Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Dark Matter season 1 finale, “Entanglement.”

Dark Matter season 1 ended in almost exactly the same way as the 2016 novel, but one of the additional storylines added in by Apple TV+ was seemingly abandoned as the story drew to a close. Joel Edgerton led the Dark Matter cast as Jason Dessen, with his character(s) following an incredibly similar arc to his book counterpart(s). Blake Crouch, who wrote the original book on which the show was based, also returned as the showrunner and lead scriptwriter. Crouch made several changes to the Dark Matter book when making the show, but he didn’t resolve every new narrative element.

The ending of Dark Matter season 1 surprisingly teases another run of episodes from Apple TV+. With the source material now exhausted, the show would go beyond the events of the book and continue on its altered trajectory. A continuation of Dark Matter could mean discovering the fates of characters new and old. However, there’s one figure in particular who was ignored during the closing moments of the season 1 finale – and they offered something refreshing to the adaptation.

Dark Matter Season 1’s Ending Doesn’t Fully Resolve Detective Mason’s Missing Persons Investigation

Kate Eastman’s character is absent for the final 2 episodes of Dark Matter season 1

Kate Eastman appears in two episodes of Dark Matter season 1 as Detective Jamie Mason. Like Amanda Brugel’s Blair Caplan, Detective Mason doesn’t appear in the book and is exclusive to Apple TV+’s live-action adaptation. She fills a gap in the show that’s left open in the novel, in that she’s looking into disappearances associated with Jason2’s multiverse box. Of course, she doesn’t know how or why the individuals are going missing, but Velocity’s missing box pilots are at least addressed in the show, rather than appearing in mere throwaway references in the book.

Although Crouch realized his new version of the story needed a character like Mason to make more sense, the adaptation doesn’t do the addition enough justice. The decision to include Eastman’s Dark Matter character is an inspired one, but it ultimately leads nowhere, and it’s been completely swept aside by the time the finale comes around. Mason’s investigation was a huge threat to Jason2’s plan to integrate seamlessly into his new life, and he got off too easily from what could have been an exciting cat-and-mouse chase.

Detective Mason Could Be Jason2’s Biggest Obstacle In Dark Matter

The “disappearance” of the Dessen family will put Jason2 back in Mason’s crosshairs

While she may have been underutilized in Dark Matter‘s inaugural run on Apple TV+, a second season has the chance to revive the tension between Detective Mason and Jason2. While Mason made very little headway with her hunt for the missing box pilots, she had solidly identified Jason2 as a person of interest when Jimmi Simpson’s Ryan Holder vanished off the face of the Earth. So, she’ll likely be keeping a watchful eye on Edgerton’s villain going forward.

Jason2’s fate isn’t clear at the end of Dark Matter season 1, as he’s just shown being introspective after helping the Dessens escape the Jason-ridden Chicago behind. Interestingly, it doesn’t seem as though he has any plans to also escape in the box, but rather intends to remain in his new universe. If so, then it’s only a matter of time before Detective Mason realizes that Daniela and Charlie are now missing too. Jason2 may attempt to cover his tracks by reporting Daniela and Charlie missing, but Mason’s view of Jason2 won’t erase him as a prime suspect.

Mason will have very little evidence that’ll help her pin the disappearance of Daniela and Charlie on Jason2, and she naturally won’t even factor in the possibility of them escaping into Dark Matter‘s multiverse. On the other hand, she’s unlikely to just step aside and stop looking into the incredibly suspicious nature of Jason2’s behavior. From her perspective, suddenly being unable to locate Jason2’s apparent wife and child will be a serious cause for alarm, so it depends if she can come up with any kind of proof that Jason2 is responsible. Which, in an arguably indirect way, he is.

Jason2’s Replacement Ryan Also Needs To Be Addressed

When Jason2 was forced to reveal the box’s existence to Ryan in Dark Matter season 1, episode 6, “Superposition,” he took the opportunity to strand Simpson’s character in an alternate Chicago. Ryan’s disappearance is what brought Mason back to the story in the next episode, and nearly rumbled Jason2’s scheme. However, Jason2 comes up with the ingenious solution to abduct an alternate Ryan from another reality and have him slot into his counterpart’s life against his will and without his knowledge. It’s not a perfect way of solving the problem, but it’s better than other options.

The new Ryan is incredibly disorientated, unaware of what’s happened to him. Like Mason, he’s also forgotten about by the end of Dark Matter season 1, suggesting the show will revisit him if it’s renewed. However, logically, Mason would want to speak with Ryan after he’s been “found.” Additionally, thanks to Daniela, the new Ryan is highly suspicious of Jason2 and suspects him to be responsible for wherever he currently is. So, Jason2 will need to get the new Ryan to cooperate so Mason abandons her investigation. Although, it remains to be seen if and how he’ll pull that off.

Dark Matter Season 2 Needs To Be Careful Not To Undo Jason2’s Redemption

Jason2 killing Mason to solve his problems won’t align with his change of heart

Jason2 has a last-minute moment of redemption in the Dark Matter season 1 finale, “Entanglement,” stepping in to save the Dessen family from the approaching horde of his multiversal doppelgängers. So, the story’s main villain would seem to be done with rash measures and extreme action to cover his tracks. Instead, he seems to have accepted that he was in the wrong when he stole the other Jason’s life, no matter how he tried to justify his actions to himself and others.

What makes this even more interesting is that the Dark Matter season 2 writers will need to find a way for Jason2’s conflict with Detective Mason to end without things getting even bloodier. In other words, Jason2 can’t just solve his problems by killing Mason, as this would completely undo his turnaround during “Entanglement.” On the other hand, abandoning the Detective Mason storyline altogether wouldn’t make sense either – not to mention the fact that the arc is great, and it would be a waste not to continue it in a potential Dark Matter season 2.