The Rookie Fans Are Discovering Melissa O’Neil’s Dark Matter Sci-Fi Streaming Show

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Throughout the eight seasons of The Rookie, which aired on ABC and Hulu, Melissa O’Neil, who played Lucy Chen, became a fan favorite. Her character was relatable – she was sensitive and funny, but also incredibly strong and capable in action scenes. She matched Nathan Fillion’s energy perfectly, and that’s likely because, like him, O’Neil previously played a space captain – on the unfortunately short-lived series Dark Matter.

Thanks to the success of The Rookie on ABC and Hulu, Nathan Fillion may have Disney’s support to revisit some older projects. While Dark Matter started as a short four-issue comic from Dark Horse, renewed interest from The Rookie fans could give the sci-fi series a second chance. Like Firefly and Serenity, Dark Matter ended on a somewhat depressing note, leaving plenty of potential for future stories. The series also marked a breakout role for Melissa O’Neil; her character, TWO (also known as Portia Lin), showcases many of the same qualities that make her The Rookie‘s Lucy Chen so popular with viewers.

Dark Matter Began With an Intriguing Mystery and Ended With Another

I remember when Dark Matter first landed in 2015, it was being talked about as a fresh take on the space opera genre – something we were already starting to see a resurgence of. The story kicks off with a really intriguing premise: our protagonist, O’Neil, is one of six people who wake up on a massive, high-tech spaceship with absolutely no memory of who they are or how they got there.

I’m following the adventures of this incredible crew – they’re a really unlikely bunch, including an android who’s secretly aware and feeling! They’re trying to figure out what happened in their past while just trying to survive now, and it’s wild. They’re technically outlaws in this universe where everything is controlled by huge corporations, but the weirdest thing is, everyone they meet acts absolutely terrified of them, like they’re the most dangerous killers around. It’s a total mismatch between who they are and how people see them!

I’m really getting into Dark Matter! It’s about a group of people trying to start over, but their pasts keep pulling them back in. They’re trying to be good in a galaxy that doesn’t make it easy. What I especially love is how the characters interact with each other – it adds so much depth to what would otherwise be a pretty standard sci-fi story, kind of like what The Rookie does. It’s not just about the plot; it’s about who these people are and how they bounce off each other.

Rather than typical police stories, the crew of the Raza finds themselves caught up in sci-fi adventures, complicated political dealings between planets, and exciting space battles. The later episodes suggest a dark future, which was actually the ending series co-creator Joseph Mallozzi originally planned, as he shared on his blog. However, that changed when the show was renewed for additional seasons.

Even though this series didn’t finish its run, it’s still worth watching – especially since it’s available for free. The ending isn’t tidy or cheerful, but it feels fitting and surprisingly complete, thanks to clues dropped earlier in the show, much like why fans still enjoy Firefly despite its short run.

Like In The Rookie, Melissa O’Neil Was Surrounded by a Very Strong Cast

The six characters have lost their memories, including their names, and now identify each other by the order they woke up. Though initially called TWO, O’Neil quickly becomes the most important character – effectively taking the lead role.

She leads the team and keeps everything together, even when facing tough odds. Anthony Lemke plays the character THREE, Jodelle Ferdland is FIVE, and Roger Cross, a well-known actor in the sci-fi world, plays SIX. Together with Zoie Palmer’s character, the Android, these four are the emotional core of the show.

As the Raza travels, the crew grows and shrinks, with some characters joining and others leaving, sometimes for good. This adds depth to the story. The most compelling moments happen when the characters discover secrets about who they really are, and how those revelations impact their relationships and the entire team.

How people view themselves—what they embrace and what they dismiss—strongly influences their path forward. The Android’s journey mirrors this, establishing her as a core member of the team. She’s on a path of self-discovery, piecing together lost memories and grappling with what it means to be truly aware.

Memorable, exciting scenes don’t just happen – they feel earned and satisfying. Likewise, it’s important when a character falls back into old patterns, or, tragically, doesn’t adapt to their new circumstances.

Dark Matter Delivered a Satisfying Three Seasons, but There Could Always Be More

During seasons two and three, the characters face difficult decisions with lasting consequences – choices that impact not only their world, but also the relationships they’ve built with each other and with the audience. Even memory loss can’t change the repercussions of these actions, creating intense and dramatic conflicts.

The characters develop and evolve without disrupting the core of what makes the show work – they simply change the existing relationships. This is why fans are still engaged. Creator Paul Mallozzi shared ideas for future seasons on social media and his blog. Actress Sarah O’Neil has expressed interest in returning, and if enough viewers of The Rookie discover this information, a potential animated finale could actually happen.

Okay, so everyone’s hoping this Firefly reboot finds a good streaming home, and the buzz around it is definitely helping. But honestly, they’re mostly trying to recapture that same feel as the original show – those self-contained adventures we all loved. What’s interesting, though, is that Dark Matter had a much bigger vision, something that really needed to be done as an animated series to truly work. It just wouldn’t have translated the same way in live-action.

Despite being about space criminals constantly jumping to different realities and getting into fights, the show Raza is worth watching because of how it all unfolds over its three seasons. The ending is either a bleak look at what’s to come, or it leaves things open for more – it’s intentionally ambiguous.

While a continuation might happen someday, the story can also live on endlessly through fans’ creativity. Similar to Firefly, Dark Matter has clearly resonated with both its audience and those who made it. Fans may be the key to bringing the show back, or they’ll have to imagine how it would end themselves.

The complete Dark Matter series from 2015 streams for free on The CW app.

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2026-03-26 16:11