It's been 10 years since Blake Crouch's Dark Matter first hit bookshelves around the world, and although the author was once content to let the story exist as a standalone adventure, Apple TV has allowed him to expand the canon in exciting new ways. With the novel already adapted for Dark Matter season 1, season 2 is exploring fresh narrative ground. Not only does the current run of episodes continue the story, but it also retroactively allows parts of the source material to make way more sense.
Just two episodes in, Dark Matter's return has already settled my nerves. While there was admittedly the chance that season 2 would feel unnecessary after the poignancy of the book's original ending, it's quickly become obvious that Crouch's transition into showrunning duties has not been in vain. The lore surrounding the Box has been fleshed out significantly, including the real reason why it was built in the first place.
FULL SPOILERS below for Dark Matter season 2, Episode 2, "A Perfect World."
Leighton Vance's new reason for building the Box explains why Velocity is so committed to the project
One of the biggest beneficiaries of Dark Matter's jump to the small screen is the character of Leighton Vance. Played by Dayo Onkeniyi in the Apple TV adaptation, Leighton's role in the show gives him much more to do than in the source material. While still important in the original version of the story, he's a much more minor figure who all but vanishes once Jason escapes Velocity. Excitingly, as well as telling us what happens to Leighton after the book, Dark Matter season 2 has also given us something of a mini-prequel.
In the cold open for episode 2, "A Perfect World," we get to see what appears to be a celebration of the Box being completed. When Leighton gives a speech to help mark the occasion, we finally learn why he was so invested in the project. In the book, Leighton merely seems on board out of sheer scientific curiosity. The Box is Jason2's brainchild, and it's presented as simply pushing the frontiers of science by trying to place a human being in a state of quantum superposition.
Of course, Jason2's true motivation is to use the Box to make up for past regrets, finding a universe where he never committed his life to science and instead decided to stay with Daniela. That, understandably, isn't something he tells anybody at Velocity, though. The live-action adaptation leaves Jason2's (Joel Edgerton) primary motivation intact, but it also provides a more substantial reason for Leighton to be so totally on board with the Box's development. In short, Okeniyi's character wants to use the Box to visit only the best and brightest universes.
His goal is to harvest their biggest breakthroughs, inventions, and ideas, eventually making his own universe the best of them all. It's not traditional villain behavior, but it definitely feels like it's knocking on the door. Regardless, it's a convincing reason for his interest in the Box that doesn't just rely on wholesome scientific curiosity. There's also nothing really stopping it from being relevant to Leighton's literary counterpart, too. Furthermore, it raises the question of whether Jason2 figured out he could use the Box to find a new life after hearing Leighton's plan, or if Leighton came up with his plan after Jason2 had already started work on the Box.
Dark Matter's big Leighton Vance reveal arguably makes him the show's most important character
As well as making Leighton Vance a more prominent character in general, Apple TV also introduces multiversal variants of him, which isn't something that happens in the book. As I mentioned earlier, Leighton's role in the source material is done as soon as Jason first flees into the box with Amanda. He never shows up again. As part of Blake Crouch's efforts to make Leighton a less disposable figure, the writer/showrunner has continued to flesh out the character's purpose in Dark Matter season 2.
In a trope borrowed from things like Marvel's Council of Kangs or even Ricky & Morty's Council of Ricks, Dark Matter has now established a network of Leightons from different universes, all working together to help each other solve their various problems and improve their quality of life. Again, at least on paper, this isn't moustache-twirling villain behavior. That said, playing God with the multiverse like this isn't something that tends to end well in sci-fi. Exactly how Leighton's well-meaning plan will go wrong isn't yet clear, but I can't wait for Dark Matter to show me.
Dark Matter season 2 is streaming now on Apple TV.
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