It’s become one of the most common formulas for creating movies and TV shows.

From Netflix to Amazon, everyone wants a piece of the action.

While not every project is a knockout, audiences have seen some successful franchises flourish from this method.

Just off the top of my head are the Harry Potter movies, Twilight, Hunger Games, 50 Shades of Grey, and even the Bridget Jones movies.

And it’s not just the big screen. TV saw the opportunity and jumped on board with shows like The Vampire Diaries, Game of Thrones, Percy Jackson, and The Witcher.

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We likely have the 1697 classic Cinderella to thank for our current state of adaptations. The fairytale was the first book to be made into a movie in 1950.

Although streaming services are the biggest adaptors, some apps take things too far.

Over fifty percent of Apple TV+’s shows in the last five years have all been novel-to-screen adaptations.

Apple TV+ Doesn’t Leave Kids Out Just Because They Don’t Have Credit Cards

Because novels host a whole plethora of genres, the media has been a shortcut to stories for all age groups over the years.

So, it’s unsurprising that a streaming giant like Apple TV+ would have optioned kids’ books for families and young viewers.

While children aren’t exactly signing up for streaming services, kids can be a great motivator for parents. Who doesn’t love a family TV night?

First up, there is Amber Brown, based on Paula Danziger’s book series from the ‘90s.

The show follows Amber Brown, a multiethnic girl navigating the typical pitfalls of growing up while dealing with her parents’ divorce. It’s heavy stuff for kids.

Then there is Surfside Girls, which is based on the graphic novels by Kim Dwinell.

The Apple TV+ series focuses on best friends Jade and Sam when they encounter a ghost who tells them about a pirate ship and curse surrounding the hidden treasure of Surfside.

They may be shows for children, but Apple TV+ knows how to cherry-pick some exciting stories for kids.

Comedy Is The Kind Of Genre That Flourishes When It Goes From Page To Screen

Still, the streamer’s catalog of shows for adults far exceeds that for its younger viewers.

If there is one thing every person on the planet can agree on, one of the best feelings is laughter.

Comedy can be tough to get across on the written page as tone can be challenging to nail down.

However, when an author gets it right, the humor usually translates and magnifies when the novel is adapted for the small or big screen.

Film and TV creators can flesh out projects and enhance the story through a multitude of visual elements and components.

If you’ve seen Palm Royale starring Kristen Wigg, based on the book Mr. & Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel, then you know a splash of color goes a long way in storytelling.

Even Vince Vaughn’s show, Bad Monkey based on Carl Hiaasen’s novel of the same name, makes sure the physical comedy and visual humor match up to the eccentricity of the book.

Novel-to-screen adaptations are also a great way to bridge language barriers.

Land of Women stars Eva Longoria in a series based on Sandra Barneda’s novel of the same name, but in Spanish, and toes the line between English and the native language of its characters.

There are plenty of laughs from books to be had at Apple TV+, including The Big Door Prize, based on M.O. Walsh’s novel of the same name.

But these kids and comedy shows aren’t why we are concerned with Apple TV+’s obsession with adaptations.

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Apple TV+ Is The Originator And Instigator Of The Drama

Have you ever heard the phrase “too much of a good thing?” Well, the same goes for any TV or film genre. And Apple TV+ seems to have its hooks in as many dramatic stories as possible.

Most of the streamers’ series fall under drama, and most of those shows are based on novels.

Let me clarify that every single streaming app develops stories from books, whether literary or graphic.

However, Apple TV+ seems to exclusively work with adaptations, at least in the last five years, with more on the way.

Still, it has to be said that the stories the executives are choosing offer an out-of-this-world level of entertainment.

Especially when that drama is introduced with comedic flair, profoundly dark undertones, or science fiction that makes you question reality.

The Rashida Jones sci-fi show Sunny, based on The Dark Manual by Colin O’Sullivan, has been a whirlwind of comedy, drama, and thriller action.

There’s actually a point to be made in favor of Apple TV+. Even though the app is shelling out show after show, a huge name is always attached to every project.

Take, for example, Lady in the Lake, based on Laura Lippman’s 2015 novel of the same name.

It stars Natalie Portman as a Jewish woman who leaves her life behind when she pursues her dreams to be an investigative journalist after a local woman is found dead in a lake.

If you like visual fever dreams with a masterclass in acting and a mind-boggling story, this is the career-defining series for you.

And it’s not just that show, but a whole roster of one series based on a book of the same name after another. It’s a long list.

Defending Jacob, The Mosquito Coast, Lisey’s Story, Foundation, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, Pachinko, Shining Girls, The Essex Serpent, Five Days at Memorial, Shantaram, The Last Thing He Told Me, Silo, City on Fire, The Changeling, Lessons in Chemistry, The Buccaneers, Masters of the Air, and Dark Matter.

Whew!

Of course, we have to include the upcoming Cate Blanchett series Disclaimer, about a journalist who discovers she is the main character in a novel that reveals a dark secret from her past.

Just When You Think Apple TV+ Can’t Get Any More Dramatic, It Renews Its Library Card For More Intense Adaptations Starring Heavyweight Hollywood Names

Wait, you didn’t think we were done yet, did you? Oh, gentle reader, we had a legitimate reason to be concerned with Apple TV+’s use of adaptations.

That said, some shows make us understand why the streamer would be so enthusiastic about the novel-to-screen method.

For one thing, it’s how we got the amazing series The Morning Show, based on Brian Selter’s 2013 book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV.

Remember what I said about star power? The Morning Show boasts not one but two heavyweight Hollywood names.

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon play journalists with contrasting personalities who bring their own set of baggage and issues to their news station.

Apple TV+ has always dished out award-winning shows. Even though some don’t always hit the mark, the streaming service is covering the walls with adaptation after adaptation.

Those include Truth Be Told, Slow Horses, Roar, Black Bird, The Crowded Room], Manhunt, Franklin, and Presumed Innocent.

So, whether Apple TV+ is obsessed with adapting novels to shows or has just figured out a sure-fire formula is anyone’s guess.

One thing for sure, though, is that the streaming giant has been making waves in quality television, so there may be a correlation.

Either way, you can count on me to be glued to my TV screen watching every perfectly packaged project Apple TV+ throws TV Fanatic’s way.

Which of the streamer’s many adaptations have you seen?

Will you be watching Cate Blanchett in her new miniseries, Disclaimer?

Drop a comment below to let us know, and join us again when we review all your favorite new and returning Apple TV+ shows!

The post Does Apple TV+ Have An Unhealthy Obsession With Adapting Novels To Shows? appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Yup. The critically acclaimed science-fiction hit was recently renewed.

Now, there’s just one big catch. The first season was based entirely on Blake Crouch’s 2016 book.

Dark Matter follows Jason Dessen (played by Joel Edgerton), a physicist, professor, and family man who quickly is abducted and becomes a captive of the multiverse.

He spends the rest of the season experiencing lives he could have lived while attempting to get back to his home world and his family.

So that means the new season, whenever it finally arrives on the streaming timetable, will have to be created out of thin air.

As viewers of modern TV are acutely aware, this venturing away from the written source material can be a hit-or-miss proposition.

Sometimes, it works (see Justified, The Magicians, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Leftovers).

Then again, sometimes it doesn’t (see Games of Thrones, House of Cards, Big Little Lies, 13 Reasons Why).

Dark Matter has one huge advantage when developing its next season. In addition to being the author of the source material, Crouch is also the Dark Matter showrunner.

Crouch wasn’t thusly connected to Wayward Pines, a series based on a series of books he wrote, and without his guidance, the series fizzled out way too soon.

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It seems more obvious that Crouch has been mulling over ideas for Dark Matter‘s continuation in the years since the novel’s publication.

So, he’s bound to be better equipped to create that second season than a random writer’s room.

We can use the first season to imagine what direction Crouch may take. There are some problems to be fixed, too.

On Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 9, the original Jason (call him simply Jason for simplicity’s sake) finally was reunited with his family.

However, they found themselves on the run, not just from Jason 2 (who originally abducted Jason to be his place as a family man) but also from hundreds of Jasons created by Jason’s multiversal travels, driven by the same drive to find their families as the original Jason.

Jason 2, plagued by guilt by what he’d done, arranges for Jason’s family to leave their world via The Box, although he dies in the process.

For the uninitiated, this brief recap highlights Dark Matter’s biggest problem. It can be convoluted.

Once all those additional Jasons landed in Jason’s dimension, it got difficult to tell who was who.

Sure, that’s the nature (and the fun) of a multiverse. But the frustration outweighs the enjoyment in this situation.

Leaving Jason’s home world behind should clear the board of all those stray Jasons running around. Should.

Jason’s family is set free in The Corridor. What Jason has learned during his travels should allow them to envision the perfect dimension for themselves, right?

It can’t be that easy, though, can it?

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Crouch also left a handful of allies and enemies scattered through the multiverse during Season 1.

There’s an Amanda, a Blair, a Ryan, and a couple of Leightons out there, although who knows which ones are still alive?

Certainly, the reunited Dessen family will encounter some of these people as they search for a new home.

Another theme should be Daniela and Charlie adjusting to the rules of The Corridor. Fortunately, Jason is their guide.

Still, quite a bit of that is redundant from the first season. So what can Crouch come up with that’s actually new?

That’s the most significant hurdle that Dark Matter has to overcome in its second season — making viewers believe that there is more to this story, and it’s not just tacked on after the fact because of a surprising renewal.

Crouch needs to eradicate duplication concerning both characters and narrative for the series to prosper.

Whether he can do that remains to be seen.

The post Where Can Dark Matter Go In Season 2? There’s at Least One Possible Corridor appeared first on TV Fanatic.

By the end of Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 9, the Dessen family was in multiversal transit.

This is frustrating in and of itself since Apple TV+ hasn't announced yet if there will be a second season.

But let's assume common sense will prevail and return to the future later.

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Instead, let's examine how Jason1, Daniela, and Charlie came to find themselves in this predicament.

First off, it's all Jason2's fault.

(If there is a second season, let's reduce the number of Jasons. Or at least dress them significantly differently. Like with Barbies. It would make for a more enjoyable viewing experience.)

Jason1 is indirectly to blame as well. Every door that he opened trying to find his home world created a duplicate of Jason1, with the same feelings and drives.

Jason1 was too busy trying to find those little differences between worlds. It was like those old find-the-differences puzzles in kids' magazines.

The urgency of his mission didn't leave him much time to ponder the consequences. Jason1 was much more concerned about finding his home world before his dimensional-hopping ampules ran out.

Good news: His mission was accomplished. The trouble was that, as two of the Jasons discovered over beer on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 8, his travels generated all kinds of Jason1s.

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A good percentage of them had found their way to the original Jason's world with the same goal: To rescue Daniela and Charlie from Jason2.

This made things all the more difficult for the "real" Jason (yes, they're essentially clones, so they're all equally authentic. But the original one has to be called something to distinguish him.).

Anyway, an ingenious plan and a clever safe word reunited the Dessen family.

Thanks to family friend Blair, who didn't ask many questions and later wished she had, they even had an unfamiliar getaway vehicle.

Daniela and Charlie deserve credit for taking their bizarre situation somewhat in stride, even as their phones filled up with texts from the various Jasons.

Making things more difficult was the requirement that any plan come from someone other than Jason since the other Jasons, not surprisingly, think just like him.

Conveniently, Charlie just happened to know of a gorgeously appointed vacation home currently unoccupied.

What a great place to unwind and reconnect as a family while learning the broad strokes of interdimensional travel.

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What enabled the Dessens to reunite was that Daniela and Charlie had known something was off about Jason2.

At first, they loved the attention and gifts that he lavished upon them.

But his arbitrary choices, such as almost killing Charlie with an allergic reaction on Dark Mattter (2024) Season 1 Episode 6, soon wore thin with them.

So, Jason1 being abducted and replaced by Jason2 and an army of Jason1s being caused by the original Jason's journey didn't seem nearly as strange as it should to them.

It beat their husband-father being overwhelmed by some psychosis, a more believable possibility.

The problem was that all those other Jasons were just as intelligent as their Jason, not defective knockoffs. Each was shaped by his experiences, making each behave somewhat differently.

For example, one Jason1, who lost Amanda's moderating effect during his travels, was a driving force in this episode.

He found Jason2 locked in the basement by Daniela and forced him to understand the full impact of his actions. 

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He also determined that Blair could track her car. He didn't account for the pepper spray in her pocket, which enabled her to turn the tables on him.

Since Blair had the drop of two Jasons, it must have been Jason2 who convinced her to track her car. Jason2 failed miserably by not accounting for a tracker that brought along some other Jason1s.

But in the end, Jason2 reformed from his selfish ways. He indulged in a what-if, discovering what having a family would have been like.

However, his following this whim the way he did resulted not just in the displacement of one Jason but indirectly in the creation of many, many more.

So, somehow, Jason2 scared up a shotgun and dispatched his earlier captor. Then, he allowed the Dessens to escape. He even packed the car with everything they needed to begin anew elsewhere.

While not forgiving all the lives he had ruined, at least Jason2's recording addressed the motivation for his actions. In the end, he did the right thing.

The freakiest scene had to be that warehouse floor packed with Jasons. What was amazing was that they were there to say goodbye, respecting Daniela's wishes.

It was enjoyable that we got to visit with Amanda, Ryan, Blair, and Dawn, along with less evident characters, one more time. It was frustrating that all we got was a glimpse of them.

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Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 was based on the novel by Blake Crouch, who also served as showrunner.

There is no second Dark Matter volume by Crouch. So, a second season would come entirely from the show's writers' imaginations. They would have all kinds of worlds for the Dessens to explore.

What did you like best about this finale?

Do you feel that Jason2 redeemed himself?

What would you like to see covered in a second season?

Comment below.

The post Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Entanglement appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Since Jason2 can't tell him where they went, Jason1 brutally beats him.

As they ride down the highway with the original Jason1, Daniela and Charlie are getting bombarded by texts from the other Jason1s.

Charlie directs them to a friend's family's summer home to use as a hideout.

Charlie is overwhelmed by the idea of all these copies of his father running around his world. Jason1 tries to reassure him.

Daniela is equally confused about what their next step should be.

Jason1 compares the situation to the time after Max's death, when their lives had to start over.

After Daniela goes to sleep, Jason1 signs into his email and discovers a chat room of Jason1s.

He wanders outside and notices car lights in the distance.

He grabs a poker as a weapon, just in case.

Daniela explains a little about her life with Jason2 to Jason1.

Jason1 tells Daniela about that other Daniela he had met.

The Jason1 staying at the Dessen home attempts to track their movements from their bank records.

He gets his phone back from Jason2 to search it for clues.

The original Jason1 informs Daniela about the Jason1 message board.

The other Jason1 tells Jason2 about all the horrible things that had happened to the people he'd loved on his world after he left.

Then he shows Jason2 the Jason1 message board to show the multiplication effect of The Box.

Charlie catches up Jason1 on events in the Dessen household.

Blair arrives at the Dessen home after answering Jason1's text.

She spies Jason2's blood and the duct tape.

Blair finds the hogtied Jason2 in a closet.

Jason1 attempts to get her to track the location of her car, which the Dessen family is using, but she refuses.

When she tries to run, he shoots his gun in the air.

She pretends to hand over her phone but instead pepper sprays him, grabbing his gun in the process.

Jason1 tries to explain other dimensions to Daniela and Charlie.

Daniela can't resist looking at the Jason1 message board.

She informs the other Jason1s that she chooses the Jason1 that she's with.

Jsaon1 sees motion, grabs the poker, and rushes outside.

He finds beaten Jason2 then sees another Jason bieng shot.

An armed Jason1 gets the drop on Jason1, making him drop the poker and strip.

They wrestle until two shots kill the intruder.

The gunman is Jason2. 

Realzing he's reponsible for what's happened, he lets them go.

Jason2 used Blair's tracking app to find them.

But a Jason1 had put a tracker on the Honda and others followed.

Jason2 gives back Jason1's wedding ring to him.

Jason2 left them a box of ampules and Max's urn.

He also left a recording to explain his motivation. He encourages them to find a new world.

All the Jasons are waiting at the Box warehouse, to say goodbye.

The Jasons eventually part to let them get to The Box and leave.

The post Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 9 Recap: Entanglement appeared first on TV Fanatic.

That finally happened on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 8.

Based on Blake Crouch's novel's premise, it was inevitable.

Every character's decision creates a new dimension with a new version of themselves in said dimension.

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Viewers got lulled into a false sense of security through the series' first seven episodes.

Evil Jason2 abducted good Jason1, stuck him in his home dimension, and took his place as Daniela's husband and Charlie's father.

There was even some limited effort to justify this as Jason2's attempt to rectify a past mistake: choosing scientific fame over domesticity.

But while Jason1 and Amanda were world-hopping around with The Box, they created new versions of themselves every time they stepped through a Corridor door into a new world.

And, not shockingly, all of these Jason1s had the same driving impetus: to get back to Daniela and Charlie and to save them from that imposter.

Since all of these Jasons are considered equally intelligent, without examining their individual circumstances, it is only logical that some of them would land in the correct Chicago.

As the two Jason1s pondered over beer in that early scene, the question is, how many? 

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It wasn't enough that Daniela and Charlie had Jason2 with whom to deal. Now, there are a bunch of well-meaning Jason1s underfoot as well.

Maybe Mechanic Ryan, stolen from his home dimension by Jason2, on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 7, will yet come into play.

Then again, maybe not, as Ryan was still attempting to get his bearings on this world.

Daniela seemed to emerge from her conversation with Ryan more suspicious of Jason2 and less skeptical of Ryan's story.

She's felt that something was off about her husband for some time and Ryan's situation just added to her suspicions about Jason2.

Still, she was wise to recommend to Mindy that she should get mental health help for Ryan. Stash him someplace safe for now.

It made no sense to make others ask questions just yet since she had no concept about what was going on, let alone any proof.

Early scenes gave viewers a taste of what Daniela and Charlie would soon be going through: Confusion over the proliferating numbers of Jasons.

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When Jason2 was jumped by, then beat to death Jason1, it initially appeared to be an abrupt, unsatisfying end to the narrative.

But when two more Jason1s popped up in The Box's Corridor, it was a sign that death wasn't permanent.

Still, it took that clarifying talk at the Village Tap to explain the mission of Jason1.

Speaking of the Tap, how did Matt, the Bartender, not notice the two identical men drinking in a nearby booth?

It also seems there will be a lot of dead, identical bodies popping up around Chicago, which will be damn hard for anyone to explain.

The smart money is to be against the Jason1s wearing wool caps, as they appear to be the red shirts of this series.

You have to feel sorry for Charlie, who has no idea why his father seems to be slipping his gears.

First, Jason2 almost kills Charlie with the nuts to which he's allergic on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 6.

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When Charlie starts to forgive him for that, Jason2 forgets about the tour of the University of Chicago that he had promised him.

On the tour, Jason2 begins acting weird again, finally ordering Charlie to drive around to another part of campus where they'll meet without explanation.

While Jason2 was busy killing another Jason1, a cop came upon Charlie, who pulled over because of a thump he couldn't identify (a body in the trunk).

Sure, Jason2 got there in time to bail out Charlie, but that situation shouldn't have happened in the first place.

The real Jason1 (the better-dressed one) had a terrific scheme to reach Daniela without Jason2 knowing.

He seemed oblivious that he couldn't smoke in a restaurant, making him appear to be one of the "other" Jason1s.

But instead, he wanted to get arrested so Daniela would be called to bail him out.

After she got there, he was smart enough to talk fast and give her two ways to check his story: Calling Jason 2 and quizzing him after a fake vacation.

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While Daniela still had doubts, she was willing to entertain the idea of meeting up later with Jason1 after securing Charlie's safety.

She had to feel that this was her Jason, the one who had felt absent for months.

Jason2 made it easier for her to believe when he ordered her and Charlie to pack suitcases and run again without explanation.

But she managed to trick him, pushing him downstairs into the basement and locking him in.

That's when all the fun began, as they got picked up by one Jason1, only to be sideswiped by another Jason 1. At least they got to end up with the correct Jason1 (maybe).

In one episode, they must get rid of Jason2 and all the duplicate Jason1s without explaining anything to the authorities. Also, will any of the other characters make another appearance?

Did  Daniela and Charlie end up with the correct Jason?

Won't someone wonder about identical bodies?

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What do you want to see happen in the finale?

Comment below.

The post Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Jupiter appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Jason1 attacks Jason2 when he's taking out the trash and they struggle.

Jason2 gets the advantage, eventually killing Jason1.

Ryan vaguely recognizes Daniela as one of his car-repair customers.

She has him go through his recent memories.

Daniela determines that Jason2 had been buying Ryan drinks.

She and Mindy agree to get Ryan mental-health treatment.

Two other Jason1s meet in The Box's Corridor.

They duck out different doors into Chicago, with one ending up following the other.

At home, Jason2 is wrapping up Jason1's body in his garage.

Elsewhere, one Jason1 ducks into the Village Tap to escape the other. But the other is already sitting at a booth.

So, they share beers and compare notes.

They realize how many different Jason1 their choices have created, some of whom made it to the right version of Chicago.

They both want to kill Jason2.

But all of the Jason1s on this world want to get his family back.

Worries keep Jason2 and Daniela from sleeping.

One Jason1 discovers he can't smoke in a restaurant.

Dawn, a cop in this world, arrests him when he refuses to put out his cigar.

Daniela gest suspicious when Jason2 won't let her take the Civic, which has the body of a Jason1 in the trunk.

Jason2 had forgotten that he'd promised Charlie he would show him around the University of Chicago campus.

Jason2 spots a Jason1 tailing him and tries to lose him in the library.

Daniela has gone with bolt cutters to Jason2's storage unit.

Seeing many things she doesn't understand, she finds Ryan's mechanic's uniform then gets a phone call.

Charlie realizes his father is acting strangely.

He sends Charlie to drive the car to the other side of campus, then runs into the stacks, hoping to lose that Jason1.

Jason2 chokes this Jason1 to death in a restroom.

A cop flashing his lights pulls in behind the parked Charlie.

Jason2 locks the body in a stall.

Then he runs up in time to save Charlie from the cop.

Daniela had been called to bail out the arrested Jason1.

After an involved explanation, he has her call Jason2 so she can understand there's two of them.

Then Jason1 explains to her how she can test Jason2. She traps him in a lie about a nonexistent vacation.

She and Jason1 set up a place to meet and a safe word, "Jupiter."

Jason2 tells Daniela that they're in trouble and need to flee town.

Daniela shoves Jason2 down the stairs into the basement, locking the door.

As she and Charlie are pulling away, a car cuts them off, driven by another Jason1. 

That car is struck by a car also driven by another Jason1.

Daniela and Charlie take off running.

They meet the original Jason1 at The Bean and he says "Jupiter."

The post Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 8 Recap: Jupiter appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Sadly, that ended up being two separate locations on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 7.

It was rewarding to watch how Amanda came to find herself a new home.

She finally heeded Blair2's advice on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 5, which told her to find a world of her own.

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Amanda burned bridges with her dimension when she helped Jason1 to escape from Velocity Lab.

So she needed to land someplace new.

That likely explained why she kept checking on her namesakes in every world on which they landed.

Amanda certainly deserved better from life than she had gotten.

Her Jason (Jason2) was more in love with his research than he was with her.

Then, when he decided he required  domestic bliss, he found a Jason who had married a Daniela rather than starting a family with Amanda.

It's been evident that Amanda has a good heart. She came on at Velocity to help those Box pilots keep from going out of their minds when in superposition.

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Then, when she saw that Leighton2 had terrible intentions for Jason1, she rescued him, and they started their long journey to locate his dimension.

Amanda has been selfless right from the start of their world-hopping partnership. And he was so hellbent on getting home that he was oblivious to that fact.

It was natural that they drew closer during their overnight stays at hotels, almost crossing the line on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 6.

But rather than give in to a combination of despair and lust, Jason1 remained faithful to Daniela throughout his travels with Amanda.

So, it was inevitable that she would design a new world for herself.

Amanda created a near-perfect new home by focusing on people rather than innovations.

That dimension set up nicely for her, with Amanda Lucas missing and her hometown Seattle located in a country, Cascadia, which had seceded from the United States.

After establishing her new life, she should cultivate a new relationship with someone other than a Jason. She needs a change.

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Despite Jason1's protestations, Amanda was hardly abandoning him.

She invited him to stay with her, but he wasn't willing to give up on finding his family.

His slipping a couple of ampules into her purse was his way of thanking her, sacrificing a couple of worlds so she could leave if things didn't work out.

But as she strode out of that restaurant, Amanda seemed determined to succeed in her new life.

Jason2 managed to scare off another Amanda, therapist Amanda1, freaking her out by detailing her history in their latest session.

Does that mean there will be no Amandas for the rest of the series? No, it's more likely Amanda1 will play a role as the two Jasons are back on one planet.

Boy, didn't Jason1 cut it close?

On that next-to-last dimension, he briefly considered picking up a mask and taking over that Jason's family.

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It was a sad scene when, as he was sneaking out of that house, he met an insecure teen version of Max, who had died in his world.

With one dose left, he finally hit on a way to get his mind in the right place, writing page after page about when he first met Daniela.

He didn't even ponder why The Box had a door bashed through cement, which had to be a curiosity considering all the doors he had come through on his trip.

Instead, he looked up his bellwether, Matt, the bartender at the Village Tap, who confirmed that he was home at last.

It was enjoyable to watch Jason1 joyously race through the streets to his home.

But why was he content to watch Daniela and Charlie through the window?

He should have barged in, confusing as that would have been. They would have welcomed someone who behaved like the Jason they knew.

Jason2 spent the episode putting out fires, largely because he had stranded Ryan1 in some other version of Chicago.

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First, Jason2 didn't realize that Ryan1 was a big-deal scientist in that world and would be missed, although it was Ryan1's girlfriend, Mindy, who reported him missing.

Puzzled by Ryan1's failure to answer her, Daniela found out why from Detective Mason. Daniela had to know that Ryan had drunk regularly and Jason2 was lying when he told Mason the opposite.

She confronted Jason2 about the ampule she found, and he told her he was doing secret research but would never take it again. At least that gave him a realistic excuse for the swings in his behavior.

He had the gall to complain to Amanda1 about Daniela going behind his back to Ryan1 when his entire existence in that world has been him going behind her back.

After another visit from Mason, he had to find another Ryan, get him drunk, and install him in Ryan1's apartment. Ryan1's being on a bender will go a long way to explaining his upcoming memory loss.

Nowboth Jasons know the other is in that one dimension. Over the last two episodes, the following chess match will be intriguing to watch to see who has the advantage: the inventor or the professor.

Were you surprised that Jason1 found his way home this soon?

Is Amanda totally gone?

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Will Ryan embrace this second chance?

Comment below.

The post Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 7 Review: In the Fires of Dead Stars appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Detective Mason shows up at the Dessen residence.

She's questioning them as part of her investigation into Ryan1's disappearance.

Jason2 tells her that Ryan1 had been drinking a lot at the Village Tap three days ago, which was unusual for him, since he'd been sober since high school.

After Mason leaves, Daniela confronts Jason2 about the ampule.

He informs her that Ryan1 created it for him.'

He admits he's been using the formula. She asks him to stop and he agrees to.

Jason2 says he was hiding the project from Daniela.

As a break from their search, Amanda insists on traveling to a forward-thinking version of Chicago.

Amanda takes off from a bar, asking Jason1 to meet her at a restaurant in two hours.

A well-dressed Amanda supplies Jason1 with an outfit when he arrives.

He had picked up a box of Dares, her favorite candy, for her.

The Amanda Lucas on this world has been missing for two years.

So Amanda2 has decided to take her place there, already picking up a replacement passport.

She invites him to stay as well but he politely rejects her offer.

Jason1 hugs Amanda2 goodbye but slips a couple of ampules into her purse, just in case.

Jason1 is down to three ampules.

He wastes one on a decimated dimension, no doubt reflecting his mood.

On the next, he has a sweet phone conversation with that world's Daniela.

Then he sees a mask like Jason2 had worn when abducting him.

He goes to his home only to find Daniela in bed with that dimension's Jason.

He gets caught in the kitchen by Charlie.

It turns out that it's Max, who is only alive because of a heart transplant from his sister Holly.

Jason2 describes Amanda1 in detail at their next session, then she asks him to leave.

When he arrives home, Mason is waiting for him with more questions.

Concerned she's getting close, Jason3 unseals The Box with a sledgehammer.

He goes to another dfimension where Ryan sells car after a DUI derailed his academic career.

He brings that drunken Ryan back, dumping him in his apartment.

Before using his last ampule, Jason1 writes down everything he can remember about the night when he met Daniela.

Being in the right frame of mind enables him to return home through the door-size opening Jason2 had hammered out of The Box.

Jason1 stops first at the Village Tap and hugs bartender Matt, who recognizes him.

Then he runs home, watching Daniela and Charlie work on homework through a window, until Jason2 returns home.

Jason2 tells them that Ryan was back after a bender.

Jason1 attempts to buy a gun but lacks the proper paperwork. So he settles for pepper spray and a knife.

Then Jason2 came into the same store looking to buy a gun.

When the saleswoman tells him he was just there, he puts together that Jason1 has returned.

The post Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 7 Recap: In the Fires of Dead Stars appeared first on TV Fanatic.

But, as Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 6, the longer the two Jasons and Amanda aren't in their worlds, the more complicated things have gotten for them.

What they're all discovering is it's the little things that count.

That was all it had been for Jason1 and Amanda — a lot of frustrating swings and near misses.

Jason1 has religiously been noting the differences between the planet they had just visited and his home world.

The question is why. Are those doors in The Corridor numbered, and we just don't realize it?

Here's something that isn't readily apparent to the non-experimental physicists among us viewers.

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Supposedly, the state of mind of the person opening the door in The Corridor influences how the world on the other side manifests itself.

So, does that mean all these imperfect copies are being produced because Jason1 fails to supply sufficient details of his home planet?

If that's the case, it's understandable. Having lost his family to an imposter on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 1 and having only a limited handle on the process has to be wearing on him.

That's why Amanda had the great idea of taking a night off and staying in a hotel room in their current dimension.

A quibble: How could they possibly have funds to pay for services in another dimension?

I suppose if you're suspending disbelief, you should suspend it hard. Don't interrupt the narrative flow with logic.

Several problems are looming with their partnership.

First, they're thrown together in a situation few others have experienced.

So, it was only natural for the couple to draw closer to each other.

After a fun night out of eating and dancing at a restaurant, which was essentially their first date, they still had the willpower to end up in separate beds.

But how long is that going to last? The possibility of Jason1 landing back in his dimension is getting slimmer, and Amanda's getting home is even worse.

Meeting blonde artist Daniela must have reinforced for Jason1 how lucky he was to have landed such a woman once.

So, under the circumstances, would it be so bad for them to set up a home in one of these Chicagos? Sure, there's likely already a Jason and an Amanda living there, but details.

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Amanda has something else to consider. As Blair2 pointed out to her on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 5, she needs to stop faithfully supporting Jason1 and decide her future.

Yes, Jason1 is a better version of her Jason. But he's still hellbent on getting home to Daniela. Where does that leave her?

Another problem is that Jason1 is getting stalkerish, just like Jason2 was. It's time for a change when he starts following Jason and his family in a dimension.

With only ten ampules remaining, they've got five shots to hit paydirt. So Amanda was right to suggest a different strategy, although she didn't know what that would be.

However, Jason2 has made finding Jason1's home world more difficult for myriad reasons. He's also made his own departure harder.

Wouldn't you think Jason2 would have done all his homework before bidding farewell to his home planet?

As Amanda and Jason1 discussed, every version of a person has the same essence. It's the personality that's built on top of that that makes them different.

As Daniela and Charlie have determined, there's something different about Jason these days.

It can be something as insignificant as flossing. It can be something bigger, like forgetting the remembrance ceremony for their late son on Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 4.

Or how about forgetting your son's allergy and almost killing him with a pint of rocky road? Yeah, it was likely that which pushed Daniela over the top.

And, for rubbing salt in the wound, how about Jason2 looking up Amanda1, who was also a therapist, not a manager of a White Castle?

He sounded like a man looking to run, mainly because it would be easy enough for him to make another try at family somewhere else.

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Then, after the debacle of his grand romantic gesture, Amanda1 accused him of fearing commitment. So Jason2 doubled down, trying to make things work with his current faux-mily.

Unfortunately, the train had left the station as Daniela followed him to his storage unit and snagged an ampule of his formula.

Daniela took that to another doomed Ryan, this time Ryan1, who was shocked to find out Jason2 had developed his version of Ryan1's formula.

Ryan1 was intelligent enough to win the Pavia Prize yet too gullible to be suspicious when Jason2 revealed everything about his secret project.

He spelled out the whole concept of superposition (which was still difficult to follow) and even took Ryan1 for a ride in The Box.

It was perfectly in character for Jason1 to abandon Ryan1 in yet another version of Chicago and then board up The Box to keep him and Jason1 from returning. Now that Jason2 knows she's been collaborating with the MIA Ryan1, Daniela is at risk.

Who do you have more sympathy for: Jason1 or Amanda?

How can they improve on their hit-and-miss approach?

Has Jason2 been found out?

Comment below.

The post Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Superposition appeared first on TV Fanatic.

She refuses to quit the gallery and go back to painting full time until his deal is closed.

Then he shows her the amount he's earned with his deal and she's astounded.

Charlie comes in looking for a ride to the skate park, where he'll meet up with Brooke.

After dropping off Charlie, he goes to give Leighton1 the last box of dimension-hopping drugs.

Leighton1 has pieced together why Jason2 came to this world.

The ice cream that Jason2 bought for Charlie had nuts in it, which set off an allergic reaction. They found Charlie's Epi-Pen in time but still they went to the hospital to have him checked out.

Daniela isn't buying Jason2's explanation of what happened.

She later asks him when he started llossing.

In each dimension Jason1 and Amanda's Box lands in, they check out his favorite bars, the buildings around it, and then finally his house.

But none are his world. And their drug supply is shrinking.

So they spend a night at a hotel in their current dimension. She even convinces him to dance at the restaurant where they eat.

But against his desire, Jason2 does have Amanda move to the other bed.

Jason2 goes to speak with Amanda1, who is also a therapist on that world.

He tells her life on this world hasn't turned out the way that he had expected.

Daniela details her concerns about Jason2's behavior to Blair1.

Blair1 says she needs to follow him when he goes out. But Daniela settles for talking with him.

Jason2 springs a grand romantic gesture on Daniela.

He takes her to a charity auction where he has had her unfinished portrait placed.

She demands that he take her home.

She felt humiliated that her colleagues had seen that work.

Jason2 drives off after dropping Daniella at home but she decides to tail him.

He goes to his storage unit then leaves.

She attempts to open it but it's locked.

Daniela slides the door up about six inches then fishes out an ampule.

She takes it to Ryan1. She asks him to sequence it.

Amanda2 asks Jason1 for a day to herself.

Ryan1 goes to a gallery where he meets a blonde version of Daniela.

At the same time, Amanda2 checks out that world's Amanda, who is married to a black man and they have a son.

Jason1 admits to Amanda2 that he's been stalking that dimension's Jason and Daneila and now he understood why Jason2 did what he did.

Amanda2 says they have to take a different approach.

Jason2 tells Amanda1 that he's considering leaving, going back to the Corridor.

Amanda1 tells him he has fear of commitment.

Ryan1 accuses Jason2 of stealing his formula.

Jason1 agrees to show Ryan1 how his application works.

He takes Ryan to The Corridor and explains superposition and its dangers to him.

They step out of the door into another Chicago. Then Jason2 tricks him into giving up his phone then leaves him there.

When he returns, Jason2 discovers Daniela is calling on both his and Ryan's phones.

Then he seals up the Box on Jason1's world.

The post Dark Matter (2024) Season 1 Episode 6 Recap: Superposition appeared first on TV Fanatic.