DARK MATTER Recap: (S01E08) Jupiter

Brian D. Bradley

daniela speaks on the phone while jason looks on in Dark Matter's "Jupiter"

DISCLAIMER: This recap of Dark Matter Season 1 Episode 8, “Jupiter” contains spoilers. Read at your risk.

Last Week on Dark Matter’s “In the Fires of Dead Stars”

In last week’s Dark Matter episode, “In the Fires of Dead Stars”, Jason2’s (Joel Edgerton) scheme to curate Original Jason’s life and family to his liking continued to implode. With Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) on to him and Detective Mason questioning him about Ryan’s disappearance, Jason2’s calm exterior started to crack.

Attempting to cover his tracks, he cracked the concrete around The Box. He then traveled to a universe where Ryan is not a successful scientist, but an alcoholic auto mechanic. After filling him with booze he kidnapped the woozy mechanic and stuck him in Original Ryan’s apartment. He spun a story of finding Original Ryan on a bender in hopes of putting everyone at ease and off his trail.

Meanwhile, Original Jason and Amanda (Alice Braga) parted ways in a beautiful version of Chicago. Amanda decided she had enough Box travel. Now alone in the multiverse, heartbroken and exhausted, Original Jason was also at his wit’s end. Taking his last ampoule, he finally managed to get back to his universe. Done messing around, he went straight to a gun store to arm himself before confronting Jason2. Denied a firearm, he instead purchased a knife and bear spray and ran off. It looked like we were heading for a Jason-on-Jason battle until seconds later a THIRD Jason entered the gun store also looking for a firearm. This Universe now has at least three Jasons running around and all of them appear to mean business.

RELATED: Read our in-depth recap of Dark Matter, episode 7, “In the Fires of Dead Stars”.

Dark Matter, “Jupiter”

The episode of Dark Matter begins with Jason2 at home with Charlie. His son tells him Daniella went to see Mindy who is taking care of the Ryan he smuggled into Original Ryan’s apartment. If he’s unphased by this development, he is anything but when moments later he’s attacked in the alley behind their house while taking out the garbage. Even more disturbing his attacker is… himself.

Jason v Jason… v Jasons

Based on clothing, it doesn’t look like this is Original Jason though. Nor the other Jason who appeared in the gun store in the previous episode. Whatever the case, Jason2 kills this other version of himself. After quietly dragging the body into his garage, he is nearly caught by Charlie. The near death from the nut allergy would be nothing compared to his son discovering that he’s murdered an identical clone of himself. Jason2 looks fully rattled.

In a hotel room somewhere in the city Original Jason packs the knife and bear spray and sets off to make his own attempt on Jason2’s life. But he is stopped in his tracks when he runs into yet another Jason exiting a hotel room down the hall. After fleeing into the night, Original Jason soon discovers a completely different Jason is following him. After a brief chase, he loses this Jason and ducks into the safety of The Village Tap only to discover that he’s already there. Yes, there’s yet another Jason grabbing a beer in the corner.

Jason drinks a beer with another version of himself in Dark Matter's "Jupiter"

A Beer With One’s Self

Original Jason joins his quantum double for a beer and the two men sort out the events. Just as the decision Original Jason made to stay with Daniela created Jason2’s branching reality, so has every decision he’s made since his kidnapping. This process created more realities and more Jasons. And all of the decisions those Jasons made created even more. And so and so on ad infinitum, with all of these Jasons hell-bent on finding their way back to their family in this version of Chicago. While some were killed or lost in the multiverse, many made the correct choices. Now those Jasons are converging in this world at the same time.

RELATED: Doctor Who: Check Out 11 New Photos From ‘Empire of Death’

After discovering that they have both hatched the identical plan to kill Jason2, it dawns on them that dispatching their shared enemy doesn’t really solve the problem. Because now a theoretically infinite number of Jasons will be pouring into this universe, all of them believing that they are the real one. Just like The Highlander, there can be only one.

Worst College Visit Ever

Even with a dead clone in the trunk of his car in his garage, Jason2 does not know the gravity of what is coming for him. Daniela asks to use the murder car and Jason2 ham-fistedly dissuades her. After visiting the confused Ryan (Jimmi Simpson) that Jason2 kidnapped from another universe, this sketchy behavior does not soothe her suspicions about her husband. If he thinks he’s out of the woods, he’s wrong.

A distraught Ryan looks on in the Dark Matter episode "Jupiter"

While driving his son to school (with a corpse in the trunk) he discovers that the “school” he’s driving Charlie to is The University of Chicago where Charlie has a a college visit. A visit that must have been scheduled by Original Jason before his kidnapping. This becomes clear when, while touring the campus, he discovers another Jason (one who shares the memories of Original Jason from before things branched) waits for him.

RELATED: Read our House of the Dragon recaps here!

Jason2 tells Charlie to take the car and meet him at an address off-campus. He then finds himself being chased by himself. This version has burn scars on his face and looks like he has one thing on his mind. The two finally end up grappling for their lives in a bathroom. Once again, Jason2 manages to kill his double. After hiding the body, Jason2 runs off to meet his son. And it’s a good thing too. Young Charlie, who only has a learner’s permit, has been pulled over by the police. After some hurried excuses, the cop lets them go and the two of them speed away from the scene of the crime.

Reunion

While Jason2 drives around Chicago with his son and a corpse in the trunk, Daniela takes the opportunity to return to his secret storage unit. And this time she’s brought bolt cutters. Inside the unit, she discovers his stash of cash, ampoules, and gear, along with auto mechanic Ryan’s old uniform. It has his name stitched on it. Why did Jason2 keep these clothes instead of ditching them? Who knows. But this is just another piece of a puzzle Daniella is desperately trying to put together. Then her cell phone rings. It’s the police calling to say they have her husband in custody.

RELATED: Read our The Lazarus Project recaps!

Earlier, Original Jason got himself arrested in a diner after intentionally lighting a cigar to annoy the customers and management. But it was just a ploy to lure Daniela to the police station so they could have a safe place to talk. She’s angry at him for all the lies, but Original Jason tells her she’s mad at the wrong man. He explains The Box, the multiverse, and Jason2’s scheme and, predictably, she doesn’t believe him. But he’s prepared for this. He then tells her to call his cell phone, which is currently in the possession of Jason2, and ask him about a vacation they never took. When Jason2 fakes his way through the conversation, it confirms what Original Jason has been saying.

Beyond rattled and horrified that her son is currently in the care of her husband’s evil clone she sets off to retrieve Charlie. But not before agreeing to meet Original Jason later. Because all of the Jason clones think exactly alike, Original Jason asks her to pick the location and a safeword. The word she chooses is Jupiter.

RELATED: Read our Annabelle Comes Home Spoiler Review!

The Escape

Returning home Daniela discovers Jason2 hurriedly packing. With two dead Jasons and more on the way, he wants to get out of town. He tells her to pack, instead she quietly goes to Charlie and tells him they need to leave. After sending Charlie out to the car, she tricks Original Jason into helping her retrieve a suitcase from the basement. She then pushes him down the stairs and locks the door.

She and Charlie are about to drive off when what looks like Original Jason drives up in a hurry. He tells them to get into the car. But very quickly she realizes this isn’t her Jason at all. But just another quantum iteration. She tells him to pull over and while they argue about it, they are suddenly hit by another car. This one is driven by, yep, ANOTHER Jason. They’re multiplying like rabbits.

Jennifer Connelly as Daniella looks forward while standing by Chicago's 'bean' sculpture

Daniela flees the scene with Charlie and heads to the meeting place: the famous “bean” sculpture in downtown Chicago. Waiting for her is Original Jason. After uttering the safe word, he embraces his son. And we end on Daniela’s worried face, wondering how any of this is real and how will they survive it.

Catch up on our Dark Matter Recaps!

Dark Matter is currently streaming on Apple TV+.

https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/star-trek-lower-decks-actors/

Leave a Comment