Now largely free from the confines of the source material, Apple TV's Dark Matter adaptation has been exploring new corners of the multiverse in season 2. By doing so, it's teaching us far more about Dark Matter's broader canon as well as the previously unseen eras in the lives of its characters.
For instance, the show's return has already revealed some fascinating information about the childhood of Joel Edgerton's Jason Dessen, as well as some information about Leighton Vance (Dayo Okeniyi) and Jason2 from before they debuted in the 2016 sci-fi novel.
So, even though the current batch of episodes is primarily a sequel to the source material, it's also accepting the responsibility no one asked of it, in that it's also serving as a prequel.
Episode 6, "What the Universe Is Made Of," further confirms that these high-concept not-quite-flashbacks are a major theme of Dark Matter season 2. Played by Jennifer Connelly, Daniela has also just received the same treatment as her husband, as well as the man who was so instrumental in building the Box. That said, Daniela's moment in the spotlight is far more similar to how we learned about Jason's formative years rather than Leighton's.
FULL SPOILERS for Dark Matter season 2 episode 6, “What the Universe Is Made Of” ahead.
What we just learned about Daniela's life before Dark Matter
Daniela does exist in the book, but she's only ever treated as a supporting character. She's pretty much always defined by the fact that she's Jason's wife. In the universes where they didn't get together, that's treated as a huge thing. She's never really given the chance to shine as her own person.
"What the Universe Is Made Of" does exactly that by focusing on her in the wake of her temporary separation from Jason as she gets her thoughts straight about her new life in a foreign universe.
In order to re-center herself, she heads to what appears to be a cabin where the Vargas family would regularly visit when Daniela was young. Even in this universe, which has diverged drastically from our own due to the lack of advanced technology, the cabin is still there and in use. While there, she's unexpectedly visited by Gabriel Vargas (Gil Birmingham), whose arrival opens up a window into the past of Connelly's character and her literary counterpart.
The existence of the cabin itself also reveals a little about Daniela's childhood, but the fact that we learn that Daniela inherited her maiden surname from her stepfather rather than her biological one holds all sorts of emotional nuance. It's not revealed what happened to Daniela's biological father, but it's clear that Gabriel was a more-than-suitable replacement. The pair have a strong bond and good memories, most of which seem to line up regardless of their respective origins in different realities.
From context, it's also fairly obvious from Daniela's reaction to Gabriel's unexpected arrival that, in her universe, her stepfather is already dead. So, this mind-bending reunion is especially poignant. It also mirrors the previous episode when Jason traveled to a world where his mother was still alive. Unlike Jason's visit to another version of his mother, who had lost her Jason years before, Daniela is left to deal with Gabriel's discovery that there are two versions of his daughter in existence.
Dark Matter's big Daniela reveal is the show's most important “flashback” yet
The glimpse of Leighton with his father was interesting, but it didn't have much canonical impact on Dark Matter's current storyline. It just added a little context. Similarly, the Jason who went in search of his mother in another universe is now happily moved on and living a new life. I doubt we'll ever see him again outside of that beautiful standalone effort.
Meanwhile, Daniela has been spending time with a version of her stepfather in the universe where she currently resides with her family. They've chosen it as their new home after a long and stressful process.
The fact that the Dessens who are native to this throwback-style reality had already moved to the West Coast was treated as a godsend. Daniela and her family were free to stay in Chicago without running into themselves, and the absence of the internet also drastically reduced the chances of their discovery.
However, now that Gabriel knows that the Daniela at the cabin is not his Daniela, that sense of anonymity has all but vanished. It will surely impact the rest of Dark Matter season 2, including whether Daniela, Jason, and Charlie will once more need to up sticks and head to another reality.
Dark Matter season 2 is streaming now on Apple TV.
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