiful it is to be like, just because someone had a bad day, I’m not going to give up on them, I’m going to like… help them become the best version of themselves.”
Even if that might, sometimes, end up biting her in the ass.
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But Garnet is who she is. And this season it’s been obvious that, as Burke teased, she is “leading from her heart,” while in Season 1, she was perhaps leading from her brain. And visually, Burke also wanted to make sure Garnet looked like someone in her situation would look like, which meant taking care not to look too dolled up.
“When I first signed on to this project, I was like, I don’t want Garnet to be a sex symbol. I want her to be a leader. So, we don’t wear a lot of makeup on the show. My hair is tied back. Dean and Jonathan jumped on board with that. Like, let’s show a real, honest, truthful version of someone trying to prove to everyone that she’s worthy of leading the ship.”
Season 2 of The Ark has been “all of the things we love about a good, classic sci-fi show,” as described by Burke. “Interesting sci-fi, paranormal activity, alternate realities, but also, the hope that everyone is worth saving and that we are good.” A love letter to the old Star Trek, if you will. “The potato chips of sci-fi,” as Burke herself described. The icing on the cake. And everyone loves a good potato chip. No one ever says no to icing. So, if you haven’t given The Ark Season 2, or the show in general a chance, you’re still in time. If there’s something anyone who has watched this show can agree on is that we would all really love to be here for The Ark Season 3.
The Ark airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c on Syfy.
