Dark Matterseason 2 will take a very different approach to storytelling compared to its inaugural run, as the gritty multiverse show is set to return for another batch of episodes inspired by the 2016 sci-fi novel of the same name. With Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly returning as part of theDark Matterseason 2 cast, the Apple TV+ adaptation will have a great sense of continuity, despite the tease at theend ofDark Matterseason 1that their characters' arcs were done. I’m really excited by the cliffhanger ending, but for an interesting reason.
Dark Matter’s interdimensional traveltakes Jason Edgerton’s Jason Dessen and other characters through other worlds of varying similarity to his own. The concept has been lifted directly from the pages of Crouch’s novel, and the Apple TV+ version also boasts the book’s original author as theDark Mattershowrunner. AlthoughCrouch has made changes to theDark Matterbook, season 1 keeps pretty much everything intact while making tasteful and authentic-feeling additions. For season 2,theDark Matterauthor/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 inDark Matterseason 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 versionsof the story, but its live-action counterpart quietly reveals the story isn’t over for many of its original or pre-existing characters.
9 Dark Matter Season 2 Theories About Where The Show Will Go Next
Dark Matter season 2 is free from the constraints of source material, so there are many possibilities for the saga’s continuation on Apple TV+.
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 thatCrouch wasn’t ever planning on just adapting the events of the loneDark Matterbook, 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 Matterfalls 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 passed since the book’s publication.Dark Matteris one of my favorite books of all time, andI 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 aboutDark Matterseason 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 aboutDark Matterbeing 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 ensure the story was told effectively. I’m even more relieved thatCrouch is remaining in his position forDark Matterseason 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 ofWayward 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 ofWayward Pines. AlthoughWayward Pinesseason 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
BecauseI never expected to ever find out what happened after the end ofDark 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 Matterseason 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.
IfDark Matterseason 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 Matterseason 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.
Dark Matter Season 1’s Ending Forgets To Resolve 1 Of The Adaptation’s Original Storylines
Dark Matter season 1 introduces several elements that aren’t in the original book, and the finale forgets to wrap up one of the best new storylines.
Additionally, Blake Crouch wrapping upDark Matterwith season 2 would mean he can turn his attention to adapting some of the other books from his impressive back catalog.Dark Matterseason 1 even teased the beginnings of a Blake Crouch sci-fi universeby 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’sRecursion, and I’ve seen Crouch talk about that possibility in the comments section of his social media posts while promotingDark Matter.
