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. But the lens also opens up to bring us versions of Leighton who act on both admirable and alarming impulses, applying Dark Matter’s original “what if I’d chosen this path instead?” conceit to a character other than Jason, with fascinating results.
As for Ryan, Amanda, and Blair, Dark Matter season two mostly sticks with one version of each—but again, we get a lot more detail about who they are and how the Box has forced them to reexamine their own lives by entangling them in its orbit.
And “entangling” is exactly the right word, because season two pokes much further into the Box’s more mysterious capabilities. Why are these particular people drawn together in different dimensions, over and over again? It also reveals more about the unintended consequences that inevitably arise from even well-meaning meddling in other worlds.
But it’s not all grim despair. The show has a lot of fun coming up with different versions of reality, many of which are not fun at all but are still wonderfully terrifying to behold. We revisit the gleamingly progressive version of Chicago as seen in season one; there’s also a world without the internet or any advanced tech that many of these science-minded characters embrace as an ideal landing place.
We also see some uses of the Box that bring real healing and closure to characters who desperately need it, including some reunions that make that “what if?” scenario feel dreamily aspirational. The season actually features two standalone episodes devoted to exploring those more cerebral and emotive themes; while they’re rewarding, they do mean that season two—which runs 10 episodes total, one more than season one—lacks some of that thriller pacing that made Dark Matter’s debut season such a propulsive watch.
In addition to the returning faces from season one—Edgerton and Okeniyi in particular do an incredible job making you feel the distinctions between the different versions of their characters—season two features new arrivals played by Chris Diamantopoulos and Margo Martindale. We won’t spoil how they tie into the story, but they’re both Box outsiders who interact with the travelers in extremely different yet illuminating ways.
Dark Matter season two kicks off August 28 on Apple TV, with a weekly rollout over its 10-episode season.
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