DISCLAIMER: This recap of Dark Matter Season 1 Episode 6, “Superposition” contains spoilers. Read at your risk.
Last Week on Dark Matter’s “Worldless”
In Dark Matter‘s “Worldless”, Original Jason (Joel Edgerton) and Amanda (Alice Braga) began to dial in their Box piloting skills. They learned that the key to finding the right door is about control of not just their thoughts, but their emotions, intentions, and fears, too. This took them to several versions of Chicago that each looked more and more like Original Jason’s home. But they also learned that “close” is not always less disturbing.
Meanwhile, Jason2 gave Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi) from Original Jason’s universe a rich man’s tutorial on using The Box. Afterward, a thrilled Leighton offered him one million dollars for each ampoule he could acquire. So Jason2 traveled back to his universe and swiped a large supply of Lavender Fairy. In doing so, he learned for the first time that Original Jason and Amanda, as well as that universe’s Leighton, are on his trail. Jason2’s response: he intends to seal up The Box in Original Jason’s universe.
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Striving For Perfection
On this week’s Dark Matter episode, “Superposition” begins with Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) painting. Having been promised by Jason2 that money is no longer an issue, she’s tries to see if she still has a passion for her art. She’s unsteady, but Jason2, trying to create his perfect Daniela, encourages her and fawns over her work. He also tells her the deal with Leighton is complete. But Jason’s attitude and their sudden wealth only make Daniela more suspicious of her husband’s behavior.
After arming Leighton with a lot of ampoules and Jason2 sends him off on his journey into the multiverse. He restates his plan to seal up this world’s box. It seems his take-over of Original Jason’s life is nearly complete. Until that is, tragedy nearly strikes.
Nuts
Jason2 picks up Charlie from a skatepark and discovers he’s heartsick. Charlie discovered the girl he likes is involved with another boy. To soothe Charlie’s stung feelings (and continue the “cool dad” scam he’s running), he gives the boy some ice cream. But there’s a problem. Jason2 has no idea that the nuts in the ice cream will trigger Charlie’s nut allergy. An allergy he would know about if he were really Charlie’s Dad. In the ER, Daniela is stunned that her husband could make such a dangerous mistake. Her concerns about her Jason2 are growing into real concern. Thankfully, Charlie is okay.
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A Night Out
Back in The Corridor, Original Jason and Amanda continue their search for the right Chicago. They’re getting more skilled and the universes they visit are less and less frightful. And yet, none of them are his. Exhausted and running out of ampoules, Amanda suggests they take a break and get a hotel for the night. Throughout a fun night of food, drinks and dancing the two connect in a way their insane journey has not allowed to this point.
Back at their hotel, they end up sharing a single bed, and the evening’s fun and drink have them cuddling up. But when Amanda makes a move, Original Jason declines. It’s easy to see that these two would have chemistry in another life and another world. But this is not his world and she is not his wife.
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Big Gestures, Big Mistakes
Back in Original Jason’s universe, Jason2 finds this world’s version of Amanda, a therapist in private practice. Under the guise of talking about his problems, he admits that his new life is not as perfect as he hoped and the close call with Charlie’s nut allergy. Daniela is upset with him and he plans on making it up to her with a “big romantic gesture”.
Daniela seeks counsel of her own from this world’s Blair. After hearing about his strange behavior, including their newfound wealth and amped-up sex life, Blair doesn’t see the problem. But then Daniela tells her about Jason2 “forgetting” about Charlie’s nut allergy and the needle marks she noticed on his arm. These are red flags and Blair suggests Daniela follow her husband to find out what’s going on.
Daniela seems unsure about this advice until she experiences Jason2’s “big romantic gesture”. In a ham-fisted effort to impress her and perhaps her into being the artist he wants her to be, he takes her to a charity auction at the gallery where she works. Daniela is stunned to discover that Jason2 paid the gallery to display the test painting she was working on earlier. She is angry and humiliated. But Jason2 is confused by this and let’s slip the real truth, that Daniela isn’t shaping up to be the person from his fantasy.
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Secrets Revealed
Daniela has finally had it. She takes Blair’s advice and follows Jason2 to his secret storage unit (see episode 1). After his exit, she slips her arm underneath the locked gate and retrieves an ampoule. Thinking it’s proof of her husband’s secret drug use, she takes the ampoule to Ryan (Jimmi Simpson) and asks him to have it analyzed.
Fraying At The Edges
Back in the multiverse the constant disappointment of near-misses and the stress of Box travel have Amanda and Original Jason fraying at the edges. And when they split up for the day, they each encounter versions of their lives that leave them heartsick.
Amanda sees a version of her life where she’s married and has a young son. And, once again, Original Jason finds himself outside of a version of his house, watching this universe’s Jason and Daniela through a window playfully dancing. He returns to Amanda distraught, having suddenly realized that Jason2 must have engaged in this same kind of jealous stalking before he kidnapped him and took over his life. With only 10 ampoules left and seeing her traveling partner on the edge of a breakdown, she tells him that they need a new strategy.
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Back in therapy with the other Amanda, Jason2 seems to be considering a new strategy too. The life he stole from Original Jason is proving more complicated to manage than he imagined. His dream of merging his ambition and wealth with a loving family that was missing in his own world is falling apart. He almost killed Charlie and Daniela is furious at him for the stunt with the painting. He wonders if he’s made a mistake and ponders the idea of abandoning the entire affair and leaving the mess he’s made in this universe.
A Permanent Solution
But things only get more complicated when on his way home he’s surprised by an angry Ryan. He’s analyzed the ampoule Daniela gave him and come to the conclusion that Jason2 stole his work. Wanting to quash this danger, Jason2 convinces Ryan that he didn’t steal Lavender Fairy and invites him to The Box to show him how it works. After transporting an amazed Ryan to a beautiful version of Chicago, he steals Ryan’s cell phone and strands him in this strange world.
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He returns to Original Jason’s universe after thinking he’s solved that dilemma. Unfortunately, his problems continue when Ryan’s phone buzzes and he finds it’s a call from Daniela. Putting two and two together, he seems to realize that Daniela must have been the one to give the ampoule to Ryan. Which means she’s on to him.
With a suspicious wife scrutinizing his every move and Original Jason, Amanda and the Leighton from his universe hot on his trail, it’s time to lock the situation down. The episode ends with Jason2 meeting with a shadowy contractor and then an image of The Box fully encased in thick concrete. No one will be able to enter this universe from the outside. And if Jason2 was truly thinking of escaping his growing mess, his exit is gone too. It appears he’s doubling down on making this life work, no matter the consequences.
Catch up on our Dark Matter Recaps, here!
Dark Matter is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
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