'Dark Matter' season 2 review: Apple TV sci-fi drama decides to give it another Chicago
- S.J.
- 13 hours ago
- 5 min read
Can you hear the crowd cheering? That is because, slight spoilers, Jasons didn't take Manhattan or go to hell. This is massive news. Sci-fi drama Dark Matter returns to tour the multiverse with its second season, after the original Dessens looked for a fresh start at the end of season one. Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), Jason (Joel Edgerton) and their son Charlie (Oakes Fegley) have settled down in a rural area in another universe. However, when a Jason variant manages to track them down and Daniela kills him, they find themselves on the run again. The Dessens look for a Chicago they can live in peacefully. When they find one, Daniela and Jason recognise the cracks forming in their marriage as he's obsessed with finding a solution to destroy the multiverse box and she's dealing with her swelling unhappiness. Charlie grapples with emotional growing pains and desire to meet a variant of his dead twin brother Max.
Elsewhere, Amanda 2 (Alice Braga) and Ryan 1 (Jimmi Simpson) form a partnership to see if they can use the box again. Federal agent Mitchel MacNamara (Chris Diamantopoulos) has captured one Jason to figure out the meaning of the box in his world. Leighton 1 (Dayo Okeniyi) allegedly wants to use the box for the betterment of humanity. He finds compatriots in variants of himself and Ryan.
As you can gather, there's a lot going on in the Dark Matter universe, but what's interesting about this sophomore run is that the first season managed to apparently cover the entirety of the source material that the show is adapting, which would be Blake Crouch's novel of the same name. Now it is the wild west out there. Crouch returns as showrunner, writing the whole season alongside Jacquelyn Ben-Zekry as well (tin foil dorks can theorise if that was a budget thing and/or a requirement for a renewal), and the duo looks to expand, experiment on and evolve this world. But we've seen lauded series crumble when they run out of source material.
Much to our surprise, though, season two is slightly stronger and more captivating thanks to some fine-tuning and the ambition on display. Crouch and co. have more or less ditched the thriller-y aspects, pop physics as well as the exploration of paths not taken. Fortunately, they're able to replace the good parts with equally interesting elements by taking bigger swings and honing in on the characters' inner lives. As a result, the overarching story is more emotional, unpredictable and patient. Both seasons have great momentum in the storytelling department and it's been the show's strength overall, but you have to admire the courage to revitalise if not even reinvent the series' engine. While it doesn't say anything groundbreaking about love, mental health, altruism, separation or guilt, this 10-episode journey is a bit deeper thematically and it shares the spotlight more evenly.
Edgerton is still a very solid lead and he gets to flex some new muscles when it comes to language and "likability", notably when Jason 1's uglier shades and the aforementioned bigger swings emerge. Connelly clearly embraces the chance of being more than the destination for a man. The season finale specifically features strong work from her. Even Fegley is no longer the weak link. Charlie's arc is sometimes quite silly and not all of it lands emotionally, but Fegley's outing is all in all much better.
One thing that validates the show's narrative thrust is the fact that switching over to Amanda and Ryan's storyline never earns sighs. In fact, it's easy to be locked in because the writing for them is excellent, plus it helps that Braga and Simpson are good in their roles. But wait a minute, there's more. Dark Matter finds new, unexpected high points with episodes five and eight, which sub in two veteran actors—the former gives way to Linda Bove (as Ellie Dessen) whilst Margo Martindale (as Laurel) devours scenery in the latter. They are stellar sparring partners for our usual suspects. These two episodes are also the biggest swings of the season, and when you pull off something so marvellously, the rewards are tremendous. It is first-rate TV, dear reader.
That is not to say that season two is smooth sailing all the way through; the peaks are just a bit more prominent and the valleys are less deep. The series' tone dissolves often, possibly due to the newfound focus on family and relationship drama. The writers and directors (Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Nick Murphy) are actively begging for a downpour of tears in nearly every other scene, but Dark Matter just isn't devastating or heartrending enough to warrant such downpour. Instead, you're at times annoyed by the fake crying (there's so much of it), lack of humour and faux poignancy. It is perhaps the reason why there's no standout performance in the show; the actors have to fake too much to make it. Better yet, if you were to cut it all, we'd be back to having tight 40 to 50-minute episodes. Life could indeed be a dream.
In terms of the technical side, you still get the high-quality craftsmanship you expect. Expansive VFX shots (supervised by John Heller, produced by Marjolaine Tremblay) are employed more sparingly than before—budget might be an issue again—but the artistry itself is decent. Patricio M. Farrell's production design helps to support the fine world-building. Only the stunt choreography falls flat as an elaborate action sequence in the finale ends up rivalling another second season from 2026 as far as narratively empty, poorly staged and utterly baffling genre shifts go. The concept of a genre shift is fun in this universe, but this demonstration is a washout.
The series finds more success in the editing (Adam Neely, Joe Leonard) and soundtrack departments, these two experiencing the biggest upgrades from season to season. Even when runtimes and storylines become unwieldy, the editing rhythms unearth gold in body language, facial expressions and silent interactions. Those rhythms also hum in harmony with cool needle drops (music supervision by Jen Malone). It is genuinely refreshing to see a project surprise you with music choices instead of going the easiest, most overplayed route. However, it is funny to flaunt your tech company money by using a banger like 'Sole' by Turnstile just to put it over the end credits and not use it in an actual scene. A heinous crime you could call it as well.
A fair warning must be given though because Crouch and his collaborators make the biggest possible gamble with their ending. It is a respectably grim one and it makes complete sense for Jason 1's arc, but for those drawn in by the pop physics and aesthetics, it will cause riots. The final shot would be an atrocious way to go out, too, in all honesty because it's so bland. Hence, we should assume that the creatives have a season three mapped out. Let us hope that this is not the final chapter for Jason and his box buddies. Matter needs to get even darker.
Smileys: Story, characterisation, soundtrack, editing
Frowneys: Tone
A revelation about a deadly disease can hit you like a Leighton of bricks.
4.0/5
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