Season two of the mind-bending Apple TV show Dark Matter took viewers on a roller coaster ride. The series expanded on season one’s themes of timeline shifts by merging the storylines of characters from different dimensions. It also emphasized the weight of past life choices, specifically how guilt can keep you from moving forward and creating the reality you want.
Disclaimer: Dark Matter Season two spoilers ahead.
Living in the Past
Season two started with Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton), Daniella Dessen (Jennifer Lynn Connelly), and Charlie Dessen (Oakes Tonne Fegley) adjusting to life in a new timeline after fleeing their original timeline. They are forced to ditch this new timeline after Daniella kills another version of Jason who locates them. The constant shifting of dimensions by the Dessen family resulted from Jason Two’s action in season one.
Jason Two is a world-renowned physicist who was unhappy with his timeline because he prioritized his career over family. As a result, he built a box that allowed him to travel between dimensions, and he stole the original Jason’s life by swapping their timelines. This theme of unfulfilled wishes and past regret was also explored through Jason and Charlie.
The Dessen family settled in a dimension that had minimal technology to avoid being tracked. When they began to feel a sense of stability in this new world, Jason and Daniella’s marriage began to crumble. This was partially due to the PTSD Daniella experienced from the constant multi-dimensional travel and killing another version of her husband. In addition, despite agreeing to destroy the box, Jason became obsessed with understanding how it worked.
Jason became curious about what life might have been like if he hadn’t settled for his career as a physics professor. He wanted to accomplish a scientific marvel like Jason Two, showing that he wasn’t fully satisfied with his life choices.
Dark Matter also used Charlie’s character to explore what could have been. He grew interested in reconnecting with Max, his twin brother who passed away when he was a child. Because of the ache of growing up without Max, Charlie searched for him through multidimensional travel. In his case, life choices beyond his control took his brother away. Unable to change the past, Charlie used the box to connect with Max in an alternate timeline where he was still alive.
Every Action Has a Reaction
Dark Matter brilliantly explained the universal law of cause and effect through Jason Two’s decision to steal Jason’s timeline. When the original Jason used the box to find his way back to his family in season one, multiple variations of Jason were created. It is a classic example of how different choices create different realities. A helpful visual is a tree stem creating different branches. While the source is the same, the branches result in different expressions.
Jason Two’s actions in season one had severe ripple effects throughout Dark Matter season two. This led Jason and Daniella to create a code word to help confirm his identity and avoid mistaking him with an alternate Jason. The alternate Jasons are also invested in reconnecting with Daniella and Charlie because they were all the same Jason up until the original Jason’s decision to return to his family. Dark Matter showcased that life is a series of choices, and each choice taken or not taken results in a series of timelines.
Similarly, the main Ryan (Jimmi Simpson) and Amanda (Alice Braga) storyline in Dark Matter season two also reflected the theme of cause and effect. Amanda and Ryan initially chose to stay in an alternative timeline that had a peaceful version of Chicago. However, their attempt to return to Ryan’s original reality proved fruitless.
When they arrived, a secret government organization hunted them. As a result, they chose to go back to the peaceful Chicago but were immediately quarantined due to a viral disease outbreak. They later learned that alternate versions of themselves, also returning to Chicago, brought a deadly disease called the Black Iris Plague.
Ultimately, the main characters’ choices were also replicated by their alternate selves, resulting in severe consequences. This begs the question: how much scientific advancement is too much? Just because the characters in Dark Matter could travel to alternate realities, was it ethical to impose themselves on other people’s timelines?
Creating Your Own Timeline
While Charlie searched for Max, he ran into an alternate version of his father. During their encounter, he stressed the importance of Charlie eventually letting go of the past after accomplishing his goal. He encouraged Charlie to let go of regret over what could have been and look ahead. Interestingly, this alternate version of Jason also chose to stop multiverse traveling. He instead created a new life with another version of Amanda.
Similarly, one of the main character arcs in Dark Matter season two was witnessing Jason Two come to terms with the consequences of his actions. While he couldn’t reverse the damage he caused, he worked to become a better person. He traveled to an alternate timeline where his mother was still alive and chose a new life. Even though he was initially depressed and resorted to drinking, his mom motivated him to be more proactive.
Jason Two began making furniture as a hobby and eventually started selling it. He even encountered other struggling Jasons in his chosen timeline and decided to help them start anew. Jason Two met a new love interest, Maria, and learned to appreciate his calm, peaceful life. Despite running into Daniella while shopping, he didn’t chase her and instead returned to Maria. Through Jason Two, Dark Matter highlights the importance of a second chance and making peace with past choices.
Overall, the show highlighted how the choices we make shape our reality, for better or worse. While it is human nature to dwell on what could have been, living in the past robs us of our present. We can ultimately leap into the timelines we desire based on the choices we make every day. However, learning to accept what we cannot change and releasing control is just as important.
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