Dark Matter
Melanie Liburd stars as Nyx in Syfy's "Dark Matter." (Steve Wilkie/Prodigy Pictures/Syfy)

‘Dark Matter’ cast on strong women

The actors playing the female characters of Dark Matter are proud to show a supportive sisterhood among the warrior women of the spaceship Raza.

“It’s important and it’s real. It happens every day, all the time with strong women,” Melissa O’Neil said at San Diego Comic Con. “It’s completely outrageous that we don’t see it more often.”

O’Neil stars as Two, the defacto leader of the Raza. The Raza crew is running for their lives and trying to solve the mystery of who wiped their memories in the first season.

The series added Melanie Liburd this season as Nyx, a mysterious woman incarcerated at the same prison as members of the Raza crew. Nyx and Two bonded even before breaking out of prison. Despite their butt-kicking credentials, they aren’t threatened by each other.

“A truly strong woman does accept another strong woman,” Liburd said. “And I think that’s why our characters get on so well.”

Viewers will learn more about Nyx in the Aug. 4 episode, titled “We Should Have Seen This Coming.” It explores Nyx’s past when she suggests a quick, lucrative mission for the Raza crew. Yet she’s not telling them all the facts.

“She’s hiding a few things,” Liburd teased. “Nyx has a few secrets that will be revealed.”

One of those secrets might explain Nyx’s physical power. She was able to fight Two to nearly a draw in prison despite the nanite enhancements that make Two stronger than most men.

Liburd said the fight with Two challenged Nyx like she’d not been challenged in the past. The scene helped establish the duo’s friendship based on mutual respect and recognition of an equal.

“Even in the middle of our fight, we’re kind of giving each other props,” O’Neil said. “Because strength recognizes strength, queens recognize queens. That’s totally what happens there.”

As for how Three fares against the strong women, Lemke says his character is never the toughest person on the Raza. Case in point: Nyx laid him flat in prison before Two came to his rescue.

“He’s always getting his butt kicked,” but Three never quits, Lemke said. He went on to describe a character trait that also perfectly describes a certain presidential candidate.

“He doesn’t let others’ opinions—or reality—cloud his … opinion of himself.”

Watch the video above and others at my Youtube page“Dark Matter” airs at 9 p.m. CT Fridays on Syfy.

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