Review: Dark Matter Season 2, Episode 6: “What the Universe Is Made Of”

Written by Jacquelyn Ben-Zekry & Blake Crouch Directed by Amit Gupta

After a solid standalone chapter, this episode brings us back to the main story for the season. Jason is trying to find his way, very lonely now that Charlie is at college and Daniela is on her walkabout. Much of this episode is about the Dessens trying to figure out their place in the world (or worlds). But we also get the sense that matters are quickly spiraling out of their control.

There have been many signs throughout the season that those who travel in the Box are connected. Quantumly entangled, one might say. The episode actually goes a long way towards explaining more or less how that would happen. But the upshot is that there is a reason why travelers of the multiverse keep finding themselves on the same worlds. And that means that there is no “safe refuge”, so to speak.

Who we assumed to be Blair X turns out to actually be Blair 2, and she reveals herself to Jason. Jason is having a hard time with isolation, even though he is fairly consumed by his work on the theory behind the Box. He is trying to maintain a good relationship with Charlie, but Charlie is increasingly sullen and distant. (If Jason wasn’t so damn distracted, maybe he’d notice that his son is acting out of sorts.) Jason is friendly with Amanda X, but it’s clear that he wants a bit more out of life.

I thought he might freak out when Blair 2 revealed herself, but he took it in stride. Far better than he did when Leighton 2 came calling, that’s for sure. Blair 2 invites Jason to come to a gala where some of the local scientific minds are gathering. Blair 2 seems to want the best for Jason, which is actually good to see. However, Leighton 2 is also at the gala, and he recognizes Blair 2 for who she is. (Of course, he recognizes Jason, but nothing comes of that yet.) Again, while there is uneasiness at all these recognitions, everyone seems to take it mostly in stride.

For Jason, exposure to the scientific scene engenders a certain desire to get back in the game. He wants to write interesting papers, work with his peers, push the boundaries. It’s good to see him so driven by something other than the safety of his family. Of course, that might explain why he’s so distracted that he doesn’t catch on to Charlie’s attitude.

Charlie’s part in the episode is a bit of a weakness, unfortunately. Charlie was perhaps the one most dedicated to the notion of building a life on World X. He argued against running when it seemed like they had been discovered by other travelers. He was energetic in building a life with friends and going to college. So suddenly he’s feeling despondent and empty? It could be a reaction to what’s going on with his parents, perhaps, but there’s some groundwork missing from his motivations.

Whatever the case, the only thing that seems to break him out of his funk is hearing from Jason that his father run into a version of Max during his travels. Jason’s admission comes a bit out of nowhere and he completely misses how intense Charlie’s interest is. Clearly Charlie was inspired to go into the Box and find that version of Max. It’s a supremely terrible decision. Though I suppose if the writers were looking for something to trigger Daniela to sort herself out and remember her priorities, this might be it.

Speaking of Daniela, despite my deep annoyance with the choices for her character, it does introduce some complications as well. Daniela foolishly goes to her family’s cabin, expecting solitude and contemplation in her newfound isolation. To her surprise, her stepfather (dead on World 1) arrives. Daniela enjoys the chance to spend a little time with him, despite knowing that he assumes she is Daniela X. And sure enough, Daniela X calls when Daniela is out on a walk. Suddenly Daniela has a lot of explaining to do, and I doubt it’s going to end well.

Of course, since the Box has entangled all of the travelers, time was running out anyway, and Charlie’s decision is going to throw everything into chaos as it is. (Unless he somehow returns to World X before anyone is the wiser.) Everyone is making decisions that will inevitably lead to the end of their “comfortable” life on World X. And I’m not just talking about the Dessens; Leighton 2’s decisions are clearly going to have wider implications for everyone.

Leighton 2 invites Blair 2 to come see what he has been working on. As one might have guessed, it looks a bit like a further iteration of the Box. (Based on the geometry, I suppose it is the Pyramid.) While the Leightons have been using the Box to do some good on various worlds, there are also hints that there have been unexpected incursions between worlds as a result, such as the virus showing up on “polite sex world”. Could the Pyramid make things even worse?

There’s a lot of time left in the season, and a lot of ground has already been covered in the first half of the season. This episode feels like it was mostly designed to set things up for the back half of the season, and in that regard it felt like some of the character decisions didn’t entirely work or were a little forced. But now that they are in place, maybe the fallout will be worth it.