Diksha Sundriyal
Apple TV+’s ‘Dark Matter’ presents a complex story that gets more convoluted with each episode. Just when you think that the most difficult part of the story is over, something completely unexpected is thrown at the protagonist, Jason Dessen, who has to think on his feet and decide what step to take next, knowing well that each step opens the opportunity for a new challenge. By the show’s final two episodes, Jason doesn’t have many choices left as he is pitted against himself. Finding a unique solution to a problem when your competitor is you is quite a conundrum. Eventually, however, a choice must be made. Though it doesn’t necessarily have to be Jason’s.
Jason Removes Himself from the Decision-Making Position
With too many Jasons frolicking about Chicago, trying to get back what rightfully belongs to all of them, it becomes pertinent for an outside force to take charge of the situation. Earlier, Jason was competing against different versions of himself from different worlds. These Jasons made different choices and had completely different lives. But when he finally does return home, he finds himself in contention with the Jasons, who all used to be him at one point, until he went into the box and Pandora’s box of choices was opened up.
With more than a hundred Jasons in one world, it became clear that the fight to get to Michaela and Charlie would never stop. Even if all the alternate versions were killed, there was no way to know how many more versions of him were still out there, ready to walk out of the box and claim the life that is also technically theirs. When Michaela sees the chatting room where all Jason has gathered, she realizes the extent of the situation. She could not choose one Jason out of them all because they were all her husbands in some way. There was no way to figure out if one Jason was more the original Jason than the other. In the end, Daniela leaves it to fate.
Out of the hundreds of Jasons, only one managed to find a way to get her attention. Only one managed to reunite with her, and Charlie told them the truth and did what he had set out to do: reunite with his family. So, for all intents and purposes, the choice was already made. Daniela simply needed to declare it. What would be the point of all the other Jasons fighting for her if they discovered she didn’t want them? Would it matter if they somehow removed her Jason from the equation when they knew it wouldn’t get her to accept any of them?
A fight still ensues as a couple of Jasons figure out where Daniela and Charlie are, but Jason II helps them. He even gives them the ampoules that would allow them to leave this world because that is the only way for them to ensure their safety. If they continue to stay in this world, they will always be looking over their shoulders. What kind of life would that be? So, Daniela, Charlie, and Jason I decided to take that route. Despite the uncertainty of the world they would land in, they have the certainty of being with each other. As long as they are together, it doesn’t matter which world they end up calling their home.
The New Reality is Chosen by Charlie
Jason has spent a long time inside the box and has visited all sorts of worlds. It puts him in a good position to find a new, more suitable world for his family. However, it also puts them at risk. If Jason makes the choice, then there is a chance that another version of him will also end up making that choice. Even though he was allowed to walk away with Daniela and Charlie, not all of Jason were happy to let him go. Some questioned why he should be the one to get their family. Even those who let him go may question their stance later and might want to come after them.
When Jason I reached his world, he had run out of all the ampoules. The same, however, might not necessarily be true about other Jasons. Some of them might still have an ampoule or two left, and this might motivate them to use that to take one final shot at getting together with their family. This is not a risk, Jason, I can take going forward. Hence, he must not allow his consciousness to interfere with the box. He must not be the one who chooses the world. But the other Jasons might anticipate this. So, they might try to think along the lines of Daniela’s thoughts.
Daniela and Jason have been together for a long time. They know each other inside out, so whatever thought Daniela would have, the other Jasons might anticipate that too. Hence, having her make the choices is also out of the option. The only unpredictable element is Charlie. Even though all the Jasons know him pretty well, he is a teenager whose mind is difficult to map, even for his father. This is why Charlie is the one who is in charge of choosing the world.
In the end, we see Charlie open a door and walk out, followed by his parents. We don’t know what this new world looks like, and that is the point. The uncertainty shows that the other Jasons, like the audience, will never know which reality Charlie chose for his family and whether or not he chose this one. They had a total of 40 ampoules, which means they have thirteen opportunities (at least, in case they don’t find more ampoules) to find a new home for themselves. Considering Charlie, he would opt for a world where he and his family can live in peace without worrying about any other version of Jason, Daniela, or Charlie to worry about usurping their lives, though the world must still look somewhat the same or better, if possible. This narrows the choices by quite a margin and removes all the worlds Jason has already been to.
But this is just the basic logline. Several other factors, such as the things going on in Charlie’s subconscious (which is completely unpredictable) and Jason and Daniela’s subconscious thoughts, also work into the equation. All of this combined is impossible for a single person to rework, even if it is Jason who knows his wife and son very well. The unique combination of their thoughts and feelings at the moment leads them to a new world where no other version of Jason can follow them, no matter how many ampoules he has.
Read More: Shows Like Dark Matter
