Dark Matter Season 2 is refusing to neglect the multiple versions of its characters.
We already had a very strong standalone episode that tracked the lives of several of the Jasons (Joel Edgerton) who leave their family behind at the end of Season 1, and episode 8 has just delivered more of the same.
This time, we have the backstory to new character Laurel (Margo Martindale), who we met back in episode 7, and an answer to the question of who Charlie saw come through the doorway at the episode's end.
What happens in Dark Matter Season 2, episode 8?
Episode 8 goes back in time, tracking the history of Laurel and her relationship to the box, starting with her saving the life of a version of Amanda (Alice Braga) after she's carried in by another Jason (Edgerton) with a tree branch sticking out of her chest. Laurel, who is something of a paranoid recluse due to the political climate in her world, nurses Amanda back to health, then sends Jason and Amanda on their way. But she's not done helping people.
Soon, she's visited by a version of Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi), who tells her he'd like to make her home a kind of way-station for travellers in need. Blair (Amanda Brugel) is next to visit, and then ultimately Amanda and Jason make another stop when they're running low on vials. First, Amanda decides to stay put in Laurel's world, and then Jason — having given up hope of finding his original family — decides to join her. Like the other Jason in episode 5, he finds his own version of happiness.
Who does Charlie see at Laurel's house?
All of which brings us up to the present day, and Charlie's visit. Episode 7 left us on something of a cliffhanger, with Charlie seeing someone in Laurel's house that made him stop in his tracks.
At the time, based on his reaction, we thought this was likely someone he knew well — and sure enough, it turns out to be the version of his dad that's now living with Amanda in Laurel's world.
In a bittersweet moment the two share a heart-to-heart, with Jason learning what became of his old family before offering his son some advice for his own future.
"Life, it'll take you this way and that way. It'll toss you round. It'll knock your teeth in," says Jason. "But if you choose the genuine real life that you want, you won't need to look back."
Dark Matter Season 2 is streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes dropping every Friday.