Dark Matter season 2 has already allowed Apple TV to continue beyond the final page of the sci-fi show's source material. While I was initially hesitant when it was announced that the live-action series would opt for this path, I think it's now safe to say it was a great decision. The core concept of a seemingly endless multiverse offers countless avenues for expansion.
Still, with no announcement from Apple TV about whether Dark Matter will end with season 2, it's unclear if the lore will continue. Should another run of episodes get the green light, season 2 has already laid the foundation for how Dark Matter could stay alive while still honoring the 2016 novel by Blake Crouch. Episode 8, "The Basic Oneness of Everything," is the strongest case yet for the format I think a potential third season should adopt.
FULL SPOILERS ahead for Dark Matter season 2, episode 8, "The Basic Oneness of Everything."
Dark Matter provides additional evidence that an anthology series is the best way forward
What I believe to be one of Dark Matter's best episodes to date, if not the very best, is season 2's "Love and Be Loved." For those who don't remember, the episode focused on a version of Jason (Joel Edgerton) who did make it back to his version of Chicago, but was beaten to his family by a multiversal doppelganger who got there first. After years of struggling to come to terms with this, he eventually settles down in a universe where his mother is still alive.
He then goes on to meet someone and fall in love again. It's basically an epilogue of sorts to the season 1 finale, despite it landing right in the middle of season 2. In terms of the main, active Dark Matter storyline, it had no impact. Emotionally, on the other hand, it was a gut punch in all the right ways. After the next two installments returned focus to Dark Matter's core narrative, season 2 has just replicated the emotional deviation that "Love and Be Love" pulled off.
Although the brief appearance by Charlie (Oakes Fegley) did turn out to tie the episode into season 2's main storyline, the cameo was largely treated as a heartfelt crescendo of an otherwise semi-standalone episode. This time, however, the installment built itself around Laurel (Margo Martindale), a brilliant new character who never even appeared in the book. Sure, the episode still heavily featured other Dark Matter characters. But, like "Love and Be Loved," it was the break from the action that made "The Basic Oneness of Everything" stand out from the pack.
I got the chance to learn more about the figures who populate the Dark Matter multiverse due to the unique formula and fresh setting. With just two more episodes left to go in season 2, I'd be surprised if we saw any more of these special episodes before the current run ends. That doesn't mean season 3 can't learn from them, though. I would love to see a full season of stories that follow different versions of Dark Matter characters that run parallel to or follow on from more immediate plots. But first, season 2 would need to wrap things up as satisfyingly as possible.
A Dark Matter anthology series could easily keep the original cast intact
The idea of breaking away from telling a serialized sci-fi epic to focus on smaller and more intimate episodic storylines suggests the original Dark Matter cast would need to be disbanded. At the very least, perhaps they'd take less of a central focus. I don't think this would work, though. Nor would it be necessary. Despite its mind-bending concept and extensive lore, the story has always been strongly driven by its characters. The sci-fi elements are just a vehicle for the theme of regret and the path not traveled to be explored.
Switching to an anthology format wouldn't require stepping away from this commitment to character-driven stories. In fact, season 2 proves this. "Love and Be Loved" and "The Basic Oneness of Everything" both revolve around previously unseen versions of established figures in the canon. They also introduce new characters who augment the beauty and tension that the show already has. Take that delicate balance and apply it to a string of Dark Matter episodes made in this vein, and I'm convinced the show would still feel true to itself.
Dark Matter season 2 is streaming now on Apple TV.
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