9 Biggest Questions Constellation Season 1 Never Answered

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for all of Constellation season 1!Constellation season 1 was full of exciting twists and turns, and while several solutions were provided to some of the show’s biggest mysteries, there were also many loose ends after the credits rolled in the finale. Jo’s experiences across Constellation‘s two alternate timelines resulted in a mind-bending plot that intentionally made events just as challenging to follow for viewers as they were for Noomi Rapace’s character in the AppleTV+ sci-fi show. While it’s possible to speculate on the answers to some of the unresolved queries, solid answers will need to wait until Constellation season 2 – if it happens.

Most of the main members of the Constellation cast had to play two different versions of the same character. While certain variants were very similar, others were vastly different. As a result, the two realities each took shape around the actions and decisions made by the various iterations of the show’s characters. Therefore, what may have made sense in one universe didn’t apply to its counterpart. For every complex plot point that was eventually cleaned up, multiple others appeared in its place. So, Constellation season 1’s finale left the story in a precarious place.

9
Was Destroying The CAL The Solution Bud Hoped For?

The CAL’s influence seemed to carry on beyond its destruction

The early stages of Constellation season 1, episode 8, “These Fragments I Have Shored Against My Ruin” show Jonathon Banks’ Bud Caldera fresh from his switch with Henry. Soon after awakening, Bud recovers the CAL and smashes it to smithereens with an axe. The implication is that Bud is aware of the CAL’s role in the switch and is trying to prevent himself being sent back to his miserable existence in the other universe. However, it’s unclear if his destruction of the equipment will achieve his goal.

Even after the CAL is left in ruins, Jo continues to experience visions from the other universe. There is no doubt that the CAL is well and truly destroyed, so Jo’s ongoing situation doesn’t appear to be tied to the CAL at all. Additionally, Alice is still able to speak with her alternate self without the CAL being functional. So, there’s no guarantee that Bud is destined to remain where he is, even with the CAL’s destruction.

8
Does Magnus Believe Jo & Alice’s Story?

Both versions of James D’Arcy’s Constellation character seem unsure of the truth

Magnus witnesses the silhouette of his Jo through the swirling snow at the end of Constellation episode 7, “Through the Looking Glass.” However, it’s evident from his exchanges with Alice and his therapist that he didn’t believe his own eyes. Whenever Magnus shuts down what he believes to be his daughter’s delusions, he seems angry and distant rather than concerned that Alice is in denial about her mother’s death.

Even at the end of the Constellation season 1 finale, Magnus is still vocally cautious about Jo being somehow different. His suspicions are obvious, so it’s likely Magnus knows something still isn’t quite right. While he may be confused, both versions of Magnus seem reluctant to take Jo or Alice’s story at face value. Instead, he views the scenario metaphorically, keeping actual events at arm’s length.

7
What did Paul Lancaster See When He Was Unconscious?

Paul awoke with a fright in the Constellation season 1 finale

When Paul wakes up in hospital after being shot by Bud, he is visibly distressed. His quiet outburst is simple and cryptic: “I’ve seen something.” At the end of “Through the Looking Glass,” Constellation confirms that glimpses into other universes aren’t confined to the waking mind, with Alice seeing the Valya while also unconscious following her ordeal at the cabin. Paul staring nervously at his hands suggests that what he saw involved himself, and it scared him.

Just as Irena and the Valya can both exist in varying states of life, Paul could also have witnessed his deceased self that came back to Earth after his death on the ISS in the other timeline. Alternative, he may have even seen the Valya herself. Very little context is given to Paul’s panicked state, so whatever his experiences were are left up to speculation. Having said that, a few educated guesses can be made based on what has happened to other Constellation characters.

6
Why Was The Valya So Interested In Alice?

Alice had heard from the Valya throughout most of Constellation season 1

The Valya is one of the most enigmatic figures throughout Constellation season 1. Although it becomes clear that the dead cosmonaut is Irena Lysenko from the other timeline, many other mysteries regarding her remain in place. As well as how she manages to cling on to some form of life, the Valya’s fascination with Alice is never something that’s openly addressed. Alice tells Jo that the Valya speaks to her, and even recognizes her voice on the tape recordings, despite the fact that Alice doesn’t speak Russian.

Their only on-screen interaction comes near the end of “Through the Looking Glass.” The Valya beckons to Alice while she is unconscious, making promises such as: “Come with me, and I’ll take you to your mamma.” It’s unclear whether the Valya is being genuine in her desire to reunite Alice with her mother, or whether her true intentions are nefarious in nature. When the ominous tone and score of the scene are considered, it’s more likely that the latter is true.

5
Was Henry’s Theory About His DNA Correct?

Henry tried his best to prove he isn’t Bud

While Bud got what he wanted by swapping places with Henry, Henry ended up paying the price for Bud’s recent wrongdoings. After technically being wrongfully arrested for the murder of Ian Rogers and the attempted murder of Paul Lancaster, Henry’s only defense is the truth. The problem with the truth is that it’s possible for Henry to prove it without any meaningful evidence. That being said, he certainly tries to support his claims with an unusual statement.

Speaking in his defense in the Constellation finale, Henry claims that his DNA will differ from that of Bud’s, stating it should, “Twist in a different direction from which you found at Bud Caldera’s.” This seems like an oddly specific prediction, and implies that Henry has a theory regarding how to tell the inhabitants of the two universes apart. The detective across from Henry pauses for several beats too long before saying, “Nope. The DNA is exactly the same.” The delay in response suggests that perhaps Henry wasn’t entirely incorrect, but this isn’t cleared up before the episode ends.

4
Why Are Only Certain Astronauts In Constellation Affected By Space Travel?

Jo is one of a select unlucky few

Jo isn’t the only unfortunate soul flung from her native universe and incorrectly diagnosed with a mental illness, as Irena confirms this has happened to several others who have been to space. What’s interesting is that it isn’t everyone who goes into space who comes back to the wrong reality. In fact, most astronauts appear to avoid the scenario completely, so it raises questions regarding what the catalyst might be.

One theory is that Jo and Paul’s proximity to the CAL in Constellation when the corpse of the Valya struck the ISS is what caused them both to slide into another reality. However, the CAL is only a relatively recent development within the world of the show, and other astronauts have suffered the same effects long before the equipment’s invention. Even the “First man in space” shown in the season 1 finale had been driven to madness by his experiences. So, there isn’t yet a clear answer as to why only select astronauts suffer this fate.

3
What’s So Unusual About Jo’s Baby? (Other Than The Obvious)

Irena seems confused and intrigued by Jo’s unsual baby scans

Jo’s baby will already be unique due to the fact that it will have parents who are each some different realities, but the scenario could be even more compelling than that. When the nurses carry out the ultrasound scan in “These Fragments I Have Shored Against My Ruin,” one of them hurries to Irena’s side and whispers, “There’s something wrong with the machine. The image is corrupted.”

Irena doesn’t just look confused when she looks at the scans of Jo’s baby but is also concerned. The circumstances in which the child has been conceived are far from conventional, so it’s possible it will either be at risk or harbor some kind of innate abilities that relate to Constellation‘s multiverse. The fact that Irena inspects the scans again in private near the end of the finale implies that she knows more than she is sharing with Jo.

2
Why Did Irena Lie To Jo About Getting Home?

Irena had just discovered that Bud and Henry had switched places

When Irena finally gives up trying to deceive Jo about the nature of her surroundings, she eventually comes clean and tells Jo that there is no way back to her version of Alice and Magnus. While it seems as though Jo slowly makes peace with the fact that she’s stuck in her new life, it raises the question of why Irena is still misleading her. Earlier in the same episode, Irena had just met with who she believed to be Henry, only to discover that Bud had returned to his original body.

Irena now knows it could be possible for Jo to return home, but she doesn’t know how it happened to Bud and Henry. So, Irena may simply be trying to help Jo in the only way she knows how – by aiding her in accepting that her new life is now the only one she mayl ever know. It’s debatable whether this is the best course of action or not, but Constellation season 1 doesn’t directly confirm or deny whether these were Irena’s real motivations.

1
Will Jo Be The Next Valya In Constellation Season 2?

The dead Jo on the ISS somehow seems to be alive in some form

The connection between both versions of Jo is not entirely dissimilar to the one shared by Irena and the Valya. While a version of each woman is alive and well on Earth, the other is floating dead through the vastness of space. However, the main difference is that the other Jo is confined to the ISS, whereas the Valya’s location is much less definite. The Valya’s communication with Alice seems to be some kind of psychic connection, while the dead Jo trapped on the ISS makes a last-minute grab for an iPad during the finale’s final seconds.

The plot twist all but removes the possibility of Jo getting home, as if she were to find a way to switch back, she would find herself trapped in a dead body aboard an abandoned ISS. The Valya is marooned too, which only strengthens the comparison between Jo and Irena’s situations. In short, it appears as if the dead Jo may follow a very similar path to the Valya if Constellation is renewed for a second season.