Dark Matter season 2 arrives on Apple TV in three weeks
Multiverse stories are everywhere, from Loki and Rick and Morty to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Their parallel worlds can test a character’s identity, expose the choices that shaped them and raise the stakes by putting entire realities at risk.
For viewers who enjoy thoughtful science fiction alongside their games, RETROCADE’s arcade news and editorial coverage offers another place to explore imaginative worlds. The next major television addition is Dark Matter, which returns to Apple TV on 28 August.
The series adapts Blake Crouch’s 2016 novel about a Chicago physicist whose life is taken over by an alternate version of himself. Season 1 used the novel’s complete story, while Crouch continues expanding the premise as the show’s writer and showrunner.
Where season 1 left Jason Dessen
Jason Dessen, played by Joel Edgerton, abandoned the possibility of becoming a world-famous physicist to build a family life in Chicago. He lives with his wife, Daniela, played by Jennifer Connelly, and their teenage son, Charlie, played by Oakes Fegley.
That ordinary life is disrupted by Jason 2, an alternate Jason who pursued advanced scientific research and created a device capable of crossing between universes. Believing he would be happier with the life Jason left behind, Jason 2 uses the technology to replace him. He sends the original Jason to Velocity Labs, expecting him to enjoy the wealth and professional success of that reality.
Jason’s priority is getting back to Daniela and Charlie. He receives assistance from Amanda Lucas, played by Alice Braga. Amanda is Jason 2’s partner and colleague, as well as a psychiatrist who teaches Jason to use psychoactive drugs to navigate the multiverse.
The pair are pursued by Velocity Labs chief executive Leighton Vance, played by Dayo Okeniyi, after he works out that Jason is not the man he claims to be. Their journeys take them through several ruined versions of Chicago, including one overrun by deadly wasps. That disaster was caused by Blair Caplan, played by Amanda Brugel, the first Velocity employee to enter the box.
Jason and Amanda eventually discover a particularly beautiful Chicago. Amanda chooses to remain there, while Jason continues searching for his original home.
Back in Jason 2’s reality, his strange behaviour alarms Jason’s friends and family. He approaches that world’s Leighton and offers him the drugs needed for multiverse travel in return for money. Leighton wants to leave behind his unhappy teaching career.
Daniela finds the drugs and shares them with Ryan Holder, Jason’s friend and former colleague, played by Jimmi Simpson. Ryan is an accomplished chemist and recognises the formula as his own work, although it was developed by another version of Ryan for Velocity Labs.
Jason 2 strands Ryan in another universe without realising that it is the same reality where Amanda has settled. He later finds another version of Ryan to take his place.
The season 1 finale explained
Jason finally reaches home, but he is not the only version of himself to arrive. Multiple Jasons have been drawn to the same world, each shaped differently by the decisions made during their travels through the box.
Several of these alternate Jasons fight and kill one another as they compete for Daniela and Charlie. Once Jason explains what has happened, Daniela incapacitates Jason 2 and escapes with her family.
After recovering, Jason 2 apologises for his actions. He gives Jason, Daniela and Charlie a box of drugs so they can leave their world and search for a life that resembles normality elsewhere.
In the alternate Chicago, Ryan meets Amanda and says he is attempting to recreate the chemicals required to return home. Leighton, meanwhile, begins investigating the multiverse with the drugs he obtained from Jason 2.
What to expect from Dark Matter season 2
The Dessen family hopes to live quietly, but their past catches up with them when another Jason appears and tries to reclaim Daniela. Jason becomes increasingly determined to understand the box, with the aim of preventing further travel between universes.
Daniela grows more suspicious and fearful as the threat develops. At the same time, Amanda and Ryan continue looking for a route home, while the version of Leighton involved in creating the box attempts to use its power to construct a better world.
The show’s parallel-reality premise may appeal to players who enjoy comparing alternate routes and outcomes. For those planning a home gaming setup, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide can help with practical decisions, while the arcade machine range covers full-size cabinet options.
When does Dark Matter season 2 premiere?
Dark Matter season 2 premieres on Apple TV on 28 August. New episodes are scheduled to release on Fridays, with the run continuing through 30 October.
Fans who prefer watching gaming-related coverage can also browse RETROCADE’s arcade videos, including material focused on the wider arcade industry.
For a compact gaming space, RETROCADE’s bartop arcade selection provides another option for readers balancing entertainment with limited room.
For more background, see the approved Dark Matter series guide.
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