Dark Matter Season 2 Episode 4’s Biggest Plot Twist Was Inevitable

Published Sep 19, 2026, 9:15 PM EDT Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes. Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses. They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Dark Matter season 2, episode 4 delivered a shocking plot twist for audiences that could have lasting ramifications for the rest of the season, but the truth is that the moment was inevitable. The second season of Apple TV’s sci-fi show is almost halfway done, and the writers used this natural midpoint to throw many wrenches into the story. Jason2 is back and as untrustworthy as ever. He gets lilac wings, and I don’t trust him to use it well, no matter what he says about wanting to be a better person. Two Ryans share screen time sitting at a bar in perhaps the funniest moment of Dark Matter. Amanda and Ryan make their way back to polite sex world, but a lot has changed. However, the most shocking moment comes at the very end of the episode. Although the secondary characters of Dark Matter have taken the driver's seat in season 2, the Dessen family are still presented as the backbone of the series, much like they are in the Dark Matter book. Toward the end of Dark Matter season 2, episode 4, Daniela tells Jason she wants to separate from him, which is a big shock at first glance. The show is driven by Jason's love for Daniela and Charlie. He spent all of season 1 trying to get back to them and all of season 2 trying to find a safe place for them to live. However, the plot twist feels inevitable looking back at the story up to this point, and it could ultimately be a good thing. Jason & Daniela’s Separation Has Been A Long Time Coming In Dark Matter Credit: MovieStillsDB Daniella leaving Jason has actually been brewing since Dark Matter season 1. The Jason and Daniela from the pilot episode are extremely different from the couple when Jason1 returns to his original world. At the start, both were happy and content, enjoying domestic bliss. However, as Daniela mentions, they changed. They aren’t the same people they were. By the end of Dark Matter season 1, Jason1 has become hardened and hypervigilant, existing in survival mode. Meanwhile, when Daniela found out about Jason2, she had to grapple with the fact that her entire understanding of reality and her husband was false. She learns that dozens of versions of her husband are so desperate to have her that they will manipulate and kill. These are direct versions of her husband, opening her eyes to the lengths Jason1 could go to under different circumstances. Dark Matter has not yet been renewed for season 3; however, it seems very likely, as Apple TV renewed it already knowing that Blake Crouch had a three-season plan. While she chooses Jason1, the two still seem emotionally disconnected, which could simply be because they’ve been apart for a long time. However, it also hints at their eventual separation. Then, in Dark Matter season 2, they start to find their bearings in episode 1, but another Jason shows up and ruins it. Daniela has to shoot a man who looks identical to her husband, which is an emotional blow. The guilt lingers with her throughout the other episodes. She also starts bawling in the bathroom because of the emotional strain and constant home instability. From that point forward, everything gets rocky. They have high points where it seems like they are figuring things out and low points where all seems lost. Unfortunately, the disconnect between Jason and Daniela grows every time Jason suggests leaving, every time they think they see another Jason, and every time Jason focuses on the box instead of the family. Daniela & Jason’s Relationship Has Become The Most Boring Storyline In Dark Matter Season 2 The decision to separate Daniela and Jason was a relief for me. As I mentioned in my review of Dark Matter season 2 for ScreenRant, the most boring storylines were those that forgot about the box, the premise that drew folks in to begin with. When they’re trying to find a world, the Dessens are still compelling. Once Daniela, Charlie, and Jason settle into the peaceful world, they become deeply uninteresting. The others are traveling through the box and trying to create a technology system from world to world. Leighton tries to provide vaccines and medicine to a plague world. Ryan and Amanda are discovering that their world has drastically changed, with a pandemic arriving since they left at the start of Dark Matter season 2. Jason2 is always extremely sketchy, as I discussed earlier. Even Jason1’s original world, which is the least interesting of the interesting storylines, has some kind of multiversal shenanigans going on with the deaths of multiple Jasons. Everyone except Daniela, Jason, and Charlie has some kind of connection to the original sci-fi premise. Charlie rejecting the idea of moving to a different world or location is interesting because it’s the first time he's shared any opinion or reaction to what he's been through since Dark Matter season 1. His anger at his dad is understandable. Jason’s efforts to deconstruct or turn off the box is actually engaging. The relationship between Jason and Daniela? Not so much. Their chemistry has fizzled out. They seem entirely separate in their stories. They don’t actually get great scenes together, other than fighting about the box and having a meal with friends. Dark Matter Needs Jason & Daniela To Stay Apart For A While Jason and Daniela were always the most entertaining when they were apart. Jason’s journey to get back home drives him in Dark Matter season 1. Her suspicions about Jason2 give her an interesting storyline in the first season because she’s, ultimately, trying to find her way emotionally back to her Jason. As mentioned earlier, they fizzled out. I want to like them. I like Daniela and Jason as individual characters, but they have just become lackluster together. I think they need to be apart in order to find each other again. They need to work through their own problems separately to rekindle the spark we saw at the start of the show and again at the start of season 2, episode 1. The two will never be the same after all they’ve been through. Trauma changes people, and they’ve been through a lot of it. However, they can grieve who they were, accept who they are now, and come back together stronger than ever. Hopefully, if they are separated for long enough, it could be satisfying for them to end up together at the end of the TV show, which is planned to be Dark Matter season 3. Release Date May 7, 2024 Network Apple TV+ Showrunner Blake Crouch Directors Jakob Verbruggen, Alik Sakharov, Roxann Dawson, Logan George Writers Blake Crouch Cast Joel Edgerton Jason Dessen / Jason2