Dark Matter episode 3 features a lot of exposition, but a gripping cliffhanger (Review)

The next episode of Dark Matter on Apple TV+ is here, and boy was it a wild ride! Last week, we got two episodes for the premiere of the series. And now, the streamer has moved to a one new episode a week schedule going forward. Episode 3 of Dark Matter jumped right into the mystery of the Box to give us some answers, plus Jason and Amanda find themselves in it. Here's what happened in the story, and what I thought about it. For a full recap of the episode, click here.

SPOILERS FOR DARK MATTER EPISODE 3 BELOW

There's a lot of exposition, but it's needed

The third episode is appropriately titled "The Box," and that's really what the whole plotline is about. After finding Jason at Daniela's apartment following the heartbreaking way she was killed by Dawn, he's brought back to Velocity. There's too much at stake and as Leighton says, they've all worked too hard now to become exposed by police who are investigating the company. We learn that Jason2 has been gone for more than a year, and there are others who tried going into the Box and never returned. Jason is the only one who has. Eventually, Leighton catches on that this Jason he's speaking to isn't "their" Jason. And of course, he's right.

There's a lot of interrogation and Leighton is desperate to find out just how the Box works. No one knows except Jason2. And that's driving Leighton pretty crazy. I don't know how to feel about this character. I think he's ambitious and has put a lot of work into making the Box work. I don't think he's necessarily an evil person. But the lengths he's willing to go to figure all this out, hiding things from the police who are starting to look into all these suspicious disappearances, and his tactics are less than moral though.

Eventually, Jason tries to cooperate to the best of his ability so that he can actually be shown this special Box, and we get an explanation as to how it all works. There's a lot of science talk here that's dumbed down for us, and I appreciate it. I'm not a sci-fi expert so this was helpful. Yes, it's a lot of exposition and talking, but it was needed to establish what the big deal is about this thing. Jason is also shown the security footage of Jason2 going into the Box, and himself coming out. But with the possibility that someone can travel to another reality not quite hitting him, he starts to question whether he's lost his mind. But we all know that's not true. But seriously. Joel Edgerton is amazing at emotional acting. As well as being a subtly arrogant Jason2!

Jason2 has got to go

The other Jason who's now with Daniela and Charlie is just throwing money around, probably used to his lavish style in his reality. The two host a dinner party, and overall this storyline was kind of boring. I know it's supposed to show how he really doesn't know much about the life of family man Jason and how he's learning as he goes. But it was still meh to me. Though the cut between family man Jason getting beat up at Velocity vs. Jason2 safe at home in his life was a really good editing choice to make us feel all the emotions. I already can't stand Jason2.

Daniela can feel that something is different and off with her husband, and so Jason2 explains that he almost got run over by a cab. And that put things into perspective for him and is making him act a bit different. Having your life flash before your eyes is a plausible explanation, but we obviously know what the truth is. Also side note - Jason2 finds a birth certificate for Maximilian Dessen, born the same day as Charlie. Did Jason and Daniela lose a baby?

Grading Dark Matter episode 3

The whole episode is pretty tense when it comes to family man Jason's storyline. But it all really picks up and comes to a head in the last few minutes of the episode. It is confirmed that Jason2 and Amanda were in a relationship. No surprise there. But that's why she decides to help this Jason escape. At first they were just going to leave Velocity, but Leighton sees them coming down the elevator. With the building going into lockdown and everyone chasing them, there's only one way out. The Box. That was pretty predicatable and I knew it was coming, but I'll tell you my heart was still racing waiting to see if they'd manage to escape.

Jason and Amanda do, and we see them do all the steps that were explained earlier in the episode. It's a really nerve-wrecking and high-stakes situation because they don't know what to expect and how exactly this Box is going to work. But there's no other way out. As they were shutting the door also, did we really need to see Dawn's amputated fingers on the floor. Ouch. But also ew. Anyway, the episode ends on a cliffhanger with Jason and Amanda waking up, and now they're stuck in an infinite place with many doors. What's going to happen next?

Overall, Dark Matter episode 3 had a lot of exposition, but the stakes are high and it feels tense making us viewers eager to know what's going to happen next. But I didn't mind it because it was all needed for us to get over this mystery, and understand what Jason and Amanda are doing when they eventually have to get in it. The Jason2 storyline was a bit boring compared to the other one where the tense atmosphere was engulfing it all. I really enjoyed those last few moments, and it made the episode worth it. I mean, talk about a gripping cliffhanger! Episode 3 grade level: B. Come back next week as we grade episode 4!

Dark Matter streams new episodes Wednesdays on Apple TV+.