Dark Matter always had the potential for getting convoluted.
That finally happened on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 8.
Based on Blake Crouch’s novel’s premise, it was inevitable.
Every character’s decision creates a new dimension with a new version of themselves in said dimension.
Viewers got lulled into a false sense of security through the series’ first seven episodes.
Evil Jason2 abducted good Jason1, stuck him in his home dimension, and took his place as Daniela’s husband and Charlie’s father.
There was even some limited effort to justify this as Jason2’s attempt to rectify a past mistake: choosing scientific fame over domesticity.
But while Jason1 and Amanda were world-hopping around with The Box, they created new versions of themselves every time they stepped through a Corridor door into a new world.
And, not shockingly, all of these Jason1s had the same driving impetus: to get back to Daniela and Charlie and to save them from that imposter.
Since all of these Jasons are considered equally intelligent, without examining their individual circumstances, it is only logical that some of them would land in the correct Chicago.
As the two Jason1s pondered over beer in that early scene, the question is, how many?
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It wasn’t enough that Daniela and Charlie had Jason2 with whom to deal. Now, there are a bunch of well-meaning Jason1s underfoot as well.
Maybe Mechanic Ryan, stolen from his home dimension by Jason2, on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 7, will yet come into play.
Then again, maybe not, as Ryan was still attempting to get his bearings on this world.
Daniela seemed to emerge from her conversation with Ryan more suspicious of Jason2 and less skeptical of Ryan’s story.
She’s felt that something was off about her husband for some time and Ryan’s situation just added to her suspicions about Jason2.
Still, she was wise to recommend to Mindy that she should get mental health help for Ryan. Stash him someplace safe for now.
It made no sense to make others ask questions just yet since she had no concept about what was going on, let alone any proof.
Early scenes gave viewers a taste of what Daniela and Charlie would soon be going through: Confusion over the proliferating numbers of Jasons.
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When Jason2 was jumped by, then beat to death Jason1, it initially appeared to be an abrupt, unsatisfying end to the narrative.
But when two more Jason1s popped up in The Box’s Corridor, it was a sign that death wasn’t permanent.
Still, it took that clarifying talk at the Village Tap to explain the mission of Jason1.
Speaking of the Tap, how did Matt, the Bartender, not notice the two identical men drinking in a nearby booth?
It also seems there will be a lot of dead, identical bodies popping up around Chicago, which will be damn hard for anyone to explain.
The smart money is to be against the Jason1s wearing wool caps, as they appear to be the red shirts of this series.
You have to feel sorry for Charlie, who has no idea why his father seems to be slipping his gears.
First, Jason2 almost kills Charlie with the nuts to which he’s allergic on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 6.
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When Charlie starts to forgive him for that, Jason2 forgets about the tour of the University of Chicago that he had promised him.
On the tour, Jason2 begins acting weird again, finally ordering Charlie to drive around to another part of campus where they’ll meet without explanation.
While Jason2 was busy killing another Jason1, a cop came upon Charlie, who pulled over because of a thump he couldn’t identify (a body in the trunk).
Sure, Jason2 got there in time to bail out Charlie, but that situation shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
The real Jason1 (the better-dressed one) had a terrific scheme to reach Daniela without Jason2 knowing.
He seemed oblivious that he couldn’t smoke in a restaurant, making him appear to be one of the “other” Jason1s.
But instead, he wanted to get arrested so Daniela would be called to bail him out.
After she got there, he was smart enough to talk fast and give her two ways to check his story: Calling Jason 2 and quizzing him after a fake vacation.
While Daniela still had doubts, she was willing to entertain the idea of meeting up later with Jason1 after securing Charlie’s safety.
She had to feel that this was her Jason, the one who had felt absent for months.
Jason2 made it easier for her to believe when he ordered her and Charlie to pack suitcases and run again without explanation.
But she managed to trick him, pushing him downstairs into the basement and locking him in.
That’s when all the fun began, as they got picked up by one Jason1, only to be sideswiped by another Jason 1. At least they got to end up with the correct Jason1 (maybe).
In one episode, they must get rid of Jason2 and all the duplicate Jason1s without explaining anything to the authorities. Also, will any of the other characters make another appearance?
Did Daniela and Charlie end up with the correct Jason?
Won’t someone wonder about identical bodies?
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What do you want to see happen in the finale?
Comment below.
Dale McGarrigle is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.