Who’s ready for a second helping of Dark Matter? Season 2 is a go, so let’s get into what we know.
If you need proof that Apple TV+ really does deserve a spot among the best streaming services out there, I suggest you check out one of the numerous excellent new book-to-screen adaptations on the platform, some of which are among Apple TV+'s best shows. That brings us to the subject at hand, which is Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter. The book is excellent, so was it any surprise that the TV adaptation turned out to be fantastic as well? I mean, it’s not like book fans have ever been burned by a subpar adaptation before, right? Ok, ignore that last question. The point is, I loved Dark Matter, and while I would’ve been satisfied by how the series played out if it remained a stand-alone story, much like the book on which it’s based, I’m happy that Apple TV+ has renewed the series for Season 2. I'll get into my thoughts on that later. But for now, here's what we know about the second season so far...
Spoiler Alert: From this point forward, spoilers from Dark Matter Season 1 are in play, so I suggest you read no further if you’re still getting caught up on the sci-fi series. (And if you aren't caught up and you have an Apple TV+ subscription, I definitely recommend checking out this series!)
What Is The Dark Matter Season 2 Premiere Date?
Short answer: There’s no release date set yet.
Sorry folks, it’s a bit too soon to know when Dark Matter Season 2 will be released. As of early December 2024, filming hasn't even started yet (more on that later). The series was only renewed for Season 2 in August, just as Season 1 was wrapping up its exciting conclusion. So we’ll likely have to wait until next year, at the earliest to see what’s next for Jason, Charlie and Daniela. Here’s hoping the show finds a spot at some point on the 2025 TV schedule, but we’ll see!
What Will Dark Matter Season 2 Be About?
That’s the question at hand, isn’t it? Dark Matter Season 1 followed the bullet points of the book on which it’s based, with some notable deviations, of course. But the season does end with “our” Jason leaving his reality, along with Daniela and Charlie, set for some unknown reality of Charlie’s choosing to escape the madness of many Jasons in his world and start over somewhere new. That could’ve closed the book on the show too, though there were indications of other loose ends needing to be resolved.
Apple TV+’s announcement of the renewal doesn’t go into a ton of detail about what’s in store for Season 2, but it does include some quotes from the people behind the show, including Blake Crouch, who’s not only the author of the source material, but the showrunner of the series. Here’s what he had to say about Season 2:
In the process of writing and filming season one, we discovered that there’s so much more story to tell, and we’ve only scratched the surface of these characters as they fight for survival and to find their way home through a landscape of mind-bending realities. See you in the Box!
If there’s anything big to glean from that, beyond Crouch’s evident enthusiasm for digging further into the world he’s created, it’s the mention of the characters fighting for survival and finding their way home. While we might conclude that three of those characters make up the Dessen family, who might have to figure out what “home” is for their future, there are certainly other characters Crouch could be referencing, like Ryan (Jimmi Simpson), Blair (Amanda Brugel), Amanda (Alice Braga) or any number of other versions of Jason, Charlie and Daniela.
There’s certainly potential for big things for all of the characters as we move further into this story.
And here’s the post Blake Crouch shared on his Instagram when Season 2 as renewed:
The Dark Matter Cast
Apple TV+’s announcement about Season 2 didn’t dive into specifics about the cast, but we can assume that the plan is to bring back Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly and Oakes Fegley for their roles as Jason, Daniela and Charlie Dessen respectively. In fact, I’m hopeful that everyone from the original cast will return at some point or another, and given that this is a story that involves many realities, the opportunities for character appearances are presumably endless, right?
Here’s who starred in Season 1 of Dark Matter
- Joel Edgerton (Jason)
- Jennifer Connelly (Daniele)
- Alice Braga (Amanda)
- Amanda Brugel (Blair)
- Oakes Fegley (Charlie)
- Dayo Okeniyi (Leighton Vance)
- Jimmi Simpson (Ryan)
We’ll have to wait for full confirmation on who is actually returning, along with any news about new additions to the Dark Matter cast for Season 2.
The same goes for the creative minds behind the show. Apple TV+’s announcement notes that Blake Crouch is the creator, executive producer and showrunner of the series – that’s presumably still the case going into the second season. Crouch produces the series alongside Matt Tolmach. Joel Edgerton also serves as an executive producer, as does Jacquelyn Ben-Zekry.
When Will Dark Matter Season 2 Production Start?
From the sound of it, filming is expected to start on Season 2 at some point later in December, or perhaps early January. In a September 2024 Instagram post celebrating the upcoming US and UK release of his 2011 self-published book Run, when explaining how fans can purchase a signed copy of the book, Blake Crouch noted that he wouldn't be able to sign books after October 15th because he's heading back to Chicago to start preparing for Dark Matter Season 2. And more recently, in early December, in an Instagram Post about a book event in London, Blake Crouch mentioned that we're "a few weeks from filming Season 2 of Dark Matter."
With the holidays coming up, I'm not sure if "a few weeks" would mean later in December or the start of the new year. Regardless, it does firm up the timeline a bit more.
Why I’m Excited For Season 2 of Dark Matter
Some part of me wants to say maybe it’d be ok to leave Dark Matter as a stand-alone season. (Especially if that were to mean freeing up Blake Crouch to write more great books and/or maybe be involved in the Recursion adaptation that many of us are eagerly waiting to hear updates about.) But as I mentioned earlier, there were enough loose ends with the characters in Season 1 that a second season has some interesting places to go and characters to catch up with. Beyond that, there's one specific thing I really liked about the book that I think the show did really well, so let's get into it.
As a fan of the book…
I remember when I first read Dark Matter, trying to wrap my mind around the many different Jason Dessens, and grappling with the resentment I felt toward Jason2 for what he put our Jason through, while also having to remind myself that these two characters are the same man, though they’ve lived somewhat different lives due to the choices they made. Watching characters based off of the same person who are different people as a result of the choices they made is exactly the kind of bizarro sci-fi concept my brain wants to wander off with, and I feel like that aspect carried over really nicely in the TV adaptation.
There’s one specific scene that sold me on Dark Matter’s future as a series beyond one season:
The scene that really stuck with me was from the Season 1 finale (“Entanglement”) when some of the other Jasons show up to see Jason, Daniela and Charlie off. There’s a moment when it’s clear some of the Jasons want to interfere. It’s like it goes against everything in them to let Daniela and Charlie leave with anyone but them – and that makes sense, because each Jason loves them more than anything else in the world. But it also makes sense that any Jason who’s still in touch with who he really is -- meaning he hasn't turned violent as some of the other Jasons have -- would want the best for his wife and son, even if that means not being the one to be with them.
This fascinating conflict is on full display in that scene, and it becomes evident that the only way our Jason can leave with Daniela and Charlie is if he – every other version of him in the vicinity – allows himself to. Every one of him has to choose it, and the way I interpret that is that if he can’t let them go, does he really deserve them?
Choices
All of this is to say, I feel like Dark Matter – the TV show – really locked into one of the things I loved so much about the book, which is the impact choices have on our lives and realities. And it’s for that reason that I’m feeling very optimistic that future episodes will be able to run with that concept in new and exciting ways, and not just with Jason, but with the other characters we've met (and some we haven't met, I'm sure), and hopefully even more separate versions of those characters.
More realities!
Also, I want to see more alternate realities. Lots and lots of different earths, please. And more different versions of the characters we love.
So yes, I’m invested. Bring on Season 2!
I’ll be sure to update this guide with more solid information once we have some. Blake Crouch was certainly generous with updates during production of Season 1, so hopefully we’ll start seeing news about filming once things get started.
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