With Dark Matter season 2 set to extend the story of Blake Crouch's 2016 sci-fi novel of the same name, the Apple TV adaptation is entering uncharted waters for its gritty multiverse adventure. Although there's no real way of knowing what's going to happen until the show returns, season 1 provided some pretty solid possibilities when it comes to what's waiting in Dark Matter's future.
Dark Matter is one of my favorite books of all time, and even I was left guessing what would happen during key moments in the first season. Crouch, who also serves as Dark Matter's showrunner, added a handful of tasteful changes and additions to his original version of the story, so it wasn't just a total rehash of the book. Now, with the source material exhausted, I'm just as excited as viewers who haven't read the novel to see what's next for Joel Edgerton's Jason Dessen and his family.
Dark Matter season 1 ended very similarly to the book, in that the Dessens do still flee to a universe that's never described/shown just before the story ends. That said, the new characters and adjusted arcs in the show provide multiple cliffhangers that aren't present in the source material. Considering where everyone was last seen in the season 1 finale, I can't wait to see if my prediction of a very specific reunion is going to pay off.
The four characters behind Dark Matter's multiversal travel mechanic can finally reunite in season 2
In both versions of Dark Matter, it's Jason2's universe that's credited with the invention of the box that allows characters to jump from one reality to the next. However, Jason2 isn't the only key member of the Velocity Labs team who contributes to the first successful use of the box. Jason2's universe also has a version of Leighton Vance (Dayo Okeniyi), Ryan Holder (Jimmi Simpson), and Amanda Lucas (Alice Braga). Jason2 is the inventor of the box itself, but Leighton's inherited wealth is what bankrolls the operation.
Ryan develops Lavender Fairy, the compound required to be administered for the box to work for someone, and Amanda is the on-staff psychologist who helps the box pilots improve their chances of safely traversing the multiverse using the power of their minds. In the book, once the show's "main" Jason escapes Velocity with Amanda in tow, none of the four Velocity characters native to that universe ever see each other again. In fact, the Ryan and Leighton are never even mentioned after the tense chase scene.
Crouch clearly regretted this decision, extending the respective storylines of each Velocity figure to make it more likely that they will come back together in season 2. It's a very specific creative choice to make, that doesn't even seem to be all that important when season 1 is viewed in isolation. However, Crouch is very good at weaving intricate narrative webs that only make sense at the very point that he wants them to. As such, it's a very real possibility that the team that opened the door to other universes will meet again when Dark Matter returns.
Where each member of the Velocity team was seen last in Dark Matter season 1
In one of the biggest divergences between the book and the show, Jason2 survives the events of Apple TV's adaptation in season 1. Jason1 kills his villainous counterpart in the source material, but he has a well-earned mini-redemption arc in the show. By the end of season 1, Jason2 is stranded in the universe he once wanted so badly to be his, along with a whole other bunch of other Jasons. The entire scenario is just ripe for sci-fi storytelling.
Similarly, Crouch leaves Amanda in the futuristic Chicago in the show, with her coming to peace with the fact that Jason won't ever feel the same way as she feels about him. This is close to what happened in the novel, only she left in the middle of the night and never told Jason where she was going. The futuristic Chicago is one possibility, which is where season 1 shows her just before it ends. She has also just met the Ryan Holder from Jason's original universe.
The version of Ryan who was actually Amanda's former Velocity collaborator disappears early in season 1's run, and although the show implies he's about to be killed, his fate remains ambiguous. Even if he doesn't return, the Ryan whom Amanda meets in the futuristic Chicago was right on the cusp of developing his own version of Lavender Fairy. So, he would be a good replacement if Ryan2 is dead. Finally, the Leighton who bankrolled Velocity is shown a few times in Dark Matter season 1.
After following Jason and Amanda into the box to try and chase them through the multiverse, the show reveals Leighton having an absolutely awful time. Because the box responds to the pilot's mental state, the implication is that he keeps going to worse and worse universes. It's not unreasonable to assume that he arrives in a universe where the others are, though. Like, let's say the futuristic Chicago. There's also the other Leighton to consider, who wasn't in the book at all. He's having a much better time jumping between worlds, and will probably also factor into Dark Matter season 2's twisty plot.
Dark Matter already has the perfect reason for a season 2 Velocity reunion
Traveling between realities isn't seen as the norm in Dark Matter. It's otherwise an incredibly grounded story, and the development of such advanced technology with such profound implications tends to hit anyone who finds out about it pretty hard. That goes double for those who experience it firsthand. Although Amanda seems quite levelheaded about her adventures in the box, maybe that's because she already seems very settled when Dark Matter season 1 shows her in the new universe she calls home.
Inversely, her three former colleagues have had much more traumatic ordeals than she has. Jason2's trauma is self-inflicted, as he abandoned his old life to try and find something better. Still, it would make sense that he would be in an especially negative headspace now. Both versions of Ryan are likely to be equally traumatized for different reasons, and Leighton has already been established as clinging to sanity as he tries to get home. Thankfully, Amanda is a therapist, as well as a friend to them all. So, Dark Matter's very lore means that if they think of her hard enough when piloting the box, they will find her, and maybe she can help them all find peace.
Dark Matter season 1 is streaming now on Apple TV. Dark Matter season 2 has wrapped filming. No release date has yet been announced, but it's expected sometime in 2026.