‘Dark Matter’ Expands Its World and Emotional Depth in Season 2

Dark Matter getting a second season was a pleasant surprise. Season one followed Blake Crouch’s acclaimed novel quite closely from start to finish, leaving an open road if the story were to continue.

In a recent interview with io9 , Crouch called season two “the closest thing that will ever be to a true sequel to Dark Matter,” the book, and it arrives on Apple TV this week. Picking up a short time after season one’s uncertain but hopeful end, season two further explores the worrisome ramifications of “the Box”—a device that, when coupled with a specially compounded drug, allows travelers to visit alternate versions of their current lives.

The first season mostly focused on two versions of Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton). In one world, he’s the ruthless and intense physicist who set aside everything else in his life to obsessively focus on crafting the Box. The show calls him Jason #2, because Jason #1 is Dark Matter ’s main character: a college professor who toned down his genius aspirations 16 years prior in favor of marrying Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) and raising their son, Charlie (Oakes Fegley).

As Dark Matter season one got underway, Jason #2 used his invention to travel to Jason #1’s world and drag him back to world #2. Then, Jason #2 returned to world #1 and slithered his way into the family he thought he didn’t want—but then decided he’d like to try on for size. Meanwhile, a confused and furious Jason #1 was left to piece together what had happened. He soon returned to the Box, intent on finding his way home, reclaiming his life, and kicking his doppelganger’s ass.

That’s the short summary of season one’s dual Jason arcs. But to fully enjoy season two of Dark Matter , which we watched in its entirety ahead of writing this spoiler-free review, you really need to be quite familiar with what’s come before. That includes the supporting characters—Ryan (Jimmi Simpson), Amanda (Alice Braga), Blair (Amanda Brugel), and Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi)—and all their various journeys. Without a foundational grasp of who belongs where, who knows who, and who’s already had another variation introduced, Dark Matter season two can become the mental version of a tongue-twister, despite its careful efforts to keep the viewer up to speed.

However, with the right amount of prep work, viewers will find Dark Matter season two to be a thoughtful and emotionally rewarding experience. Not only do we find the characters grappling with the traumatic events of season one—“the PTSD I got from multidimensional travel in a magic box,” as Amanda only half-jokingly calls it—as well as forging new alliances and undergoing new missions, the episodes spend a lot of time examining just what it means for select members of humanity to have access to such a wonderful yet terrible creation.

In other words, this time around, it’s not just Jason’s story. Jason #1 is still the central character; Jason #2, who was first introduced as a villain but regretted his actions by the end of season one, continues to evolve; and we even meet some other Jasons (there are many , since every use of the box spawns new variants) who bring key contributions to the season.