by Austen Terry, Contributing Writer
The multiverse theory is quickly beginning to run its course, with almost every long-running franchise, and now series, trying to pull the “what if” card. It gets kind of exhausting. What if another version of yourself found a way to your world and is coming for you? Well that’s the question Apple TV+’s new series, Dark Matter, asks. This show feels a lot like Fringe in its otherworldly science. It definitely has a budget and an interesting story, but it likely won’t be remembered.
Jason (Joel Edgerton) is a college physics professor married to Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), and they have one son, Charlie (Oakes Fegley). Their happy life is thrown for a loop after Jason goes out to a bar one night to celebrate his friend, Ryan (Jimmi Simpson). Jason wakes up the next morning in a research lab hospital with Amanda (Alice Braga) and his old college friend, Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi), asking him strange questions. Jason quickly realizes he’s in a different world and must figure out how to get home.
I only know Edgerton from his time as Owen Lars and from The Great Gatsby, but he shows his range here. The key to playing two people who only share the common trait of the same name is a challenge that he pulls off. He has great chemistry with everyone and plays these two characters very well. One thing is the subtle differences that the alternate Jason does which takes prime Jason’s family a few episodes to pick up on. Everyone definitely put in the work here, and it’s what keeps you wanting to come back.
The scale of the show even has a good feel. There are worlds which Prime Jason eventually travels to which, whether it be snow, sand, or water, feel appropriately apocalyptic thanks to the CGI. The concept of this series drew me in. As a fan of big complicated science problems in sci-fi, it was right up my alley. A the same time, it drags at times yet rushes at others. Blake Crouch served as showrunner and even wrote the book it’s based on. While it does feel like a miniseries, it also feels like it would’ve been better as either a shorter series, or a two-part movie.
Apple TV+ definitely needs to step up their game on marketing, as I saw nothing about this show beforehand. Even still, it works as an entertaining piece of complicated science fiction.
Rating: Low Side of Liked It
Dark Matter is currently streaming on Apple TV+
You can read more from Austen Terry, or follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd