'Dark Matter' on Apple TV+: Why Ryan 3's fate could be far worse than Ryan 1's

After swapping places with OG Jason, Jason 2 creates havoc in Ryan Holder's life to keep his secret safe
UPDATED JUN 21, 2024
Ryan 3 (Jimmi Simpson) wakes up in Reality 1 in 'Dark Matter' Episode 8 (@appletv+)
Ryan 3 (Jimmi Simpson) wakes up in Reality 1 in 'Dark Matter' Episode 8 (@appletv+)

Contains spoilers and speculations for 'Dark Matter'

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: 'Dark Matter' continues to deliver nail-biting thrill as it inches closer to the finale. Created by Blake Crouch, the Apple TV+ series has turned out to be quite an immersive watch with mind-bending sci-fi twists.

Episode 8 of 'Dark Matter' introduced several versions of Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) arriving together in the OG reality.

This means Jason 1 will not only have to battle Jason 2 but every other version of himself who wants to be with Daniela Dessen (Jennifer Connelly).

Meanwhile, the episode also gives us a glimpse of Ryan 3 (Jimmi Simpson) who wakes up in Reality 1.

Ahead of the finale, viewers ponder if the fate of Ryan 1 and 3 will be addressed or left on a cliffhanger.

Ryan 3 in 'Dark Matter' may have the worst fate of all

After Jason Dessen, Ryan Holder becomes the next victim of Jason 2 in 'Dark Matter' (@appletv+)
Joel Edgerton and Jimmi Simpson in 'Dark Matter' (@appletv+)

Unlike Reality 1 and Reality 2, this version of Ryan knows nothing about Physics. He was a mechanic in his reality and appeared content with his life until Jason 2 disrupted everything.

In 'Dark Matter' Episode 7, Jason 2 visited a random reality where Ryan didn't know Jason. They met in a bar, and Jason 2 got Ryan 3 heavily drunk.

Seizing the opportunity, Jason 2 brought Ryan 3 to Reality 1 to avoid raising suspicions about Ryan 1's disappearance.

When he woke up in this reality in Episode 8, he was disoriented and couldn't recognize the surroundings or the people around him.

In a state of panic, Ryan's girlfriend called Daniela to his apartment. To her surprise, Ryan 3 didn't recognize her either.

Meanwhile, Jason 2 was convinced that Ryan had relapsed after being sober for years. Until that time, Daniela wasn't aware of the multiverse travel.

The natural conclusion for anyone would be that Ryan is mentally unstable. We even see his girlfriend calling a mental institution before the focus shifts back to Jason's storyline.

This Ryan has no chance of escaping. Firstly, he is unaware of what has happened to him and has zero possibility of decoding it ever.

Secondly, nobody would believe him for obvious reasons. He might end up spending his entire life in a mental institution, yearning for the life he left behind.

He may even resort to extreme measures if he can no longer endure living a life he doesn't recognize.

Ryan 1's return to the OG reality is possible in 'Dark Matter'

Jimmi Simpson as Ryan Holder in 'Dark Matter' (@appletv+)
Jimmi Simpson as Ryan Holder in 'Dark Matter' (@appletv+)

Fearing that Ryan 1 would expose Jason 2's secrets, he took him to an alternate reality and abandoned him in Episode 6.

Luckily for him, this world is much more beautiful and technologically advanced. Since he was already familiar with those magic pills and understood how the box functions, he still had a chance to find a way back to his reality.

Also, there's a floating theory that Amanda 2 may have landed in a reality similar to Ryan 1.

If that happens, it would be much easier and quicker for Ryan 1 to return to his life as Amanda 2 already has two ampoules. Ryan 1's return would be the only chance at Ryan 3's freedom.

We now have to see if Ryan's storyline gets a conclusion in the finale episode or if will it be left on a cliffhanger, leaving scope for a potential Season 2.

How to stream 'Dark Matter'?

Joel Edgerton in a still from 'Dark Matter' (@appletv+)
Joel Edgerton in a still from 'Dark Matter' (@appletv+)

'Dark Matter' is based on Blake Crouch's 2016 novel of the same name. The series consists of nine episodes, each released every Wednesday.

'Dark Matter' is available to stream on Apple TV+. Membership to Apple TV+ comes at a rate as low as $9.99/month.

'Dark Matter' trailer



 

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