Warning! Contains Spoilers For Apple TV+’s Dark Matter.

Although Dark Matter season 1’s ending brings a well-rounded closure to many underlying storylines, it also makes room for another season by intentionally leaving viewers with several intriguing cliffhangers. After walking through Jason’s multiversal travels throughout its runtime and introducing many alternate versions of him in episode 8, Dark Matter episode 9 highlights how the “Jupiter” Jason reconnects with his family while attempting to protect them from his alternate counterparts. Meanwhile, a scarred version of Jason1 tortures Jason2, reminding him of the mess he created.

Despite facing several challenges in Dark Matter‘s episodes 8 and 9, “Jupiter” Jason manages to protect his family. He also realizes he must escape to another parallel world with them to ensure they can live the rest of their lives in peace. With this, Dark Matter season 1 reaches its end, revealing little about the other Jasons’ fate and the world Daniela, “Jupiter” Jason, and Charlie end up in. Without giving away too much, it also hints there is more to Ryan1, Amanda, Blaire, and Dawn’s arc than meets the eye.

Which Parallel World Jason, Charlie, & Amanda Go To In Dark Matter’s Ending

Likely A World Where Alternate Versions Of Them Do Not Exist

Dark Matter season 1’s ending maintains an air of ambiguity surrounding which universe the three characters end up in after leaving their original world. This suggests that Jason either took them to a familiar world he has previously visited or manifested an entirely new world to keep his family safe from the other Jasons. Since nearly all the worlds he previously encountered during his multiversal travels were post-apocalyptic and dangerous for humans, he likely chose the utopian world where he left Amanda behind.

If this is true, he will, sooner or later, encounter Amanda and Ryan1. Jason might have also manifested a world similar to his own to ensure Daniela and Charlie could adapt easily. However, he must have also ensured that alternate versions of all three of them do not exist in the new world they have landed in because that could again create many complications and potentially put his family at risk. Regardless of where Jason, Daniela, and Charlie end up in Dark Matter season 1’s episodes, they will eventually encounter other evil variants of Jason who would want Daniela and Charlie back.

Ryan1 & Amanda’s Meeting In Dark Matter’s Ending Explained

Dark Matter Season 1’s Sets Up A New Team Up

Before the credits start rolling, Dark Matter season 1 features a sequence in which Ryan1 prepares the central drug in his world and later encounters Amanda. In the brief scene where he crosses paths with Amanda, she asks him if they know each other. He says that even though they do not know each other, he has been looking for her. Given how Jason2 did not mention Amanda to Ryan1 during their brief interaction in the original Jason1 universe, it seems strange that Ryan1 even knows about her.

The scene even suggests that Ryan1 somehow knows Amanda, like him, is originally from a different world, which is something season 2 will likely explain. However, since Ryan1 starts creating more of the central drug in Dark Matter season 1’s finale, he likely plans to return to The Box and explore more worlds. He realizes the risks associated with it and probably wants Amanda to guide him on how The Box works. The final shot of Ryan1 and Amanda in Dark Matter seemingly confirms the two will team up in a potential follow-up season.

Why The Other Jasons Let Daniela & Charlie Go

They Wanted Daniela To Be Happy

Throughout Dark Matter season 1’s finale, Jason struggles to protect Daniela and Charlie as many other variants of him attempt to attack him. Things get even uglier when Daniela takes Jason’s laptop, opens the message board with other Jasons, and informs them that she has chosen to stay with the Jason she is currently with. While many Jasons do not take this news too well and set out to wage war against the chosen “Jupiter” Jason, several others realize that not all of them can have Daniela and Charlie.

Therefore, instead of fighting each other, they understand they must prioritize Daniela and Charlie’s happiness instead of being driven by their selfish pursuit of reuniting with their family. As a result, the Jasons, who hold similar beliefs about letting Daniela go, show up near The Box to bid their final farewell. Some Jasons reconsider their decision, but one Jason leads the chosen Jason, Daniela, and Charlie to safety. Given how only a few Jasons accept that Daniela would be better off without them, there are probably many other evil Jasons who will continue looking for her.

Why Jason2 Helps Jason1, Daniela, & Charlie

Jason2 Realizes Where He Went Wrong

After being the main villain throughout Dark Matter season 1’s runtime, Jason2 has a change of heart. He encounters a more calloused version of Jason1, making him realize how inventing The Box was the biggest mistake of his life. As his voice note for Daniela later reveals, he got so consumed by his pursuit of chasing the life he never had and making up for his regrets that he completely ignored how his decisions would affect the lives of Daniela, Charlie, and all other alternate versions of himself. He understands that Daniela would never be happy with him because she was never his Daniela in the first place.

To find a semblance of redemption in Dark Matter episode 9’s final arc, he rescues the “chosen” Jason, Daniela, and Charlie from other violent Jasons and helps them leave. He gives them a car and even leaves several ampules of the drug for them, realizing that they will have to move to another parallel world to find peace. In Dark Matter season 1’s finale, Jason 2 also grasps how much Amanda loved him, which will likely prompt him to get back in the box and get her back before it is too late.

What Dark Matter’s Ending Means For Leighton, Dawn, & Blaire?

The Apple TV+ Show Promises Their Return In Season 2

In its closing sequence, Dark Matter season 1 also gives a glimpse of Dawn (presumably from Jason2’s universe), Leighton (from Jason1’s universe, and Blaire (from Jason2’s universe). While Dawn looks at The Box and seemingly thinks about using it, Blaire finally prepares to return to The Box after fearing it for a long time. Meanwhile, Leighton seems to be having the time of his life as he travels from one parallel world to another in his quest to find the best alternate reality. In the original Blake Crouch books, all three characters barely have any significance.

By highlighting how they, too, are going to be integral to the overarching narrative, Dark Matter sets up an intriguing narrative expansion of its source material. Since Leighton and Blaire are on a quest to find the perfect reality, they could end up in the same utopian world as Ryan1 and Amanda. To seek revenge on Jason1, Dawn could become Dark Matter‘s future villain after she uses The Box to find him in his world. However, since learning how to use The Box requires patience and practice, it would be interesting to see all the worlds she will encounter before reaching her desired world.

Quantum Entanglement In Dark Matter’s Finale Explained

Dark Matter Interprets The Scientific Concept From A Philosophical Lens

Since Dark Matter‘s episode 9 is titled “Entanglement,” it is worth discussing what it means in quantum physics and how the Apple TV+ sci-fi show aligns with its exploration of parallel worlds. In quantum physics, entanglement is a phenomenon where two or more particles are connected in such a way that the properties of one particle can instantaneously affect the ones of others. Dark Matter portrays this by showing how all Jasons think the same. When the “chosen” Jason first accesses the Jason chatroom, he receives several similar messages from many Jasons.

He later asks Charlie and Daniela to decide where they should go next because every other Jason is entangled with him and would think exactly the way he does. Towards the episode’s final arc, so many Jasons also show up near The Box because they are mentally entangled with one another, making them think exactly like the “chosen” Jason. The “entanglement” also eventually helps many Jasons realize they must let Daniela and Charlie decide which Jason they wish to be with.

How Dark Matter Season 1 Sets Up Season 2?

Dark Matter Season 1’s Ending Perfectly Paves The Way For More Multiversal Adventures

By not revealing which world Jason, Daniela, and Charlie settle in, Dark Matter season 1 leaves viewers with a major cliffhanger that makes it hard not to wonder if the three characters have completely evaded danger from the evil alternate Jasons. The closing sequence also sets the stage for Ryan1, Amanda, Blaire, and Leighton’s return in season 2, opening the floodgates of more multiversal adventures from their individual perspectives. Given how Dark Matter season 1 primarily focuses on Jason, Daniela, and Amanda, it would be interesting to see how season 2 will accommodate and balance other characters’ narratives.