Dark Matter Shakes Up the Multiverse With a Twin Twist

The multiverse just got a little more complicated on Dark Matter.

In Apple TV+’s limited series, which is based on the sci-fi novel of the same name by Blake Crouch, physics professor Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) is pulled into an alternate version of his life by a stranger. In this universe, he chose his science career over his pregnant girlfriend Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), they never got married, and she terminated her pregnancy, meaning that their son Charlie (Oakes Fegley) was never born. The kicker? Jason’s abductor is an alternate universe version of himself, who’s now taken over his life with Daniela and Charlie.

Now, Dark Matter is shaking up the multiverse with another twist: a second Dessen child. In Episode 3, “The Box,” alternate universe Jason (we’ll call him “Jason B” to keep things simple) stumbles upon a birth certificate for a baby named Maximillian Dessen, who was apparently born on the same day as Charlie. 

This week’s episode, “The Corridor,” reveals that Charlie had a twin brother, Max, who was born with health complications and died in surgery when they were little. “He was a fighter. So brave. So full of light,” Daniela tells Charlie as they look at a picture of Max. “From the very beginning, you were inseparable. When I think of him, he’s always with you.”

Twin reveals obviously have a lengthy history on TV, from ridiculous soap opera twists (and let’s not forget that Pretty Little Liars finale) to major storylines in other sci-fi shows like Dark Angel and Doctor Who. However, it’s particularly interesting that Dark Matter is going down this route.

Max’s character notably doesn’t exist in the book — the entire twin storyline was created solely for the adaptation. This isn’t the first time the series has deviated from its source material. One of the biggest changes the show makes for the better is devoting more screen time to Jason B in the original universe, allowing viewers to see firsthand what kind of havoc he’s wreaking on Jason A’s life (like quitting his job as a professor). 

Max also isn’t the only character created for the show; Blair (Amanda Brugel) and Detective Mason (Kate Eastman) are also original creations. Still, giving Charlie a deceased twin brother is a pretty significant addition, and it’s hard to imagine the writers would include this plot point without a good reason for it. 

The twist raises lots of new questions about how exactly this whole multiverse sitch works. At the end of Episode 4, Jason A questions why Jason B chose to hijack his life specifically. “Why my life? Out of all the billions of Jasons, why me?” Suddenly, he realizes the one thing he has that Jason B doesn’t: Daniela and Charlie. 

So, where does Max fit into all of this? If this is the only universe where Jason is married to Daniela and they have Charlie, then does that mean there are zero universes in which both twins survived? Is there some universe where Max is alive, but Charlie isn’t? Or perhaps a universe where both boys are alive, but Daniela isn’t? After all, we’re dealing with an untold number of realities here.

Little else is known about Max and the circumstances of his death so far (what exactly happened with the surgery?) halfway into the season. It remains to be seen how the twin reveal will play into the larger multiverse saga on Dark Matter, but the possibilities are infinite. 

New episodes of Dark Matter stream Wednesdays on Apple TV+. Join the discussion about the show in our forums.

Kelly Martinez is a TV Reporter based in Los Angeles. Her previous work can be found at BuzzFeed and People Magazine, among other outlets. She enjoys reading, spending time with her cat, and explaining the plot of Riverdale to people.