he subsequently auditioned for the syfy series "eureka". for what he understood was a one-episode guest star role. by his own admission, matter took risks in the audition, playing the character as more flirtatious than he was written. the risks paid off, and he was cast in the role of bad boy genius zane donovan, first appearing in the season two episode "e=mc...?". the character would go on to develop a romantic relationship with the town's deputy sheriff jo lupo played by erica cerra. his role was recurring throughout seasons two and three. season four saw a soft reboot of the show - following a time traveling incident, the characters return to an alternate timeline, with character dynamics and relationships shifting. this led to matter's role as zane being expanded as he became part of the main cast, which continued through to the show's fifth and final season.