Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Dark Matter’s Season 1 finale.
Apple TV+’s nine-episode first season of the mind-bending science fiction showDark Matterjuust wrapped up with a thrilling finale. Based on the same name novel byBlake Crouch, he also adapted his book for television, which starsJoel Edgerton,Jennifer Connelly,Oakes Fegley,Alice Braga, andJimmi Simpson.Jakob Verbruggendirects the fascinating story of a man trapped in a box that leads to infinite alternate realities and parallel universes.
Jason Dessen (Edgerton) longs for his old life back in a tale that isa metaphor for humans’ need to see if the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence. Instead, he finds a nightmarish existence and a series of unforeseen eventualities that wreak havoc on the lives of everyone he loves. The cast is stellar in this well-acted, well-directed, and well-shot show that is true to Crouch’s source material. The ending, which has several satisfying twists and turns as Jason and all his iterations from other worlds come to terms with their circumstances, manages to tie the story up in a manner that leaves the future open to possibilities.
Dark Matter
A man is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could’ve lived, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from a most terrifying foe: himself.
What Is ‘Dark Matter’ About?
Chicago physics professor Jason Dessen is a happily married man with a beautiful wife, Daniela (Connelly), and a precocious teenage son named Charlie (Fegley). On his way home after a night out with colleague and friend Ryan (Simpson), he is physically assaulted and forcibly taken to a warehouse by a masked man. A large black box in the warehouse isa portal to millions of alternate realitiesand different iterations of Jason. He is forced to inject himself with a compound and sent into the box.
He struggles to find his way back to his family as he learns the kidnapper is another version of himself who has designs on taking over his life. Bad Jason slowly assumes the life of good Jason while he is stranded in the box, befriending a sympathetic psychologist named Amanda Lucas (Braga). They work together to navigate their way througha series of inhospitable and apocalyptic versions of Chicago, trying desperately to return to the right world. Ultimately, we learn thatbad Jason has opened a Pandora’s Box full of temporal aberrations and a Butterfly effectthat he could never have anticipated. The good Jason also realizes he is taking what he has for granted.
Not All Versions of Jason are Created Equal in the Apple TV+ Sci-Fi Series
Once good Jason finally finds his way back to Daniela and Charlie, he becomes aware thathundreds of other versions of himselfhave also arrived in Chicago and feel they have the right to claim the Dessen family as their own. With bad Jason also lurking, the Dessens flee the city and arrive at one of Charlie’s rich friends' vacant vacation homes miles outside Chicago.They hole up therewhile they formulate a long-term solution. But before they can leave, bad Jason forces Blair (Amanda Brugel) to give him his car, and he arrives at the country home along with several other versions of himself who have placed a tracker on Blair’s car. The sheer number of Jasons present makes one wonder if good Jason is actually who he says he is, or if he is one of the myriad versions — impossible to distinguish from the others.
While good Jason battles with another version that we are led to believe is bad Jason, the intruder is shot twice by another iteration of Jason. In a bit of a twist,the man who kills the version fighting with good Jason turns out to be bad Jason. He has realized the error in his ways and wants to help the Dessens escape the home safely. He returns Jason’s original wedding band and sees them off as they return to Chicago.
Jason, Daniela, and Charlie Have Only One Real Option at the End of ‘Dark Matter’
They realize that the only way to have a normal life free of all the various versions of Jason now populating their world is toreturn to the box and start again somewhere else.Once in the warehouse, they are greeted by dozens of Jasons who have gathered outside the black box. But they offer little resistance, with one iteration speaking for the rest and offering safe passage. The Dessens slowly wade through a sea of Jasons and enter the portal. Once inside, they open up the box full of ampoules containing the compound that will allow their minds to handle the stress of interdimensional travel.
As they prepare to inject themselves, the audience is given a quick glimpse of Ryan perfecting a version of the compound that allows him to find Amanda in her world, where she lives safely and happily. We also see Blair conquer her fear of using the box as she appears ready to attempt to find a better life in another world. The final shot ofDark Mattercaptures Charlie leading the way, stepping into a doorway bursting with sunlight asthe Dessen family embarks on a new beginning in another dimension.Crouch’s original material does not hint at a second season, but the possibilities would be unlimited if Apple TV+ were to pick up another batch of episodes. There are so many Jasons and so many worlds yet to explore.
‘Dark Matter’ Review: Apple TV+ Sci-Fi Series Is Here to Fill the ‘Constellation’ Void
Although the series embraces both the strengths and flaws of the original novel, it still makes for a serviceable adaptation.
Blake Crouch & Jennifer Connelly Believe the Right Jason Made It Home in ‘Dark Matter’
In an interview withSteve WeintraubandCollider, showrunners Blake Crouch andMatt Tolmachspoke about not being opposed to exploring the characters even more in a second season. Crouch also addresses whether the version of Jason that ultimately makes his way back to his family is really the same Jason that was kidnapped, “Our intention is thatthis is the guy we started with, and this is the guy we’re ending with.It was never like, “Oh, hey, audience, we just took you through nine episodes of something, but guess what? That’s not the guy.” That was never our intention, but in the world of infinities, yeah, it’s possible.” StarJennifer Connelly revealedthat she, too, believes that the iteration of Jason that returns is good Jason, “I felt like it was our original version of Jason and our original version of Danielawho came back together. I absolutely believe that.”
Dark Matteris available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
