Joel Edgerton Is Dead Wrong About Dark Matter Season 2

Dark Matter season 2 isn’t confirmed, but the show’s star has made a confusing claim that he’d be satisfied with how the inaugural run ended if the show didn’t return. As the leader of the Dark Matter cast, Joel Edgerton’s Jason Dessen was at the heart of the saga, with many versions of the character popping up throughout the multiverse. While Dark Matter made changes to Blake Crouch’s 2016 novel, the adaptation was largely faithful and made several tasteful additions to enhance the narrative. However, Dark Matter season 1’s ending prevented the show from serving as a standalone project.

Crouch’s source material ends definitively, although it does leave some things up to artful interpretation. The author returned as the adaptation’s showrunner and lead writer, making some creative decisions at the end of Dark Matter season 1 that suggested he has more to add to his original story. The cliffhangers he installed perfectly set up a second season of the sci-fi tale, which means Edgerton’s appraisal makes little sense.

Sorry Joel Edgerton, Dark Matter Season 1’s Finale Isn’t Satisfying As A Series Ending

Blake Crouch’s new Dark Matter cliffhangers need resolving

Speaking with Decider, Edgerton didn’t confirm or deny whether Dark Matter season 2 will happen. In all likelihood, he probably doesn’t know for sure. It all depends on how well the first season does on Apple TV+ and whether a follow-up is deemed worthy of being made. That being said, the show’s star did have a stance on how he would feel if Dark Matter remained a single-season project. Edgerton’s statement seems to make sense at first, but upon further inspection, there are a few words that don’t quite add up.

“If a season 2 doesn’t pan out, I’m satisfied with the deeply fulfilling season 1 journey. It’s been a profound experience exploring themes of longing, regrets, and family through the lens of science-fiction.”

The actor is certainly correct about Dark Matter‘s central themes, but claiming he’d be “satisfied” if Dark Matter season 2 doesn’t happen is a little confusing. The last-minute additions to the final minutes of the season 1 finale would mean several loose ends never being resolved if Apple TV+ opts not to pick up the show for more episodes. If anything, the show ending now would be the opposite of satisfying – it’d be deeply frustrating.

Dark Matter Should Have Avoided Its Season 2 Setup

The last-minute loose ends mean Dark Matter season 1 doesn’t work on its own

Dark Matter season 1 adapted almost every moment from the book, and the additions it made elevated the story to the next level. The casting decisions were brilliant, and Apple TV+ nailed the tone of the source material. The original novel is a powerful story that stands up well on its own without the need to find out what happens afterward. Oddly, Crouch felt the need to risk his live-action adaptation’s ending by embedding open-ended storylines that could be continued into a potential Dark Matter season 2.

The writing decision could be viewed as brave, but also a little over-confident. There’s never a guarantee that any show will continue beyond its first season, and Dark Matter had the perfect fail-safe – that it wasted – by having a single book that had everything the adaptation needed to be effective. Now, if the show isn’t picked up for a second season, Dark Matter will have ended with irritatingly compelling cliffhangers that can never be resolved. This would further contradict Edgerton’s description of Dark Matter season 1 as a “Fulfilling” journey – because the journey will have come to an abrupt halt.

Why Dark Matter Season 1’s Finale Suggests A Continuation Beyond The Source Material

Crouch wanted to force Apple TV+’s hand into making Dark Matter season 2

Dark Matter season 1’s additions to the book flesh out the existing universe, albeit in a separate canon. However, the show’s finale edges Dark Matter into the category of live-action adaptions that go beyond the source material. The show has no more books on which to base a follow-up, as Crouch never wrote a sequel. So, if the story were to continue onscreen, then it would be an entirely original narrative – although it would need to keep the established canon in mind.

Related

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.

This could have been achieved without the teases, but including them increases the chance of Dark Matter‘s renewal. If season 1 ended as the book had, not renewing the show would have been an easier call due to what would have been a cleaner conclusion. With the show having unanswered questions and the implied continuation of fresh storylines, there’s a bigger appeal for those who have read the book as well as those who haven’t. In short, making a statement of intent to continue the story beyond the final page of the book boosts the chances of Dark Matter‘s return.

Source: Decider

Dark Matter (2024)

4.5

Based on his novel of the same name, Dark Matter is a sci-fi drama-thriller television series created for Apple TV+ by Blake Crouch. The series follows a physicist who is kidnapped and thrown into an alternate reality where he witnesses one potential path his life could have taken. However, he learns that the lives of his family are in jeopardy by an alternate version of himself.

Cast

Joel Edgerton , Jennifer Connelly , Alice Braga , Jimmi Simpson , Oakes Fegley , Dayo Okeniyi

Release Date

May 8, 2024

Seasons

1

Writers

Blake Crouch

Creator(s)

Blake Crouch

Where To Watch

Apple TV+

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