‘Dark Matter’ Episode 6 Recap & Review: Daniela Can’t Take Much More

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Dark Matter Episode 6, “Superposition.”

Now two-thirds of the way through the season, Apple TV+‘s live-action version of Blake Crouch‘s novel is coming into its own as a true adaptation. While the first several installments closely mirror the events of the book, Dark Matter Episode 6, similar to the two preceding episodes, turns expectations on their head. The sixth entry is loaded with big and small details that tie into the story in intimate ways — make sure you catch all of them in our Dark Matter Episode 6 recap.

Charlie Has an Allergic Reaction in ‘Dark Matter’ Episode 6

Dark Matter Episode 6 opens with Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) painting, and Jason 2 (Joel Edgerton) walks over and tells her it’s incredible. He asks how it feels to be painting again, and she unsurely responds, “Wobbly.” Jason tells Daniela the deal with Leighton is done and Charlie (Oakes Fegley) walks in and asks if they can take him to the skate park. Jason says he can, and on the drive to the park, he tells Charlie it’s good he’s nervous because nerves keep you sharp.

He drops Charlie off at the park and leaves to meet Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi). He gives Leighton the ampoules of the drug and Leighton asks if the reason Jason is here is because of Daniela. Jason refuses to answer, sends Leighton on his way, and goes back to the skate park to pick up Charlie. Charlie is clearly upset when he gets in the car, so Jason gives him some ice cream to cheer him up.

Charlie has an allergic reaction because the ice cream has nuts in it and Charlie is allergic to nuts. Jason pulls over on the side of the road and barely finds Charlie’s EpiPen in time and Charlie injects himself to stop the reaction. Daniela rushes into the hospital waiting room and Jason admits he gave him ice cream with nuts. She asks how he could forget about Charlie’s allergy, then notices the track marks on his arm from where he’s been injecting the drug.

Jason 1 and Amanda Plan Their Next Move in “Superposition”

Dark Matter Episode 6 continues in the original world where Jason 2 is flossing and Daniela asks him, “Since when did you start flossing?” Jason asks if it’s a problem that he finally decided to give a sh—t about his gum health, and she says it’s not a problem just a curiosity. After the credits, the episode resumes with Jason 1 and Amanda (Alice Braga) sitting outside the box in the forest. They re-enter the box and Jason continues writing details about his world as he tries to get home.

He writes down details about his local bar, Village Tap, and keeps visiting different worlds to find it’s not the right one. He’s getting so close but can’t find his exact world, and says he doesn’t know if he can go back in the box and keep doing this. They agree to get a real place to sleep tonight and check into a hotel. The pair eats a nice dinner together and Amanda says this world’s version of her manages a White Castle.

Jason wonders what core components make a person who they are on the fundamental level. They try to continue the conversation, but the music gets too loud, so Amanda asks Jason to dance with her. She finally convinces him to go out on the dance floor, and they dance to Prince’s “Raspberry Beret.” They leave the restaurant, walk back to the hotel, and lay in bed together. Jason says it was a great night, but Amanda remarks how she feels like her world is vanishing.

Daniela Talks to Blair About Jason 2 in ‘Dark Matter’ Episode 6

Jason asks Amanda if she could ever forget her world completely, and she says she can see getting to a point where it no longer feels real. Jason asks Amanda to go to the other bed, not because he wants her to, but because he needs her to so he can hang on to his reality. In the original world, Jason 2 visits Amanda, who is also a therapist in this world. She thinks Jason 2 idealized everything he has and has built his life up to be more than it is.

Back at home, Daniela talks to Blair (Amanda Brugel) about this new version of Jason, but Blair just hears that he’s hotter, cleaner, and richer. Daniela tells Blair about the marks on Jason’s arm, and Blair says not to confront him because he’ll lie. She recommends that Daniela follow Jason and figure out what’s going on. Jason 2 tells Amanda about the peanut allergy incident, and they discuss their different ideas of romance.

On his way out of the office, Amanda asks how Jason heard about her, and he says from an ex-girlfriend. Back at home, Daniela wants to talk to Jason, but he gives her a black dress and says he has a surprise for her. He walks her blindfolded to the charity auction, and they walk through the crowd in black tie attire and Jason shows Amanda her unfinished painting from earlier in the episode hanging on the wall.

Jason 2 Is Causing His Relationship To Crumble by Trying Too Hard

Upon seeing her painting, Daniela has a panic attack and asks Jason to take her home. During the car ride home, Jason says he doesn’t understand what he did wrong. Daniela says she’s humiliated because he took her painting without her permission and took her somewhere everyone knows her in a dress that she hates. He tries to tell her the painting is great, but she says it wasn’t his decision.

Daniela says she’s still trying to figure out if she wants to paint anymore and Jason says maybe she just isn’t who he thought she was. He drops Daniela off at home and drives off, but she gets in her car and follows him. He goes to his old storage unit and leaves shortly after. Daniela tries to get in after him, but it’s locked, so she peeks under the door and gets her hands on an unused ampoule to take with her.

She takes the ampoule to Ryan (Jimmi Simpson) and says she thinks he’s injecting it. Ryan says perhaps he’s sick and doesn’t want to worry her, but she doesn’t buy it. She tells him about the storage unit and asks him to figure out what the drug inside the ampoule is. In another world, Jason 1 and Amanda exit the box, and she tells him she needs a day to herself and they can meet back at the box tonight.

Jason Meets Yet Another Version of Daniela in ‘Dark Matter’ Episode 6

Jason 1 goes to a small art gallery and sees Daniela with bleach-blonde hair. They talk about her paintings and Jason talks about his “wife” but is fumbling to put sentences together. He asks Daniela to grab a coffee with him, but she turns him down so he leaves. Amanda watches another version of herself who is married and has a child. They meet back at the box and Jason tells Amanda that this isn’t his world.

Amanda reminds him that they’ll soon be out of ampoules and options and the camera cuts to them in another world in a hotel room. Jason gives Amanda the notebook he’s been writing in, and she says he needs to go deeper to find the right world. Jason leaves to go get food and stands in the rain outside his old house watching another version of himself dance inside with Daniela.

He comes back to the hotel room; Amanda is furious with him and shoves him against the wall. He says he’s been following himself and Daniela, and he’s starting to understand how Jason 2 did this to him. Jason says they’re getting closer, but Amanda tells him the world he’s looking for is a grain of sand on an infinite beach. He gets upset and says nothing matters besides getting back to Daniela.

Jason 2 Returns to Amanda for More Therapy Sessions

Dark Matter Episode 6 continues when Amanda reminds Jason she isn’t asking him to give up hope, she just wants him to try something different. In the other world, Jason 2 visits Amanda in her office again and tells her about the painting incident. Amanda says Daniela has every right to be upset, and Jason says he wants to leave because he worked so hard to get here, and it’s all turning to sh—t.

He says when he thinks about leaving he thinks about the infinite corridor of the multiverse. Amanda says she thinks Jason has a fear of commitment, and he says he’s been married for 15 years, but she says he doesn’t act like it. Jason is about to walk into his house and Ryan stops him on his steps, shows him an ampoule, and accuses him of stealing. He promises he hasn’t stolen his research, and the two go to Village Tap to get a drink.

Jason asks if Ryan’s compound works, and he says he’s so close. Jason tells him his compound works, and when Ryan asks what his application is, Jason agrees to show him. He shows Ryan the box and gives him a dose of the drug. Ryan asks if it’s safe and Jason says he’s done it over 100 times. They go inside the box and Ryan gets his first look at the corridor. He then explains that the corridor is a manifestation of the mind trying to visualize something the brain hasn’t evolved to comprehend.

Jason Ensures Ryan Won’t Be a Problem for Him in ‘Dark Matter’ Episode 6

Jason 2 and Ryan are in 5D quantum space, otherwise known as superposition. He says the corridor is actually the box repeating itself across all realities, and explains how aspects of consciousness determine which reality they find when they open a door. Jason takes the lead and opens a door to a pure utopian version of Chicago with the Northern Lights overhead. Jason says he thought of the kind of world his friend would like to see and Ryan is in awe.

Ryan takes Jason’s phone, takes a picture of him, and slowly inches back towards the box. He finally turns around and sees Jason inside the box, and Ryan realizes this isn’t the friend he’s had his whole life. Ryan says he won’t be a problem for him, and Jason slams the door to the box before Ryan can get back inside. Jason 2 returns to his world, and hires a construction crew to frame and trap the box in a larger container of concrete. The episode ends with Jason examining the box, which is now closed off from all other realities.

There are several sizable changes from book to screen to note in Dark Matter Episode 6. While the Jason 1 and Amanda story closely mirrors that of Crouch’s novel, Jason 2’s story with Daniela, Leighton, and Ryan is largely new material. In the book, Jason never takes Daniela to the art auction, trains Leighton with the box, or traps his friend Ryan in another world. These are all smart changes to keep book readers on their toes and produce a product better suited for television than page-turning.

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