Love sci-fi? Here's everything to know about Dark Matter on Apple TV+

Sci-fi thrillers many times require lots of thinking and you need to concentrate on what's happening in the story, but that's certainly part of all the fun and what makes these shows enjoyable! If you're a fan of the genre and looking for a new one to check out, then be sure to add Dark Matter to your list.

The sci-fi thriller starring Joel Edgerton premieres on Apple TV+ very soon. It's only a matter of days now. To help you prep and be ready for when it launches, here's a guide of when new episodes come out, and everything else you need to know about the exciting series. Read on below for the details!

When to tune in to Dark Matter

The sci-fi thriller officially debuts on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 with the first two episodes on Apple TV+. Then after premiere day, one new installment will be released weekly until the finale on Wednesday, June 26. The series has a total of nine episodes. We shared the Dark Matter episode release schedule below:

• Episode 1- May 8
• Episode 2 - May 8
• Episode 3 - May 15
• Episode 4 - May 22
• Episode 5 - May 29
• Episode 6 - June 5
• Episode 7 - June 12
• Episode 8 - June 19
• Episode 9 - June 26

How to watch with Apple TV+

• Go to the Apple TV+ sign up page
• Enter and email or your Apple ID and choose a password
• Enter your chosen payment method
• Enjoy streaming!

The show is rated TV-MA, which means it is not suitable for those who are under the age of 17 due to graphic violence, explicit sexual activity, and/or crude language. The full season was made available to press and I have seen all nine episodes. Overall, the content isn't too mature, but there are quite a few scenes with violence, as well as intimacy, and expletives used. I wouldn't recommend that young teens watch it. At least not alone. A parent should definitely be around.

What is the Apple TV+ series about?

Dark Matter is centered around Jason Dessen, a "physicist, professor and family man" who is kidnapped and thrown into an alternate reality of his life, per the synopsis. And that's really the center of the story. We're shown that there's an infinite number of different realities. If Jason had made a different choice when it comes to certain decisions, how would that have changed his life? That's what the story explores. Below we shared the official synopsis and trailer provided by Apple TV+

"Hailed as one of the best sci-fi novels of the decade, “Dark Matter” is a story about the road not taken. The series will follow Jason Dessen (played by Joel Edgerton), a physicist, professor and family man who — one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago — is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Wonder quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could have lived. In this labyrinth of realities, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from the most terrifying, unbeatable foe imaginable: himself."

As mentioned above, Dark Matter is based on the science fiction thriller book of the same name by author Blake Crouch. It was published in 2016 and follows the same premise of the series - a physicist is sent to another version of his reality. The story uses elements of quantum mechanics to build the world and canon of it all.

There's so much action and the story moves quite quickly which is thrilling to watch! And you can't see it in the trailer, but some of the visuals for these different realities are really outstanding. While the mechanics and how everything works can be a little bit confusing, the show does a good job of explaining it. It may take you a second to grasp what's happening, but overall it's easy to follow. Especially if you're a sci-fi fan!

We don't know if a season 2 is happening

Right now it's too early and hard to say whether a Dark Matter season 2 is happening. The series hasn't even premiered yet. And Crouch only wrote the one book, it doesn't have a sequel. That doesn't necessarily mean a second installment isn't a possibility. But we'll have to wait and see what news comes from Apple TV+.

Meet the cast

Joel Edgerton takes on the lead role of Jason, and he absolutely rocks it! As revealed in the synopsis, his role as Jason not only features the family man version, who is so sweet. His acting brings out an emotion that makes you connect with the character. But he also plays a version of Jason that isn't so sweet. Playing two different characters is difficult for an actor to do in a show, and he does it so well.

The Australian star and filmmaker is known for playing Owen Lars in the Star Wars universe, as well as The Great Gatsby, Red Sparrow, and The Underground Railroad. He wrote and starred in Netflix movie The King in 2019. The actor's birthday is June 23, 1974 and he is 49 years old. Jennifer Connelly plays Daniela, Jason's' wife, and Oakes Fegley is their teenage son Charlie. Check out the full cast list below:

• Joel Edgerton as Jason Dessen
• Jennifer Connelly as Daniela Dessen
• Oakes Fegley as Charlie Dessen
• Alice Braga as Amanda
• Jimmi Simpson as Ryan
• Dayo Okeniyi as Leighton

What's really cool about Dark Matter is that the author himself, Crouch, created, is showrunner, wrote, and executive produced the sci-fi thriller. So the production definitely couldn't be in better hands! Edgerton also serves as an EP alongside Matt Tolmach and David Manpearl.

Stay tuned to Show Snob as we bring you updates about Dark Matter on Apple TV+!