Dark Matter Season 2 Review: Apple TV's Sci-Fi Thriller Gets More Complex, More Dramatic

Based on the novel of the same name, "Dark Matter" follows Chicago physics professor Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) and his family. In the first season, an alternate version of Jason kidnapped him, traveled to a world where his other self had a family, and took over his life. By the end, an army of Jason variants descended on Chicago, and the original Jason, Daniela, and Charlie entered the box to find a peaceful world.

In season 2, the Dessen family lives as multiversal nomads, moving between worlds in search of a home. The Verge's review notes that the show details how the box works, including the rule that a traveler's destination depends on their mindset. If they are scared or stressed, they may end up in a postapocalyptic version of Chicago.

The review highlights several strong moments, including episodes that explore the human impact of the technology. One episode spans years in the life of a random Jason variant, a melancholy story that the review compares to "Long, Long Time" from "The Last of Us." Another introduces a waystation visited by travelers, and one involves Charlie searching for a lost family member.

However, the complexity is significantly increased by introducing many new characters, most of whom are variants of existing ones. There are multiple Jasons, Danielas, Charlies, and their friends and coworkers such as Ryan, Amanda, and Leighton. The show often does not clearly differentiate the variants, and it jumps around in time, making it hard to follow narrative threads. At one point, the main Jason and Daniela get tattoos to identify each other.

The Verge's review concludes that while the convoluted storytelling is perhaps unavoidable given the premise, the series works best when it slows down to explore human-level stories rather than racing toward the next big set piece.