‘Dark Matter’ Season 2’s ending, explained: Did they destroy the box?

Jason (Joel Edgerton) and his family haven’t been having a great time of it, and the Dark Matter Season 2 finale did little to change that.

But did the plan to destroy the box, and end the weird quantum entanglement that the characters (and their multiple other versions) have been wrapped up in, actually work? What’s next for the Dessens and everyone working at Velocity?

We’ve broken down an ending that was somehow even worse for its core characters than the finale of Season 1.

What happens at the end of Dark Matter Season 2?

The finale picks up from where we left things at the end of episode 9, with Jason and Blair (Amanda Brugel) on a mission to destroy the original box — a move they believe will wipe out all versions of it, thereby stopping all that pesky world-hopping — while Ryan (Jimmi Simpson) and Amanda (Alice Braga) deliver a cure to a plague-infected world. The group set their watches at the start of the episode, planning to all meet back in the Village Tap tavern once their missions are complete.

Elsewhere, Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) tracks down Charlie (Oakes Fegley) in the world where his twin brother is still alive. He agrees to come back with her to the world where their family has settled.

Meanwhile, Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi) becomes convinced that the box isn’t actually helping the various worlds in the way he wanted it to. He and the other version of Jason (the one that created the box) agree to destroy it once Leighton’s spoken to the other version of himself, Oluko, with whom he runs Velocity.

The problem? Oluko doesn’t want to destroy the box. During an argument with Leighton, he hits him over the head and ends up strangling him to death. Oluko powers up the pyramid — the larger version of the box that they’ve been working on — and before Jason can shut it down again, he flees for another world.

Jason and Blair successfully manage to destroy the original box by planting a device inside it. They escape back to their world, and Jason heads home to change. Blair meets Ryan and Amanda, who’ve also been successful in their mission, at the tavern.

So, a happy ending? Nope. Back at his apartment, Jason finds a note from Daniela, who he assumed was still out of town visiting her dad, telling him she went into the box in search of Charlie. His wife and son are now trapped in a different world.

Have they destroyed the box?

It certainly seems to. On returning to their current world, and when the timer on his watch hits zero, Jason checks the inside of the box and confirms to Blair that it’s “dead.” At the same moment, back inside the box on their way home, Daniela and Charlie are about to open the door when they feel a weird ripple pass through them. Something, it’s clear, has happened.

The implication is very much that Jason and Blair have successfully destroyed the original box, as they set out to do. Which means that from that point on, travel between worlds won’t be possible.

Where are Daniela and Charlie?

Thankfully, the destruction of the box doesn’t mean Daniela and Charlie are trapped in that infinite corridor (which would mean certain death). They have one more door to open. Unfortunately, if that door doesn’t lead back to the world with Jason and the others, they’re stuck. The episode ends on this exact cliffhanger, with them opening the box’s door and staring out into the unknown. From the uncertain looks on their faces, though, it seems pretty obvious that they’re not where they want to be.

So, are they trapped forever? Well, no. It’s important to remember that although the original box is destroyed, Jason now has the knowledge to build a new one. There’s also the pyramid, too; although the other version of Jason shuts it down in the finale, it seems likely that he could get it operational again if he chose to do so.

How the Dessens will reunite again is a question for Season 3, though — assuming the show gets renewed.

Dark Matter Season 2 is streaming now on Apple TV.