Dark Matter Season 2 Premieres in Three Weeks

The multiverse is a popular plot device in science fiction and superhero stories. Shows like Loki and Rick and Morty, and movies like Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Everything Everywhere All at Once, use it to examine the identities of their characters. Infinite variations reveal a person’s best and worst qualities along with the traits core to their personality. This device also ramps up the stakes by telling stories where characters are more likely to die since doppelgängers can replace them and entire worlds can be destroyed. Fans of the genre will get a fresh blockbuster soon with Avengers: Doomsday. Before then, you can check out one of the most thoughtful multiverse shows, which returns to Apple TV in three weeks.

Dark Matter is an adaptation of Blake Crouch’s 2016 novel about a Chicago physicist whose life is stolen by a version of himself from another world. The first season of the show covered all the material from Crouch’s book, but the author is expanding on his story as showrunner of the series. Here is everything you need to know to watch season 2.

What happened in Dark Matter season 1?

Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) gave up his grand ambitions of being a world-renowned physicist to start a family. He lived a content if unremarkable life in Chicago with his wife Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) and teenage son Charlie (Oakes Fegley). Another version of him continued to pursue cutting-edge science and invented a box that could be used for multiversal travel. Jason 2 became convinced that he would be happier with the path not taken and used the technology to replace Jason. Jason 2 sent Jason back to his company, Velocity Labs, since he imagined Jason might enjoy being rich and successful.

Jason instead tried desperately to get back to his family. He got help from Jason 2’s girlfriend and coworker Amanda Lucas (Alice Braga), a psychiatrist who taught him how to use psychoactive drugs to navigate the multiverse. They are pursued by Velocity Labs CEO Leighton Vance (Dayo Okeniyi), who realized that Jason was an imposter. All of the travelers encountered numerous apocalyptic versions of Chicago, including one infested by killer wasps brought back by Blair Caplan (Amanda Brugel), the first Velocity employee to use the box. After many harrowing adventures, Amanda and Jason found a particularly beautiful version of the Windy City. Amanda decided to stay there, leaving Jason to continue his quest on his own.

Meanwhile, Jason 2 faced suspicion from Jason’s friends and family as he acted out of character. He found his world’s version of Leighton and offered him the drugs used to travel through the box in exchange for money he could use to quit his unsatisfying teaching job. Daniela discovered the drugs and shared them with Jason’s friend and former colleague Ryan Holder (Jimmi Simpson), a highly accomplished chemist. Ryan recognized the chemicals as his own work since they were created by another version of Ryan for Velocity. Jason 2 stranded Ryan in another reality, unknowingly choosing the same one Amanda was living in. He then found a different Ryan to replace him.

Jason finally made it home, only to discover that many versions of him arrived at the same time. Each was slightly different because of the choices they made during their journeys using the box. Many of these Jasons killed each other trying to get to Daniela and Charlie. After learning the truth from Jason, Daniela incapacitated Jason 2 and fled. Once he recovered, Jason 2 apologized for his actions and gave Jason and his family a box of drugs so they could escape their world and find something resembling a normal life. In the alternate Chicago, Ryan connected with Amanda and revealed that he is trying to recreate the chemicals needed to get home. Meanwhile, Leighton began exploring the multiverse using the drugs he got from Jason 2.

What is Dark Matter season 2 about?

The Dessen family tries to live a quiet life, but the multiverse catches up with them when another version of Jason shows up trying to reclaim Daniela. Jason becomes obsessed with understanding the box in hopes that he can stop multiversal travel, while Daniela grows increasingly paranoid. Amanda and Ryan try to find their way home, while the version of Leighton who helped create the box tries to use the technology to build a better world.

How can you watch Dark Matter season 2?

Dark Matter season 2 premieres on Apple TV on Aug. 28. New episodes release Fridays through Oct. 30.

Source: Polygon