Television adaptations that go beyond their original source material don’t always work out too well. Game of Thrones, anyone?
Now Dark Matter can be added to that list. A decade after publishing his bestselling sci-fi novel, author Blake Crouch has written an ill-advised sequel. Not in the form of a book, but as a second season of the Apple TV series (he’s credited as both showrunner and co-writer of all 10 episodes).
In the first run, physicist Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) was kidnapped by a version of himself (known as Jason2) who was hellbent on stealing the original Jason’s life by means of a box that can transport the user to infinite alternative worlds. After being hunted by armies of Jasons, he was reunited with his wife Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) and son Charlie (Oakes Fegley). The story was neatly wrapped up as they escaped to an unknown alternative world.
Now, the show returns with an all-out multiverse (a notion to make any sci-fi fan wary – and, it turns out here, with good reason). After the Dessens find themselves in what appears to be the perfect world, a violent encounter means they have to run once again. And while Jason’s obsession with the box grows, Daniela and Charlie have to face up to their own problems.
There are some powerful themes explored throughout this season: the complexity of paranoia, trauma, PTSD and the loss of a child. It’s a reminder that sci-fi is at its best when used as a conduit to tell stories on a more human level.
But not only has season 2 lost its spark, it also fails to justify its existence. The ingenuity of the original run can’t be replicated and, having gone beyond its source material, the plot meanders and struggles to push the (brilliant) initial premise much further.
Some storylines show early promise, yet ultimately fall flat. One example is the character of Leighton Vance, the chief executive at Velocity Labs who wants to use the box to gain intelligence to construct the perfect world. Although Dayo Okeniyi delivers a stunning performance, what could have been an intriguing and chillingly prescient storyline doesn’t reach its full potential. Meanwhile, Amanda Lucas (Alice Braga) and Ryan Holder (Jimmi Simpson) simply aren’t given enough to sustain their characters. Their storyline is by far the weakest.
The final episode attempts to remedy some of the season’s problems – the pace picks up and the final scenes are gripping. As the family race against time, a disturbing new development is offered up for us to mull over. However, it’s too little too late to rescue the show.
The series should have been left alone after season one but, given that the producers have stated there is a three-season arc planned, once again the story is left open at the end of this run. Sadly, perhaps we haven’t seen the last of Jason and co.
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