It’s an inexact science: You can’t just go wherever you want. Instead, your destination is dependent on your mindset when you open the door.

So if you’re scared or stressed out, get ready for a postapocalyptic version of Chicago. This premise leads to some really great moments.

The Dessens, for instance, are going through a situation that no family has ever gone through, which puts all kinds of strain on their relationships. But the show is often at its best when it moves away from the main story.

One episode explores several years in the life of a random Jason variant who simply tries to build a life for himself in a quiet world. It’s a melancholy short story that reminds me of the “Long, Long Time” episode of The Last of Us.

It doesn’t try to push the story forward or inundate you with revelations; instead, it shows you the human impact of this technology. There’s a similar episode that introduces a sort of waystation that various multiverse travelers visit over the years, and one that involves Charlie seeking out a long-lost family member in another world.

But getting to these moments means being okay with being confused, and that’s because season 2 really ratchets up the complexity primarily by introducing a whole bunch of new characters, most of whom are variants of existing ones. That means a lot of Jasons, Danielas, and Charlies, of course — the original alt Jason who started this mess features prominently — but also their friends and coworkers like chemist Ryan (Jimmi Simpson), psychologist Amanda (Alice Braga), and the well-off Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi) who is bankrolling the whole thing.

There are multiple versions of each, spread across different worlds, all of which are involved to some degree in the larger story. It’s a lot to keep track of, and the show often doesn’t help much in differentiating the variants so that it’s clear who you’re actually watching.

At one point, the main Jason and Daniela get tattoos so they can clearly identify each other. On top of this, season 2 jumps around in time quite a bit, further putting a strain on your ability to follow narrative threads.

That kind of knotty storytelling is perhaps unavoidable with a premise as convoluted as Dark Matter’s, but season 2 shows that series can also do a lot when it slows down and explores human-level stories, as opposed to racing toward the next big set piece. The second season attempts to balance both kinds of storytelling — it even ends with what feels like some Christopher Nolan–inspired action — which means that in order to experience the show at its best, you’ll have to resign yourself to not understanding everything.

Dark Matter season 2 is streaming on Apple TV on August 28th. Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.

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