Entanglement – The episode begins with an alternate Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) violently questioning the imposter Jason that Daniela Vargas Dessen (Jennifer Connelly) pushed down the stairs. Although it’s not revealed at the moment, it is suggested that the alternate Jason is going to kill the imposter.
The story then picks with the original Jason, Daniela, and Charlie Dessen (Oakes Fegley). By now, their phones are blowing up with messages from the other Jasons, professing their love. After deciding to shut their devices off, it becomes a matter of where they are going to lay low. Charlie ultimately takes them to a friend’s beach house, where he just happens to know the security procedures and passcodes.
Jason is restless that first night and at one point, he logs onto the family’s computer as a guest to check his e-mail. This leads him to a commonly used message board where the Jasons propose a lottery-type system to see which one of them ultimately gets to stay with Daniela and Charlie. He spends the rest of the evening guarding the living room with the fireplace poker but does eventually manage to fall asleep.
Jason wakes the following morning to a note from Daniela that tells him the coffee is made and she’s out by the beach. Their discussion is very brief but straight to the point. Daniela mentions initially enjoying her time with the other Jason while he admits that he often times considered the ‘What ifs’ during their life together. He also tells her about meeting the other version of her who was a famous artist.
At this time, it is revealed that the alternate Jason from the opening chose not to kill the imposter Jason. This turns out to have been a wise decision because it is he who suggests Jason and Daniela would let Charlie make the decision where to lay low. This eventually leads him to the imposter phone where he learns that Jason borrowed Blair Caplan’s (Amanda Brugel) car. He arranges for a meeting to return the car.
While the original Jason tells Daniela about the message board and lottery system, the imposter Jason attempts to connect with the alternate Jason by asking about what happened after their initial meeting. This only manages to work against the imposter because it forces him to relive some of his more traumatic travel adventures, including the deaths of Daniela and Ryan Holder (Jimmi Simpson). There is also a brief mention of Amanda Lucas (Alice Braga). The conversation is soon interrupted by Blair’s reply that she will be arriving in 10 minutes to pick up the car.
Charlie is making pancakes and getting Jason caught up on current events when Daniela joins them in the kitchen. The discussion sours a bit with the mention of the nut allergy incident and the imposter missing their ceremony for Max. When the mood improves and their next move becomes the topic of discussion, Blair arrives at the Dessen’s Chicago home. After not getting a response at the front door, she cautiously lets herself in. Distant thudding and banging eventually led her to the master bedroom closet where she discovers the original Jason bound and gagged. Blair maintains her composure, even when the alternate shows up and bombards her with questions about tracking her car. The scene ends with her gaining the upper hand on him and holding him at gunpoint with his own weapon.
Jason has Daniela and Charlie’s full attention as he so eloquently describes alternate realities over dinner. Charlie eventually takes his cue and leaves the two of them alone. Jason and Daniela spend a good portion of the evening slow dancing by the roaring fire while listening to old records before Charlie rejoins them. While Charlie and Jason watch TV and chat, Daniela sneaks away to check out the message board. Even later that evening after they say goodnight to Charlie, she tells him that she went on the message board and told the other Jasons that she has chosen him.
Things immediately fall apart later that evening when Jason spots something outside while getting a glass of water in the kitchen. Instantly grabbing the poker and heading outside, he discovers another Jason beaten, battered, and crawling through the woods. A nearby gunshot rings out, leading him back inside where Daniela has just come downstairs to inquire about the noise. He tells her to get Charlie and meet him back downstairs. As she does this, he finds himself surprised by another Jason wielding a shotgun. He not only orders him to take off his clothes, but he asks about a safe word.
The shotgun-wielding Jason makes the crucial mistake of getting too close, allowing the original Jason to capitalize. A struggle ensues but is abruptly ended when the imposter shoots and kills the other Jason. Daniela and Charlie just happen to be arriving downstairs at the very moment. Although the imposter Jason gives Daniela the pistol and tells her and Charlie to leave, she refuses to do so with the original Jason, who has just happened to take possession of the shotgun. The imposter reveals himself as the creator of the box and apologizes for everything. He also tells them about tracking the car and gives them the keys to his vehicle. As they leave, he also returns Jason’s wedding band.
Once they are in the car and safely on the road, Charlie discovers the bag with the full box of ampules. He also finds a phone with a message left by the imposter Jason. The message is practically him professing how he has been afraid to let himself love another person and the vulnerabilities that come along with doing so. He claims to realize that this is what creating the box was about. He also tells them that this world is no longer safe for them, hence the box of ampules.
The original Jason, Charlie, and Daniela are surprised when they show up at the box to discover hundreds of Jasons. One steps forward and tells them that they are not there to stop them but to say goodbye. They genuinely appear to want Daniela and Charlie to be happy. As they cautiously make their way to the box and prepare the ampoules for administration, the footage abruptly cuts to several brief scenes of the other main characters. Ryan is shown working on his formula and then at another point, he appears to join Amanda in what could be the world she chose to stay in. Although they appear to be unacquainted, he tells her that he’s been looking for her. Dawn Lawrence (Marquita Brooks) is also briefly shown in what appears to be a Velocity Lab while Leighton Vance (Dayo Okeniyi) continues his adventuring. Blair is briefly shown packing her gear, suggesting that she has overcome her fear of the box.
The episode ends with Charlie opening the door to an exciting, new world before fading to a brief shot of the infinite corridor.
Dark Matter Finale Review
Not a horrible finale but certainly not the best. That said, I honestly can’t complain much, as I’ve often said, a fulfilling ending that everyone agrees with would be by far the hardest part of any great story. Although it was cheesy, I did enjoy the redemptive qualities of the episode. Despite all the alternate worlds and hundreds of Jasons, the staff did an excellent job of not confusing things. Nearly everything was explained in time and most of the Jasons had distinctive marks, clothes, or traits that set them apart.
I also very much enjoyed the brief rejoinder of the scene that hinted at how the other characters’ lives turned out. It gave away just enough to feel complete without enshrouding the mystery of ‘what if.’ With all this in mind, I can easily see a lot of people saying that the finale was unfulfilling. It is very true that in the grand scheme of things, very little happened. For this, I have to give the episode a 5.4 out of 10.
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