“Are you happy with your life?” This line in the opening episode of “Dark Matter,” uttered early on but seemingly as a throwaway line of question, might as well sum up the entire point of the Apple TV+ miniseries. Based on the novel of the same name by author Blake Crouch (who also serves as the adaptation’s creator and showrunner), the story follows the average life of the rather unremarkable Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton). He’s married to the love of his life Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), has a normal teenage son named Charlie (Oakes Fegley), and works as a physics professor at a local college, teaching concepts like Schrödinger’s cat with the casual air of someone who, deep down, wonders if he was meant for more in life. And maybe, in another world, he is.
To its credit, “Dark Matter” doesn’t beat around the bush. Here’s another multiverse adventure, in which an alternate version of Jason has continued his scientific research rather than settle for a life of domestic bliss, perfected a machine capable of traversing parallel dimensions, and left his reality behind in favor of one in which it is not haunted by his biggest regret. In an age where the idea of the multiverse has been torn to pieces in the superhero scene, Crouch and his stable of co-writers and directors keep it fresh by digging into its most fundamental appeal in the first place: the appeal of righting past wrongs and actually seeing the paths not taken. For those looking for media that doesn’t talk down to its audience, that tackles some seriously existential themes, and that plays to the genre’s strengths, this is the series for you.
Season 1 of “Dark Matter” is available to stream on Apple TV+.
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