'Dark Matter': 5 scenes from Apple TV+ show that aren’t in Blake Crouch's bestselling book
Contains spoilers for 'Dark Matter' on Apple TV+
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Fans of the sci-fi genre have been excited since the announcement of 'Dark Matter' in December 2020, four years after Blake Crouch's novel of the same name was released.
Crouch stepped up as showrunner and lead writer for the Apple TV+ series to ensure an authentic television adaptation of his novel. Yet, he made several changes to the show, adding further depth to the story.
Premiered on May 8, 2024, 'Dark Matter' features Joel Edgerton in the lead, taking on the role of Jason Dessen, an ordinary Physics professor who is forced into a multiverse adventure after an alternate version of him steals his life.
Edgerton is accompanied by Oscar award winner Jennifer Connelly, playing Jason's wife Daniela. Alice Braga appears as Amanda Lucas in the show.
While the series sticks to the core plot, it adds notable scenes that weren't a part of the book. Check them out:
1. 'Dark Matter' Episode 1: Ryan Holder offers job to Jason Dessen
In Episode 1, Jason joins Ryan in celebrating his Pavia Prize win. During their meetup, Ryan opens up about his plan to start a neuro-tech company in San Francisco and offers Jason a job.
This scene led to several other moments, such as Jason and Daniela discussing it, and Jason 2 eventually turning down the job offer.
In the book, Ryan never offers a job to Jason, which means that the subsequent scenes do not happen either.
2. 'Dark Matter' Episode 1: Amanda 2 lives in Jason 2's house
When Jason 1 wakes up in Reality 2 and goes to his home, he finds Amanda Lucas in the kitchen. It is soon revealed that Jason 2 and Amanda 2 not only shared a professional bond at Velocity but were also romantically involved.
Amanda and Jason of Reality 2 were even living together until he decided to go on a multiverse adventure more than a year ago.
In Blake Crouch's novel, these two characters don't share a romantic relationship, and thus, Amanda doesn't live at his house.
3. 'Dark Matter' Episode 4: Leighton Vance knows Jason Dessen in Reality 1
In Episode 4 of 'Dark Matter', Jason 2 visits his college pal Leighton Vance and asks him to invest in his project.
In the novel, Leighton and Jason know each other only in Reality 2 as they work together at Velocity. However, in Reality 1, they are not connected in any way.
This change has been introduced to add weight to Leighton's character in the narrative.
4. 'Dark Matter' Episode 4: Charlie Dessen's dead twin is introduced
The Apple TV+ series makes a significant change by expanding the family tree of Jason. In the book, Daniela and Jason have only one son.
However, the series reveals that Daniela gave birth to twins: Charlie and Max. Episode 4 confirms that Max died at a young age, as Daniela sits by the remembrance tree in her backyard on his birth anniversary, keeping a photo of him by her side.
5. 'Dark Matter' Episode 4: Leighton 2 follows Jason 1 and Amanda 2 into the box
In the TV adaptation, Leighton 2 chases Jason 1 and Amanda 2 into the box, although he fails to locate them and ends up opening doors to horrible worlds.
In the book, Leighton 2 never goes after them and his character disappears from the narrative right then. He only makes an appearance when Jason 1 and Amanda 2 open the door to a world where Leighton is killing them.
As much as we loved the book, these changes have only elevated the watching experience by adding emotional depth to the story.
How to stream 'Dark Matter'?
'Dark Matter', created by Blake Crouch, is exclusively available on Apple TV+.
A paid subscription to the mentioned streaming platform is required to watch this latest sci-fi series along with a wide range of content libraries.
As of June 22, 2024, Apple TV+ has released eight episodes of 'Dark Matter'.
The series will wrap up its run in the ninth episode, set to premiere coming Wednesday, June 26.
'Dark Matter' trailer