With so much going on in Dark Matter book changes take the form of completely new storylines and characters, others are simply augmenting what's already there. The story's premise allows for even further exploration of one tweak in particular.

According to ending of Dark Matter season 1 brought their story to a pretty satisfying conclusion, so how their arcs will be continued becomes incredibly compelling. Joel Edgerton's adventures through the multiverse as Jason Dessen were at the heart of season 1's story, as well as the plot of the novel, and Dark Matter season 2 can be even more thrilling thanks to the work of the show's inaugural season and the new universes it contained.

Dark Matter Season 2 Can Introduce More Gimmick Universes Like Season 1 Did

Jason visited several distinctly different realities in Dark Matter season 1

Dark Matter season 1 was largely faithful to the book, and all the additions made by author/showrunner Blake Crouch were tasteful and fitted in with the adaptation. One of the most prominent changes was the decision to not just show the alternate realities that Jason and Amanda travel to in the source material, but also to introduce new universes that boasted a fascinating gimmick. Oddly, gimmicky universes aren't all that common in the Dark Matter novel, as most are relatively similar. Hopefully, Dark Matter season 2 will make full use of its potential in this regard.

All the original gimmicky universes in Apple TV+'s version of the story were pretty scary. For instance, the Giant Wasp Universe never appeared in the book, but it's a pretty bleak reality. Similarly, the Flooded Universe didn't exactly scream optimism. These types of worlds are great for a gritty story like Dark Matter, but the presence of the Futuristic Chicago Universe in both versions of Dark Matter proves that Crouch is capable of giving his characters some respite on their travels. On the other hand, the Plague Universe s the theory that the showrunner loves making Jason and company suffer.

Dark Matter Season 2's Alternate Realities Have Far More Freedom Than Season 1

Apple TV+ had a set story to adapt (but not anymore)

Dark Matter season 1 impressively touched on every universe from the book and even fleshed out some of the more interesting ones. While the show managed to find time to visit realities unique to the adaptation, it was still restricted by how often it could do this, as there was still a larger story to tell, and it could easily have spiraled out of control. Dark Matter season 2 has the advantage of having no source material to worry about, as the events of the lone book have now been completely covered.

The lack of source material for Dark Matter season 2 means the show can include far more new realities than it has done so far.

Although characters like Alice Braga's Amanda Lucas and Jimmi Simpson's Ryan Holder end Dark Matter season 1 stranded in one specific universe, there are others who can still freely travel between alternate realities. While Dark Matter season 2 could still introduce new figures to the adventure, there are already two versions of Dayo Okeniyi's Leighton Vance and one version of Amanda Brugel's Blair Caplan, who have already been established as universe-hoppers. Interestingly, if Blair finds her way to a brand-new universe, the fact that Blair isn't in the book means that storyline would be wholly original to the adaptation.

Why Dark Matter Season 2 Is Still Relatively Limited With What Universes It Can Introduce

Blake Crouch's show isn't the same as other multiverse sagas

Despite the show's newfound freedom, Dark Matter still has one disadvantage that other multiverse stories don't. In short, Dark Matter's interdimensional travel is relatively grounded as far as science-fiction goes. So, the characters can't really jump to super bizarre universes, as they have to have at least one foot grounded in reality. Therefore, completely off-the-wall parallel universes as seen in shows like Rick and Morty aren't a genuine possibility for Dark Matter, which should temper expectations going into next season.

Dark Matter has already blurred the line between reality and sci-fi with the universe filled with giant killer wasps, but it's not completely outside the realm of possibility that such a world could exist. Similarly, the super-advanced version of Chicago isn't that hard to buy into as a believable premise, nor is the world where a deadly plague has swept through the city. If Dark Matter season 2 continues this trend of other worlds that toy with what's actually possible, it should be great, but it can't untether itself completely from reality.

Source: Screen