11 Biggest Changes Dark Matter Makes To Blake Crouch’s Book

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Dark Matter episodes 1 & 2, “Are You Happy in Your Life?” & “Trip of a Lifetime.”

Summary

• Apple TV+ adapted
  Dark Matter
  faithfully but added twists like showing Edgerton’s character teaching, enhancing the story’s depth and complexity.
• Edgerton’s role as a co-founder of Velocity Labs in the show differs from the book, shaking up the organization’s dynamics and relationships.
• The show expands on relationships and character motivations, adding layers to Jason Dessen’s journey through the multiverse.

Apple TV+’s adaptation of Blake Crouch’s 2016 sci-fi novel, Dark Matter, is a largely faithful live-action version of the story, but some interesting differences have been made due to the change in medium. With Crouch also serving as the Dark Matter showrunner and lead writer for the show, it would be reasonable to assume that Apple’s version of the story would be a beat-for-beat replication of the original. However, Crouch wasn’t afraid to add to the TV show, updating the narrative after an 8-year gap between source material and adaptation.

The Dark Matter cast is led by Joel Edgerton as Jason Dessen, as he tries to traverse the multiverse and reclaim his life from an identical impostor. The show is an addition to Apple TV+’s robust sci-fi library, cementing the platform’s place as a leader within the genre. Dark Matter has an all-star creative team, with writers and directors tied to legendary franchises such as Star Trek and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike certain multiversal tales, Dark Matter is wrought with tension and a feeling of hopelessness that makes it unclear if the protagonist will ever find his way home.

11 Jason Dessen’s Teaching Career Gets Far More Attention In The TV Show

Jason’s professional life isn’t addressed much in the book

The main Jason in the Dark Matter book is a physics professor at the fictitious Lakemont College in Chicago. However, none of the scenes in the source material are set at the school. Instead, the fact that Jason is a professor rather than an award-winning physicist is a point of contention for his character, so he is quietly disdainful of his occupation. In the show, Jason is equally disappointed with his professional lot in life, but you at least see him flex his teaching muscles firsthand.

The main Jason isn’t the only version of Edgerton’s Dark Matter character who is shown in the classroom. Jason2, the alternate version who forced their universe-swap, steps into all aspects of his victim’s life – including his responsibilities at Lakemont. While this is heavily implied and even described in the book, Jason2 is also never directly written about while imparting his knowledge to the next generation in Crouch’s original version of the story.

10 Ryan Holder’s Job Offer In Apple TV+’s Dark Matter Doesn’t Happen In The Book

Ryan’s Pavia Prize victory is even bigger in the show

Jason being guilted into attending Ryan Holder’s celebration at Village Tap plays out almost exactly as it does in the book, but it isn’t identical. In the novel, Jason quickly shares a drink with Ryan before leaving the bar, but that isn’t where the interaction ends in the Apple show. In fact, Jimmi Simpson’s version of Ryan introduces an entirely new element to the Dark Matter story.

The addition of the job offer doesn’t change the story too much, but has perhaps been included to reinforce Ryan’s success in comparison to the Ryan in the other universe.

Due to winning the Pavia Prize, Ryan declares intentions to open up a neurotech company in San Francisco with his newfound wealth, offering Jason the chance to work with him in the Californian city. Jason is replaced with his multiversal copy shortly after he leaves Village Tap, so it’s actually Jason2 who rejects the offer later on. The addition of the job offer doesn’t change the story too much, but has perhaps been included to reinforce Ryan’s success in comparison to the Ryan in the other universe.

9 The Decontamination Procedure At Velocity Labs Isn’t As Extreme As In The Book

Blake Crouch wrote the original sequence to sound excruciatingly painful

When Jason unknowingly arrives in Jason2’s universe in the book, the process of making sure he hasn’t brought anything harmful back sounds like a deeply unpleasant experience. When Jason is being decontaminated in the book, he is still secured to the gurney that appears in the TV show, and subjected to a barrage of mysterious chemicals and treatments that sound very painful. The Dark Matter book is also written in first person, so Jason’s suffering is brought more to the forefront:

“I’m grunting, thrashing against the restraints and wondering how much longer this could possibly be allowed to go on. My threshold for pain is high, and this is straddling the line of make-it-stop or kill me.”

The same sequence in the TV show is much shorter and completely omits this extreme process. Instead, Jason is shown upright in a shower. The focus is on Jason’s feeling of disorientation rather than also experiencing what sounds like borderline torture. It’s possible that including the full scene from the book would have seen those at Velocity seem immediately like villains, rather than keeping it ambiguous for a little longer.

8 Jason Already Knows Leighton Vance In The Dark Matter Show

Jason’s literary counterpart has no idea who Leighton is

Leighton Vance, played in the Dark Matter TV show by Dayo Okeniyi, is a very important figure in the hierarchy of Velocity Laboratories. In Jason’s first exchange with Leighton in the book, Leighton is disappointed to discover that Jason doesn’t remember him. In reality, Jason never knew Leighton in the book, and the Velocity CEO was unknowingly speaking to a copy of Jason Dessen whom he had never met before that moment. In the TV show, Jason immediately knows who Leighton is, although he also admits he hasn’t seen him in “God knows how long.”

Velocity doesn’t exist in Jason’s native universe, so it’s initially unclear where he knows Leighton from, although it’s strongly implied that Jason2 and Leighton were colleagues at the groundbreaking laboratory before the swap. Leighton also isn’t present at Jason’s debrief in the book, with only Amanda conducting the interview. Amanda is still there in the show, but Leighton is also a direct part of the meeting.

7 Joel Edgerton’s Dark Matter Character Is Credited As The Co-Founder Of Velocity In The Show

Velocity could predate Jason in Crouch’s original book

During Jason’s debrief with Leighton and Amanda in Dark Matter episode 1, “Are You Happy in Your Life?” Jason is introduced as Velocity’s “Chief Science Officer and co-founder.” Even for those familiar with the book, nothing may seem amiss here, but Jason’s role within the organization in Crouch’s original work is not the same as in the show. In fact, it would have been impossible for the book version of Jason Dessen to be Velocity’s founder.

If the company is of a similar age in the
Dark Matter
TV show, Jason would only have been a very young child, if he was alive at all.

In the novel, Leighton says, “My father founded Velocity forty-five years ago.” If the company is of a similar age in the Dark Matter TV show, Jason would only have been a very young child, if he was alive at all. So, Jason’s new role as the co-founder of the lab in the book also makes the entire operation far newer than its literary equivalent. The company predating Jason’s involvement is perhaps unnecessary to the narrative making sense, so it’s understandable why the change was made.

6 Jason’s Escape From Velocity Labs Is Far Easier In The Show

Edgerton’s character flees Velocity with very little resistance

In the Dark Matter book, Jason fleeing Velocity is a slow-burning affair, with a great deal of internal rumination about how to pull off any form of escape plan. Eventually, Jason is taken to Leighton’s office, where he barricades himself in a private bathroom and squeezes out of a small window before a lengthy, dramatic chase takes place. By contrast, Jason’s sudden fleeing from the scene includes a fairly leisurely stroll out the front door.

Once Edgerton’s Jason hops Velocity’s fence, it’s pretty much a straight shot to the road to find a cab to take him to what he believes to be his home. Jason’s literary counterpart experiences a tense sequence of energetic chase scenes before also flagging down an off-duty taxi. However, while the driver in the book argues against taking Jason as a passenger, the driver in the Apple adaptation seemingly has no such qualms.

5 Amanda Lives With Jason2 In Apple’s Dark Matter TV Show

Jason2 lives alone in the novel

Amanda Lucas becomes an important part of Jason’s eventual journey through the multiverse. In the book, it’s strongly implied that Amanda and Jason2 had some form of romantic relationship before the Jasons swapped places, but this is never confirmed or denied. However, Blake Crouch made the ties between Amanda and Jason2 far less ambiguous in the TV show by having the duo share a house. Jason2’s book counterpart, although he still lives in the same Chicago brownstone in both universes, lives alone in the universe where Velocity exists.

In the original medium, Jason returns to an unoccupied and differently-decorated house, whereas Amanda is waiting for him in the Dark Matter TV show. There, Amanda tries to “restore” Jason’s memories by prompting him to remember her, but she is unaware that it’s not the same version of Jason. While Amanda declares that Jason never had a wife, it’s difficult to ignore the implications of a romantic relationship that arise by having the pair live together.

4 Jason Is A Part Of Daniela’s Art Installation In Apple TV+’s Dark Matter

Daniela’s exhibit has a few notable changes

In both versions of Dark Matter, the alternate version of Jason’s wife tells him that he was the inspiration for her latest art installation. However, the end result of said installation is different in the show. In Apple TV+’s version, the experience is more high-concept, playing much more on the theme of the multiverse. In addition, images of Jason are included as part of the display – which does not happen in the 2016 novel.

Because TV is a far more visual medium than books, mildly confusing the audience with these images is a great way to enhance the mystery, as well as foreshadowing Daniela’s admission that her conversation with Jason2 is what kickstarted her ideas. This addition is also a nice way of keeping those who have read the book on their toes, and it can sometimes be easy to fall into a sense of knowing what’s coming when a viewer knows the source material.

3 Jason’s Wedding Ring Replacement Doesn’t Come From Daniela’s Apartment In The Book

The book Jason uses something else to replace the symbol of his love for Daniela

Just like in the book, Jason notices the indentation of his absent wedding ring while in the hospital in the other universe. The sequence is taken directly from Crouch’s original version of the story, with the book chronicling Jason’s inner monologue during the moment: “I touch the indentation, acknowledging both the horror and the comfort of what it represents – the last vestige of my reality.” In Dark Matter episode 2, “Trip of a Lifetime,” Jason takes one of Daniela’s hair ties from her apartment and loops it around his ring finger to solidify the memory for when the indentation fades.

Using a hair tie from the alternate version of Jason’s wife is a much more poetic version of the moment, given what it represents.

This ring replacement is inspired by the book but isn’t identical. Jason’s book counterpart does eventually stay at Amanda’s, but not before checking into a cheap hotel across from “his” house called The Days Inn. When recuperating from his escape from Leighton and the others, Jason takes a piece of thread from the hotel curtain and ties it around his ring finger. Using a hair tie from the alternate version of Jason’s wife is a much more poetic version of the moment, given what it represents.

2 The Dark Matter Show Gives Jason2 A Creepy Storage Unit That Isn’t In The Book

Jason2’s base of operations makes complete sense

The book version of Jason2 is perhaps a little overconfident in his plan and doesn’t take any contingencies to account for the original Jason returning and reclaiming his life. However, Blake Crouch has made Jason2 much more cautious in the Dark Matter TV show and made him a much better villain than his literary counterpart. Near the end of “Trip of a Lifetime,” Jason2 is shown heading to a storage unit, where he keeps various pieces of equipment – including a firearm, tape, surveillance gear, and his ominous white mask from the first episode.

Jason2 uses the equipment from his storage unit to set up a camera, so he can monitor the box remotely. In the book, he doesn’t take this precaution.

The storage unit is also shown in episode 1, but for those unfamiliar with the story, the scene is intentionally more intriguing. So early in the show, viewers are likely unaware of the fact there are two Jasons, so it seems as though the character is living some form of double life. When it’s revealed that Jason2 is using the unit as a base of operations, it makes perfect sense. Jason2 is essentially a multiversal refugee at the beginning of the story, so the inclusion of a makeshift headquarters is a brilliant addition.

1 Jason’s Time With The Other Daniela Has Some Key Differences

Daniela Vargas helps Jason more in the show

When in Jason2’s universe, Jason’s first priority is to track down his wife to help him make sense of what’s happening. Due to the changes in that particular universe, the best he’s able to do is find a version of the woman he loves, but who never married her version of Edgerton’s character. This is the same in both versions of Dark Matter, but their time together isn’t identical.

Most interestingly, the Apple version of
Dark Matter
adds the pair leaving the apartment to investigate Jason2’s brownstone, discovering the villains’ notes together.

Firstly, the book version of Jason stays inside Daniela’s apartment for a few days without leaving, with Daniela’s murder forcing his departure. They also sleep together in the book – an act that’s interrupted in the TV show. Most interestingly, the Apple version of Dark Matter adds the pair leaving the apartment to investigate Jason2’s brownstone, discovering the villains’ notes together. This leads Jason to discover what’s going on while at Daniela’s apartment and in her company, rather than at Velocity under lock and key – where Jason2’s work is handed to him on a laptop in the Dark Matter book.