Dark Matter Episode 8 raised the stakes once again, with not one, not two, not three, but infinite Jasons now on the loose across its insane plot.
Apple TV+'s latest sci-fi show is based on the book of the same name, following Joel Edgerton as Jason Dessen as he explores the Multiverse to get back home to his family.
The events of Episode 7 finally got Jason back to his home universe, but he was not the only one to make the jump over. Now, he will have to contend with even more versions of himself on top of the one that stole his life in the first place. It is a real crisis of infinite Jasons.
Dark Matter Episode 8 Spoilers: 5 Biggest Plot Points Explained
Dark Matter Episode 8, "Jupiter," picks up right after multiple Jasons try to purchase a firearm from a gun store.
To differentiate the various Jasons, each one will be affixed with a different number or letter to designate which one we are talking about.
Jason 1 is the initial Jason, who was kidnapped from his universe and thrown off into the Box to fend for himself. Jason 2 is the other version of him that took over Jason 1's life, desperate to live in a world where Jennifer Connelly's Daniela and Oakes Fegley's Charlie are his and his alone.
However, this episode reveals multiple Jasons that split off from the original Jason 1 also exist. As such, these will be given additional letters to their designation, so Jason 1 is now Jason 1A, as he is the initial version of him that we have been following up to this point.
Could this show have made keeping track of these characters any more confusing? Probably!
Daniela Visits a Confused Ryan
After Jason 2 murders another Jason (Jason 1B?) at the top of the episode, it shifts to Daniela catching up with Jimmi Simpson's Ryan, but not the one she knows.
This Ryan is convinced that he is a mechanic and not a Pavia prize winner, which is true as he was the one plucked from his universe by Jason 2. In his world, Daniela is one of his clients.
He recounts how a man got him drunk but cannot seem to remember his name. After Daniela shows him a picture of Jason, he confirms that that was the culprit.
After returning home, Jason 2 asks how the meeting went and that he cannot believe Ryan relapsed after all these years of sobriety. Daniela says he said the same, now even more suspicious of the version of her husband that stands before her.
Cut Off One Jason, Two More Jasons Take His Place
After running into several other Jasons across town, Jason 1A runs into another Jason in a bar, who bears a scar above his forehead.
The two work out that every time they decide on the Box, it causes another alternate Jason to be spawned from that. This explains why there are now so many more Jasons running around trying to get back to the same world, as they all derive from the initial Jason 1A who got sent away at the beginning of Dark Matter.
Because of this, they all think of themselves as the original, as technically they are all the original.
Jason 1C reveals he lost his Amanda (played by Alice Braga) in a "very dark world," presumably where he got the scar from. He's glad that Jason 1A's Amanda is safe though.
They devise a plan to take Jason 2 to Kankakee, though it is unclear what exactly this involves. Jason 1C takes it upon himself to see this idea through, reluctant to hurt the doppelganger in front of him but also not wanting him to get in his way. He leaves, and a troubled 1A sits there with the money 1C left him for their beers.
Jason and Charlie's University of Chicago Tour Goes Awry
After his frosty conversation with Daniela, Jason 2 drives Charlie to school but forgets that his son asked him to show him around the University of Chicago. While touring the hallowed halls of the college that he is pretending that he attended, Jason 1D appears, a vengeful variant with burn marks across half his face.
Father and son duck into the library to avoid the attacker and Jason 2 tells Charlie to take the car to meet him at South University and 57th. A chase sequence through hallways upon hallways of books commences, as the two Jasons make their way through the university's archives.
Jason 2 gets the jump on 1D and the two fight in a bathroom, with Jason 2 knocking the knife out of 1D's hand. He manages to choke Jason 1D out, pocket the knife, and stash his unconscious clone in a stall.
An unfortunate mishap causes the police to accost Charlie, but Jason 2 manages to de-escalate the situation, and the two scurry off home.
Jason Reunites With His Daniela
Jason 1A smoking a fat stogie at a diner was certainly an odd place to take his story in this episode, but it turns out that it had a point all along: to get to Daniela.
Lighting a cigar around several restaurant patrons leads to Jason 1A getting arrested and brought down to the station. Luckily, his plan worked as Daniela was there to pick him up, clearly a bit miffed.
Jason 1A tries to explain everything: the Box, the alternate universes, the other Jason, the other Jasons. She's not buying it. Right before Daniela up and leaves, Jason 1A begs her to just call him on her phone. Begrudgingly, she does what he asks and is greeted by none other than Jason 2.
1A quickly tells her to ask Jason 2 if they can go to the Keys again for Christmas, which somehow works. Next, Jason 1A asks Daniela to come up with a location where they can meet, as any suggestion from him would be much easier to deduce by Jason 2's similar brain.
Without promising that she'll follow through, Daniela suggests Chi-town's iconic Bean and they settle on a safe word: Jupiter.
Dark Matter Episode 8's Ending Explained: Is That the Right Jason?
Daniela returns home to Jason 2 frantically packing. He urges her to do the same, telling her that their family is in a wee bit of trouble.
Daniela tries to go to Charlie, but that rascal Jason 2 intervenes. She manages to avoid him for long enough to send a text to Charlie, warning him that they are in danger. But Charlie left his phone on the kitchen counter (rats!), leading to Jason 2 slowly getting more suspicious of his wife's actions. Luckily, she's able to stall for long enough, allowing Charlie to grab his phone.
After yet another insistence from Jason 2 that she should pack, Daniela asks for some help to get a case from the basement. Jason 2 falls for her schemes yet again, as she shoves her imposter of a husband down the stairs and shuts the door behind him.
Jason 1A swerves in front of the house to pick them up and starts explaining to the two of them about the Box, the alternate universes, the other Jason, the other Jasons... Wait a minute, have we not heard this already? Just as Daniela clocks that this Jason 1E is not actually Jason 1A, another Jason slams into their car; watch where you're driving, Jason 1F!
Meanwhile, the real Jason 1A is waiting at the Bean as arranged. Daniela and Charlie finally arrive and Jason 1A says the safe word, leading to him and Charlie sharing a warm embrace. As the two hug, Daniella looks on, an air of suspicion still spread across her face.
So, is this actually Jason 1A? From the correct identification of a gas giant-themed safe word and his similar clothing, it would certainly seem so. However, Daniela still seems to have doubts that the husband standing before her is the right one. Rightfully so, as she has already been tricked numerous times.
As the finale is just around the corner, perhaps Episode 9 will continue to play into her uncertainty about whether this Jason is the correct one. Did another Jason manage to overhear their conversation and intercept Jason 1A in time? Maybe there is a chance that Jason 1A is not actually the original Jason after all, and he will have to accept that there's another Jason that truly belongs in this universe.
Regardless, all signs seem to be pointing back to the Box. What better way to escape a wave of Jasons than to hide out in the vast reaches of the Multiverse? While they will have to leave the world they knew behind, it feels like it will be the only way they can truly be safe from Jason 2 and the hordes of others desperate to get their lives back.
Dark Matter Episode 9, the season finale, premieres on Wednesday, June 26 on Apple TV+.
