end of Dark Matter season 1 that their characters' arcs were done. I'm really excited by the cliffhanger ending, but for an interesting reason.

Crouch has made changes to the Dark Matter book, season 1 keeps pretty much everything intact while making tasteful and authentic-feeling additions. For season 2, the Dark Matter author/showrunner has something drastically different in mind.

Dark Matter Season 2 Will Go Beyond The Source Material

Jason Dessen & his family will enjoy their first sequel

Although not everything that happens in Dark Matter season 1 happens in the book, everything from the book happens in the show. Crouch fleshes out his 2016 novel by adding new characters into the fray and tweaking certain scenes and storylines, but he also ends season 1 at the same point as he ended the book. The Dessen family flees into the multiverse from all the multiversal Jason copies in both versions of the story, but its live-action counterpart quietly reveals the story isn't over for many of its original or pre-existing characters.

It's clear that Crouch didn't just make a last-minute decision to continue the story, as Alice Braga's Amanda Lucas undergoes a key change in the show by choosing to remain in the Futuristic Chicago. In the novel, she simply leaves Jason with a note and vanishes while he sleeps. Paired with Jimmi Simpson's Ryan Holder having a far more substantial role in the story than his literary counterpart, it becomes retrospectively obvious that Crouch wasn't ever planning on just adapting the events of the lone Dark Matter book, but rather setting up a longer run.

Dark Matter Season 2 Is The Sequel To The Blake Crouch Sci-Fi Novel We Never Got

Crouch never wrote a second Dark Matter book

Crouch has written book sequels, but he mostly writes standalone sci-fi adventures that are only ever intended to be one novel long. Dark Matter falls into the latter category, as the way it ends leaves some questions artfully unanswered, but not in a way that it feels incomplete. It didn't really need a sequel, but Crouch has clearly changed his mind in the years that have ed since the book's publication. Dark Matter is one of my favorite books of all time, and I had always wondered what happened after the final page, so I'm ecstatic to finally find out.

It's not only great that the Dessen family is getting another outing, but there are also plenty of things to enjoy that originated or grew in season 1.

What's even better about Dark Matter season 2 serving as a sequel to the book is that it won't just answer questions about the Dessen family's fate. The brand-new characters introduced for the show are just as interesting as the ones from the book, and some of the book characters who made the jump to the Apple TV+ version had much better storylines that will inevitably cross into season 2. So, it's not only great that the Dessen family is getting another outing, but there are also plenty of things to enjoy that originated or grew in season 1.

Blake Crouch Being In Charge Of The Dark Matter Live-Action Adaptation Is Exciting

It's so great that Dark Matter's continuation has the same writer, despite the change in medium

I was already apprehensive about Dark Matter being adapted by anyone other than Crouch, but season 1 put those fears to rest when he was announced as the showrunner. However, if it had been anyone else in charge, they would have at least had the strength of Crouch's source material to make sure the story was told effectively. I'm even more relieved that Crouch is remaining in his position for Dark Matter season 2, as it means the story's continuation is coming from the very same mind as the original novel, and all the extended canon introduced for the show.

There's already been a cautionary tale about what happens when Crouch isn't in charge of adapting his own work, and it comes in the form of Wayward Pines.

There's already been a cautionary tale about what happens when Crouch isn't in charge of adapting his own work, and it comes in the form of Wayward Pines. Although Wayward Pines season 1 gave Crouch a few writing credits, his involvement was otherwise quite limited, despite penning the book trilogy on which it was based. Plus, the strange decision was made to use the full trilogy to create season 1, and then season 2 was all original material with a huge cast overhaul. It was okay, but it was canceled after it failed to be as good as season 1.

Why I'd Be Fine With Dark Matter Season 2 Ending The Story

Venturing too far beyond Dark Matter's final page could hurt the saga

Because I never expected to ever find out what happened after the end of Dark Matter, it makes the announcement of a second season a true joy for me. That being said, I don't want the show to carry on just for the sake of doing so. There are many shows that outstay their welcome and start to become stale, and I wouldn't want that to happen with a show that has such a great premise.

Dark Matter season 3 isn't something I'd be necessarily opposed to, but I think it's far more important that the adaptation is solid throughout and ends on a high.

If Dark Matter season 2 ends in such a way that's compelling enough to keep me wondering but finite enough to leave it where it is, that would be a perfect finale that would mirror the novel's ending. Dark Matter season 3 isn't something I'd be necessarily opposed to, but I think it's far more important that the adaptation is solid throughout and ends on a high. The longer the show ventures past the source material's final page, the more it risks harming the original story, even if it is still being written by the same author.

Additionally, Blake Crouch wrapping up Dark Matter with season 2 would mean he can turn his attention to adapting some of the other books from his impressive back catalog. Dark Matter season 1 even teased the beginnings of a Blake Crouch sci-fi universe by including the titles of two of his other novels, so I wouldn't be surprised if this were the plan. Personally, I would love to see him make a live-action adaptation of 2019's Recursion, and I've seen Crouch talk about that possibility in the comments section of his social media posts while promoting Dark Matter.